|
Replies: 8
| visibility 483
|
Orange Blooded [2693]
TigerPulse: 97%
Posts: 3411
Joined: 7/3/07
|
“Stop the Steal”
Nov 15, 2020, 10:23 PM
|
|
This gets to the heart of what is wrong about our current sense-making apparatus. Disinformation and delegitimizing our institutions. Pile on with a few dozen Hunter Biden laptop stories, Pizzagates, Swift Boats, Birther stories, etc, and You will find easily swayed people will eat it up. Why is that?
People believe what they want to believe. Then also, they choose to trust these messages based 100% on identity politics.
Stop the Steal is a right-wing conspiracy theory in the United States,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] in which some supporters of US President Donald Trump have been promoting false claims of widespread electoral fraud during the 2020 presidential election. These supporters have asserted with minimal evidence[9] that Trump is the winner of the election, and that large-scale voter and vote counting fraud took place in several swing states.[9] The Associated Press, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Decision Desk HQ, NBC News, The New York Times, and Fox News have projected that former vice president Joe Biden is the president-elect of the United States, having at minimum the 270 Electoral College votes needed to claim victory.[10] A New York Times survey of state election officials found no evidence of significant voting fraud.[11]
"Stop the Steal" was created by Republican political operative Roger Stone in 2016.[12] A Facebook group with that name was created during the 2020 counting of votes by the pro-Trump group "Women for America First" co-founder and Tea Party movement activist Amy Kremer.[13] Facebook removed the group on November 5, and described it as "organized around the delegitimization of the election process".[13][14] It was reported to have been adding 1,000 new members every 10 seconds[15] with 300,000 followers before Facebook shut it down.[16]
All subsequent "Stop the Steal" groups have since been removed from the website by Facebook moderators due to threats, incitement to violence, and discussions of extreme violence, all of which are violations of Facebook's community standards.[17][18][19] Several "Stop the Steal" groups were founded by right-wing extremists[20] after Donald Trump published tweets on Twitter encouraging his supporters to "Stop the Count".[21] Since then, many of these unorganized "Stop the Steal" groups have started protesting in several U.S. cities[which?] and townships.[22]
Shortly after the Facebook groups were removed, a number of leftists created a fake "Stop The Steal" group to attract Trump supporters.[23] Once a large number of supporters had joined, they changed the name of the group to "Gay Communists for Socialism," in an attempt to troll the members. One administrator told the group that they changed the name "to avoid censorship."[23][24] Facebook's attempts to restrict groups that spread false election claims led to a surge in the popularity of Parler, a right-leaning alternative social networking site that markets itself as a "free speech" haven.[25]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_the_Steal
|
|
|
|
 |
All-In [30827]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 22872
Joined: 11/1/03
|
are we recounting the senate votes as well?
Nov 15, 2020, 10:29 PM
|
|
or just the ones where the losses hurt the republicans? asking for a friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Legend [19901]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 16718
Joined: 11/28/00
|
your right***
Nov 15, 2020, 10:42 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Medallion [64837]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 22718
Joined: 9/27/04
|
Re: your right***
Nov 16, 2020, 1:04 PM
|
|
I think you mean "you're right"... unless you're saying that it's his first amendment right to make that statement
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [2693]
TigerPulse: 97%
Posts: 3411
Joined: 7/3/07
|
If your aim is to create distrust
Nov 15, 2020, 10:55 PM
[ in reply to are we recounting the senate votes as well? ] |
|
There is no need to present evidence of WIDESPREAD voter fraud.
You just hurl every accusation you can afford. You repeatedly shout “IT WAS RIGGED!” into the crowded movie theatre and see what happens.
If enough people believe you, eventually all hail breaks loose, and your mission is accomplished. The world’s grandest experiment in self-governance is then doomed because enough people decide that for the first time in the nation’s history, 244 years, we can’t trust our system of choosing leaders.
Is Trump Really worth all that?
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [30827]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 22872
Joined: 11/1/03
|
Nah man. Fortunately
Nov 15, 2020, 11:21 PM
|
|
the one's that are believing it are the ones in the elevated risk of dying from covid and oddly enough, the ones that also scoff at taking any measures to prevent it from becoming worse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [4365]
TigerPulse: 80%
Posts: 8370
Joined: 1/4/17
|
Re: If your aim is to create distrust
Nov 16, 2020, 9:56 AM
[ in reply to If your aim is to create distrust ] |
|
Prof,
I agree with what you are saying but there two aspects that I think need to also be considered.
1. This disinformation problem existed before Trump came along. He certainly made it worse and I hope that he devolves into obscurity so that it might get better again. But he did not create this and a large portion of it will continue even if he does fade into the night (not likely)
2. Some people are making a butttload of money screaming about whatever emotional falsehoods will gain them an audience (& $$$). Unfortunately, that is not going to stop either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [8982]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 9781
Joined: 4/27/13
|
Re: “Stop the Steal”
Nov 15, 2020, 11:22 PM
|
|
STOP THE FEEL!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [4365]
TigerPulse: 80%
Posts: 8370
Joined: 1/4/17
|
Re: “Stop the Steal”
Nov 16, 2020, 9:50 AM
|
|
Prof,
Of all of the things that are worrying me in 2020 (& there are plenty) this disinformation one worries me the most. Our unwillingness (on either side of the spectrum) to acknowledge/demand empirical evidence and rational thinking exacerbates every other concern on my list.
I do not know how democracy can survive without a more stable and accepted sense of reality. As long as intuitions and feelings outweigh evidence and reason, the USA will remain dangerously susceptible to paralysis - volitility - violence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replies: 8
| visibility 483
|
|
|
50
