No matter who you are, the Trump team using a Nazi identifier should *obviously* concern you.
But how it's being deployed should concern you too.
THREAD
But how it's being deployed should concern you too.
THREAD
The Trump campaign is a sophisticated digital machine—one of the most powerful pathological reality generators on the planet.
And those who don't opt in to this universe rarely see what his base does. We often literally don't see what he's up to.
damiani.substack.com/p/the-trump-ca…
And those who don't opt in to this universe rarely see what his base does. We often literally don't see what he's up to.
damiani.substack.com/p/the-trump-ca…
As much as he's boogeymanning antifa on Twitter, he's taking a more targeted approach on his app and on Facebook, which has become a bastion for far-right extremism.
Just take a look at the top-performing posts on Facebook on 6/16, per @crowdtangle:
Just take a look at the top-performing posts on Facebook on 6/16, per @crowdtangle:
I cannot overstate how important @Facebook is to Team Trump for the 2020 election.
They used it so effectively in 2016 that @boztank said: "He got elected because he ran the single best digital ad campaign I’ve ever seen from any advertiser. Period." nytimes.com/2020/01/07/tec…
They used it so effectively in 2016 that @boztank said: "He got elected because he ran the single best digital ad campaign I’ve ever seen from any advertiser. Period." nytimes.com/2020/01/07/tec…
And let me put it this way: that was campaign was Charmander—and somewhere in the meantime it evolved into Charmeleon.
(And yes, if Trump wins in 2020, it will become Charizard. Whatever we call "reality" in America will become something altogether different).
(And yes, if Trump wins in 2020, it will become Charizard. Whatever we call "reality" in America will become something altogether different).
The tactic of using imagery as a dog whistle was already happening in 2016, like when Trump tweeted "a graphic showing Hillary Clinton alongside $100 bills & a 6-pointed Star of David—the type of star that the Nazis forced Jews to wear on their clothing."
washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/…
washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/…
The tactic of delete+gaslight was *also* in play in 2016. From the above @isaacstanbecker piece in @washingtonpost:
"The then-candidate insisted in a statement that the insignia was not anti-Semitic because it represented a sheriff’s badge, not the stigmatized Star of David."
"The then-candidate insisted in a statement that the insignia was not anti-Semitic because it represented a sheriff’s badge, not the stigmatized Star of David."
But unlike official tweets, which everybody can encounter through a search, regardless of data, ads can be microtargeted.
So they *know* their messages will reach their hardcore base and not the rest of us.
So they *know* their messages will reach their hardcore base and not the rest of us.
From my vantage point, it's largely dems/progressives driving the #DeleteFacebook movement—which, if true, only exacerbates the divergence in "reality" between Trump's base and the rest of us.
Anti-Semitism isn't an accidental byproduct of Trump's rhetoric.
It is an active component of his campaign, which is *predicated* on white supremacy.
Do a quick scroll through this timeline if you don't believe me:
howtofightantisemitism.com
It is an active component of his campaign, which is *predicated* on white supremacy.
Do a quick scroll through this timeline if you don't believe me:
howtofightantisemitism.com
It's how and why a conspiracy theorist who believes a secret cabal of pedophile elites is waging a spiritual war that only Donad Trump can defend becomes a frontrunning congressional candidate in Georgia.
politico.com/news/2020/06/1…
politico.com/news/2020/06/1…
“Antifa terrorists have declared war on America,” [Greene] says shortly before cocking the rifle. “Rioting, looting and burning our cities, George Soros, Hollywood elites and Joe Biden’s staff are funding Antifa.”
Per @iankarbal for @opensecretsdc:
opensecrets.org/news/2020/06/b…
Per @iankarbal for @opensecretsdc:
opensecrets.org/news/2020/06/b…
Notice how Soros gives way to antifa—a merging of two Trump bugbears handcrafted to make his base froth at the mouth.
This merging of anti-Semitism and antifa is *the furthest thing from an accident.*
It's very, very intentional.
This merging of anti-Semitism and antifa is *the furthest thing from an accident.*
It's very, very intentional.
Just the word "Soros" has become one of the most powerful dog whistles to a whole reality strain of conspiracies of which he is the epicenter (in unholy communion with the likes of Hilary Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein).
From @AdrienneLaF in @TheAtlantic:
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
From @AdrienneLaF in @TheAtlantic:
theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
These conspiracies dovetail powerfully with the one of America's scariest ticking time bombs: "The Cult of the Shining City."
Per @JYSexton:
Per @JYSexton:
And all of this is happening in realms—digital & physical—that Trump's opposition never visits.
What we do about the latter is above my paygrade, but as to the former: we must continue to ask Facebook to deepen its work addressing hate speech & disinfo.
What we do about the latter is above my paygrade, but as to the former: we must continue to ask Facebook to deepen its work addressing hate speech & disinfo.
It is also *urgently important* that we educate & destigmatize antifa. Before you get up in arms, let me explain.
It's within your rights to believe violence isn't the right way to solve problems—& I do think there is space for that discussion later.
But right now, "antifa" is being used to cash in on anti-Semitic rhetoric to convince Trump's base that terrorists are lurking in their midst.
But right now, "antifa" is being used to cash in on anti-Semitic rhetoric to convince Trump's base that terrorists are lurking in their midst.
Fear sells, and Team Trump is a master of the form:
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Just as Trump has normalized anti-Semitism by *repeatedly* using Nazi and fascist imagery without his base holding him to account, so too will he normalize antifa-qua-terrorism.
That "category" is so undefined it could apply to *anyone he doesn't like*
theguardian.com/world/2020/jun…
That "category" is so undefined it could apply to *anyone he doesn't like*
theguardian.com/world/2020/jun…
Just in case you think I'm exaggerating, try to keep your jaw from dropping when you read this from @rdevro in @theintercept:
theintercept.com/2020/06/09/ant…
theintercept.com/2020/06/09/ant…
SO. Educate the people around you.
Antifa = anti-fascists
Antifa ≠ terrorists
Referring to "antifa" as terrorism is incorrect and dangerous.
From here, have whatever discussion you want about whether violence is the right way to solve problems.
nytimes.com/2020/06/17/opi…
Antifa = anti-fascists
Antifa ≠ terrorists
Referring to "antifa" as terrorism is incorrect and dangerous.
From here, have whatever discussion you want about whether violence is the right way to solve problems.
nytimes.com/2020/06/17/opi…
Because right now, antifa and Soros (+defund the police) are being used to whip Trump's base into a froth—over the backdrop of a debilitating & disempowering pandemic.
There's no immediate way to de-escalate. But it starts with calm, fact-based communication.
There's no immediate way to de-escalate. But it starts with calm, fact-based communication.
You might have seen the Trump team claiming it is "a symbol widely used by Antifa," well—surprise!—total bullshit:
This is *also* part of their game. Whenever the Trump campaign is called on its actions by the broader public, they wave their hands & immediately deflect—often backed by a fake source or stat.
This is *also* for the benefit of the base.
This is *also* for the benefit of the base.
It reinscribes the notion that libs are snowflakes who overreact to everything—doubling down on the idea that the Trump campaign is the only source of news they should trust.
It's a core feature of the gamified Trump universe.
It's a core feature of the gamified Trump universe.
The Trump campaign app is something we should all know a lot more about.
It's a pathological reality that functions like a real-life MMORPG. It has its own community, symbols, & reward system. (It's also a source of "news.")
I dive on this more here:
damiani.substack.com/p/the-trump-ca…
It's a pathological reality that functions like a real-life MMORPG. It has its own community, symbols, & reward system. (It's also a source of "news.")
I dive on this more here:
damiani.substack.com/p/the-trump-ca…
One of the corollary functions of the gamification of the Trump app is the use of easter eggs.
Digital easter eggs are an absolute dream for Trump, they incentivize rabid, sleuth-like involvement from his base—further keeping their attention away from any other "reality" strain.
Digital easter eggs are an absolute dream for Trump, they incentivize rabid, sleuth-like involvement from his base—further keeping their attention away from any other "reality" strain.
So when you see stories like this from @mmfa—far-fetched as it might initially sound—evidence says you should believe them.
More likely than not, it's intentional. A secret little gem hidden in plain sight that they can "deny" out in public.
mediamatters.org/facebook/faceb…
More likely than not, it's intentional. A secret little gem hidden in plain sight that they can "deny" out in public.
mediamatters.org/facebook/faceb…
Big shoutout to @mmfa for using its platform to combat gaslighting
I don't claim to have the answers for combatting Trump's use of digital media to create a pathological reality based on propaganda (though I'm working on it).
But as a starting point we should at least have a basic understanding of how & why these messages are being deployed.
But as a starting point we should at least have a basic understanding of how & why these messages are being deployed.
PS/ As if on cue, this.
A great start—and a lot more needed between now and November.
A great start—and a lot more needed between now and November.
PS2/ This may look nutty, but please understand that they take it as gospel
It's a powerful reality strain & it's particularly appealing to folks who've been disempowered by automation. The idea that a secret dark order is pulling the strings is a comfort
It's a powerful reality strain & it's particularly appealing to folks who've been disempowered by automation. The idea that a secret dark order is pulling the strings is a comfort
PS3/
PS4/ This whole thread from @ParkerMolloy is excellent—and goes in-depth on the gamification of dog whistling I touch on above
