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1/ Why are Sanders & Trump supporters so abusive online? You can thank Steve Bannon, the mastermind of this political strategy in the digital era.
Before politics, he was in the online gaming industry. Then💡! Bannon: “These guys, these rootless, white males, had monster power.”
Before politics, he was in the online gaming industry. Then💡! Bannon: “These guys, these rootless, white males, had monster power.”
2/ Long story short, an army of angry guys felt they were being cheated in “World of Warcraft” and they forced the game to restructure and change its rules.
Well, well, well. Bannon discovered the internet was “populated by millions of intense young men.” The Potential!
Well, well, well. Bannon discovered the internet was “populated by millions of intense young men.” The Potential!
3/ Bannon took this epiphany and ran with it. He started Breitbart and leaned into inciting online troll armies. What he learned from the gaming industry: angry men on the internet, esp who feel cheated, can get their way. So he corralled that into politics.
4/ Now Bannon created the alt-right with this strategy, but it’s effective anywhere on the political spectrum, so long as there are angry men who feel slighted. And oh are there a bunch of them on the left.
5/ With Russia meddling in 2016, what was the first thing they did? Created fake, online troll armies that supported Sanders and Trump. They tapped into the anger of white men on the left and right and the fake trolls were out there emboldening real trolls.
6/ And yes, Sanders majority voting block in 2016 was white men. He did terrible with women, even worse with black voters, and extra tragic with black women. Why were white men so riled up for Sanders? Why so many complaints of harassment by his supporters? We know why 😑
7/ Disinformation and propaganda work by inciting the far-left and the far-right to attack the center, destabilizing democracy. Sanders and Trump were both the “anti-establishment” candidates (ha!) intentionally. Strategically. Their campaign managers used to to be partners.
8/ There is power in angry white men. We live in a white supremacy. Their grievances are ranked above all others, no matter the political party. I mean, only a white man could get help from Russia to destroy a woman, yet he’s the victim who was cheated.
