(Thread) Why the destructive lies from Republicans will keep getting more outrageous
I did another of my Sunday videos (☕️ + talk)
I’ll put an edited transcription in the next tweet if you prefer that. I'll also do an abbreviated Twitter Summary.
I did another of my Sunday videos (☕️ + talk)
I’ll put an edited transcription in the next tweet if you prefer that. I'll also do an abbreviated Twitter Summary.
1/ [edited] transcription here: terikanefield.com/lies-that-dest…
Examples from the past week.
Rep. Clyde said, “to call it an insurrection . . . is a bald-faced lie." He also likened what happened to a "tourist visit."
businessinsider.com/gop-rep-says-c…
Examples from the past week.
Rep. Clyde said, “to call it an insurrection . . . is a bald-faced lie." He also likened what happened to a "tourist visit."
businessinsider.com/gop-rep-says-c…
2/ Louie Gohmert said there was “no evidence of an armed insurrection,” said no firearms had been confiscated.
cnn.com/2021/05/14/pol…
Sen. Rand Paul and Tucker Carlson implied that Dr. Fauci is responsible for the outbreak of Covid.
washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…
cnn.com/2021/05/14/pol…
Sen. Rand Paul and Tucker Carlson implied that Dr. Fauci is responsible for the outbreak of Covid.
washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…
3/ I’ve already talked a little bit about they tell such outrageous lies: Fascist Lies. They believe the lies are in service to a “higher” truth.
What’s startling is how many people believe or willingly to along with them.
https://twitter.com/teri_kanefield/status/1386330852544499714?lang=en
What’s startling is how many people believe or willingly to along with them.
4/ Laura asked this:
The short answer is that the lies destroy and they want to destroy. The lies sock it to their enemies and they want to sock it to their enemies.
The lies rile their followers.
https://twitter.com/LKellenbarger/status/1391623871506255875
The short answer is that the lies destroy and they want to destroy. The lies sock it to their enemies and they want to sock it to their enemies.
The lies rile their followers.
5/ Trump tells these guys that they are the top of the hierarchy, and if they didn’t have everything they deserve, it was because undeserving others, people who are not real Americans, are trying to replace them and take what is theirs.
That's an appealing lie for these guys.
That's an appealing lie for these guys.
6/ The problem of course is that these lies are intended to destroy liberal democracy.
First, a definition (Liberal democracy)👇
America, according to this definition, has only been a liberal democracy since the modern civil rights and women’s rights movements.
First, a definition (Liberal democracy)👇
America, according to this definition, has only been a liberal democracy since the modern civil rights and women’s rights movements.
7/ It wasn’t until the federal legislation of the 1960s that America came anything close to a liberal democracy.
Republicans want to roll that back and take us back to the days when America was entirely ruled by white men.
That's what MAGA means.
Republicans want to roll that back and take us back to the days when America was entirely ruled by white men.
That's what MAGA means.
8/ Ethnic majorities rarely give up their dominant status without a fight (Ziblatt and Levitsky)
Prof. Levitsky 👇says that we’re going through a political earthquake as America transitions from a nation ruled by white men to a true liberal democracy.
Prof. Levitsky 👇says that we’re going through a political earthquake as America transitions from a nation ruled by white men to a true liberal democracy.
9/ Another book that I find helpful was Richard Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics.
He talks about how the far right-wing believes that unseen satanic forces are trying to destroy something larger in which they belong.
He wrote this in the early 1960s!
He talks about how the far right-wing believes that unseen satanic forces are trying to destroy something larger in which they belong.
He wrote this in the early 1960s!
10/ The “something larger” is generally phrased as “the American way of life.”
They “feel dispossessed” and that “America has been largely taken away from them."
They're determined to prevent what they see as the final act of subversion. They therefore adopt extreme measures.
They “feel dispossessed” and that “America has been largely taken away from them."
They're determined to prevent what they see as the final act of subversion. They therefore adopt extreme measures.
11/ He also noted that this paranoid element, once on the fringes of the far-right, was moving into mainstream politics and perhaps becoming more permanent.
It seems to me that's because that was precisely when the Civil Rights movement was having an effect.
It seems to me that's because that was precisely when the Civil Rights movement was having an effect.
12/ The "paranoid" fear that they're losing something makes them "militant." (Hofstadter) They abandon traditional politics, which they think is corrupted.
You see how this fits together. They believe they're losing something and they desperately want to hold on to it.
You see how this fits together. They believe they're losing something and they desperately want to hold on to it.
13/ The Republicans have a problem. Their demographics are shrinking.
The goal of holding on to an era when white men ruled is getting harder to achieve.
Jay Rosen quotes this:
The goal of holding on to an era when white men ruled is getting harder to achieve.
Jay Rosen quotes this:
https://twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/1392948060226035720
14/ Yes, the lying has escalated.
The lying is escalating BECAUSE they lost. They’re feeling more desperate. They think they need to save America.
The fact is that lies destroy democracy: Democracy is based on rule of law, which requires a shared factuality.
The lying is escalating BECAUSE they lost. They’re feeling more desperate. They think they need to save America.
The fact is that lies destroy democracy: Democracy is based on rule of law, which requires a shared factuality.
15/ (more in the blog post and video)
So Republican Party is letting loose with a firehose of falsehoods.
The blitz of lies can make people feel that objective truth is unknowable.
So Republican Party is letting loose with a firehose of falsehoods.
The blitz of lies can make people feel that objective truth is unknowable.
16/ They give up trying to sort through the news. They conclude it’s better not to listen to the news at all.
Instead, they listen to someone in their community who they think knows.
The question of the hour: Will these lies succeed in destroying Democracy?
Instead, they listen to someone in their community who they think knows.
The question of the hour: Will these lies succeed in destroying Democracy?
17/ I don’t think so — unless the rest of us become complacent.
They’re outnumbered and their numbers are shrinking, which is why they’re desperate. prri.org/spotlight/the-…
They’re outnumbered and their numbers are shrinking, which is why they’re desperate. prri.org/spotlight/the-…
18/ The more it looks like they’re going to lose, the more desperate they’re going to become, and the outlandish their lies will be.
So you can expect the firehose of falsehoods to continue.
I suggest you all put on your raincoats so you’re prepared.
So you can expect the firehose of falsehoods to continue.
I suggest you all put on your raincoats so you’re prepared.
19/ I should have added this👇
Another purpose of the outrageous lies is to wear out and discourage the opposition.
What do rational people do when an elected member of Congress says the insurrection was like a tourist visit?
Another purpose of the outrageous lies is to wear out and discourage the opposition.
What do rational people do when an elected member of Congress says the insurrection was like a tourist visit?
https://twitter.com/persephone_i/status/1393951773958754304
To use @ThePlumLineGS's phrase, the right-wing information universe is "hermetically sealed."
That's why Republicans can say one thing for mainstream media and another for right-wing media without fear of their supporters thinking they are inconsistent.
That's why Republicans can say one thing for mainstream media and another for right-wing media without fear of their supporters thinking they are inconsistent.
https://twitter.com/northerngirlWI/status/1393951689913380865
They are doing journalism the way it's normally done in a functioning democracy, and what they all learned in Journalism School.
As @jayrosen_nyu points out, the problem is one political party is anti-democratic, so "journalism as usual" doesn't work.
As @jayrosen_nyu points out, the problem is one political party is anti-democratic, so "journalism as usual" doesn't work.
https://twitter.com/reader_jean/status/1393957722551377920
In a functioning democracy, you give both sides equal time. The kind of debate required in a functioning democracy requires the presentation of both sides.
But what do you do when one side is trying to destroy democracy?
Or, put another way, one side wants to go back to 1950.
But what do you do when one side is trying to destroy democracy?
Or, put another way, one side wants to go back to 1950.
I love that people are giving different years for this.
I often give 1920 as their target year: Before the federal regulations and agencies that stopped corporations from cheating.
I picked 1950 for this thread because the electorate was still almost entirely white.
I often give 1920 as their target year: Before the federal regulations and agencies that stopped corporations from cheating.
I picked 1950 for this thread because the electorate was still almost entirely white.
In the video, I mentioned the mythic world portrayed in 1950s TV shows like Leave it to Beaver: Happy mom dusting the house, smiling, in her uncomfortable shoes. Blacks are happy servants. Little (white) boys are plucky and get into (harmless)trouble.
https://twitter.com/brwilkes/status/1393988739710525447
It's like Devin Nunes knew I wrote a thread on the outrageousness of Republican lies, so he thought he'd provide a demonstration.
Q: Can it get even crazier?
A: Yes.
https://twitter.com/PoliticusSarah/status/1393961772927922176
Q: Can it get even crazier?
A: Yes.
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