I don't like Frank's theory. Why would anyone listen to Trump when all he did was tell lies, provable lies? We didn't listen to Trump because everything he says is self serving/propaganda. Night and day difference with Biden. That's s a false equivalency, right there. Also, to hell with Frank Lutz. He's as complicit as anyone in this mess. Still houses McCarthy in luxury while he ratfuqs us on the daily, and allows MTG to traumatized millions. Nope. Not having any of that nonsense. Ruined an otherwise great article, Ruth.
Thank you for elucidating this crucial information. We have all, by and large, been guilty of spreading the false information. Your advice will be quite helpful to me from now on.
I meant to specifically say I loved “starve” the disinformation...I started doing that on Twitter. Sometimes disinformation is shared in a mocking or humorous way. Those tweets were semi empowering and easy to pass on. I don’t anymore.
I have been doing this some, I know, but will make a much more conscious effort to do so now! Thank you, Ruth, for this important piece of advice.
"Finally, how can we push back against propaganda in real time, whether you are on television, at a public event, or just speaking to a family member? When we hear a lie, our instinct is to correct it with the truth, but this enters us into a situation of "he said, she said." Instead, we might try a tactic that I call "exposing the device": rather than refute the lie, talk about the reason the lie exists - what larger political goals it serves. Or, as Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews put it in their study of the Russian "firehose of falsehood," it's best to expose the manipulation process, rather than fight the specific manipulation. And if there is an audience, direct those exposés to it, not back to the propagandist."
Wonderful piece Ruth. Thank you. Also, I noted Bandi Lee mentioned. What happened with her was unfortunate. I believe she and Dr Dodes were right in there ‘duty to warn.’ I’m just sorry more didn’t listen.
I find it interesting that Hitler particularly hated Psychologists/Psychiatrists. I believe this to be so, because they could unravel the web of lies that Hitler had spun. They could dissect the meachanism used and inform the victimized public about what the propagandist was doing to them.
There was some push back against Trump by Dr. Bandi Lee, Psychiatrist and Dr. Lance Dodes in an attempt to call out to the public that Trump being a sociopath, is a master maipulator and to be cautious about believing what he said. Few listened to this warning.
I'm looking forward to your upcoming essay and your thoughts and analysis on this, Ruth. I've been wondering about what makes people so vulnerable to propaganda and supporting punishing governments for a few years now. How and why do they buy into stuff that ends up hurting them, and all of us?
An in the weeds story here: About 10 years ago, I taught 9th grade English in a public school in the upper reaches of Westchester County, NY - then Tea Party/pre-Trump County. I was shocked at the contempt that many parents and students had for education and for teachers. The more vocal and antagonistic parents used litigation threats as a way to intimidate some of the math teachers to give their children high grades. Luckily, I had some "interpretive" advantages with English literature. But it was bizarre. I'd never experienced anything like it. Before that, I had taught in the South Bronx and East Harlem with many immigrant children, and parents and grandparents treated teachers with a kind of reverence. (That felt uncomfortable too.)
While up North, I had a few male students who would lug around Ayn Rand's fat "Atlas Shrugged" under their arms, but they never actually read it - and couldn't do any kind of book report for extra credit. A number of my mostly male students plagiarized their essays, or parts of them, which meant that I had to have a conference with them and their parents, who were often defensive and combative. It felt like open season on teachers, and in trying to stick to the facts, with hostile parents, I had to explain why plagiarizing isn't good for their child.
Promoting any values of sound scholarship practices was offensive to them, too "elite" maybe, so I quit that approach. If (for self preservation) I focused on their child's strengths, they were usually surprised, and I found out these parents were very critical of their own kids. They'd threaten their kids with punishments if they didn't get an A on the essay. It seemed like the kids were being groomed to loathe themselves, in a sort of Totalitarian fashion. One male parent threatened me physically because he didn't like the fact that I had caught his daughter plagiarizing a well-known poem. His wife stopped him. I got through it. But I bet that girl caught hell at home. So much of that anger dynamic feels like foreshadowing for where we are now. The reasonable parents were the minority.
What I did learn, though, was to try to create relationships with students - to help them feel valued. That was hard going with some, who would get angry if I corrected their spelling. But the circumstances around the plagiarism trend forced me to create relationships with the parents. If they believed that I was solely invested in their own child's success and growth, and not so much educational standards, the hostility would drain away. (But how did the hostility get there in the first place?) My energetic investment in their kid was our "common ground" - which was safe ground. But holy cow, I often felt like I was dealing with pre-school children, and parents with very fragile egos.
I'm retired from teaching now, but so much of the ground for this creeping Authoritarianism seems to have been prepared for many years now. The Tea Party parents that I dealt with were middle/upper middle class, and mostly white. The nickname I used to have for that part of NY was "the Land That Time Forgot" - but not anymore.
So I guess my question for you is evolving into: What are the conditions that would prompt a massive number of Americans to become so vulnerable (is it too far to say so self-hating?) that they're seduced into being hostile to education and facts and knowledge ---- and defenseless against bombarding propaganda. There are so many lenses to look through here!
Ayn Rand was a sociopath and there is a connection between her and the Tea Party movement. They had the same far right, anti-Marxist mindset. The connection between sociopathy and fascism is undeniable, as seen in Mussolini, Hitler, Allen Dulles, Trump and possibly Pinochet.
I believe it was the Great Recession that triggered the escalation of our far right movement. Economic desperation can lead to radical solutions in society, sometimes toxic. Add cognitive bias to the mix and we have a post-truth society.
I've unknowingly used decentering and truth sandwiches for years; nice to know that they have names. The key is to expose the lie/propaganda but also point out what's behind it, mainly, that Authoritarians rarely, if ever, tell the truth or facts because those things are rarely ever behind them. That's why they must spew Authoritarian propaganda/punditry based on logical fallacies/cognitive biases, BS and lies.
When I've correctly pointed out that the GOP chose the youngest form of Authoritarianism, Fascism, in 1920, I get a lot of pushback and BS arguments that the GOP's Authoritarian turn began with Nixon, Reagan or Trump. My response is to correctly point out that, while the pre-Great Depression GOP were Authoritarians, they were also much more "subtle" about it. Now, they're not. Their Authoritarianism is in our faces.
For fans of the movie franchise "Star Wars" (the movies are a great example of how Authoritarianism works and how to fight it), think of Authoritarianism as "The Dark Side" and how it can easily seduce the "weak minded".
Another useful and informative piece RBG, thank you!
By elderly relatives who send you news paper articles, I assume maybe you're referring to your 90 year old mother in England?
Also, I suggested to you last week I thought Trump on a performative level was as good a liar and demagogue as any in history over the last hundred years. Its not just how good he is at propaganda in general (Mussolini's news reels), from the performative perspective, it's how good he is at his rallies, how good he is in front of a camera answering questions in interviews or tweeting to his gullible flocks. He is a con man and liar of surpassing brilliance and conviction as I have ever seen...its a talent even a genius dare I say. It is part of what goes into the 'great man theory of history' in that sense. Remember, he had no political experience in 2015 but It's why he was able to beat out his Republican rivals in the primaries, win the nomination and the Presidency in 2016 (in the electoral college) and now convert most if not all of a major political party into his own personality cult that proudly worships him and loyally accepts his big lie that the election was stolen from him and wears it as a badge of honor and belonging.
I don't like Frank's theory. Why would anyone listen to Trump when all he did was tell lies, provable lies? We didn't listen to Trump because everything he says is self serving/propaganda. Night and day difference with Biden. That's s a false equivalency, right there. Also, to hell with Frank Lutz. He's as complicit as anyone in this mess. Still houses McCarthy in luxury while he ratfuqs us on the daily, and allows MTG to traumatized millions. Nope. Not having any of that nonsense. Ruined an otherwise great article, Ruth.
Thank you for elucidating this crucial information. We have all, by and large, been guilty of spreading the false information. Your advice will be quite helpful to me from now on.
I meant to specifically say I loved “starve” the disinformation...I started doing that on Twitter. Sometimes disinformation is shared in a mocking or humorous way. Those tweets were semi empowering and easy to pass on. I don’t anymore.
Love this, but it’s really hard....
I have been doing this some, I know, but will make a much more conscious effort to do so now! Thank you, Ruth, for this important piece of advice.
"Finally, how can we push back against propaganda in real time, whether you are on television, at a public event, or just speaking to a family member? When we hear a lie, our instinct is to correct it with the truth, but this enters us into a situation of "he said, she said." Instead, we might try a tactic that I call "exposing the device": rather than refute the lie, talk about the reason the lie exists - what larger political goals it serves. Or, as Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews put it in their study of the Russian "firehose of falsehood," it's best to expose the manipulation process, rather than fight the specific manipulation. And if there is an audience, direct those exposés to it, not back to the propagandist."
Wonderful piece Ruth. Thank you. Also, I noted Bandi Lee mentioned. What happened with her was unfortunate. I believe she and Dr Dodes were right in there ‘duty to warn.’ I’m just sorry more didn’t listen.
It is so much easier to delegitimize the propagandist up front, rather that put the propagandized through mental rehab after the fact.
Agreed; but the media won’t and risk loss of access. More is the pity.
The lie that humans are warming the planet is propaganda.
Propaganda dished out by the MSM for 50 years.
Here's the truth of the science..(mainly my confrontation with Rick)
https://www.climateconversation.org.nz/2021/02/science-says-change-the-weather-and-break-the-countrys-heart/
Mack,
Sky Dragon Slayers Chief Public Relations Officer.
So helpful.
Very thought provoking ..and thanks for the sandwich technique. I have people I can test that on. Great work.
Great article again....thanks.....
"Truth Sandwich" is a fantastic idea and I will start using it myself! Another great (and useful) article, thanks!
Excellent essay, again.
I find it interesting that Hitler particularly hated Psychologists/Psychiatrists. I believe this to be so, because they could unravel the web of lies that Hitler had spun. They could dissect the meachanism used and inform the victimized public about what the propagandist was doing to them.
There was some push back against Trump by Dr. Bandi Lee, Psychiatrist and Dr. Lance Dodes in an attempt to call out to the public that Trump being a sociopath, is a master maipulator and to be cautious about believing what he said. Few listened to this warning.
I'm looking forward to your upcoming essay and your thoughts and analysis on this, Ruth. I've been wondering about what makes people so vulnerable to propaganda and supporting punishing governments for a few years now. How and why do they buy into stuff that ends up hurting them, and all of us?
An in the weeds story here: About 10 years ago, I taught 9th grade English in a public school in the upper reaches of Westchester County, NY - then Tea Party/pre-Trump County. I was shocked at the contempt that many parents and students had for education and for teachers. The more vocal and antagonistic parents used litigation threats as a way to intimidate some of the math teachers to give their children high grades. Luckily, I had some "interpretive" advantages with English literature. But it was bizarre. I'd never experienced anything like it. Before that, I had taught in the South Bronx and East Harlem with many immigrant children, and parents and grandparents treated teachers with a kind of reverence. (That felt uncomfortable too.)
While up North, I had a few male students who would lug around Ayn Rand's fat "Atlas Shrugged" under their arms, but they never actually read it - and couldn't do any kind of book report for extra credit. A number of my mostly male students plagiarized their essays, or parts of them, which meant that I had to have a conference with them and their parents, who were often defensive and combative. It felt like open season on teachers, and in trying to stick to the facts, with hostile parents, I had to explain why plagiarizing isn't good for their child.
Promoting any values of sound scholarship practices was offensive to them, too "elite" maybe, so I quit that approach. If (for self preservation) I focused on their child's strengths, they were usually surprised, and I found out these parents were very critical of their own kids. They'd threaten their kids with punishments if they didn't get an A on the essay. It seemed like the kids were being groomed to loathe themselves, in a sort of Totalitarian fashion. One male parent threatened me physically because he didn't like the fact that I had caught his daughter plagiarizing a well-known poem. His wife stopped him. I got through it. But I bet that girl caught hell at home. So much of that anger dynamic feels like foreshadowing for where we are now. The reasonable parents were the minority.
What I did learn, though, was to try to create relationships with students - to help them feel valued. That was hard going with some, who would get angry if I corrected their spelling. But the circumstances around the plagiarism trend forced me to create relationships with the parents. If they believed that I was solely invested in their own child's success and growth, and not so much educational standards, the hostility would drain away. (But how did the hostility get there in the first place?) My energetic investment in their kid was our "common ground" - which was safe ground. But holy cow, I often felt like I was dealing with pre-school children, and parents with very fragile egos.
I'm retired from teaching now, but so much of the ground for this creeping Authoritarianism seems to have been prepared for many years now. The Tea Party parents that I dealt with were middle/upper middle class, and mostly white. The nickname I used to have for that part of NY was "the Land That Time Forgot" - but not anymore.
So I guess my question for you is evolving into: What are the conditions that would prompt a massive number of Americans to become so vulnerable (is it too far to say so self-hating?) that they're seduced into being hostile to education and facts and knowledge ---- and defenseless against bombarding propaganda. There are so many lenses to look through here!
Ayn Rand was a sociopath and there is a connection between her and the Tea Party movement. They had the same far right, anti-Marxist mindset. The connection between sociopathy and fascism is undeniable, as seen in Mussolini, Hitler, Allen Dulles, Trump and possibly Pinochet.
I believe it was the Great Recession that triggered the escalation of our far right movement. Economic desperation can lead to radical solutions in society, sometimes toxic. Add cognitive bias to the mix and we have a post-truth society.
I'd add "fear of white replacement" in the paranoid perceived threat against white folk holding on at the tip of the sociopolitical pyramid.
BTW, I caught a couple of your other comments. Arizona, eh? Me too. Glendale.
Tucson has a slight majority of left leaning folks but also a minority of radicalized, fascist leaning Republicans.
I've unknowingly used decentering and truth sandwiches for years; nice to know that they have names. The key is to expose the lie/propaganda but also point out what's behind it, mainly, that Authoritarians rarely, if ever, tell the truth or facts because those things are rarely ever behind them. That's why they must spew Authoritarian propaganda/punditry based on logical fallacies/cognitive biases, BS and lies.
When I've correctly pointed out that the GOP chose the youngest form of Authoritarianism, Fascism, in 1920, I get a lot of pushback and BS arguments that the GOP's Authoritarian turn began with Nixon, Reagan or Trump. My response is to correctly point out that, while the pre-Great Depression GOP were Authoritarians, they were also much more "subtle" about it. Now, they're not. Their Authoritarianism is in our faces.
For fans of the movie franchise "Star Wars" (the movies are a great example of how Authoritarianism works and how to fight it), think of Authoritarianism as "The Dark Side" and how it can easily seduce the "weak minded".
Great suggestions Ruth! This period of American history could be called “The Age of Gullibility!”
Another useful and informative piece RBG, thank you!
By elderly relatives who send you news paper articles, I assume maybe you're referring to your 90 year old mother in England?
Also, I suggested to you last week I thought Trump on a performative level was as good a liar and demagogue as any in history over the last hundred years. Its not just how good he is at propaganda in general (Mussolini's news reels), from the performative perspective, it's how good he is at his rallies, how good he is in front of a camera answering questions in interviews or tweeting to his gullible flocks. He is a con man and liar of surpassing brilliance and conviction as I have ever seen...its a talent even a genius dare I say. It is part of what goes into the 'great man theory of history' in that sense. Remember, he had no political experience in 2015 but It's why he was able to beat out his Republican rivals in the primaries, win the nomination and the Presidency in 2016 (in the electoral college) and now convert most if not all of a major political party into his own personality cult that proudly worships him and loyally accepts his big lie that the election was stolen from him and wears it as a badge of honor and belonging.