This article first appeared at ProPublica.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1438448
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1438448
This article was published at ProPublica on Oct. 29, but it’s dated here at TPM as Nov. 5. The problem with this is illustrated by the sentence quoted directly above, since it would give readers who are still unfamiliar with Brazil’s election the impression that there is another runoff being held tomorrow instead of last week, as it actually was.
TPM, please consider giving ProPublica articles the date information from ProPublica in addition to the publication date on TPM.
It shouldn’t be difficult. The article says at top “This article first appeared at ProPublica.” Just make it standard to add the phrase “on [day], [date]”.
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“The Love of Money…”
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While everyone focuses on Musk and Twitter, the real villains lurk elsewhere, in plain view. Google, FB, Fox, OAN, YouTube, TikTok, talk radio, etc. That’s where the real “influencing” is going on, and much of it not good. The folks exploiting these sites and technologies understand human and social psychology and how to influence and change peoples’ views, insidiously and nefariously. Musk is just a neophyte at this and even if Twitter survives his assaults, it’ll be months to years before he can transform it into another effective RW mouthpiece and propaganda outlet.
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• In the beginning, GOOGLE founders claimed their company motto was DON’T BE EVIL.
•• They stopped saying/using/claiming that a few years ago.
••• I suspect that they saved all of the old bumperstickers and cut them in half, allowing a BE EVIL claim to survive.
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policies that cover elections, COVID-19 and climate change
Who opposes honest elections, the prevention of fatal disease, and not starving to death?
Besides Republicans, who want to make Democrats “look bad”.
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I agree. I have said for decades TV was the most potent weapon we ever created. Standardized thinking and thought processes and even gave you pictures and sounds about how you are supposed to look, behave, and think of yourself. Much of that rot set in many decades ago…even if it wasn’t overtly to politicize or demonize anyone. Some of it was just to convince you that you needed fresher breath or whiter whites. But then the networks became “your source for news” or Good Morning America was going to tell you what was important and what you needed to know…and basically didn’t want anyone upsetting the apple cart or pooping in their happy-happy matrix-made punchbowl.
And if ever there was a rent in the fabric of their matrix (advertisers were bad, selling poisonous products, the media hides horrible secrets, media is complicit, found out Bush Jr deserted his military post and Dan Rather needs to go)…then they would spend as much time and video tape as needed to ‘repair’ the tear in their carefully made world, and plaster over your brain processes until the tear was sewn up or buried so deep you couldn’t find it again.
Now the internet has taken that, of course, many steps further and TV/Cable/Talk Radio, Streaming services and Social Media are playing 12-level chess with our citizens minds, dominating what we get fed. It is sloppy, and they aren’t necessarily working in concert or super intelligently. But they own the firehoses and determine what gets shot down our throats…and it isn’t a good diet.
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It all plays on the tendency of most people to want to just fit in, be like everyone else and not stir things up, and to believe in whatever they’re told by the people they trust the most. Thinking for oneself is hard and fraught with peril, and most people not only don’t want to do it, they don’t even know that they can and should do it. It’s like a whole new dimension they haven’t heard of. Most people are programmed from birth to conform, and most do, unwittingly, believing that how they do, see and think about things is the right and only way. Manipulators know and exploit this. I see this even in Dems I know, older, more traditional folks who not only can’t think outside the box, they don’t even realize that it’s a box and they’re trapped in it (btw that’s what “woke” actually refers to). It’s so much easier to just go with the flow and not make trouble.
Democracy works best if there are enough people able and willing to think for themselves and participate. But there aren’t, and even fewer than before. In the past there were just enough to get passable outcomes. Now we’re approaching the point where there aren’t even that many, at which point the manipulators have a lock on elections. It just takes 40-45% of the population to be either outright RW or susceptible to its propaganda, to make it all but impossible for the center-left to win, especially with LW third parties drawing away votes and our crazy non-proportionate electoral system.
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But gas prices are still high and it costs me $37.58 more a week to fill up my Escalade to drive to and from work by myself, so I’m voting for the Trumpie, who’s FOR AMERICA!
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What covers so much of the behavior, and explains so much of it to me…is we aren’t evolved to deal with it. Quite likely we haven’t changed any/enough since 40k, 60k, 200k years ago to withstand mass media. Even what was around 100 years ago…Newspapers and Movies and Telegraphs and Radio.
People can barely manage their own self-image and not be at war with people in their own village or the next tribe over back in times when there was no print media. Religion always provided the conformity factor and it was enough for any one person to deal with the world they were plunked down in…with tribal leaders, priests, warlords, and other villagers.
Having to deal with everyone, coast-to-coast, all at one time and be affected by something someone did or said 1000 miles away just ain’t natural and our bodies and brains can’t evolve to adapt. I might posit our bodies and brains didn’t really have the tools to convert from a wolfpack/tribe existence to the civilization/ant colony in the last 10,000 years…let alone the mass media onslaught of the last 150 years. We are completely maxed out and overloaded. Everyone is affected but we think that Libs, at least, can still manage to see/think straight and we are pretty convinced the other side is just flopping and flailing blindly.
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Thanks for reminding me : - )
…Republicans, who want to make Democrats “look bad” on tv.
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O/T
topics:
Justice delayed
Biting off more than you can chew
Won’t anyone think of the poor children
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Something not often realized is that sites, including TPM, could go ad free if it wanted to but the downside is, it couldn’t be googled and there would be no ad revenue. I was on such a site for a while. It was created by a Canadian, is liberal and those going to it had to be invited. The members were from all walks of life and from around the world.
There were some good things about it; no trolls, complete freedom to post and say what you wanted to, including personal information. Without getting into it, there were also downsides; maybe too much familiarity with one another.
The intent wasn’t to make money but rather simply share ideas. There were moderators but only to make sure new invitees were upstanding etc. It’s still up and running.
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In their evolution over the years, Google has become an enemy of the people.
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“I’m turning Twitter into a monthly subscription fee service, I just can’t say that part out loud. Wait, did I just say that out loud?”
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I am gross and perverted
I’m obsessed 'n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little has changed
I’m the tool of the Government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you
I may be vile and pernicious
But you can’t look away
I make you think I’m delicious
With the stuff that I say
I’m the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I’m the slime oozin’ out
From your TV set
You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we don’t need you
Don’t go for help… no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold
That’s right, folks…
Don’t touch that dial
Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin’ along on your livin’ room floor
I am the slime from your video
Can’t stop the slime, people, lookit me go
I am the slime from your video
Oozin’ along on your livin’ room floor
I am the slime from your video
Can’t stop the slime, people, lookit me go
h/t Uncle Frank
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Money
Get away
You get a good job with more pay and you’re okay
Money
It’s a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star, daydream
Think I’ll buy me a football team
Money
Get back
I’m alright, Jack, keep your hands off of my stack
Money
It’s a hit
Don’t give me that do goody good bullshit
I’m in the high-fidelity first-class traveling set
And I think I need a Lear jet
Money
It’s a crime
Share it fairly, but don’t take a slice of my pie
Money
So they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise
It’s no surprise that they’re giving none away
Away, away, away
Away, away, away
I was in the right
Yes, absolutely in the right
I certainly was in the right
Yeah, I was definitely in the right, that geezer was cruisin’ for a bruisin’
Yeah!
Why does anyone do anything?
I don’t know, I was really drunk at the time
Just telling him it was in, he could get it in number two
He was asking why it wasn’t coming up on freight eleven
And after, I was yelling and screaming and telling him why
It wasn’t coming up on freight eleven
h/t Pink Floyd
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Sir, I logged in to Twitter. I knew Twitter. Twitter was a friend of mine.
Sir, you’re no Twitter.
– A Texan in 1988
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Wait… i thought Lula da Silva won and Bolsonaro lost
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