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THREAD: Interesting piece on #newsnight last night about how to respond to Trump & other altshite provocateurs peddling hate & polarisation. But... 1/20
2/ I disagree with Evan’s editorialising that the main choices are either a) to ignore Trump & co (thus normalising), or b) to react with “outrage or derision” (thus fuelling the very polarisation they seek) & that...
3/
the only alternative is supposedly c) to follow Dalai Lama’s advice & “respond with kindness & love”. This is incorrect. I’m going to explain why. Here goes...
the only alternative is supposedly c) to follow Dalai Lama’s advice & “respond with kindness & love”. This is incorrect. I’m going to explain why. Here goes...
4/
Evan is right that Trump & the others who routinely say provocative things are setting traps for us. Their goal is polarisation, so understand that our violent disagreement supports their agenda *every bit as much* as kneejerk retweets, or whoops of approval. But...
Evan is right that Trump & the others who routinely say provocative things are setting traps for us. Their goal is polarisation, so understand that our violent disagreement supports their agenda *every bit as much* as kneejerk retweets, or whoops of approval. But...
5/
Evan is wrong to lump “outrage & derision” together. They are often intertwined but they are distinct. And they are NOT equivalent when it comes to reacting to these clowns. One helps, the other makes things worse. To understand why, let’s go back one step...
Evan is wrong to lump “outrage & derision” together. They are often intertwined but they are distinct. And they are NOT equivalent when it comes to reacting to these clowns. One helps, the other makes things worse. To understand why, let’s go back one step...
6/ Yes, it absolutely is important to reject what Trump, the #AltFascists & other sowers of discord are saying. Ignoring (normalising) is not a good option. But key question is *how* to react without being useful idiots (i.e. fuelling the polarisation they seek). The 1st step:
7/ ...ask yourself what your enemies want to achieve. They are needling you, goading you, messing with your mind. They want to throw you off balance. They want you to react impulsively, in the heat of the moment, when you are not fully in control. They want you outraged. So...
8/
...don’t do it. Don’t lash out with an angry tweet, no matter how justified. Don’t be ruled by the reptilian part of your brain. Pause. Breathe deeply. Remember this:...
...don’t do it. Don’t lash out with an angry tweet, no matter how justified. Don’t be ruled by the reptilian part of your brain. Pause. Breathe deeply. Remember this:...
9/
...yes, this is war* [see next tweet] but you don’t win wars by attacking headlong without a plan. Take a moment to assess your opponents, their short- and long-term goals, the composition & disposition of their forces, the tactical terrain & the big strategic landscape...
...yes, this is war* [see next tweet] but you don’t win wars by attacking headlong without a plan. Take a moment to assess your opponents, their short- and long-term goals, the composition & disposition of their forces, the tactical terrain & the big strategic landscape...
10/
[* Was the war metaphor overblown? I don’t think so: this is a struggle between two competing visions of the kind of society we want to be, two opposing sets of values. They are seeking to overthrow the tolerant way of life we cherish.] Anyway, back to the main argument...
[* Was the war metaphor overblown? I don’t think so: this is a struggle between two competing visions of the kind of society we want to be, two opposing sets of values. They are seeking to overthrow the tolerant way of life we cherish.] Anyway, back to the main argument...
11/
So what do they want? Why are they goading us? They want anger, division, a rising temperature, a sense of crisis. Outrage suits them just as much as agreement. It energises their supporters. If they can no longer be ignored (& they can’t- we’re way past that stage now)...
So what do they want? Why are they goading us? They want anger, division, a rising temperature, a sense of crisis. Outrage suits them just as much as agreement. It energises their supporters. If they can no longer be ignored (& they can’t- we’re way past that stage now)...
12/
... the best response is cold, withering derision. Don’t get me wrong: anger at their hatefulness is fully justified; it is healthy. But we must master our anger & channel it. If we are ruled by our anger, we place ourselves at a disadvantage. So feel angry, then remember...
... the best response is cold, withering derision. Don’t get me wrong: anger at their hatefulness is fully justified; it is healthy. But we must master our anger & channel it. If we are ruled by our anger, we place ourselves at a disadvantage. So feel angry, then remember...
13/...the best way of neutralising them is cold, merciless disdain. Let them know you know their game & you are not going to let them dictate the agenda. Alert others to what is going on. Controlled derision is good, outrage isn’t. As for social media...
14/ ...I am continually amazed by how many ppl don’t understand the basics. Don’t quote-tweet or reply to these ppl, even to criticise or mock them. Every interaction...
15/
...every reply or QT boosts their algorithms & hence their reach. This means their account gets seen by more ppl, gets suggested by Twitter as an account to follow, their tweets get suggested “in case you missed it”. So...
...every reply or QT boosts their algorithms & hence their reach. This means their account gets seen by more ppl, gets suggested by Twitter as an account to follow, their tweets get suggested “in case you missed it”. So...
16/
Take screenshots & use hashtags to refer to them (#Trump #JuliaHartleyBrewer, #PrisonPlanet). Do *not* @ them. In this way, you avoid magnifying their presence on social media. #UseScreenshots #UseHashtags
In conclusion...
Take screenshots & use hashtags to refer to them (#Trump #JuliaHartleyBrewer, #PrisonPlanet). Do *not* @ them. In this way, you avoid magnifying their presence on social media. #UseScreenshots #UseHashtags
In conclusion...
17/
- control your righteous anger & direct it, don’t be ruled by it
- remember their game is to provoke you & rile you: don’t play their game, don’t let them press your buttons or pull your strings
- wind them up, tell them they’re ridiculous & pathetic; take the piss.
Oh, also-
- control your righteous anger & direct it, don’t be ruled by it
- remember their game is to provoke you & rile you: don’t play their game, don’t let them press your buttons or pull your strings
- wind them up, tell them they’re ridiculous & pathetic; take the piss.
Oh, also-
18/
The best way of winding them up is not to give them the satisfaction of seeing that they have outraged you. Make sure they know you are calm & in control. See if you can wind them up instead. They are trying to get you to rise to their bait. Don’t take the bait. Bait them and
The best way of winding them up is not to give them the satisfaction of seeing that they have outraged you. Make sure they know you are calm & in control. See if you can wind them up instead. They are trying to get you to rise to their bait. Don’t take the bait. Bait them and
19/
And if that doesn’t work, don’t get wound up. Walk away. Ignore them. Go and...
And if that doesn’t work, don’t get wound up. Walk away. Ignore them. Go and...
20/20
...do something in the real world. Join a group dealing with a local issue; talk politics with yr mates; argue for positive values- tolerance, openness, pluralism, hope. Live those values. Twitter isn’t the real world. We’re being chased down a rabbit hole.///
...do something in the real world. Join a group dealing with a local issue; talk politics with yr mates; argue for positive values- tolerance, openness, pluralism, hope. Live those values. Twitter isn’t the real world. We’re being chased down a rabbit hole.///
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