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(Thread) Why Republicans Lie
Doug Collins says that Democrats are in love with terrorists.
Mark Levin says the Democratic Party hates America.
@senatemajldr says he wants to enact the Clinton Senate trial rules.
They know these are lies. Spoiler: They're trying to destroy. https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/936332447284899840
Doug Collins says that Democrats are in love with terrorists.
Mark Levin says the Democratic Party hates America.
@senatemajldr says he wants to enact the Clinton Senate trial rules.
They know these are lies. Spoiler: They're trying to destroy. https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/936332447284899840
1/ The “again” in MAGA signifies reactionist politics (as opposed to conservative politics)
Reactionaries want to take us backwards. To do that, they need to dismantle and destroy.
For more on Conservatives v. Reactionaries, see: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1169272865113272320
Reactionaries want to take us backwards. To do that, they need to dismantle and destroy.
For more on Conservatives v. Reactionaries, see: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1169272865113272320
2/ In particular, Trump wants to take us back to a time before the Civil Rights movement, before laws against insider trading, before the New Deal and federal agencies that regulate the commerce of plutocrats.
See: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1070708168949346304
See: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1070708168949346304
3/ It was a time of almost unbounded personal liberty— for white men.
Those were the days
What is standing in the way of returning to the Good Old Days?
All those laws and regulatory agencies that stop white men from doing whatever they please. (Like the FBI!)
Those were the daysWhat is standing in the way of returning to the Good Old Days?
All those laws and regulatory agencies that stop white men from doing whatever they please. (Like the FBI!)
4/ Aside: Reactionaries loved law enforcement when the main purpose of law enforcement was to put black men in jail.
But when the FBI started looking at the crimes of rich white men? Watch out!!
But when the FBI started looking at the crimes of rich white men? Watch out!!
5/ When Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump’s lies by arguing that his false statements actually point to something true, she offered an explanation for why Trump supporters embrace transparent lies. https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/936332447284899840
6/ “President Obama was born in Africa,” for example, is a provable lie, but it points toward what to Trump’s supporters see as a deeper truth: President Obama is black, and therefore, isn’t really a real American.
(Remember Sarah Palin's comment about "real" Americans?)
(Remember Sarah Palin's comment about "real" Americans?)
7/ “Democrats love terrorists” points to what Collins sees as a deeper truth: Democrats like [don’t hate] brown-skinned people from the middle east.
“Democrats hate America” makes sense in the context of Sarah Palin's comment about "real" Americans. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-23-oe-brooks23-story.html
“Democrats hate America” makes sense in the context of Sarah Palin's comment about "real" Americans. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-23-oe-brooks23-story.html
8/ “Real Americans” are small town or rural and white.
Hahl, Kim, and Sivan, in “The Authentic Appeal of the Lying Demagogue,” explain that those who want to destroy the “political establishment” embrace a liar because they know the lies destroy. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0003122417749632
Hahl, Kim, and Sivan, in “The Authentic Appeal of the Lying Demagogue,” explain that those who want to destroy the “political establishment” embrace a liar because they know the lies destroy. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0003122417749632
9/ Lest you think the Republican liars are unaware that they are lying, Steve Bannon openly explains the tactic: “Flood the zone with shit.”
If this sounds to you like standard fascist propaganda. . . you're right! It is. Same thing. https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/963076380505370624
If this sounds to you like standard fascist propaganda. . . you're right! It is. Same thing. https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/963076380505370624
10/ Hofstadter explains the same dynamic in his classic book.
Hofstadter conducted a thorough review of American politics from before the founding of the nation through McCarthyism and noticed a pattern among a small impassioned minority on the fringes of the political spectrum.
Hofstadter conducted a thorough review of American politics from before the founding of the nation through McCarthyism and noticed a pattern among a small impassioned minority on the fringes of the political spectrum.
11/ He called their behavior the “paranoid style” in politics.
Those embracing the paranoid style of politics believe that unseen satanic forces are trying to destroy something larger in which they belong.
They “feel dispossessed."
Those embracing the paranoid style of politics believe that unseen satanic forces are trying to destroy something larger in which they belong.
They “feel dispossessed."
12/ The feel that “America has been largely taken away from them and their kind.”
They are “determined to repossess it and prevent the final act of subversion.”
They therefore adopt extreme measures. They will stop at nothing to prevent what they see as an impending calamity.
They are “determined to repossess it and prevent the final act of subversion.”
They therefore adopt extreme measures. They will stop at nothing to prevent what they see as an impending calamity.
13/ Lying is just one of the tricks in their bag of tricks. Lying and cheating.
Here's the thing to remember about these lies: They're trying to send you into a spin. They're trying to frustrate you.
Liars have an advantage. They can reel off dozens in a short time.
Here's the thing to remember about these lies: They're trying to send you into a spin. They're trying to frustrate you.
Liars have an advantage. They can reel off dozens in a short time.
14/ Responding to each takes time. You can spend all day playing whack a lie.
In previous threads I've talked about how combat this.
BTW Steve Bannon coached Bolsonaro (the Brazilian Trump) to do the same thing. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article228008904.html
They're pals and learn from each other.
In previous threads I've talked about how combat this.
BTW Steve Bannon coached Bolsonaro (the Brazilian Trump) to do the same thing. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article228008904.html
They're pals and learn from each other.
15/ A solution, in one tweet:
The antidote to the "Firehose of Falsehoods" method
is to put raincoats on the population so the lies just roll off.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html
We shrug and say, “There they go again. Lying. Pay no attention.”
The public sphere remains intact.
The antidote to the "Firehose of Falsehoods" method
is to put raincoats on the population so the lies just roll off.https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html
We shrug and say, “There they go again. Lying. Pay no attention.”
The public sphere remains intact.
16/ A landslide in 2020 will help send them back to the fringes where they belong.
They'll never go away. We'll always have the paranoid element trying to destroy.
We will need better ways of dealing with them in the future, but first things first. https://twitter.com/kitchenliving54/status/1215303023234371584
They'll never go away. We'll always have the paranoid element trying to destroy.
We will need better ways of dealing with them in the future, but first things first. https://twitter.com/kitchenliving54/status/1215303023234371584
17/ Same way it happened in 2018 and 2019.
Democrats won in 2018 by 8 points. 10 points is a landslide.
I'll remind you of something important: One goal of active measures is to cause people to lose confidence in democratic systems. . . https://twitter.com/BackDeez/status/1215304880941760512
Democrats won in 2018 by 8 points. 10 points is a landslide.
I'll remind you of something important: One goal of active measures is to cause people to lose confidence in democratic systems. . . https://twitter.com/BackDeez/status/1215304880941760512
18/ Cynicism—the belief that nothing we do matters because the outcome is ordained—will kill democracy faster than hackers.
There is no situation that we can't get out of.
My husband and his family experienced the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. They also experienced . . .
There is no situation that we can't get out of.
My husband and his family experienced the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. They also experienced . . .
19/ . . . the transition back to a functioning democracy.
Was it easy? No. But people did the work. I have a thread on how Chile (peacefully) transitioned from dictatorship to democracy.
We can surely get out of this. Check out my list of things to do: https://terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
Was it easy? No. But people did the work. I have a thread on how Chile (peacefully) transitioned from dictatorship to democracy.
We can surely get out of this. Check out my list of things to do: https://terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
I get to add a compliment, right? https://twitter.com/MTenazas/status/1215305189156179968
(We all like them
. Offsets the inevitable Twitter Hate)
(We all like them
. Offsets the inevitable Twitter Hate)
Thank you for this.
After I posted #18, I realized I was sloppy. I wrote quickly and equated cynicism with nihilism. One leads to the other.
If you read MAGA tweets with "cynicism" in mind, you can see that the MAGA mindset drips with cynicism. https://twitter.com/Doodlebugisdood/status/1215320435753177088
After I posted #18, I realized I was sloppy. I wrote quickly and equated cynicism with nihilism. One leads to the other.
If you read MAGA tweets with "cynicism" in mind, you can see that the MAGA mindset drips with cynicism. https://twitter.com/Doodlebugisdood/status/1215320435753177088
Dealing with this puts us into very sensitive territory because motivations vary. https://twitter.com/bladestormx1/status/1215345765188501505
For many, it's completely innocent. They're scared. They tweet their fright, which scares others more deeply.
People tend to equate "this can" with "this is likely" . . .
For many, it's completely innocent. They're scared. They tweet their fright, which scares others more deeply.
People tend to equate "this can" with "this is likely" . . .
I suspect tweets that arouse strong emotions get more likes. Unfortunately, it's the same dynamic that enables demagoguery.
More nefarious (but less common) Hofstadter explains that paranoia exists on the far left as well as the far right. It's also there, but less dangerous.
More nefarious (but less common) Hofstadter explains that paranoia exists on the far left as well as the far right. It's also there, but less dangerous.
My threads are also blog posts. This one is here: https://terikanefield-blog.com/republican-lies/
