Professor @HC_Richardson puts out an excellent newsletter summarizing the day's news from the perspective of a political historian. She said this last night⤵️
There are peaceful protesters and there are chaos agents. The truth about the chaos agents will emerge.
1/
There are peaceful protesters and there are chaos agents. The truth about the chaos agents will emerge.
1/
2/ In his press conference (available on C-Span) Minnesota Governor Walz described a situation in which organized groups committed violence and hid behind peaceful protestors.
He stressed that these were "organized."
There are bots and trolls pushing Trump's narrative:
He stressed that these were "organized."
There are bots and trolls pushing Trump's narrative:
3/ The trouble makers are trying to exploit the divisions we have.
I'd like to remind you of a few numbers from the 2016 election. These are from page 26 of the Mueller report and Mueller's testimony in Congress.
The Internet Research Agency created 80,000 Facebook posts.
I'd like to remind you of a few numbers from the 2016 election. These are from page 26 of the Mueller report and Mueller's testimony in Congress.
The Internet Research Agency created 80,000 Facebook posts.
4/ justice.gov/storage/report…
An estimated 126 million Americans saw those postings.
The Internet Research Agency had 3,800 Twitter accounts and had designed more than 175,000 tweets that probably reached 1.4 million people.
These bots have gotten more sophisticated.
An estimated 126 million Americans saw those postings.
The Internet Research Agency had 3,800 Twitter accounts and had designed more than 175,000 tweets that probably reached 1.4 million people.
These bots have gotten more sophisticated.
5/ We know that Trump's interests are aligned with Putin's. They want the same thing. They coordinate their efforts. They watch and take cues from each other.
People have thrown very imaginative "what if" situations at me over the past year.
People have thrown very imaginative "what if" situations at me over the past year.
6/ We don't have to wonder what they are going to try. We know what they're going to try.
They're going to try the same things they did in 2016.
They suppressed the vote by spreading lies.
They did things to undermine confidence in the election.
They're going to try the same things they did in 2016.
They suppressed the vote by spreading lies.
They did things to undermine confidence in the election.
7/ Operation Ukraine Shakedown was a sophisticated attempt to recreate the 'her emails' lie by creating a false narrative that Ukraine, on its own without prompting, opened in investigation into Biden corruption.
Had it worked, it could have been devastating.
It didn't work.
Had it worked, it could have been devastating.
It didn't work.
8/ Operation Ukraine Shakedown was launched just after the 2018 midterms, when it was clear the Republicans were headed for defeat in 2020.
It would have taken almost two years to implement.
There isn't time to frame Biden with something else, so what are they left with?
It would have taken almost two years to implement.
There isn't time to frame Biden with something else, so what are they left with?
9/ They're left with this:
Here is Lindsay Graham saying that Biden is a "nice guy," but we don't need a nice guy.
We need a "strong man."
According to my dictionary, a strongman is a leader who rules by threats, force or violence.
Here is Lindsay Graham saying that Biden is a "nice guy," but we don't need a nice guy.
We need a "strong man."
According to my dictionary, a strongman is a leader who rules by threats, force or violence.
10/ The protests out there are no longer about George Floyd. They are now about creating mayhem, which is what strong men like.
My mentions the past 6 months have been bombarded with people claiming to be on the left telling me we need a violent revolution.
My mentions the past 6 months have been bombarded with people claiming to be on the left telling me we need a violent revolution.
11/ This is the narrative the Trump-Barr-Fox-GOP wants to create.
We have meaningful elections. There will be an election in November.
There is no need for a violent revolution right before a meaningful election, unless you want to derail what is obviously going to happen.
We have meaningful elections. There will be an election in November.
There is no need for a violent revolution right before a meaningful election, unless you want to derail what is obviously going to happen.
12/ Stay home. Stay safe. Don't expose yourself to illness. Don't be the cover for chaos agents.
Tuesday I'll be doing work (remotely) to help with Georgia's election. (I'm on the Georgia Voter Protection Committee. They let a California lawyer in 😉)
Tuesday I'll be doing work (remotely) to help with Georgia's election. (I'm on the Georgia Voter Protection Committee. They let a California lawyer in 😉)
13/ This list is a starting point ⤵️
My husband does work for our local food bank. After the destruction in our cities, more people will be impoverished and hungry.
Things to do:
🔹Become a guardian of truth
🔹Help vulnerable members of your community
terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
My husband does work for our local food bank. After the destruction in our cities, more people will be impoverished and hungry.
Things to do:
🔹Become a guardian of truth
🔹Help vulnerable members of your community
terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
14/ Answering this ⤵️
My husband's family lived through the Pinochet dictatorship.
I'm afraid most Americans don't understand exactly what totalitarian rule looks like.
One thing I hear is "things in the US have never been this bad."
My husband's family lived through the Pinochet dictatorship.
I'm afraid most Americans don't understand exactly what totalitarian rule looks like.
One thing I hear is "things in the US have never been this bad."
15/ Before saying "things in America have never been this bad," consider what is was like to be an African American woman during these years:
1954
1920
1850
In 1850 she literally did not own her own body. She was not a person under the law. She had zero rights.
1954
1920
1850
In 1850 she literally did not own her own body. She was not a person under the law. She had zero rights.
16/ This is the card my husband had to show to prove he voted for Pinochet. I didn't experience it myself, but I heard the stories.
No, sorry. We are not near totalitarian rule.
We might be within 5 years if people give up right now and take the bait.
No, sorry. We are not near totalitarian rule.
We might be within 5 years if people give up right now and take the bait.
17/ Do something productive.
30 states including D.C. allow for no excuse, absentee, mail in ballots.
Get your ballot as soon as possible.
Get ballots into as many hands as possible.
There will be en election, and you should avoid polling places if possible.
30 states including D.C. allow for no excuse, absentee, mail in ballots.
Get your ballot as soon as possible.
Get ballots into as many hands as possible.
There will be en election, and you should avoid polling places if possible.
18/ People who are engaged and involved won't give up.
But people who don't really understand what is going on will get confused by the protests on the news.
When democracy hangs in the balance, be obsessive about staying with the facts.
But people who don't really understand what is going on will get confused by the protests on the news.
When democracy hangs in the balance, be obsessive about staying with the facts.
19/ That number in Tweet #16 was supposed to be 4 years.
Funny typo. If Trump wins another term, we will be in serious danger.
Stay focused.
The tactics of spreading chaos, disinformation, and confusion only works if we allow it to work.
Funny typo. If Trump wins another term, we will be in serious danger.
Stay focused.
The tactics of spreading chaos, disinformation, and confusion only works if we allow it to work.
20/ Someone just asked⤵️
🔹We are in a pandemic. Staying home will prevent people from dying a horrible death.
🔹Chaos agents are using the peaceful protestors as cover.
🔹Chaos agents are destroying our cities, which already have record unemployment and hurting businesses.
🔹We are in a pandemic. Staying home will prevent people from dying a horrible death.
🔹Chaos agents are using the peaceful protestors as cover.
🔹Chaos agents are destroying our cities, which already have record unemployment and hurting businesses.
