Gloves are off on Facebook...

[mreilly]

... I had a public standpoint for years that I would not discuss politics on Facebook. I scrolled past and ignored post after post after post and meme after meme after meme from obnoxious right-wing friends that sought to piss all over anyone who DARED not to vote Republican, who promoted distortions, lies, hypocrisy and endless hate.

"I care more about friends and family than political battles," I said, resenting them more and more every time I saw idiotic nonsense about how ALL DEMOCRATS DON'T WORK and THE DOW IS UP TO 20,000 THANKS TO TRUMP (did they ever applaud Obama for any positive economic news? Of course not!)

My mother and sister and I are all of the same political mindset. And so since the disgusting inauguration we've been bringing the fight to family members who want to post their right-wing shit, and have been calmly, logically debunking their crap.

One family member posted garbage from a pro-Trump sycophant about how the Women's March was promoted by Muslims as part of a secret plot Sharia Law, blah blah blah. The sycophant who wrote the article was literally NOT IN THE U.S. AT ALL LAST WEEKEND and has zero clue as to what really went on.

My sister, who WAS at the March in D.C., calmly but firmly refuted the crap in this article and I chimed in by pointing out the author's bias and how I rely on first-hand witnesses rather than pundits with an axe to grind. And my mother basically shredded this family member as a mindless Trump worshipper in a separate post.

We'll all get defriended by her by the end of the day, I warrant. My mother for obvious reasons, and my sister and I since we dared to politely challenge the right-wing propaganda.

For years these people posted whatever kind of garbage and lies they wanted, and now it's being questioned and challenged. And they HATE that.

Let my family member defriend us all and then complain about "liberals attacking me!" I really don't care. I would rather peacefully go my own way than put up with this "TRUMP IS ALWAYS RIGHT ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE LIBERALS ARE 100% WRONG!" bullshit. If they can't handle being opposed, good riddance.

[MountCleaners]

1. Take heart

I lurk on a lot of RW forums and also read general comments sections of news sites, read RW opinion on Twitter.

I've noticed that they have definitely gotten quieter since the inauguration. When they do post something, it's a poorly thought out meme, but it doesn't get the responses it got before the election.

I don't know if they're becoming complacent or if some or a lot of them are in shock at how ridiculous Trump and his mouthpieces have been.

Meanwhile, the opposition has become more vocal and the RWers are usually vastly outnumbered in the comments sections on news sites. I hope it keeps up.

[MaeScott]

24. They have been following paid domestic and foreign trolls and it's dawning on some the role Russia

really did play, using white nationalism. Isn't the same happening over in France? The RW is giving their social media the same workout and mess they did over here, on comment boards wherever they think minds can be coerced.

We really should tie them all together, Putin, Trump and the republicans, when commenting.

[susanna]

31. Didn't see this before I posted my thoughts...

...but I'm on the very same page.

[susanna]

30. I think that is part of it...

...first, it truly has been quieter on a LOT of sites since the election. I can't explain it all away as campaign fatigue or buyer's remorse though.

I also think there were far more Russian trolls fueling the political division here in the U.S. than we'll ever know. Since they are no longer needed, they've disappeared along with their incendiary rhetoric. Their mission has been accomplished.

[apcalc]

2. Agree!

And let them unfriend...whatever.

[Augiedog]

10. They never were your friends

[Stellar]

3. Dont let it get to you.

Those people are of the same mindset as their fearless leader.

Rachel Maddow reported on the ppp poll yesterday that Trump supporters really believe what Trump said about crowd size at the inauguration and NOT their lying eyes. Those people are sick to their core. There is something in the water that they are drinking.

[jehop61]

4. After 8 years

of outrageous and offensive posts on FB, I'm being told to chill and let the man govern. To join with others in supporting him. BS! It's my duty to point out the disaster the man is.

[DK504]

18. Screw that.

The past 8 years of the horrible offences the RWNJ's threw at this man and his family were/are still the most vulgar, galling and destestable I've ever seen. Thses are people that could never respect the office, they could only listen to the hateful fear based bullshit that came out of the Fux-ers mouths.

I will never repsect this man, I have to much respect for the Offfice itself.

I am just done playong nicey nice to these idiots, I don't have the time in my life to tolerate this shit anymore, way too much is at stake.

[MaeScott]

25. I feel it's my duty to be the singing canary, 'cause it's gotten real, folks.

[Sherman A1]

5. Good for you

but, I suspect that no amount of FB posts or counter posts will change anyone's mind.

[mreilly]

8. Totally agree

I've made it a mantra to not ever waste one second in a one-on-one discussion with a Trump supporter. They'll always be right, period. No matter what.

We'll never be able to change any Trump supporter's mind. In their view, Trump will always be wonderful and 100% right about everything and his detractors are just being mean since they're upset they lost the election (my Trump friends and family absolutely WILL NOT EVER LOOKAT THE ISSUES surrounding him).

But we can prevent them from changing the minds of people who are malleable and can be persuaded to accept toxic bullshit in place of reality.

[bigbrother05]

16. They've always had that mindset, Trump is just their current megaphone(y)

Since Saint Ronnie, they have felt anointed with the righteousness of their "values" and objective facts are only liberal tropes and media propaganda. In the Donald, they've found a leader who is more than willing to shout their deepest anger and insecurity. Essentially, 35-40% of the voting public has joined a doomsday cult.

[n2doc]

6. At this point I think isolating the nutcases is the best route

Sort of like an infection, keep them from spreading the propaganda. I have given up reasoning with these folks. We have to concentrate on the ones who haven't gone completely off the deep end.

[dalton99a]

11. Yes.

[Cha]

7. Good on your family, mreilly!

Enough is Enough already!

[GliderGuider]

9. The block button is your friend.

I summarily block Trumpistas on FB, but I have had surprisingly few encounters with them. My posts over the years have been so uncompromisingly liberal that they seem to pass me by. Fortunately my family is all on this side of the fence.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. It was interesting, scrolling through, and seeing what acquaintances were saying. Lots

surprised us... "OMG, never knew so and so would have been a wingnut"

Their world view will never change - until we infiltrate their media somehow. We make the mistake that if we see something that outrages us - that they are seeing it too. And, they are not. Their channels must not ever land on CNN or CNBC or they would know, for example, that unemployment has been declining. Per a recent poll Trump supporters thought it went up under Obama.

[Adrahil]

13. I just unfriended a nephew.

He posted some stupid ass memes about how the women in the march were idiots, not smart enough to realize that they already have equal rights.

I tried posting facts. I pointed out to him that his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin (my daughter) all attended the march, and queried if he thought we were all idiots. He mealy-mouthed it, of course, saying that "of course" we are smart, but we were duped by "the leftist media."

I tried to make a rational argument, but in the end, he doubled down on stupid and posted another, similar meme. OKAY, we're done.

It breaks my heart to see these rents form in the family fabric, but my daughter needs to know that her rights are more important the happenstance of family relationship. If family won't support you in seeking to protect your rights, what the fuck good are they!?

[C_U_L8R]

14. I defriended my sister

She was reposting an endless stream of righting lies.
Even her own son begged her not to post things that aren't true.
WTF is infecting these people's brains?

[TNNurse]

15. I started unfollowing during the campaign

now I notice that many no longer comment on my neutral posts ( you know birds and flowers), so people have apparently have unfollowed or unfriended me. Bye.

[LaydeeBug]

17. I have thousands of FB friends. About 30 have left...it's like the trash took itself out

because fuck those motherfuckers.

[Motley13]

19. Its hard to win an argument with a smart person, but its damn near impossible to win an argument

with a stupid person.

[Cosmocat]

20. This is America 2017

Rs have done this on pervasive manner for decades now, and Trump is just the fuck it, in your face emobiement of their us vs them mindset.

They just don't get how absurd it is, for them to vagina ache 24-7 about fucking EVERYTHING, while making themselves out to be victims while being as crass and uncivil as they are.

[Phoenix61]

21. They are not that strong

They have allowed themselves to blindly believe that right wing crap. They don't like being questioned because there is no basis in fact for what they believe. They respond with name calling because they have no other argument.

[blue cat]

22. Yes

I've noticed that my only liberal friend is starting to make fun of trump in front of our conservative friend. It's like we are all tired of smiling and allowing people to give their views and then making sure that we are polite and not respond to get along. Not any more.

[truebluegreen]

23. Speaking of the reaction when BS is refuted,

I had a face-palm conversation yesterday with a Canadian friend/acquaintance. She regards herself as Very Knowledgeable on US politics but her SO is RW American so you can guess the result.

I have never heard so much concentrated BS and RW talking points in a single conversation: Obama is a Muslim (and disgraced himself by giving 250m to Muslims right before leaving office--not even sure WTF that is about. I pointed out he's been bombing Muslim countries for years, she said she knew that, but apparently that doesn't affect the secret-Muslim thing. ). She went on to say the women's march was a disgrace; she doesn't like Trump but "we" owe him our support (I pointed out Republican "support" for Obama even when the economy was in freefall not to mention the whole 8 years); climate change is normal, Soros paid all those demonstrators, Romney won the popular vote blah blah blah. Oh and when I confronted her she complained about being attacked, when I said forget it, she complained about liberals "cutting and running".

Reality is surreal.

[dreamland]

26. You are doing right!

Keep it up. We need to talk back to these idiots. Some of my friends also pointed out that the Dow is up to 20,000, BUT I tell them that it's after Obama bought it to 19,887. It was Obama that bought it from well below 8000 to make that 20000 possible. Don't let them get you down because your fight is doing right.

[Qutzupalotl]

29. Great response! n/t

[JNelson6563]

27. I long ago took righties out of my feed

there weren't many. The way their shit ends up in my feed is when someone I follow comments on their right wingers' posts. I used to just scroll by that stuff but no more. The other day one came up of a woman giving a pacifier to the camera (like it was a baby) and the words were some snide remark to the protesters. My friend had made a counter remark, a gentle one. I decided to fuck with this asshole and asked if that was from the Obama protests. Said "Because this is" and then posted a photo of Obama being burned in effigy. Hit reply again and said "Oh, look! So is this one!" Then posted a pic of that one poster, sure you've all seen it of Obama photoshopped into some sort of "native" costume, extremely racist stuff. Hit reply again and said "And what's this now? Here's another!" Then posted crowd shot of obnoxious wingers doing their thing. Hit reply one more time and suggested maybe we do a collaborative project, like maybe a collage!

I had a grand time doing it. It remained up for some time. Long enough for a few friends to like, including the one who brought into my feed to begin with. It has all since been removed and I have been blocked. lol

I'm going to keep doing stuff like that and hopefully inspire others to throw down when the wingers in their lives act up.

[BlueCaliDem]

28. We eighter resist and fight *now* or forever be silenced. I won't be silenced. eom

[Mosby]

32. i unfollowed the couple RW FB friends I have

Every once in a while I go to their page and like something, that way they don't know I hid their posts. They are all in-laws, not real friends, lol.