all 50 comments

[–]magnora7 22 insightful - 3 fun22 insightful - 2 fun23 insightful - 3 fun -  (9 children)

The words I'm hearing being thrown around repeatedly like "insurrection" and "stormed the capital" are ridiculous when you watch the videos. It's like 200 people who were let in, who walked around taking selfies and waving flags mostly.

And it's especially hard to listen to it come from the same people who have been cheering BLM destroying cities, suddenly are super law-and-order because someone they disagree with was doing something similar.

The hypocrisy I'm seeing from people, both on the left and the right, is just stunning. It's like everyone thinks they're pulling a fast one on everyone else, but really they're like a kindergartner telling an obvious lie who thinks they're getting away with it. It's so transparent. Yet everyone keeps pretending, out of fear I suppose. I think everyone is just afraid to be "on the wrong side" so they don't really have any opinions, they just echo the opinions of the day from the group, which is now led by the pied piper of corporate-owned media.

The media is so exhausting these days. Everything is turned up 11, all the time. Psychological warfare and narrative framing that never ends. Seems like the only solution is to walk away. The only winning move is not to play.

[–]fred_red_beans 7 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 2 fun -  (6 children)

Agreed, the hypocrisy is at an all time high.

How can the inflammatory rhetoric from the media be sustainable in the long run?

What is happening now though is that the state, working with social media, are being able to get better and better at understanding the public's perceptions and how far their propaganda can be pushed and how successful it can be. I think there have been many actions to test this. For instance, the tea party was not a grass roots movement. It's all about control.

I think you're right. It's better to just walk away from the main stream media and the gaslighting. The two sides being played against the middle are really just one side being played against all who don't conform.

But, while there are the few who are playing and manipulating the public, the public just goes along with it without much questioning.

[–]magnora7 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

The two sides being played against the middle are really just one side being played against all who don't conform.

I think that's accurate.

I think tea party started out as grassroots, when it was Ron Paul people, but soon after it was hijacked by Sarah Palin and John McCain people.

The intelligence agencies have become experts at hijacking growing popular movements and then using those movements to create obvious incidents of cultural failures to disempower everyone from even wanting to try. They did this with OWS, with Tea Party, with BLM protests... they hoist people on their own ideological petard and they've gotten very good at it, and the public understanding of this is so far behind the reality, but is catching up as people encounter it more.

Even leaderless movements can be infiltrated and hijacked, like "Anon" or "Q"...

The only thing left is each person is just going to have to decide to walk away. If everyone stopped paying attention to the corporate news media, it wouldn't matter. But so many are addicted to it, and the emotions associated with it.

But at the same time, a larger number of people see this full game for what it is than ever before... so it's really a time of dichotomies, a time of polarization in depth of understanding. It's easier than ever to be dumb because of how easy life is in many ways, but it's also easier than ever to be smart because of the amount of information available.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Sarah Palin and John McCain

While I was not personally a fan of McCain's politics, I don't think he deserves to be lumped in with Palin.

[–]magnora7 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

He literally chose her as his VP pick during his presidential campaign as they took over the banner of the tea party, so I think it's fair to lump them together.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

They picked her for popular support. It's pretty much as ridiculous as the Trump Pence pairing, they're wildly different people and that's of course to appeal to a broader base but in both cases you have the "popular one" and the True Believer.

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

For instance, the tea party was not a grass roots movement. It's all about control.

It was originally a grassroots anti-immigration movement, which was then co-opted. That is how they deal with popular uprisings: they are taken over, subverted, or dismantled. Sometimes all three.

[–]fred_red_beans 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It may have originally been grassroots, but it wasn't anything until the promotion from fox news et al.

You're right about the infiltration of groups. Any group that gets close to some kind of power generally gets infiltrated, bought out, or taken down.

[–]wendolynne 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don't know which is more atrocious : The videos of people climbing thru broken windows or this 'welcome tourists' video. Both sides against the middle indeed.

[–]madcow-5 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's like everyone thinks they're pulling a fast one on everyone else, but really they're like a kindergartner telling an obvious lie who thinks they're getting away with it.

This is the perfect and accurate description of the current political climate I’ve seen.

[–]djhdlkguhaeil 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah but one of them was an unarmed woman who got shot so they get to claim it was violent. Because violence was inflicted upon them lol.

[–]369 3 insightful - 5 fun3 insightful - 4 fun4 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

There were people that stormed the Capitol.
It was Antifa.

[–]Rationalmind 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Watching that is crazy. Like they were let in. Wow.

[–]Madsea 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (33 children)

A cop was murdered by this peaceful mob, and several others died. A lady with a don’t tread on me flag was trampled to death. Several police were hospitalized.

I feel like people are living in alternative realities.

[–]magnora7 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (24 children)

That is awful, but compare that to the damage done by the last 9 months of BLM riots, and compare the media's reaction between the two.

Not proportional, at all. During BLM riots the media was like "everything is fine, we need this" but now they're absolutely going bonkers that the government might be overthrown (which it won't, the capital protestors all went home that evening)... when overthrowing the gov't was the open stated goal of BLM and co for the last 4 years.

The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

[–]Madsea 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (22 children)

I didn’t say the riots last year were great either. I’m a former activist who has done a lot of protesting in my days, and I avoided every one of those marches and spoke to my friends about the issues with going to try to convince them not to go. Most listened.

So, I’m not sure your point. These people went to capture political leaders. They breached one of our three branches of government. They were aided by people at the top which I’m sure we still have much to learn about.

Treason ain’t the way to show you’re mad. We did a women’s march, we didn’t storm the White House.

[–]magnora7 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (20 children)

Treason ain’t the way to show you’re mad. We did a women’s march, we didn’t storm the White House.

But isn't the goal of protest to challenge those in power? If you just destroy or block a city center, that merely hurts regular people. But if you make business stop in governance, that costs important people a lot of money which incentivizes them to change. Hasn't that always been the point of all protests? To nonviolently speak truth to power in a way they listen?

Obviously there was some violence, so they failed at being nonviolent, as did BLM. But we also have to admit agent provocateurs are a thing almost every protest has to deal with now. And we also have to admit the scope of the damage done is not worse than the BLM riots

[–]Madsea 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (19 children)

They ought to be targeting the billionaires that are controlling them through social media algorithms then, not trying to grab politicians. The ones pitting us against each other are the real enemies, but everyone is doing a great job fighting each other in their anger rather than blaming the real causes of the problems in their lives.

I am just amazed how much both the left and right have allowed themselves to be victims of brainwashing. The left thinks men can change into literal biological women and you’re a bigot if you disagree, and the right worships a fucking maniac cult leader that’s cool with destroying our country to save his own ass on his way out.

And the billionaires laugh at us all and cash in the whole way safely from their yachts and private islands.

Bunch of useful idiots to keep us all down no matter what we do.

[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Yeah there's some truth to that. But there's also a lot of people who don't fall in to either of those two camps. The media kind of leads us to believe everyone fits one of those two descriptions, when the reality is most are somewhere inbetween. The hyper-polarized people are the ones always given the microphone, so it creates a warped image of how divided society is. Which itself makes us even more divided, if we buy in to that narrative. But it's true there is real division too.

It's seems as though the neutral people with mild opinions aren't being given a platform to be heard. And so to be heard, people rush to extremes, and also people pay attention to extremes because that's what the media normalizes. It's exhausting. I think a lot of the compassionate and intelligent people have walked away from even listening to these divisive type of narratives because they realize it's a waste of energy and time.

I think in a way, we need to learn what to ignore. Our priorities are all messed up, because we mostly prioritize things by emotions. And that becomes increasingly true the more riled up people get.

[–]Madsea 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

It’s not entirely our fault. Big tech and social media have found ways to hack our psychology with aggressive algorithms. It’s basically a huge social conditioning psyop at this point. Both sides are brainwashing their extremes in different ways. I really think regulating big tech and media would go a long way. Telling lies and deliberately misleading masses of people should have consequences, as should designing weapons that destroy human psychology by keeping people outraged to keep them glued to scrolling their apps longer, to generate more ad revenue. Too many humans aren’t taught critical thinking and aren’t self aware enough to see how they’re being manipulated and/or why. Regulating big tech and trashing citizens United would do far more to help us than storming the Capitol.

[–]magnora7 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Completely agreed. We're swamped in psychological warfare, and most of the people affected by it don't even know what it is.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I think there should be people storming all of these places and literally walking these people to the airports, saying "Adios, and thanks for nothing!"

[–]Madsea 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Haha you’re nicer about it than me. There would be no going to airports for billionaires in my revolution. We slay dragons and redistribute their loot piles in our games. :)

[–]Rationalmind 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I am just amazed how much both the left and right have allowed themselves to be victims of brainwashing.

This part. I have a friend who is perfectly normal and sensible to talk to, especially in person, but then he goes on Twitter and somehow gets brainwashed (like you can see the change in his reply when it’s the typical mainstream narrative or is an idpol response). It’s scary and one time implied I was right-wing (I’m not, just your classical liberal not that I need to defend myself but providing for context).

I am struggling to find ways to counter the brainwashing. Hitler/Goebbels said truth is the only way to counteract propaganda, but when you layer Russian disinformation strategies on top (like you’ve convinced people only certain outlets or certain people are safe), it’s rough. Paired with the algorithm, it is pure evil.

I will note that if you pushback and refuse the label of right-wing or whatever in writing multiple times, that’s effective, and they won’t call you it again. Although, if they falsely label you something in-person, they’ll probably do it again because people don’t listen.

Ironically, RT posted a video on YouTube criticizing the DNC’s recommendation of how to evaluate a source. Don’t watch it but it’s basically only pre-approved DNC media outlets, and you can check those sources using Newsguard (which this is the Russian interest part because RT implies Newsguard is owned by former ex-military industrial complex figures, so I take this part with a grain of salt because they actually do not like the US military industrial complex and it behooves them to make Americans distrust it). Ultimately, they recommended picking up a copy of 1984.

Maybe what I need to do is identify all the phenomena that Orwell described and start applying it for my friends and family who are woefully brainwashed.

Edit to add: the RT video by implying even Newsguard can’t help belies a message about not trusting the DNC sources and not having a way to verify the information (I.e. through Newsguard). — this is also disinformation, which is why I don’t recommend you watch it.

Nothing makes a source inherently untrustworthy, but you do need to verify the accuracy. If you put a Fox article and an MSM article together, you can usually form the whole picture. That said, certain independent voices have the presumption of trust in my opinion, like Glenn Greenwald. However, all information you absorb should be thought about critically and only agreed to if legitimate. Make sure to not blindly agree or ignorantly disagree. You can agree with some parts and not with others, and you should be doing this. (You being generally applicable here).

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Politicians are the actors/executors of these billionaires and their will, though. Everyone needs to be dealt with evenly, and with a just hand.

[–]Madsea 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Attacking the politicians will do nothing if their lords never change and can continue to buy them or buy worse replacements (as we’ve seen under Trump).

It’s misdirected rage. I’m sad to see how gullible people are.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

I never said attack, but that may happen. I don't even see widespread attacks, or even any honest reporting. The folks I know in DC have different things to say about the protests during the day, but they mostly kept to themselves.

I said investigations, rigorous and just.

[–]Madsea 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I’m just afraid because mobs do what mobs do, regardless of how well intentioned they are when they arrive. Mob mentality is utterly terrifying, reason completely shuts down. I think emotions are high on both sides right now and it’s making people irrational and they’re making illogical decisions fueled by extreme emotions they’ve been manipulated into feeling.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I would try to get rid of that fear, if I were you. You have a bit of a quiet moment right now to do so.

[–]jet199[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

The trouble is these politicians can soon bring those billionaires to heel when they want to. There's a difference between money and power. And of course many US politicians are billionaires or millionaires.

[–]Madsea 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

I’d rather cut the head off the snake, it’s more efficient.

[–]jet199[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

There is no head, that's the problem.

You imagine there is an easy answer when there isn't.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Yes, this is a hydra, and its arms are everyday people hiding under the guise of authority, just like a stormtrooper.

[–]Madsea 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Trump is definitely not the answer.

[–]jet199[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Who said anything about Trump.

Politics isn't either marxist paranoia and victim complex or Trump, you know.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The women's march didn't do much. It isn't treason to protest outside of the parameters set by those you are trying to protest against. I mean, seriously. They are protesting the government. Why would they then listen to the government about where and how they can protest? Asinine.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

But quite entrenched and quite insurmountable. The US is clearly moving into a new phase of its existence, another step down the collapse of empire ladder one could say. To hope to stop that process, let alone 'bring back the good ol days' is quite out of the question I would think. So you have corruption and hypocrisy on one side countered by truth seeking delusions on the other. Sounds about right for a dying empire to me.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

But only the people getting involved in the shit. I guess someone has to pointlessly protest in the face of ultimate authority but I find it hard to feel empathy when it all goes sideways, as it always does. One thing is for sure, there will never be another "trump" Just being the point of blame for all the shit will ensure that.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

there will never be another "trump"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_G._Harding

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

He appears to me to be a statesman, a political careerist, not a popularist popping out of nowhere with a bunch of promises and a track record or success based on a reality tv show. The corruption is no doubt there as it was in harding's day though but they are better at keeping it hidden now-a-days. I think that is what gave trump his following, the fact that he was already a billionaire, so wouldn't be corrupt people thought, the fact he's been on TV helping people get jobs, and the fact that he stood out as being different than all the typical establishment men before him. At the end of the day though nothing changed.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

That's exactly why I voted for him in 2016 and voted against him in 2020.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I stopped voting here in Oz in the 1980's. I was a trade unionist and the then labour PM went after and destroyed lots of them. I voted for that prick, just like a good son, voting the way my father did. That's the usual thing isn't it, we do the exact opposite to our parents in every regard but voting. Weird. Here it's compusory to vote btw, one of the last places on earth for that, but there always loopholes, always loopholes...

[–]Seahorse 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

This is how I feel.

I'm cynical about social media now deciding to actually do what is right (though I think their hand was forced).

But you cannot say and do shit like these people have and expect nothing to be done. For goodness sake there are people in government positions of power calling for Mike Pence to be put to death.

I'm just stunned people seem to think this ok because BLM. Like two wrongs doesn't make a right.

I'm not sure if maybe Americans don't see it because they're there but from O/S it looks like your democracy and civility is hanging by a thread.

[–]Madsea 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

The thing about the social media bans is that we don’t know what they know. We don’t know what the FBI has asked of them. While I’m normally against suppression of free speech (I mean ffs I been banned off every platform for saying men aren’t women and don’t belong in women’s sports or prisons, if I get banned for that, trying a coup and attempting to start a civil war seems bannable).

I think we just need to wait. I had a high level security clearance in the military. Things can move quick and typically not everyone knows what’s going on or why for quite some time. I’m only speculating, but I’m guessing they know some things we do not, and they have their reasons.

I agree with you. Our democracy is in trouble. I’ve been saying it for quite some time. It’s pretty scary.

[–]Seahorse 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Oh yeah I definitely agree with you, you can see something very bad was planned the other day what with that dude with the zip ties and the noose.

The amount of zip ties was for 5 politicians.

[–]quantum-step 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

They also helped a lot of us over the wall, fist bumped, and even took selfies with us.

[–]wendolynne 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Blue Lives cops amongst the insurrection. A 'which side are you on?' moment for the Capitol cops.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emmanuelfelton/black-capitol-police-racism-mob

[–]Wankers 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

WHo cares tho, did you know our money is fake? It's as fake as bitcoin that uses astronomical amounts of electricity just to process one interaction. Also what is bitcoin really, a popularity gambling stock? Or should I just call it a stock. lmao. All stocks are bullshit scams, otherwise youd get profit sharing instead of just gambling. Like, what is the actual point of stocks? Nobody sells them off and they start at 10 cents, yuou really selling your stocks for 10 cnts then it increases to 20 bucks....ok, but how does that effect the company that you sold stocks so cheap? Obviously the 600 bucks didn't make or break your company, so why? The answer to that question is simple. Bc it's bullshit.