(Thread) Collusion doesn’t describe what happened.
Ideas from Yale Prof. Snyder’s book & 5-12 lecture available here:
Spoiler: Collusion doesn't describe how “the Russians elevated Trump to the office of the presidency.” (Snyder's words)
Ideas from Yale Prof. Snyder’s book & 5-12 lecture available here:
Spoiler: Collusion doesn't describe how “the Russians elevated Trump to the office of the presidency.” (Snyder's words)
1/ Trump's repeated use of the word “collusion” is a deliberate ploy to draw us away from what actually happened and create a fiction.
In fact, Trump was a tool and a tactic.
The Russians had a strategy and a plan.
The strategy was to turn the U.S. into a country like Russia.
In fact, Trump was a tool and a tactic.
The Russians had a strategy and a plan.
The strategy was to turn the U.S. into a country like Russia.
2/ People ask: Could Trump have succeeded without Russian help?
Snyder's answer: Without Russian money propping up Trump and helping him pretend he was a successful businessman, there would never have been Trump the Public Figure to run for president in the first place.
Snyder's answer: Without Russian money propping up Trump and helping him pretend he was a successful businessman, there would never have been Trump the Public Figure to run for president in the first place.
3/ Trump was a failed businessman, but he was good at pretending to be a successful businessman.
Trump is good at lying, and creating crisis and spectacle—exactly the qualities for the perfect leader of a Russian United States.
What does Snyder mean?👇
Trump is good at lying, and creating crisis and spectacle—exactly the qualities for the perfect leader of a Russian United States.
What does Snyder mean?👇
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1030481252187402240
4/ When Trump announced his candidacy, people marveled that he didn’t have a traditional campaign.
He didn’t need one! He had Russia behind him, hacking & leaking emails, figuring out internet strategies for frightening and motivating Americans via social media, etc.
He didn’t need one! He had Russia behind him, hacking & leaking emails, figuring out internet strategies for frightening and motivating Americans via social media, etc.
5/ Example: For a very brief time after the Access Hollywood Tape was released, people thought Trump’s campaign was over.
Within a half hour after the tape was released, Russians, their bots, and helpers, went energetically to work.
Within a half hour after the tape was released, Russians, their bots, and helpers, went energetically to work.
6/They spread fictions like “Hillary is a pimp who sells sex with children" & "Podesta participates in weird rituals . . ." etc.
These fictions surrounded and eclipsed the Access Hollywood Tape.
From an American point of view, it was chaos & confusion. Nobody could focus.
These fictions surrounded and eclipsed the Access Hollywood Tape.
From an American point of view, it was chaos & confusion. Nobody could focus.
7/ From the Russian point of view, the chaos worked. Trump’s candidacy survived.
As Russia saw the situation: They had Trump’s back and were taking care of him.
Public opinion polls favored Clinton.
Russia favored Trump.
Russia won.
As Russia saw the situation: They had Trump’s back and were taking care of him.
Public opinion polls favored Clinton.
Russia favored Trump.
Russia won.
8/ Trump is always saying "no collusion."
It's a deliberate strategy that accomplishes two goals.
First, it keeps people from talking about actual crimes that happened like conspiracy, tax evasion, etc.
If you're still saying "What crimes?" see👇
It's a deliberate strategy that accomplishes two goals.
First, it keeps people from talking about actual crimes that happened like conspiracy, tax evasion, etc.
If you're still saying "What crimes?" see👇
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1019954847762616320
9/ Or see👇
The second goal was to create a fiction to mask what actually happened.
Collusion implies two equal partners working together.
What happened was: The campaign that elected Trump wasn’t his.
Trump just went along for the ride.
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1032655976107626496to name two.
The second goal was to create a fiction to mask what actually happened.
Collusion implies two equal partners working together.
What happened was: The campaign that elected Trump wasn’t his.
Trump just went along for the ride.
10/ Trump's part was to create spectacle, turn politics into Reality TV, tell outrageous and create the kind of chaos that covers truth.
Trump was merely an instrument.
He was the payload of a Russian cyber weapon.
The payload doesn’t collude. The payload simply does damage.
Trump was merely an instrument.
He was the payload of a Russian cyber weapon.
The payload doesn’t collude. The payload simply does damage.
*tell outrageous LIES.
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