1/
Kenosha Shootings:
The same event
The same set of pictures
The same set of videos
The same available audio
The same timeline
The same available set of facts....
Two completely different conclusions.
Let's talk about why.
A thread🧵
Kenosha Shootings:
The same event
The same set of pictures
The same set of videos
The same available audio
The same timeline
The same available set of facts....
Two completely different conclusions.
Let's talk about why.
A thread🧵
2/
Each side has a story they want you to believe. So they take the audio, pictures, and video from the shooting, slice them up, and edit them into clips, soundbites, and images. Then they reassemble those edited bits of media in a way that tells the story they want you to hear.
Each side has a story they want you to believe. So they take the audio, pictures, and video from the shooting, slice them up, and edit them into clips, soundbites, and images. Then they reassemble those edited bits of media in a way that tells the story they want you to hear.
3/
This editing process lets them include or remove whatever context they want, place the focus wherever they want (IE: using closeups to show certain things while leaving other things out of the frame).
This way the same bit of media can be used to tell VERY different stories.
This editing process lets them include or remove whatever context they want, place the focus wherever they want (IE: using closeups to show certain things while leaving other things out of the frame).
This way the same bit of media can be used to tell VERY different stories.
4/
Here, we see two claims about the first shooting of that night:
The first person claims the shooter hid behind a car and shot a man in the head in cold blood
The second person claims the shooter was being attacked by another man when he shot in self defense
Here, we see two claims about the first shooting of that night:
The first person claims the shooter hid behind a car and shot a man in the head in cold blood
The second person claims the shooter was being attacked by another man when he shot in self defense
5/
Which of those stories do you believe?
We currently have 2 videos of the shooting, and depending on which video you use and how it's edited, you can make either story look correct.
Here are both videos side by side so you can see how they could be used to tell either story:
Which of those stories do you believe?
We currently have 2 videos of the shooting, and depending on which video you use and how it's edited, you can make either story look correct.
Here are both videos side by side so you can see how they could be used to tell either story:
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Continuing on with our two narratives:
The political right says a man was trying to escape a dangerous situation and was chased by rioters...so he shot at them in self defense.
The left says brave protestors saw a murderer on the loose with a gun and tried to stop him:
Continuing on with our two narratives:
The political right says a man was trying to escape a dangerous situation and was chased by rioters...so he shot at them in self defense.
The left says brave protestors saw a murderer on the loose with a gun and tried to stop him:
7/
Continuing on: A man was shot in the arm while wearing a paramedics hat:
The right says he's a fake paramedic wearing the hat as a disguise who tried to shoot Kyle (the man the right says was defending himself).
The left says he's a legit paramedic until proven otherwise.
Continuing on: A man was shot in the arm while wearing a paramedics hat:
The right says he's a fake paramedic wearing the hat as a disguise who tried to shoot Kyle (the man the right says was defending himself).
The left says he's a legit paramedic until proven otherwise.
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Next both sides humiliate themselves.
First, the right said rioters threw a Molotov cocktail at Kyle as he ran from them.
This is false, the video in tweet 5 shows whatever was thrown didn't catch fire like Molotov cocktails do. Closeups show it was almost certainly a bag
Next both sides humiliate themselves.
First, the right said rioters threw a Molotov cocktail at Kyle as he ran from them.
This is false, the video in tweet 5 shows whatever was thrown didn't catch fire like Molotov cocktails do. Closeups show it was almost certainly a bag
9/
Not to be outdone in embarrassing themselves, the left said Kyle was a White Supremacist, and (this is a quote) he was white, and he was NOT Hispanic.
According to arrest records Kyle is, in fact, Hispanic.
Not to be outdone in embarrassing themselves, the left said Kyle was a White Supremacist, and (this is a quote) he was white, and he was NOT Hispanic.
According to arrest records Kyle is, in fact, Hispanic.
10/
Given that we have two narratives, we have two stories about who is good and who is evil. This means we have two crowdfunding initiatives: One for Kyle, and one for the family of protestors that were killed
Given that we have two narratives, we have two stories about who is good and who is evil. This means we have two crowdfunding initiatives: One for Kyle, and one for the family of protestors that were killed
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Next we have some photos:
The left shows Photo 1: the man shot in the arm as a victim, (emphasis on his wounds)/
The right shows Photo 2: that same man attacking Kyle with a gun (emphasis on him holding the gun)
Photo 3 shows both the wounds and the gun.
Next we have some photos:
The left shows Photo 1: the man shot in the arm as a victim, (emphasis on his wounds)/
The right shows Photo 2: that same man attacking Kyle with a gun (emphasis on him holding the gun)
Photo 3 shows both the wounds and the gun.
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When it comes to punishment:
The right points to a time a black guy killed a white guy and got probation and tells you to keep that in mind and is angling toward leniency.
The left says if Kyle was black he would be dead, so they want him tried as an adult.
When it comes to punishment:
The right points to a time a black guy killed a white guy and got probation and tells you to keep that in mind and is angling toward leniency.
The left says if Kyle was black he would be dead, so they want him tried as an adult.
13/
Next it's the old "what if the races were reversed."
Well the right thinks that if a Black guy shot white rioters he'd be called a hero.
The left thinks if he was black and shot white protestors the police would have shot him on the spot and he'd be dead.
Next it's the old "what if the races were reversed."
Well the right thinks that if a Black guy shot white rioters he'd be called a hero.
The left thinks if he was black and shot white protestors the police would have shot him on the spot and he'd be dead.
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Finally, we have pictures which people interpret according the narrative they like:
Here, the right will say he is peacefully surrendering, while the left will say he was allowed to do that because police like him (cause he looks white) and a black kid would have been shot:
Finally, we have pictures which people interpret according the narrative they like:
Here, the right will say he is peacefully surrendering, while the left will say he was allowed to do that because police like him (cause he looks white) and a black kid would have been shot:
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I could keep going with examples but I think I've shown my point.
There's two narratives and audio, pictures, and video from the shooting will be sliced up and edited into clips, soundbites, and images which will be reassembled to tell the story each side wants to tell.
I could keep going with examples but I think I've shown my point.
There's two narratives and audio, pictures, and video from the shooting will be sliced up and edited into clips, soundbites, and images which will be reassembled to tell the story each side wants to tell.
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People say the media is biased, it can't be trusted, and that they push and agenda. Some people say we are in an age of "narrative warfare." Others say people are denying reality, or they ignore facts, or live in a bubbe. But I am afraid it is much worse then all of that...
People say the media is biased, it can't be trusted, and that they push and agenda. Some people say we are in an age of "narrative warfare." Others say people are denying reality, or they ignore facts, or live in a bubbe. But I am afraid it is much worse then all of that...
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This is postmodernism, and twitter is it's prophet.
Let me explain....
This is postmodernism, and twitter is it's prophet.
Let me explain....
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Modernist thinking believes that there exists objectively truth: statements which are true regardless of what anyone thinks. Modernism also believes in science, individual rights, democracy, and due process of law...
Modernist thinking believes that there exists objectively truth: statements which are true regardless of what anyone thinks. Modernism also believes in science, individual rights, democracy, and due process of law...
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But here I want to focus on truth.
postmodernism denies that there is objective truth. Postmodernism says that the only thing we are able to fully grasp is our own experience. That's it. Postmodern thinking says that since everyone of us has biases, biases so deep...
But here I want to focus on truth.
postmodernism denies that there is objective truth. Postmodernism says that the only thing we are able to fully grasp is our own experience. That's it. Postmodern thinking says that since everyone of us has biases, biases so deep...
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That we cannot ever fully get around them.
Postmodernism says he have biases and idea socialized into us that we are not, and maybe even CANNOT be aware of because we are socialized not to see them. Postmodernism claims that for those reasons we can't even actually get to...
That we cannot ever fully get around them.
Postmodernism says he have biases and idea socialized into us that we are not, and maybe even CANNOT be aware of because we are socialized not to see them. Postmodernism claims that for those reasons we can't even actually get to...
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objective reality. We can only see what we are trained to see through the interpretive lens that we get from our culture...but it gets worse.
Postmodernism also thinks that we don't just have biases in how we view and interpret the world, but it also thinks that language...
objective reality. We can only see what we are trained to see through the interpretive lens that we get from our culture...but it gets worse.
Postmodernism also thinks that we don't just have biases in how we view and interpret the world, but it also thinks that language...
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Is so slippery, unstable, and malleable that it's impossible to fully communicate your experience to another person. Postmodernism says that because words can be interpreted so many ways, and since we always interpret each others words through our own lens, it's impossible...
Is so slippery, unstable, and malleable that it's impossible to fully communicate your experience to another person. Postmodernism says that because words can be interpreted so many ways, and since we always interpret each others words through our own lens, it's impossible...
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For a word, or phrase, or sentence to have an OBJECTIVE meaning. Everything, says the postmodernist, can be reinterpreted so that a word, phrase, sentence, book, or scientific paper, always means something different to each person. Words don't have objective definitions...
For a word, or phrase, or sentence to have an OBJECTIVE meaning. Everything, says the postmodernist, can be reinterpreted so that a word, phrase, sentence, book, or scientific paper, always means something different to each person. Words don't have objective definitions...
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So no one can ever claim that something they say is true for everyone, cause everyone will interpret what they say differently, and someone might interpret what you say as false....and that is ok because everyone is entitled to their interpretation.
So no one can ever claim that something they say is true for everyone, cause everyone will interpret what they say differently, and someone might interpret what you say as false....and that is ok because everyone is entitled to their interpretation.
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And finally, postmodernism says that deciding what is true is about power.
In other words, the postmodern person thinks that the decision to say that something is true or false is a political process. They think that when we say that the ideas of science are true and...
And finally, postmodernism says that deciding what is true is about power.
In other words, the postmodern person thinks that the decision to say that something is true or false is a political process. They think that when we say that the ideas of science are true and...
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Should be treated as such, that we are only doing that to make sure our ideas get taught throughout society because if our ideas are considered true then we will have power.
So in postmodernism, what matters is not finding the "truth" about what happened, cause everyone...
Should be treated as such, that we are only doing that to make sure our ideas get taught throughout society because if our ideas are considered true then we will have power.
So in postmodernism, what matters is not finding the "truth" about what happened, cause everyone...
26/
Will interpret what happened in a different way. What is important is finding out which beliefs will benefit which people, and then picking the beliefs which line up with the correct politics.
In other words, beliefs are not picked because they are true...
Will interpret what happened in a different way. What is important is finding out which beliefs will benefit which people, and then picking the beliefs which line up with the correct politics.
In other words, beliefs are not picked because they are true...
27/
...they're picked for political reasons.
And I think this is where we are.
Twitter is a deconstruction machine that allows everyone to slice and dice the world into little pieces and reinterpret it to fit their worldview.
That's why we have the two narratives I showed you.
...they're picked for political reasons.
And I think this is where we are.
Twitter is a deconstruction machine that allows everyone to slice and dice the world into little pieces and reinterpret it to fit their worldview.
That's why we have the two narratives I showed you.
28/
We are living in a postmodern age. It's not the age of narratives, or the information age, or anything else. This is postmodernism, and the only way out is find a way to reassert the value of truth, and to fight for that value, because if we lose that, we lose everything.
We are living in a postmodern age. It's not the age of narratives, or the information age, or anything else. This is postmodernism, and the only way out is find a way to reassert the value of truth, and to fight for that value, because if we lose that, we lose everything.
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So we better fight for the truth, and fight like mad, because this....this is the tip of the iceberg if we don't start fighting back.
/fin
So we better fight for the truth, and fight like mad, because this....this is the tip of the iceberg if we don't start fighting back.
/fin
PS/
the work of @ConceptualJames was highly influential in the writing of this thread.
the work of @ConceptualJames was highly influential in the writing of this thread.
PPS/
h/t @AntifaWatch2 for the video in tweet 5
h/t @AntifaWatch2 for the video in tweet 5
