Some historical context:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamphlet_war#History_of_the_pa...

> Throughout Europe in the 16th century, printed tracts were used to argue religious doctrine and foment support for religious causes. In England, Henry VIII used print literature to justify his break from the Catholic Church. During the subsequent reigns of Edward and Mary, print polemics escalated into propaganda warfare, as print media gained enormous potential to sway common opinion.

> Over the next century, the pamphlet became the principal means of garnering support for a cause or an idea, and was particularly influential during the English Civil Wars (1642-1651) and the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War

> Casualties: Parliamentarians 34,130 killed; Royalists 50,700 killed; 127,000 non-combat deaths (including some 40,000 civilians)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamite_War_in_Ireland

> Casualties: Williamites: 10,000 killed or died of disease; Jacobites: 15,293 killed or died of disease

Their current reach is unprecedented though, and the reach of governments or political parties engaging in mass disinformation campaigns has proved almost an existential risk.

I'd have called the folks on Skellig Michael lunatics in bedrooms, too. They just had a harder time copying their lunacy out by hand.

Arguably much of the mid-20th century was the pipeline from "lunatic with pamphlet" => "millions dead".

They've been convincing women that its empowering to smoke cigarettes for a long time, too.