I know that Twitter is where your friends are and you’ve spent 15 years building your social graph on that service.

But is that a good reason to aid and abet the spread of Russian propaganda?

Even if you believe Russia is a far off concern, this isn’t true—it’s patently obvious that Russia is influencing domestic Fascism as well.

The likes of Candace Owens don’t appear in a vacuum. They are clearly influenced by the Kremlin.

“But I’m mocking all the Fascism on Twitter, or blocking it whenever I see it!”

Doesn’t matter. Elon Musk controls the algorithm. As we’ve already seen, he dictates what is seen and unseen.

Anyone who speaks out against his agenda can find themselves talking to a proverbial wall. Or at least brought out as a punching bag when the need arises.

And your blocks don’t matter if Elon really wants to force Twitter to see something.

Your continued presence on Twitter helps no one.

Look, I get it.

Nobody likes to be told that they’re helping the bad guys. Especially when they’ve spent their entire lives self-identifying as liberals or progressives.

You’re on the side of human rights, not the Nazis, right?

Well, this is where actions speak louder than words.

It’s time to stop with the hot takes and dunks.

It’s time to log out of Twitter and never come back.

I also understand—and empathize—that people often have no choice and must use Twitter.

If the choice is between making rent and eviction, I get it.

But that’s not everyone. If you’re privileged enough to leave Twitter, it’s your duty to log off forever.

That’s how you can thwart the spread of Fascism.

@atomicpoet If only it were that simple. You see, the people I engage with on Twitter are just as anti-fascist as I am.

Let's compare that with the people I engage with here, after five months of daily use.

Oh, nobody much engages with me here. So, I guess I don't have any data for comparison.

The folks who post here do seem very nice though - notwithstanding their near total lack of reciprocity whenever I try to pleasantly engage with them.

So, based on my experience, it looks like my options here are to be a broadcaster (like the folks who never engage with me), a fan (who praises broadcasters), a troll (who causes trouble to get engagement), or a lurker (who reads but is totally invisible.)

Ideally, I would become a fan, and heap adulation on all the broadcasters here. However, becoming a lurker is more my style. So please be advised that I typically read and enjoy your posts when they come my way.

Over and out.

@atomicpoet My.opinon differs about the "supporting" part. I provided a rationale for why being on Twitter might be a way to actually fight fascism - which you did not refute.

As I'm sure you're aware, many people on Twitter believe that they should "stay and fight" rather than "cede the global public square to the fascists."

I don't personally hold that view but I think it's just as defensible as yours that by staying on Twitter, one is supporting fascism.

As I stated previously, your argument oversimplifies a complex issue. In my opinion.

@atomicpoet @KansasGrant
I agree that providing the content that helps to prop up a platform that is focused on amplifying racism, conspiracy theories, and the policies of the 1% is a bad idea, but it's not up to me to decide for those that are still on that foul site.

It's quite impossible to "prove" either side of the argument, but I believe that inertia keeps them on there more than they will admit to.

@GreenFire @KansasGrant This isn't just about amplifying racism, conspiracy theories, and the 1%.

It's about literally helping the cause of Fascism. https://mastodon.social/@atomicpoet/110204311456436393

@atomicpoet @GreenFire @KansasGrant

Sorry, I'll insist that you're literally part of the problem here.

Right now, there's a *really* heavy and important debate among black folks on the value of people like Justin Pearson; a lot of young (IMHO uneducated) black folks think he's corny and a faker, older people like myself understand he's a part of an important tradition. This talk is huge, heavy, far reaching.

and it ain't happening here. It's on twitter.

Broaden your view.

#blackmastdon

@skotchygut @atomicpoet @jrm4 @GreenFire Understood. That's why I've been trying to develop a presence on Mastodon for the past five months.

Regardless, I'll be glad to abandon Twitter complete if and when that becomes necessary for me. Until then, I'll continue to use it at the level it meets my needs.

Personally, I see this as a pragmatic issue, not as any great battle of Good versus Evil. I never saw that my being on Twitter since 2016 had any noticeable effect, nor would my abandoning it now.

@atomicpoet @KansasGrant @skotchygut @jrm4
Would you still stay on Twitter if the #Resistors with big followings left?

I like the argument that AtomicPoet makes that we shouldn't have our #PublicSquare on a privately owned platform, but to me I view ELoon as part and parcel of an existential threat to democracy so I want people to leave his platform in order to help neuter his power some.