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Something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately (a Thread):
For 8 years under Obama racism had been fomenting and growing.
For 8 years the mechanisms of biased and false news had been refined & perfected.
Social media exploded and simpletons believed everything they read, and
For 8 years under Obama racism had been fomenting and growing.
For 8 years the mechanisms of biased and false news had been refined & perfected.
Social media exploded and simpletons believed everything they read, and
And they eagerly hit the retweet or share button without bothering to fact check. It fit their preconceived worldview, after all.
All of this and more culminated with the election of Donald Trump.
Suddenly the racists and xenophobes were emboldened. The spreaders of false news
All of this and more culminated with the election of Donald Trump.
Suddenly the racists and xenophobes were emboldened. The spreaders of false news
felt validation in their efforts and redoubled them.
The social media giants hemmed and hawed, promised to do more, but their efforts were laughable. Why should they change, after all? Business was GOOD.
The social media giants hemmed and hawed, promised to do more, but their efforts were laughable. Why should they change, after all? Business was GOOD.
So for four years under Trump things got worse. The light of democracy dimmed in America. And we fought.
Boy did we fight.
We fought an uphill battle for four LONG years. And we prevailed!
So take a minute to give yourselves a HUGE pat on the back! You deserve it!
Boy did we fight.
We fought an uphill battle for four LONG years. And we prevailed!
So take a minute to give yourselves a HUGE pat on the back! You deserve it!
But now many pundits are claiming we need to treat Trump’s supporters with dignity. Others say it should be a Scarlet Letter on their chest.
Frankly, I lean towards the latter, but that’s not my main concern. They’re so engrained with right wing nonsense, so entrenched, so
Frankly, I lean towards the latter, but that’s not my main concern. They’re so engrained with right wing nonsense, so entrenched, so
BRAINWASHED that it doesn’t really matter how we treat them.
What I DO care about is preventing this from happening again in the future. Or rather, more accurately, turning this ship around and correcting the mechanism that allowed for a demagogue to foment fascism in America.
What I DO care about is preventing this from happening again in the future. Or rather, more accurately, turning this ship around and correcting the mechanism that allowed for a demagogue to foment fascism in America.
THAT is our new fight. And I’m worried that it will be largely ignored by most Democrats in office. It’s not a person, it’s not even really a policy. But it’s of utmost importance.
Ending fake news, biased ridiculous reporting, and the cancer that social media can spread.
Ending fake news, biased ridiculous reporting, and the cancer that social media can spread.
I don’t have all the answers as to how we accomplish this, though I do have a few ideas. But we need to make this a priority under Biden’s administration.
If you’ve made it this far, check out this article on “American fascism”.
Then think of how Trump’s lies were amplified by social media and complicit media outlets. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/opinion/american-fascism-trump.html?fbclid=IwAR2DWErMYrqzsI05YxqdNHTrOGPl0rFldTZBfPUmI90_vUYuOXF2ePsRu3E
Then think of how Trump’s lies were amplified by social media and complicit media outlets. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/opinion/american-fascism-trump.html?fbclid=IwAR2DWErMYrqzsI05YxqdNHTrOGPl0rFldTZBfPUmI90_vUYuOXF2ePsRu3E
