Thread by @RaeLoverde

okay, going to expound a little upon this and tell you why this speech -- and much of Biden's rhetoric leading up to the election -- is like hostage negotiation

https://twitter.com/RaeLoverde/status/1325260554261336067

you've all seen the FBI shows (Criminal Minds, Mindhunter, etc) where they use psychological tactics to try and catch criminals

in many of these instances, they're dealing with hostage situations

it's a pretty apt comparison to what's been going on for the past 4 years

think of R*publicans as the hostage-takers, us -- the people who are actively being harmed by Tr*mp -- as the hostages, and Biden as the FBI profiler-hostage-negotiator

(remember that this is all metaphorical -- I'm not saying all R*publicans are violent criminals)

in tv hostage situations, you don't want to go in guns blazing

why?

people die

sure, you'll probably get the bad guys, but there will be a lot of collateral damage

yeah, charging in headfirst like a superhero is super cool, but it often comes at the expense of the hostages

so what do you do?

you set up a perimeter to try and contain the situation to as small an area as possible

you have a team set up positions -- snipers, swat, the whole she-bang

it helps if you do this with as little fuss and pizzazz as possible

the last thing you want to do is freak out hostage-takers or make them feel like they're backed into a corner

escalating an already tense situation like that can result in the bad guys (often reflexively) lashing out because they think it's the only move available to them

so what do you do?

as I said, you prepare plans and reinforcements and backup

but while you're getting all of that into place?

you talk to them

(we're talking stereotypical tv hostage situations, so don't come at me with "well, actually")

the first thing tv profilers trying to resolve hostage situations tell you (the audience) is to try to make a personal connection with the hostage-takers

listen to them

make them feel like you empathize with them

make them feel heard and understood

find out their motives

don't give them a reason to freak out

don't put them on the defensive

listen to their reasons and/or demands

make them feel comfortable enough with you that you can de-escalate the situation even a little bit

let them feel like they're in control

do you actually empathize with armed dudes holding innocent people hostage?

lol probs not

but they don't need to know that

in any case, while you're making your personal, empathetic connection, you're making sure your team is in position and ready to go if/when things get hairy

you plan for all eventualities and contingencies

you make your plans as airtight and foolproof as possible

if you need more time, you stall

"Sure, we're working on getting you that plane and duffel bag of a million dollars. It just takes some time to get here, but it's on its way. In the meantime, tell us more about why you feel threatened by POC and The Gays™️"

"Oh yeah, I totally get it. This racist, sexist pig makes you feel heard and gives you the courage to say all of the horrible things you've wished you could say for years when it wasn't socially acceptable. No wonder you voted for him. That must have felt so liberating."

"Now that I understand your reasons better, I see why you've taken hostages, so why don't you just release them and we'll have a friendly chat about your bigotry over a cup of coffee. Then maybe I can help explain it to all these other people who think you're a terrible person"

In an ideal situation, they'd release the hostages, lay down their weapon, and come out to have that friendly chat with you...after which, you promptly send them to bigot jail because ummm they were armed and hurt innocent people because their fragile status quo felt threatened

if they don't back down, however, you send in the team you've been stealthily assembling

they go in prepared -- they know the layout of the building, where the hostages are, where the bigots are, and how to take said bigots down as swiftly as possible without collateral damage

WHAT I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU UNDERSTOOD ME AND WERE GOING TO BE NICE TO ME AND GIVE ME FORGIVENESS FOR BEING A RACIST BIGOT

yeah lol nope I was just stalling until I figured out the best way to deal with you and make sure it was too late for you to do anything about it

welcome to Dealing With Moderate R*publicans Burned Out On Tr*mp But Think Democrats Are Elitist Socialist Demons 101

if you come at them, metaphorical guns blazing, with YOU STUPID RACIST FUCKS I'M GOING TO PAINT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY RAINBOW AND TAKE YOUR GUNS AND TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THAT BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T 3/5THS OF A PERSON, they are instantly put on the defensive and backed into a corner

the instinct will be to defend themselves -- no one wants to believe they're a stupid, evil, racist fuck -- and run even farther to the right, clutching their guns in one hand and pearls in the other

if, on the other hand, you come at them with "heyyy I understand your POV you're not a terrible person let's work together I'm just like you except a little less racist not a scary socialist bogeyman who believes trans women are women and people shouldn't be put in cages" . . .

they're a lot less likely to fight you and far more likely to cooperate

you can coax them ever so sneakily over to working with you -- or, you know, voting for you -- without making them feel like their status quo will change too much

that's when you send your tactical team in

because you've prepared

you've gotten them to let their guard down and put themselves in a position where they thought they were in control -- oh it's okay to vote for him he's not threatening at all he's just like me -- but you were actually setting up plans to deal with them

and now it's too late for them

they can't un-vote for you

you got elected

suck it, bitches

and you've been assembling plans to give rights to immigrants and The Gays™️ and make sure everyone has healthcare and undo all the damage to environmental policies the last guy did

should we have to cater to racist fucks?

no

should we have to empathize with them?

also no

but in a country as polarized and fractured as this one, if you're trying to get into a position to change things and you need their initial support to get there, you make it work

is Biden secretly Bernie in disguise?

no, probs not -- I'm sure he still holds moderate views on some things

but that doesn't automatically mean he's not committed to effecting (yes, that's the right usage of the word) change via more liberal policies

as a liberal, if I were in his position, I would make myself as non-threatening as possible to pry away moderate R*publicans, make liberal plans behind the scenes, and wait until after I was elected to fuck their status quo up

that's what I heard in that speech

could I be wrong?

sure

absolutely

I'm far from an expert on Biden, the growing rift between moderates and left-wing Democrats, and the frustration that comes from having your choice be between someone so seemingly centrist vs an actual fascist

but as I said in the QT'd thread, he acknowledged, signaled, and reached out quite pointedly to the left far more than before he was elected

https://twitter.com/RaeLoverde/status/1325253857463595008

https://twitter.com/RaeLoverde/status/1325254542506692608

and he simultaneously tried to put the center and the right at ease using the same method a hostage negotiator would

do I think he actually empathizes with homophobes and the Pr*ud Bois and racist cops who murder Black people?

no

no, I really don't

as I said in the QT'd thread, I'm going to wait to judge him on policy when I see actual proof and meaningful implementation

but as far as the delivery of his hostage negotiation speech? full points

he said exactly the right things politically to not set off a powder keg

now that he's elected, I suspect we're going to be hearing progressively more liberal and leftist things from him and Kamala

I won't pretend to know how long it will take to implement those things -- really REALLY hope not too long -- but I do think at least a few are coming

is this an ideal situation?

no, of course not

we shouldn't have to be put in that situation

it would be great if a President could just show up and be like HEY Black people matter deal with it you racist fucks you're all terrible people -- I really hope that day comes ASAP

but in an America where Tr*mp is still President for another couple months and you have a pandemic raging and violent right-wing groups and racist cops and 70 million people who think the left will eat your babies and Attack and Dethrone God?

that speech was a savvy one

take this all with a grain of salt, as usual -- I could very well be proven wrong! -- but those are the tones and messages I picked up from Biden's victory speech, especially when comparing it to previous ones

this has been a "cynically pick apart inspirational-sounding sentences that were specifically crafted to keep as many R*publicans from grabbing the torches and pitchforks as possible while not entirely alienating the left" session from a student of Italian Renaissance politics

It's not my place or lane to analyze Kamala's speech -- I'm obviously not a Black or South Asian woman -- but I can say for certain that the standard she is and will be held to as a WOC is (unfairly) even higher than the one Biden is held to

and thus far, she is crushing it 🙏

(and believe me when I say if we don't see a progressive effort and agenda from Uncle Joe, I will be right next to y'all to protest and yell about it until someone listens)

OH, and a last note so there is no misunderstanding

I am specifically analyzing Biden's strategy for running for POTUS in 2020

I am not in any way advocating for it or telling ANY of you to follow it

Be as vocal and angry as you please

Speak up
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Punch N*zis