What is the aim of extreme points of views? For example, the idea of a global panopticon for preventing the invention of mass extinction machine.
Other than shocking people or getting clicks, another purpose for presenting extreme points of view is to implement a milder yet also distasteful alternative.
Given two extremes, we make the assumption that the truth lies somewhere in the mild. Therefore we become receptive for an alternative which we would normal might not have accepted.
In the case of the panopticon article, the other extreme is the development of a device for the mass extinction of humankind. Both are shocking and we would now find a system for the global collection of communication not so bad.
What we don’t realise is that neither of these extreme views are corresponding to reality. Both are hypothesis and there is no need for the global collection of communication.
We could just as easily say that humankind might invent something that results in harmonious, happy societies where wars, hate and poverty become things for the history books. To prevent such an invention, we must all be trapped in financial cages and be ground into dust by the forces of capitalism. Those might be the views for the introduction of communism.
Btw, one such invention might be global basic income. Or at least a step in that direction.
Instead, fear is used to drive us in another direction.
In Psychology this goes in the direction of framing.
This is also used in the world of shopping. Three different price models for the same product? Why? So that the one in the middle is chosen. It’s not as expensive as the most expensive and has more features than the cheapest, so it must be the best option.