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21 Nov, 11 tweets, 5 min read
In our Sunday morning thread we're taking a close look at the culture wars. GOP propaganda sure seems to be winning. What can Democrats do to break through the noise before the 2022 midterms?

Let's start with the fundamental misunderstanding that got us here.
(THREAD)
(2) It's clear that we're facing a war of disinformation where propaganda is being weaponized & proliferated on social media and through a plethora of right wing media sources.

And the problem for Dems is that they don't understand the rules of the game.

time.com/5686843/global…
(3) Democrats tend to be more highly educated individuals who believe in science. Democracy. Rational thinking. Measured response. Good governance.

And so of course Dems believed they could win the disinformation war with facts.

theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
(4) This is exactly the wrong way to combat cultue wars rhetoric. Because none of it is based on facts. It's based on emotional responses to fear.

And in a time when we feel our survival is threatened, our emotional response to fear can be very powerful.

msnbc.com/opinion/virgin…
(5) The clearest example of this was on display in Virginia's governor race. How did a GOP candidate get parents in a blue state to vote for him based on a non-existent problem?

This tactic has been in the GOP playbook from the beginning.

theguardian.com/us-news/2021/n…
(6) The US waged war for the better part of 2 decades because Republicans sold a lie to the American public and then exploited it for profit.

And we've done absolutely nothing to officially counter that narrative and hold the GOP accountable.

thehill.com/opinion/nation…
(7) The biggest problem for Democrats in breaking through the noise & conspiracy theories isn't actually their messaging.

It's the media. A media that perpetually reinforces conservative narratives and refuses to call out Republicans for what they are.

vox.com/policy-and-pol…
(8) So now we get to the WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO ABOUT IT part. We could use the stick. The argument that social media requires significant regulation isn't wrong.

Nearly a third of Americans get their news from Facebook. And we all know how that goes.

techcrunch.com/2021/09/20/stu…
(9) But I'll be frank that I don't think we have the political will or support just now to do much about it. So that leaves us with the carrot.

Figuring out how to turn conservative friendly platforms to our advantage from the airwaves to social media.

thehill.com/opinion/campai…
(10) This is a saturation game. Fireside chats. Shadow social media networks of influencers who amplify Dem content. Put it ALL on the table.

Because the assault on democracy isn't over & it isn't just about the US. And we need EVERYONE paying attention.

vox.com/the-weeds/2279…
(END) Thanks to @21sts1 for the thread suggestion. Come back next weekend and we'll do this again.

Like threads like this and want to keep them coming? You can support my work here:
patreon.com/kazweida

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More from @kazweida

Kaz Weida Profile picture
22 Nov
It’s clear my daughter’s 5th grade teacher is wary about saying certain things.

Today’s class convo about T-day was painfully vague… “Sometimes Thanksgiving sounds like colonists showed up & everyone was happy. There’s more to the story than that.”

She then changed the subject
It’s pretty clear teaching the REAL story behind Thanksgiving and the brutal oppression of colonialism is on us this year.

This is a good primer on how to talk about it and why it’s important not to whitewash Thanksgiving.

today.com/parents/how-te…
As I’ve advocated in previous years, the holiday is a great chance for families to learn about the indigenous people who used to live on the land they currently occupy and to honor them by incorporating their cuisine and history into your holiday.

blog.rosettastone.com/thanksgiving/
Read 4 tweets
Kaz Weida Profile picture
19 Nov
I don’t know who needs to hear this but teachers don’t pick your kids curriculum.

That’s mandated by state education boards. Trying to punish teachers for what’s taught in the classroom is like yelling at the cashier because you don’t like what’s stocked on the shelves.
Former teacher here. Let me explain how curriculum works.

The state works in coordination with the department of education to determine what gets taught at each grade level. They issue curriculum guidelines. They’re pretty specific.

Let me give you an example.
Let’s say for instance the math curriculum for fifth grade includes long division. The curriculum standards describe both what concepts long division encompasses & what students are expected to do to demonstrate competency in those concepts.

Teachers have no direct input on this
Read 5 tweets
Kaz Weida Profile picture
18 Nov
Dear Brighton High students,
I live less than a mile from the high school where the school district is forcing librarians to remove books from shelves.

I own a little library. It will be stocked with every title the district is censoring. Stop by anytime.
ksl.com/article/502852…
@canyonsdistrict has an online submission form where you can let them know exactly what you think about the violation of their established policy in challenging books and hiding their censorship from the public.

canyonsdistrict.org/general-news/y…
Books being censored:
“The Bluest Eye" Toni Morrison
“Beyond Magenta" Susan Kuklin
“Monday's Not Coming" Tiffany Jackson
“Out of Darkness" Ashley Hope Perez
“The Opposite of Innocent" Sonya Sones
“Lawn Boy" Jonathan Evison
“Lolita" Vladimir Nabokov
“Gender Queer" Maia Kobabe
Read 6 tweets
Kaz Weida Profile picture
14 Nov
In today’s thread we’re discussing opposition to vaccine mandates. Specifically red states that are suing and blocking the enforcement of vaccine requirements.

How worried should we be and will this undermine our progress in combatting the pandemic?

(THREAD)
(2) Thus far, vaccine mandates have been an effective tool to ensure safety in key industries like public service, healthcare & transportation

But they haven’t been without controversy. Especially rules for private businesses going into effect in January

washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…
(3) Because these mandates work so well, the GOP is especially interested in challenging them. After all, their goal is to prolong the pandemic so it undermines Biden. They don’t care what that costs.

There are a slew of red states suing.

npr.org/2021/11/05/105…
Read 10 tweets
Kaz Weida Profile picture
7 Nov
This morning we're asking what to do about the fact that so many Americans seem to be deeply entrenched in conspiracy theories.

As the pandemic took hold, QAnon seems to have infected more of the population. And the consequences may prove equally deadly.

(THREAD)
(2) How many people really believe in QAnon theories? At one point last year it was nearly 1 in 3 Americans that believed in some flavor of "deep state"conspiracy against Trump.

The good news is that crowd has been whittled down since the capitol riots.

morningconsult.com/2021/02/02/qan…
(3) The bad news it is still far too many people. And frankly, far too many Republicans. And they continue to be radicalized at an alarming rate.

The stunt in Dealey Plaza may have drawn plenty of jeers, but it's not an outlier.

vice.com/en/article/xgd…
Read 11 tweets
Kaz Weida Profile picture
6 Nov
I was once at a concert with my 10 yr old son that I suspect was over capacity. We were being pushed from every direction & couldn’t breathe.

Then the lights went out and it was sheer pandemonium. I honestly wasn’t sure if we were going to make it out of there.
(Thread)
(2) A security guard noticed us because I was one of the few people with a young kid in the crowd. He shouldered and pushed his way through and grabbed us before my son went completely under.

He took us to a special section on the side stage that was reserved for security.
(3) The lights were still off so people there was a lot of pushing as everyone panicked. The lead singer did something I will never forget. He jumped INTO the crowd.

He knew folks would make way for him and he was trying to stop the panic. It actually worked.
Read 6 tweets

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