Thread by @ARCCollective

1. By now I'm guessing that most of my Twitter followers are aware of the most recent threats against Trudeau and the subsequent of a suspect. I think there is an even more important story though related to the poisonous influence of social media

toronto.ctvnews.ca/rcmp-arrest-ma…

2. Dawid Zalewski was arrested for making death threats against the Prime Minister. The following video was posted to his second Facebook profile. Be warned that it may be triggering as it promotes graphic violence against the PM and others.

3. Zalewski is clearly not well, but I think would be wrong to dismissively call him "crazy" move on without further examination. There is a reason why he got to this point and I believe we can learn a great deal from his social media footprint.

4. I noted that the video is from his second Facebook profile that he created on September 25, 2023. But we will start with his first profile that he posted to April 3, 2023 but which he created at least as far back as 2010.

5. For most of the time between 2010 and 2019, there was nothing to especially distinguish Zalewski's profile from anyone else his age. He posted about video games. Funny video clips. Music.

In fact music was especially important to him as he appears to be a decent pianist.

6. This would change however once the Covid pandemic occurred. Zalewski likely found himself inside much more and more isolated as a result. And like many of us he appears to have spent more time online as a result.

At this point it is probably clear where this is going.

7. I noticed the most significant changes in 2020 as Zalewski began to post about Covid and the growing conspiracies about the virus.

8. It didn't take long for the algorithms on social media - Facebook, Youtube, Twitter - to start providing him with other content based on his search history that continued to push him deep down the rabbit hole.

9. By early 2022, Zalewski had come to believe that Covid restrictions where part of a larger plot to take away freedoms. As such, when the Ottawa Occupation began, he was present.

10. And with the occupation in Ottawa he was exposed to other cospiracy influencers and members of the far right, among them Benny Johnson, Pat King, Kelly Anne Farkas (Wolfe), Alex Vriend,

11. Also perhaps influencing Zalewski were media such at Rebel News and FoxNews which did little to tap down the conspiracies and disinformation that permeated online discourse.

12. While we might expect political leaders to behave in a responsible manner, those of use who remember Pierre Poilievre and some other members of the Conservative Party instead appeared to fan the flames to aggitate people like Zalewski even more.

13. Zalewski would later post a link to his profile to the Conservative Party for any who might wish to make a donation.

14. As a result of his participation in the Ottawa Occupation, he would find himself in legal peril.

15. It was after the Ottawa occupation that Zalewski really appears to have sunk so much deeper into the conspiracy rabbit hole as be began to parrot conspiracies about the WEF and claims that we are in fact all apparently cannibals.

16. But it probably wasn't until Zalewski created a second Facebook profile that we can really see the toll his journey down the rabbit had taken on him.

Exhibiting what looks to by uneducated eye as deep depression, his posts had become nihilistic and misanthropic.

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19. He appears to have come under the influence of other right wing and far right influencers, both "mainstream" and fringe.

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21. The Conservative Party also looks like it played a role in Zalewski's decent into paranoia as it continued to encourage a climate of fear and distrust.

22. That fear and paranoia, of course, had other sources and influencers as well.

23. And Zalewski seems to have believed all of this.

24. It wasn't really untill July of this year that Zalewski crossed the line from paranoid rhetoric to calls for violence against perceived enemies.

25. On July 19 on the same day he posted the clip found on the second tweet of this thread, Zalewski began a march to Parliament Hill where he seems convinced he would be joined by 10,000 other Canadians who would then eliminate the Prime Minister.

26. He would post a final message on Twitter in July 21, however he also posted a video clip just before on the same day.

27. In the video as he continues his march to Ottawa he rails against immigrants (despite himself being an immigrant) claiming to be one of the few people left in the country who is capable of speaking English.

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29. In an earlier video, he continues to echo conspitorial rhetoric. Sovcit ideas, 15 minutes cities, anti-immigrant.

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31. Dawid Zalewski didn't start out like this. It seems clear that he was created.

32. And he isn't the only one. Sadly I think all of us know someone, a friend or family member, who have gone down the same rabbit holes.

So what do we do about it?

33. There aren't any simple answers, but I think there are a few things we can do.

First, challenge those conspiracies. Don't be silent.

On that note @antihateca has a guide to help people challenge these conspracies.

@antihateca 34. Second, political leaders have to be more responsible. They have to tone down the rhetoric that may get people hurt. They have to be willing to face criticism from those whose votes they want. In short, leaders neen to lead.

@antihateca 35. I don't know why Pierre Poilievre claimed to not know who the Dags were and instead attacked the question and claimed the government were the real extremists? Is attacking the media reflexive? Is he afraid to alienate potential voters? Who knows?

36. What I do know is that a person who may be the leader of the country one day should show a modicum of courage in denouncing them.

Courage seems to be in short supply though.