Hate Sells category archive
A Tune for the Times 0
H/T to my brother in Virginia’s Northern Neck.
“Real Americans” 0
Tim Steller takes issue with the concept that somehow some Americans are more American than others. A nugget; follow the link for the rest.
They are also real, everyday Americans from real America.
Afterthought:
Watch closely, and you will see that, when some politician or pundit starts avowing his fealty to “real Americans,” it precedes divisiveness and bile.
Stray Thought 0
It is worthy of note that the two greatest threats to have faced this country have come, not from external enemies, but from homegrown bigotry, greed, and hate.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Charles Johnston looks at the dynamic–and the dilemma–posed by “social” media and the disinformation superhighway. A snippet; follow the link for the rest:
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Arash Javanbakht, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, explores how “social” media’s algorithms, designed to keep us eternally engaged in ephemera, lead us down the disinformation superhighway. A nugget:
As a result, the algorithms amplify the negative and then spread it by sharing it among groups.
Public Funding, Private Prejudice 0
Scot Maxwell reports on how Florida is allowing public funds to pay for private prejudice under the guise of “freedom of religion.”
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
The editorial board of the Las Vegas Sun considers reasons why the Republican Party strives to gut out the vote and argues that the root of them lies in its decision to become the party of only some of the people. Indeed, they argue that the party is no longer in any classical way “conservative”; it’s not interested in conserving anything.
They list several factors leading to their conclusion.
- Going back decades, the GOP’s overall campaign strategies have pitted Americans against each other by dividing the population into “us” versus “them” — us being white voters, them being voters of color.
- Today, the Republican Party must suppress votes because it’s a minority — and is one by choice.
- The GOP understands that “us” is a minority group led by an even smaller minority — certain big-money interests . . . .
- The GOP’s absolute refusal to try to create a bigger tent by listening to the needs of a larger population — and therefore court them — means one thing: It doesn’t want to represent anyone other than its narrow leadership.
- The corollary of this is that the modern GOP wants to silence everyone else.
Their reasoning echoes a point that I have made many times in these electrons: Richard Nixon’s odious “southern strategy” has come full circle. The Republican Party is now the party of the Secesh.
Follow the link for a detailed discussion of each of those factors and for the Sun’s larger conclusions.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Christine Louise Hohlbaum reflects on the power that we have ceded to technology companies. It is a particularly timely article amongst the swirl of lies and conspiracy theories surrounding the upcoming election.
Here’s a snippet:
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*The citation is from Which Side of History?, a recently published collection of essays.
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
Nigel Barber looks at how “social” media is being exploited to promote authoritarianism. One his examples is Myanmar’s oppression of the Rohingya; follow the link for more examples:
Not being Internet-savvy, Myanmar residents were inclined to believe whatever they read as though it had been edited like a reputable newspaper.
Their Facebook feeds contained many false and hateful narratives about the Rohingya, their atrocities committed against Buddhists, and their ties to Islamic terrorism. The Facebook algorithm amplified these hate-filled rants, offering a breeding ground for fake news hostile to the Rohinga..
Facebook was aware of the problem but opted not to hire sufficient staff in the country to set about removing some of the inflammatory false narratives.
The Guru and the Groupies 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Steve Taylor explores the “abdication syndrome,” which refers to persons’ choosing to abdicate their autonomy to a charismatic leader or guru. He suggests that it can help understand the fanatic devotion of Donald Trump’s base, even as his behavior demonstrates repeatedly that he doesn’t have a clue about how government, politics, or international relations (let alone integrity or morality) work. Here’s a bit; the rest is worth a look:
Chaos Agent, Reprise 0
David is less than sanguine.