The name "Epic Fury," chosen by Trump for the joint operation with Israel against Iran launched on February 28, is the perfect aesthetic framework for a manipulative strategy aimed at mortgaging the future through instant consensus. In this scenario, the use of "Cringe" that sense of unease felt when faced with an out-of-context act is not a Hollywood affectation or excessive arrogance. It is a deliberate communication technology, or, more precisely, a deliberate technology of "capture." Its goals are, in fact, surgical: to engage Generation Z and Millennials by mimicking their codes (from TikTok to memes); to shift attention from the inconvenient content to the individual expressing it a vital tactic when valid arguments are lacking and to saturate the social space with an avalanche of comments that fill the content void. It is the ultimate tool for undermining authority, a quality once sought after but now sacrificed on the altar of a narcissistic polarization that transforms the leader into an unquestionable tribal chief. The awkward dance to the tune of YMCA, the AI-generated video that transforms Gaza into a utopian Disney-esque vision, or the embarrassing statement in which Trump mistakes Victor Orbán for the leader of Turkey rather than Hungary are not accidents. They are traps. This strategy does not spare Europe and Italy. Minister Antonio Tajani, in the aftermath of Operation Epic Fury, urged Italians stranded in Dubai not to look out or go out in the streets in the presence of drones, an instruction that seems surreal to say the least. Even before that, Carlo Calenda attempted to penetrate these new digital spaces to build bonds of trust by adopting a strategy of authenticity through contrast: "One: I can't dance, I look like a drunken bear. Two: I can't give makeup advice because I have a belly and I'm ugly. But I can talk to you about politics. About politics, about books, about culture." In contrast, Giusi Bartolozzi, chief of staff to the Minister of Justice, lapsed into verbal violence when, in a recent televised debate on the upcoming justice referendum, she described magistrates as veritable "firing squads," sparking a bitter institutional clash. Even the paradox of identity becomes a matter of viral circulation in the digital space. This is the case with the slogan "I am Giorgia, I am a woman, I am a mother, I am Italian, I am Christian," uttered by Giorgia Meloni during a 2019 rally and subsequently transformed into the viral remix "I am Giorgia," which became a veritable political meme. Even the appeal to God, country, and family, enacted by political leaders with the tone of a chivalric epic, is a narrative crafted to capture the consensus of an electorate seeking certain references.
It is a populism that offers simplified solutions and the restoration of a supposed popular sovereignty as an antidote to social uncertainty; however, behind this facade lies the triumph of selfishness and political opportunism: a rhetoric devoid of ethical meaning. The process of capturing consensus would not be complete without the crucial support of automated processes that use AI to identify, extract, and quantify the opinions and emotions contained in a text. AI maps emotional micro-reactions in real time anger, fear, sharing, joy extracting and measuring collective sentiment to tailor communication to the intended purpose. It's no coincidence that AI was used extensively and in real time during Operation Epic Fury: not only to plan logistics and target selection, but to profile audiences and test the public's level of emotional engagement. "Epic Fury" thus represents the first mass experiment in which AI manages warfare and information in an integrated manner. Propaganda is no longer an art of persuasion, but an exact science of profiling, where the future is mortgaged in the name of a present saturated by algorithms and fury. Traditional media, in an obsessive attempt to stay in line or even lead in content production, chase trends generated or amplified by artificial intelligence, unwittingly becoming amplifiers of the very disinformation they are supposed to combat. In this race to achieve maximum speed, they have lost sight of their true competitive advantage: credibility, authority, fact-checking, and proximity to local communities. At the same time, the direct relationship between leaders and citizens has accelerated the decline of intermediary bodies. Political parties, unions, and associations today appear increasingly unsuited to countering "pop" and populist politics.This crisis is not merely aesthetic: it has a huge social cost, eroding the protections enjoyed by workers and vulnerable groups. However, revitalizing these organizations is a necessary condition for restoring democratic vitality. These bodies must once again become solid bridges between institutions and citizens, capable of conducting clear analyses, projecting strategic visions, and offering concrete solutions to community needs, abandoning sterile emotional reactions. It is urgent to demand rigorous and coherent political action that restores the educational function and the construction of the common good. The current fragility produces disillusionment and abstention, putting the very stability of democracy at risk. Emerging from the "Epic Fury" means breaking the short circuit created between the algorithm and our most archaic emotions; it means stopping inhabiting the cave of conditioned reflexes and returning to investing in competence and collective responsibility.
Sabrina Barresi
https://www.ucadi.org/2026/03/28/epic-fury-il-totalitarismo-algoritmico-e-leclissi-della-ragione
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A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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