1/
Trump caught COVID-19:
The same diagnosis
The same medical reports
The same updates from the same doctor
The same videos of Trump
The same photos of Trump
The same available facts...
Two totally different conclusions
Let's talk about why
A thread🧵
Trump caught COVID-19:
The same diagnosis
The same medical reports
The same updates from the same doctor
The same videos of Trump
The same photos of Trump
The same available facts...
Two totally different conclusions
Let's talk about why
A thread🧵
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1311892190680014849?s=20
2/
Each side has a story they want you to believe. So they take the available information, slice it up and edit it into clips, soundbites, and images; then they cherry pick the bits they like and reassemble them 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 available information, slice it up and edit it into clips, soundbites, and images; then they cherry pick the bits they like and reassemble them in a way that tells the story they want you to hear
3/
Editing allows them to add or remove information, change the context, and decide which facts they want to FOCUS on (IE: using closeups to show one thing while leaving other things out of the frame).
This is how the same facts can be used to tell two VERY different stories
Editing allows them to add or remove information, change the context, and decide which facts they want to FOCUS on (IE: using closeups to show one thing while leaving other things out of the frame).
This is how the same facts can be used to tell two VERY different stories
4/
Here, are two tweets about Trump preparing to go to the hospital:
The first account says Trump might not even be able to walk to the helicopter
The second says Trump is completely fine, and this is just Trump the master showman
Here, are two tweets about Trump preparing to go to the hospital:
The first account says Trump might not even be able to walk to the helicopter
The second says Trump is completely fine, and this is just Trump the master showman
5/
Continuing on with our two narratives:
Here, we have two blue checks attacking the credibility of Trumps Doctor because he's a DO (osteopathic doctor) and not an MD (allopathic doctor), followed by two doctors claiming DO's (osteopathic doctors) are actually great doctors.
Continuing on with our two narratives:
Here, we have two blue checks attacking the credibility of Trumps Doctor because he's a DO (osteopathic doctor) and not an MD (allopathic doctor), followed by two doctors claiming DO's (osteopathic doctors) are actually great doctors.
6/
The two narratives continue:
Here, the left uses a video of Trump at the White House to conclude he can barely breath,
The right uses a different video from that same night and sees a man who looks strong, showing great resilience
The two narratives continue:
Here, the left uses a video of Trump at the White House to conclude he can barely breath,
The right uses a different video from that same night and sees a man who looks strong, showing great resilience
7/
Of course, it wouldn't be TOTALLY different narratives without the Doctors getting in on it
One doctor claims Trump is using "accessory muscle use" in order to breath, the next doctor says that's a stretch:
Of course, it wouldn't be TOTALLY different narratives without the Doctors getting in on it
One doctor claims Trump is using "accessory muscle use" in order to breath, the next doctor says that's a stretch:
8/
The two Narratives continue with the medical establishment further eroding their credibility.
Here more doctors on the left use a video to claim Trump struggles to breath, while Trumps doctor says Trump is doing well, and he reports no symptoms
The two Narratives continue with the medical establishment further eroding their credibility.
Here more doctors on the left use a video to claim Trump struggles to breath, while Trumps doctor says Trump is doing well, and he reports no symptoms
9/
And of course the supporters follow right along in spreading these two utterly different takes on reality:
A man on the left claiming Trump is "gasping"
A Trump supporter on the right is shocked at how Spry Trump looks and thinks he could do cartwheels:
And of course the supporters follow right along in spreading these two utterly different takes on reality:
A man on the left claiming Trump is "gasping"
A Trump supporter on the right is shocked at how Spry Trump looks and thinks he could do cartwheels:
10/
If you want to know how bad it got, there was actually a moment when people were getting their information off of tik tok from Claudia Conway the 15 year old daughter of Trump 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway:
If you want to know how bad it got, there was actually a moment when people were getting their information off of tik tok from Claudia Conway the 15 year old daughter of Trump 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway:
11/
That's what happens when doctors, who should respect the privacy of patients and not do armchair diagnoses, put out absurd hot-takes which get 100K retweets.
They light the credibility of the medical establishment on fire in exchange for the warm glow of retweets and likes
That's what happens when doctors, who should respect the privacy of patients and not do armchair diagnoses, put out absurd hot-takes which get 100K retweets.
They light the credibility of the medical establishment on fire in exchange for the warm glow of retweets and likes
12/
So why is this happening? Why are we seeing one set of information give rise to 2 entirely different narratives....narratives which tell utterly different stories?
The answer is that this is postmodernism....
So why is this happening? Why are we seeing one set of information give rise to 2 entirely different narratives....narratives which tell utterly different stories?
The answer is that this is postmodernism....
13/
Modernist thinking said 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. But this is postmodernism...
Modernist thinking said 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. But this is postmodernism...
14/
You see, science, democracy, and due process of law all depend on the idea that there is an objective truth that is out there which we can know to be true, and that we can create processes, like science, like the legals system, which can help us get to the truth.
You see, science, democracy, and due process of law all depend on the idea that there is an objective truth that is out there which we can know to be true, and that we can create processes, like science, like the legals system, which can help us get to the truth.
15/
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 so deep that we can never get around them.
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 so deep that we can never get around them.
16
That means that we can't ever get to the objective truth about reality. We can only see what we are trained to see through the interpretive lens that we get from our culture.
It also believes that there is no lens which is better or more true then any other lens...
That means that we can't ever get to the objective truth about reality. We can only see what we are trained to see through the interpretive lens that we get from our culture.
It also believes that there is no lens which is better or more true then any other lens...
17/
Postmodernism says the lens that says Trump is healthy is no better or worse than the lens that says he isn't. The lens that says science is the best way to know truth is no better or more true then the lens that says feelings and emotions are the best way to know truth.
Postmodernism says the lens that says Trump is healthy is no better or worse than the lens that says he isn't. The lens that says science is the best way to know truth is no better or more true then the lens that says feelings and emotions are the best way to know truth.
18/
Postmodernism also says that who decides what is true is about power. The postmodern philosophers say the person who determines what a society thinks is true is a person who gets to have a tremendous amount of POWER. That is partially true. However, they go further....
Postmodernism also says that who decides what is true is about power. The postmodern philosophers say the person who determines what a society thinks is true is a person who gets to have a tremendous amount of POWER. That is partially true. However, they go further....
19/
They think that because the person who determines what society thinks is true gets power....that ANYONE who claims that ANYTHING is true, is only doing that as a way to try to access the power that comes with deciding what is true. In other words, they think anyone who...
They think that because the person who determines what society thinks is true gets power....that ANYONE who claims that ANYTHING is true, is only doing that as a way to try to access the power that comes with deciding what is true. In other words, they think anyone who...
20/
claims to know the truth is only making that claim so they can get power for themselves. This means they trust nobody, and consistently accuse other people of hiding their true motives. As such they dismiss any claim they don't like as just another lie meant to control people
claims to know the truth is only making that claim so they can get power for themselves. This means they trust nobody, and consistently accuse other people of hiding their true motives. As such they dismiss any claim they don't like as just another lie meant to control people
21/
The result is exactly what we see in this thread:
Everyone thinks that they can use whatever lens they want to interpret whatever facts they want and come to whatever conclusion they want. And whoever says otherwise is accused of having ulterior motives...
The result is exactly what we see in this thread:
Everyone thinks that they can use whatever lens they want to interpret whatever facts they want and come to whatever conclusion they want. And whoever says otherwise is accused of having ulterior motives...
22/
They act like truth is a matter of opinion, and the goal is to get "your truth" to be declared the official opinion of society.
This is nonsense.
Reality is what you run into when your beliefs are wrong, and it does not care about "your truth" or "official opinions."
They act like truth is a matter of opinion, and the goal is to get "your truth" to be declared the official opinion of society.
This is nonsense.
Reality is what you run into when your beliefs are wrong, and it does not care about "your truth" or "official opinions."
23/
We need to bring back the idea objective truth and start acting like serious people again. If we don't, if we keep going like this, we are going to run into reality very quickly, and it is NOT going to be fun for us.
/fin
We need to bring back the idea objective truth and start acting like serious people again. If we don't, if we keep going like this, we are going to run into reality very quickly, and it is NOT going to be fun for us.
/fin
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