Thread by @youseepeeYYC

Meanwhile over in covid denial, Alberta, anti-intellectualism doubles down on selfishness, covid is a hoax, and something about bum swabs. 🤷‍♂️

Remember that we are all in our own media silos. People who are unable to tell bad sources from factual sources often repeat and amplify misinformation.

Misinformation can be dangerous.

Jason Kenney began his career at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The CTF is a foreign funded organization who’s mandate is to spread misinformation.

He was platformed again and again.

That misinformation spread.

Adriana LaGrange was president of Red Deer Pro Life. By 2007, the year she became a school trustee, she was on the board of directors of Alberta Pro Life.

Attitudes about stripping women of their rights are spread through misinformation.

sprawlcalgary.com/lagrange-alber…

The myth that tax cuts create jobs is spread through misinformation.

Tax cuts don’t create jobs. They enrich the shareholder class.

thenation.com/article/archiv…

Misinformation is spread on the streets.

Current #UCP MLA Ric McIver has said “he considers the march’s organizer, well-known local evangelical Artur Pawlowski, a friend.”

Misinformation is a main tool to spread hate and intolerance.

nationalpost.com/news/politics/…

Misinformation is spread on the streets.

Current #UCP MLA Ric McIver has said “he considers the march’s organizer, well-known local evangelical Artur Pawlowski, a friend.”

Misinformation is a main tool to spread anti-science, anti-mask messaging.

cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

Misinformation had been wild leading up to Trump’s presidency.

The Flat Earth conspiracy (which turned out to be veiled antisemitism) moved on to MAGA & Qanon, then anti-mask & anti-lockdown protests.

Misinformation continues to spread.

npr.org/2021/03/05/971…

The spread of misinformation is encouraged by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a sister-organization to the CTF (which launched Kenney’s career) and member of the foreign-funded Atlas Network.

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https://twitter.com/youseepeeyyc/status/1335335842844352512

This kind of misinformation will not be countered by people like Ric McIvor, Adriana Lagrange, or Jason Kenney who have built their careers on harvesting it.

“That's the same Artur Pawlowski who was one of the organizers of the tiki-torch parade.”

rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers…

Misinformation can hide itself.

The word “factoid” has been described as "something that looks like a fact, could be a fact, but in fact is not a fact".

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factoid 👀

Eventually newspapers adopted the term and claimed it meant something that was true.

In the US, corporate controlled newsmedia used their influence to bury stories critical of Trump beginning in the lead up to his campaign to take over the Republican party.

Hiding facts like this is a form of misinformation.

https://twitter.com/youseepeeYYC/status/1319523415649255427

Some of the exact same papers are on display in grocery stores right here in Alberta.

The same tactic is also used to use the cover story to attack progressives or praise Conservatives. Any covered scandals involving Conservatives will be buried.

https://twitter.com/youseepeeYYC/status/1353769355633278976?s=20

We see misinformation coming from the #UCP government.

"We are not about attacking; we are about disproving true facts." - Tom Olsen, CEO, Canadian Energy Centre

But while this form of misinformation is new, versions have existed before.

"This show is for those of you who don't think."

Here we see an actual TV "game show" hosted by @JoshGroberman, where "guests" @LiciaCorbella, @RobBreakenridge, & @RicMcIver compete for their daddy's approval by coming up with the best misinformation.

If that video of "On the Clock" felt strange to you, it might be because you're uncomfortable watching misinformation take on a bizarre gaslight-ish form.

Some of the people in that video would go on to make it their full time job to spread misinformation.

Now imagine what kind of dangerous misinformation is being spread in the province's churches, as the pandemic wears on.

edmontonjournal.com/news/local-new…

"@MirandaRosinAB the #UCP MLA for Banff-Kananaskis, appeared to lend credence to a disinformation campaign circulating on social media in recent weeks."

Conservative MLAs are spreading misinformation.

cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

Former conservative MLAs spread misinformation on the radio.

"BREAKING: New controlled clinical study conducted by doctors in France shows that hydroxychloroquine cures 100 per cent of coronavirus patients within six days of treatment," -@ABDanielleSmith

cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…

And misinformation is all over facebook.

"National Observer tried reaching Alberta Proud and its directors for months, but never received a response. Emails sent to the group’s official email address bounced and voicemails went unanswered."

nationalobserver.com/2019/10/17/ana…

So misinformation is everywhere.

It's in newspapers, on radio, in churches, & checkout lines, on facebook, twitter, and other social media. It comes from "respected" politicians & political parties.

We shouldn't be surprised when people fall for it.

https://twitter.com/RussellSCobb/status/1368357817023750144?s=20

How can we protect ourselves from misinformation?

After all,

"A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World While the Truth Is Putting On Its Shoes"

...the truth seems to be at a disadvantage.

quoteinvestigator.com/2014/07/13/tru…👀

One way to protect yourself from misinformation is to seek out original sources.

Narrator: @jkenney and the #UCP don't like that.

cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…

You can try to confront misinformation with actual facts and debunking.

This has become my hobby apparently, as evidenced by this and other threads I’ve written.

You can also try to deplatform misinformation so that it does not take hold.

"You have to nip it in the bud immediately."

Read this thread about how to deal with fascists.

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https://twitter.com/IamRageSparkle/status/1280891537451343873?s=20

When I come across someone who is discouraging mask use, or tries to downplay the severity of the pandemic, I do what twitter asks and I report them for encouraging self harm.

Obviously there isn't an easy "report" feature for the rest of the mediums that spread misinformation, but at some point you have to challenge it, or it will spread, grow, raise financial backing, form a political party, and take over the government.

Nip it in the bud.

Bonus for making it to the end.

"Some undercover reportage from the 2019 Flat Earth Conference" by YT channel All Gas No Breaks.

Double bonus for making it to the end:

A deep dive into the Flat Earth theory and how it connects to Qanon by Calgary-based @FoldableHuman.