Hate Sells category archive
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Kean University Professors Christopher M. Bellitto and Frank Argote-Freyre hear a rhyme from over the millennia.
We are sad to report that our modern republic – like Rome at that moment – is not well. The era of Trump offers interesting parallels with the reign of the dictator Sulla (138-78 BCE), who marched on Rome from exile in 82 BCE and slaughtered his enemies.
Follow the link for their parsing of parallels.
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*Mark Twain.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
“But It’s the Only Possible Explanation” 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Jeffrey S. Debies Carl takes a two-part dive into why persons spread conspiracy theories. One of his most disturbing findings at persons may benefit from doing so, but the evidence that they do benefit from fomenting falsehoods is all around us in dis coarse discourse. I commend both articles to your attention.
Here are his summaries of the main points from both parts (emphasis added):
Part One, titled Why Do People Spread Conspiracy Theories?
- Many people assume people who spread conspiracy theories will be subject to ridicule.
- Research suggests that conspiracy theories might actually improve the reputations of people who spread them.
- Spreading conspiracy claims and thinking positively of those who spread them might be part of human evolution.
Part Two, titled Does It Pay to Spread Conspiracy Theories?
- A new study examines the reputational consequences of spreading conspiracy theories.
- The findings show that conspiracy claims can either improve the reputation of spreaders or harm them.
- Social conflict improves positive reputational outcomes of conspiracy spreading and minimizes negative ones.
Macho, Macho Men* 0
At the Tampa Bay Times, Stephanie Harris reacts to Mark Zuckerberg’s claim that we need a more masculine culture. A snippet:
So true. Men have been ignored for too long. As the nation writes this next chapter, it is crucial to refocus our attention on them. After all, we have been allowed to have credit cards in our own names since, what, 1974? And women run a whole 10% of Fortune 500 companies. What are we even whining about?
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*Methinks the text-speak shorthand for this term in this context is “WATB.”
Facebook Frolics 0
At AL.com, Kyle Whitmire finds himself less than impressed with Mark Zuckerberg’s reasons for abandoning fact-checking Fakebook Facebook; Whitmire notes the irony (emphasis added):
And that’s just the start. Follow the link for the rest.
Meanwhile, in more news of the Zuckerborg . . . .
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
At The Kansas City Star, Dion Lefler looks at Republicans’ reactions to the fires in California and finds himself less than favorably impressed. Here’s a bit from his article; I commend the entire piece to your attention.
Follow the link to learn why he said that.
Republican Family Values 0
As has been noted before in these electrons, mean for the sake of mean appears to be a pirmary, if not the primary, Republican family value.
David has more. in this case, regarding the fires in California:
Driving Defensively on the Disinformation Superhighway 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Bill Eddy notes that (emphasis added):
- Social media and some news outlets often include false information which can feel true from repetition.
- Research shows that false and emotional information spreads farther and faster than the truth.
He then suggests ten questions that can be helpful in parsing perfidy. Here’s a snippet; follow the link for the full list.
Will the speaker/writer personally benefit by saying what they are saying . . . .
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Monnica T Williams explores the harm done by racist (and, by extension, other bigoted) microaggressions. She points that their being “micro” doesn’t make them any less “aggressions.” A snippet:
Republican Family Values 0
it would appear that mean for the sake of mean is a Republican Family Value.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Farron runs the numbers that show that the invasion of illegal immigrants wasn’t.
It was a talking based on a lie.
It’s a simple formula. Hate sells.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
David dissects the racism and bigotry underlying the choice by Donald Trump and his dupes, symps, and fellow travelers to blame the New Orleans Bourbon Street attack on immigrants when, in fact, said attack was perpetrated by an American-born American military veteran. Methinks his reasoning to be spot on. (Warning: Short promo at the end.)
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
From the you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up files: A member of the New Secesh laments having to give up freedom of screech.
We are a broken polity.
Still Rising Again after All These Years, Reprise 0
Farron makes a persuasive case that Donald Trump has made racism acceptable great again.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
My Daddy fought Nazis in the Ardennes.
Were he still with us, he would be–er–somewhat distressed to find home-grown Nazis on the homefront betraying the very cause that he fought for.
