squinkyOct 25, 2024
Saddened to see Russian propaganda working its way around Mastodon. No yeah, go ahead and opt out of the vote on moral grounds so the fash can get elected, you absolute muppets
Show threadsquinky

CANDIDATE 1: You know, I envy the kind of absolute power that Hitler had

CANDIDATE 2: Jesus what the fuck man

ENLIGHTENED LEFTIST: These two are the exact same

Oct 25, 2024 at 10:30pmWeb
Show threadsquinkyOct 25, 2024
[googling Uruguay immigration policies]
Show threadsquinkyOct 26, 2024

I live in a safely red congressional district within a safely blue state. Divide my ballot down the middle and each side is minimally effective for different reasons.

But you know what? I still vote. Because this isn't about me. This shit works at a scale way bigger than one oblate burnout with acute pathological demand avoidance. It takes all of us.

I swear to God, throwing away your opportunity to help with large scale harm reduction the way so many do is the most white-cis-het-male privilege-squandering apathy I've ever seen, and I see it constantly.

Show threadRyan FinnieOct 26, 2024
@squinky Thanks, that got me to finally fill out the voting packet. (There was no question on whether I would vote, but I had been putting off reading up on the nonpartisan races and measures.)
Show threadMystery Babylon Oct 25, 2024

@squinky

Elon: gives Putin the green light

Trump: gives Netanyahu the green light

Purity Leftists: "But Biden!"

🙄

Show threadsquinkyOct 25, 2024
@erosdiscordia I'm not prone to conspiracy thinking but if it turns out that the entire purity left was just a bunch of hapless rubes following false flag propagandists around who were intent on kindling enough infighting to keep the Left from organizing effectively, I would nod and shrug, and ask zero followup questions.
Show threadMystery Babylon Oct 25, 2024

@squinky I disagree only with the idea that it's a conspiracy theory.

Hardcore leftists are being fooled by Russian propaganda. I've been looking into this for a couple months. All the pieces are just right out there in the open.

Mostly it seems to be on Twitter and TikTok, but you'll hear arguments (and even certain exact terms and phrases!) sincerely repeated, like a game of telephone, into other platforms, and on here.

The propaganda has been carefully psychologically crafted to traumatize people and short-circuit any kind of analysis or pushback. Watching it has been like watching a speedrun of my parents being brainwashed by AM radio...to the same political ends.

The really fucked up thing the propaganda's creators seem to have perfected is the truth that even facts themselves can be misused, to manipulate. We've all sort of collectively decided this issue is "facts vs. lies". It isn't. It's "democracy vs. fascism", and unfortunately the latter can wear a left-ish facade.

People might be starting from a caring and conscientious heart -- but when that's essentially weaponized against them, and their resulting rage and horror is directed at our last chance to stop this, who wins? Not us.