Alan Silvestri – Predator- Main Title from the Motion Picture
It has nothing to do with intelligence, or IQ, or cleverness, or some inherent ‘goodness.’ Everyone is a dangerous fool until someone or something comes along and makes them into something more. And each of us needs the support of the whole to become our best selves. That’s how human society works. We make the next iteration of the larger social organism, and it reflects our choices, good and bad. Anyone who tells you they were just born brilliant or pious or somehow better is full of shit. This notion of the exceptional versus the inadequate individual is dated and erroneous. There’s some wiggle room, for sure, and individual strengths and weaknesses, along with personal will, are not to be underestimated or discarded, but we are all a product of the environment of information and stimuli around us. If it’s a sewer we’re all gonna get covered in shit.
I reported it under the terrorism report heading this morning (as spreading disinformation on behalf of a military campaign that resulted in organized, willful, mass atrocities counts as that in my book, same as spreading ISIS propo…). We’ll see what happens (if anything, at most it will get deactivated and another one, or five, will pop up in its place).
Key takeaways:
1. Congress needs to better regulate online platforms and ensure that they are not recruiting tools for malevolent states. I’ve been watching this play out since 2016. Generally, these kinds of accounts are everywhere. Some of ‘em sleep for years before doing anything. Maybe the specific account within this context is just a confused individual (I doubt it), which is for others to determine, but it’s pretty sus (it hasn’t blocked me, for example, and that would be the first thing a real person would probably do given that I shit up every one of their posts that comes across my dash). This needs to stop, though. There are governments who do nothing but export poison online, poison that results in real destruction and death. Cut the damned internet connections physically if necessary. These monsters use the same social sites as your kids, and some of your kids are hanging on their every word.
2. Companies have to do more, on a policy level and on an enforcement level, to shut these operations down. This is not as big an issue in the minds of many since Joe Joe B became president, because liberals assumed that it was the end of Return of the Jedi and all was well with the universe, but the shenanigans didn’t stop. You’re about to find that out when the next presidential election comes around.
3. This isn’t just about Russians (although the way them people lie makes me wanna drop an asteroid on this whole fucking planet…). A lot of these ops come out of China, the Middle East, AND Anytown USA. There is a lot of overlap and synergy between foreign propo messaging and U.S. political operations. Free speech my ass, organized for-profit propo operations need to be a crime (including above board PR influence ops, yes, because it’s the same damn thing), and operations that are not just political in nature but which are spreading outright lies need to be shut down. Your free speech does not grant you the license to spread vaccine disinfo and get your neighbors killed.
4. You all need to stop being so damned gullible. I love you but you will literally reblog anything shiny. If your friend whispers something into your ear, you will take it as gospel, while at the same time ignoring evidence that’s right in front of your face. That’s just humans, but damned if it isn’t frustrating to watch. Be careful. Sometimes beautiful, intriguing shit is only put there as bait. It’s not your job to be on patrol for propo, but just be aware that not everybody is on socials for the best reasons.