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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPay attention and be vigilant in finding out the truth
From a friend who wishes to remain anonymous (the friend is happy to have it shared without attributionjust copy and paste):
"""
If you are puzzled by the bizarre "press conference" put on by the White House press secretary this evening (angrily claiming that Trump's inauguration had the largest audience in history, accusing them of faking photos and lying about attendance), let me help explain it. This spectacle served three purposes:
1. Establishing a norm with the press: they will be told things that are obviously wrong and they will have no opportunity to ask questions. That way, they will be grateful if they get anything more at any press conference. This is the PR equivalent of "negging," the odious pick-up practice of a particular kind of horrible person (e.g., Donald Trump).
2. Increasing the separation between Trump's base (1/3 of the population) from everybody else (the remaining 2/3). By being told something that is obviously wrongthat there is no evidence for and all evidence against, that anybody with eyes can see is wrongthey are forced to pick whether they are going to believe Trump or their lying eyes. The gamble herelikely to pay offis that they will believe Trump. This means that they will regard media outlets that report the truth as "fake news" (because otherwise they'd be forced to confront their cognitive dissonance.)
3. Creating a sense of uncertainty about whether facts are knowable, among a certain chunk of the population (which is a taking a page from the Kremlin, for whom this is their preferred disinformation tactic). A third of the population will say "clearly the White House is lying," a third will say "if Trump says it, it must be true," and the remaining third will say "gosh, I guess this is unknowable." The idea isn't to convince these people of untrue things, it's to fatigue them, so that they will stay out of the political process entirely, regarding the truth as just too difficult to determine.
This is laying important groundwork for the months ahead. If Trump's White House is willing to lie about something as obviously, unquestionably fake as this, just imagine what else they'll lie about. In particular, things that the public cannot possibly verify the truth of.
Pay attention and be vigilant in finding out the truth.
"""
If you are puzzled by the bizarre "press conference" put on by the White House press secretary this evening (angrily claiming that Trump's inauguration had the largest audience in history, accusing them of faking photos and lying about attendance), let me help explain it. This spectacle served three purposes:
1. Establishing a norm with the press: they will be told things that are obviously wrong and they will have no opportunity to ask questions. That way, they will be grateful if they get anything more at any press conference. This is the PR equivalent of "negging," the odious pick-up practice of a particular kind of horrible person (e.g., Donald Trump).
2. Increasing the separation between Trump's base (1/3 of the population) from everybody else (the remaining 2/3). By being told something that is obviously wrongthat there is no evidence for and all evidence against, that anybody with eyes can see is wrongthey are forced to pick whether they are going to believe Trump or their lying eyes. The gamble herelikely to pay offis that they will believe Trump. This means that they will regard media outlets that report the truth as "fake news" (because otherwise they'd be forced to confront their cognitive dissonance.)
3. Creating a sense of uncertainty about whether facts are knowable, among a certain chunk of the population (which is a taking a page from the Kremlin, for whom this is their preferred disinformation tactic). A third of the population will say "clearly the White House is lying," a third will say "if Trump says it, it must be true," and the remaining third will say "gosh, I guess this is unknowable." The idea isn't to convince these people of untrue things, it's to fatigue them, so that they will stay out of the political process entirely, regarding the truth as just too difficult to determine.
This is laying important groundwork for the months ahead. If Trump's White House is willing to lie about something as obviously, unquestionably fake as this, just imagine what else they'll lie about. In particular, things that the public cannot possibly verify the truth of.
Pay attention and be vigilant in finding out the truth.
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Pay attention and be vigilant in finding out the truth (Original Post)
mia
Jan 2017
OP
liberal N proud
(60,334 posts)1. Trust nothing from the twump regime without verification
PERIOD!
TrekLuver
(2,573 posts)2. It's not a press conference if you don't take questions.
I will guarantee that the press isn't going to just take this lying down. A "war" has been declared on them and they will fight it.
bdamomma
(63,810 posts)3. the way I interpret
it is they are going by the Russia Handbook and they are gas lighting people.
I hate this man he is a con artist and a mobster. I just hope no one falls for this shit.
All they do is lie.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)4. I think Orwell's 1984 should be required reading
even if you've read it, a refresher is always nice.
Also reading up on Russian and 1940's German propaganda would benefit us all.
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)5. mia, this blog allows me
to hide behind my alias. That does not mean I will not go public if it serves US.