A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.
MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit
https://newrepublic.com/article/201669/kristi-noem-chicken-suit-maga-implodes
51 Comments
DandomRude@lemmy.world · 122 pts · 311d
Given how often headlines claim that Maga has imploded, melted down, or been slammed, one would think that nothing would be left of it by now—but unfortunately, none of this has any consequences.
isaaclyman@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 311d
New Republic is a tabloid. As are Newsweek and Raw Story, which are all uncritically posted to this community multiple times a week.
They’re tabloids that often appeal to my political sympathies, but tabloids nonetheless. We shouldn’t treat them like real journalism. If I had my way they’d be banned and/or ignored on Lemmy.
ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 310d
It is really uncanny how pretty much the moment Trump announced his candidacy in 2015 every single tabloid rag in existence became credible news sources overnight.
TunaLobster@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 310d
I wonder if I can block posts from certain domains. I think that was a feature on Reddit or RES.
medicsofanarchy@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 310d
I wish I could upvote this more than once. The "implodes", "loses their minds", "in a panic" headlines are getting tiresome.
FauxLiving@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 309d
5too@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 311d
I feel like MAGA just runs half molten down by design at this point
DandomRude@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 311d
As with most authoritarian groups, I think that Maga is primarily driven by fear: on the one hand, fear of the fictional enemies that their demagogues constantly conjure up (foreigners, Antifa, etc.) and, on the other hand, fear of retaliation by their own people or exclusion from the sect if a Maga follower dares to express even the slightest criticism of the leaders of this idiotic movement.
Only the second threat, i.e., fear of persecution by their own people, is justified, because it actually stems from reality. This allows for the control of both the foot soldiers, whose interests are of course not represented by the leadership at all, and the higher-ranking members, who actually benefit directly from the sellout of the US through nepotism and, in particular, corruption.
Now that their leader is in office, it is difficult to say what role the fictional enemy images still play. I think the fear of their own people now prevails by a long shot.
One example that suggests this is the fact that during the election campaign, the MAGA leadership propagated the conspiracy theory of child molesters in influential positions. Now that the election has been won, this topic is being avoided at all costs. The reason is clear: there is some truth to this conspiracy theory—but contrary to what the MAGA leadership has portrayed this ominous group of evil, it is obviously the conservatives themselves who are the child abusers, who are this ominous group of infuencial criminals. This should also have become clear to many MAGA supporters by now, as the administration is, for obvious reasons, doing everything in its power to prevent the announced prosecution of Eppstein's customers and partners from taking place.
Now, however, MAGA supporters are too afraid of being targeted by their own people if they demand that the election promise be fulfilled and insist that the influential child abusers finally be stopped, because that would mean making enemies of the MAGA leadership, who are obviously the ones responsible.
So in short, I think Maga is now mainly operating on the basis of fear of persecution by its own people—as was already the case with the Nazis in the Third Reich. So it's quite the traditional Nazi strategy really.
criss_cross@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 311d
“Implodes” means “1 or 2 people said something negative about a MAGA action then went back to being shit heels”
firebyte@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 311d
I was thinking exactly the same thing.
Words like those used all the time completely destroy their impact. 'Meltdown' now is just a dummy spit.
reddig33@lemmy.world · 58 pts · 311d
MAGA “implodes” over just about anything.
very_well_lost@lemmy.world · 63 pts · 311d
But do they actually?
Honestly, it seems like the only 'source' for any of these "MAGA in shambles!" stories are just a few angry posts on Twitter or whatever. By and large, the MAGAts (besides a few notable exceptions like MTG) appear to be as happy and as united as ever.
Gullible@sh.itjust.works · 29 pts · 311d
They’re beautiful fantasies painted with colorful language, but lack any substance. Great for clicks, not quite as good for measuring the state of reality. That’s what the internet is now, just click farming
kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 311d
Did you forget about cracker barrel already?
very_well_lost@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 310d
Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots
kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 310d
Of course it was, but who did it influence the most?
FauxLiving@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 309d
Who do bots always influence the most?
TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works · 23 pts · 311d
vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 311d
With how often they do it you think more billionaires would die but nooooo... all we get is stupid ass Nazi pissing matches. Fuck you Stockton Rush couldn't you have convinced some more dipsticks to go out with you.
IHeartBadCode@fedia.io · 41 pts · 311d
That last bit of "This is nothing like what it's like at night. It's really bad!"
Oh my god princess. They're blasting music and dancing in inflated costumes. For fuck sake, talk about snowflakes.
A_norny_mousse@feddit.org · 3 pts · 311d
TBF that was one of her goons replying to her when she said something like she wasted her time coming here.
MrSmiley@lemmy.zip · 34 pts · 311d
I think what is happening is the reluctance of associating the term influencer with propagandist. The terms themselves are synonymous, influencer a little more specific, and without the added negative connotations propagandist has. If people realized “influencer” is just another term for propagandist, that may harm ad revenue. So we have “distinctions” being made, between influencers who do regular propaganda and influencers who do bad propaganda or “influencer propaganda” instead of just admitting they are all by definition propagandists.
Propaganda is the expression of opinions or actions carried out deliberately by individuals or groups with a view to influencing the opinions or actions of other individuals or groups for predetermined ends and through psychological manipulations.
Propaganda, Jacques Ellul
jonne@infosec.pub · 20 pts · 311d
The mainstream media has always had a problem with just calling a lie a lie.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 33 pts · 311d
Is this whole administration going to turn out to just be a Family Guy skit culminating in Peter fighting that giant chicken again? 🤔
WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 310d
Rooting the fuck out of that chicken to win decisively.
TastyWheat@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 310d
As an Australian this sentence made me do a double take.
You'll do WHAT to the chicken?
Bahnd@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 310d
Im more suprised that you didnt double take about the US trying to fight a giant bird (and losing).
<3 love our friends from the land down under, that history bit is just so funny.
TastyWheat@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 310d
Naaah, we fight giant birds all the time, so that's just normal for us down here.
omega_x3@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 310d
https://youtu.be/BXpu6tbFCsI
WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 310d
🤣 I very much appreciate you Aussies!
Had the pleasure to visit Sydney, Cairns (specifically Trinity Beach), and swim in the Great Barrier Reef last year. I love your country, how clean it is, and how awesome all the locals were.
INHALE_VEGETABLES@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 310d
Don't tell anyone cunt
WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 310d
Too easy!
CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 310d
If the "maga" didn't have their brains completely pickled by being steeped in racism, propaganda from hate radio and Faux, they should double over in laughter like all normal humans did.
Side note: I wonder if her animal-killing instincts (because according to her, if you live the rural life, you are a psychopath just like her. That's just "rural life" or something, lol.) weren't telling her to race down there and choke that chicken...
Rentlar@lemmy.ca · 17 pts · 311d
Oh yeah, look at Secretary Noem bravely staring down the violent mob, in a chicken suit playing the Benny Hill theme song, an antifa anthem representing chaos and disorder.
https://xcancel.com/BoLoudon/status/1975665503759966258
Zombiepirate@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 311d
"There's no dogs down here!"
Fuckin' gold right there.
A_norny_mousse@feddit.org · 6 pts · 311d
Portland is burning!
PattyMcB@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 311d
I'd love to read the article without a pay wall.
Yes, I could take the time to look for the archive, but if OP couldn't be bothered, neither can I.
I highly doubt anything is "imploding". More likely MAGA is just ignoring the stupid aspect of the stunts.
A_norny_mousse@feddit.org · 7 pts · 311d
The Daily Beast constantly features such headlines like "Trump gets upset because some Democrat rightfully criticized him", and recently I noticed one or two from New Republic as well. This would be the third then I guess.
Yet you linked the New Republic. Are you saying I shouldn't even click on it? I just saw a Xhitter video of her standing on a roof on a peaceful, sunny day 🤷
CallMeAnAI@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 311d
She's so exposed. I'm just waiting for her to get domed in playing sight with the police.
gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 311d
It's "in plain sight", as in, very easily visible.
And no, I'm not calling you an AI. A clanker would have known the difference.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 311d
For all intensive purposes, it doesn't matter. Case and point, I understood fine.
No need to call out a clanker as an escape goat.
Ultimately it's all a moo point.
WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 310d
Edit: ugh, I see what you’re doing.
reptar@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 311d
FTFY
eskimofry@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 310d
its becoming more gobberish by the mole and I am definitely not here for it
warbond@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 311d
In "playing" sight isn't a misheard phrase I've encountered before, but that's a little surprising given how much sense it makes.
CallMeAnAI@lemmy.world · -19 pts · 311d
Autistic much? It's a typo. Bravo. Clearly nobody knew what was up. But thank you for the lesson.
Maybe you're the clanker, lacking in ability to read the context and understand somebody might have made a typo.
5too@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 311d
...the AI thing is referring to your username.
And what's wrong with being autistic?
CallMeAnAI@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 311d
Nothing in particular, it has just led to a pointless and annoying conversation over swype typos.
gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 310d
Awwww. head pats
elevenbones@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 310d
😭
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 310d
You know, I kinda see now the point on why super heroes wear costumes. With their identities protected, they feel more powerful. I would feel invulnerable staring down on Noem while wearing a chicken suit.
mhague@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 310d
I stopped reading at the part where they say provocateur is the wrong word and how using the wrong word diminishes the overall piece.
After all, these people are not propagandists. They don't spread hate as a means to an end. Hate and xenophobia is not a tool in their arsenal. It's not a "take it or leave it" proposition.
It's crazy to paint maga as a bunch of calculated leaders who only care about procedural theories and abstract policy, and it's just their followers who believe the hype.
And because the author used the wrong word I guess that means this article is overall worse for it.
Edit: and the aggressive headline! I guess if their editor used the wrong words then the article must be worse than I thought.