This is the imperative clue to solve the entire puzzle.
Madness string 2172
One may be before, one after. It's uncertain. The world state is uncertain.
More than half of adults in the US have a reading comprehension at or below the level of a child in grade six, and more than 20% are functionally illiterate. It's not that different in other countries either. Once you know that, both the Internet and the state of political affairs make a lot more sense.