If You Can't Make It, Fake It
This is becoming the MAGOP tactic. It's creepy, reprehensible, divisive, not surprising given the source -- and generally pretty stupid because it's often very easy to spot the fraud which shows their desperation to use show clumsy tactics.
The official Oregon GOP Twitter account posted a photo of Portland in flames. It was frightening -- at least for people who don't live in reality. There was a big problem with it, though. (I was going to say, "See if you can spot it," except, considering that people here pretty much do live in reality, that isn't much of a challenge. Starting with the knowledge that Portland isn't burning -- especially engulfed in a hellstorm of flames, because that would be the lead storm on every news show around the world. Though there are other "clues," too.)
Yes, yes, I know. That doesn't quite look like all the actual news footage of Portland that's been on the news, of residents showing up in giant animal costumes, cha cha slide dancing performances, and "ICE fishing" efforts where doughnuts are attached to fishing poles to entice ICE officials away from their duties. And no, of course, that isn't Portland. But there's another give away, too -- if you look closely at the images of police behind protective shields, those all read "Policia." Which is not how they spell "Police" in Portland -- or any part of Oregon.
In fact, what the official Oregon GOP organization tried to foist on the public was actually a stock photo of South America taken 10-15 years ago, as if it was Portland now.
(It should be noted that the Oregon GOP headquarters are in Salem, Oregon, which is about a 45-minute drive from Portland. If this had been real, you probably would have been able to look out their window and seen the inferno. But that wasn't the issue, of course.)
When the deception was easily discussed, the Oregon GOP was immediately called out on it. And their disingenuous response was just what you might expect from the party today. They replied blithely, "We're not reporters, just bad memers."
Actually, no, I replied to them on social media, you're Republican Party officials and intentional scammers. And that repugnant attempt to deceive the public is Pure Trump MAGOP.
But that wasn't enough for today's MAGOP. Because only days later, the Trump White House made a posting on social media, accompanied by its own apocalyptic video.
And yes, I know this isn't the first time they've done this. But coming so soon after the Oregon GOP office's deception, it creates its own pattern.
What the Trump White House wrote was --
"An incompetent Mayor. A delusional Governor. Chicago is in chaos, and the American people are paying the price.
"Chicago doesn't need political spin—it needs HELP."
And then embedded this demonic video to accompany the text. The deceit is harder to spot -- though not as much if you follow the news -- but since there's so much violence created by ICE in Chicago (to the extent that federal judge April Perry said in her oral ruling that bringing the National Guard to the city “will only add fuel to the fire that the defendants themselves have started") it's harder to spot whose actually causing the "fire." And without paying close attention, it could appear real, when it's not. And "not" for a reason that turns out to be almost hilarious.
But first, the Trump White House fake video --
An "incompetent mayor," they try to say.
Well, speaking of "incompetent," the Daily Beast reported that most of this supposedly "damning" video was actually -- as in "in real life" -- taken by a Operation Tidal Wave (a division of ICE) back in April. But even worse (and it's a lot worse, and Keystone Cops comical...this video of conditions that were apparently so disastrous and out of control that they seemingly required ICE to get involved, was recorded -- in Florida!!!
(For those interested, this is the raw footage of the the OTW video. I'm not able to embed it, but you can see much of the same material here.)
Man, talk about "political spin"! And "delusion" -- from a party led by Trump with dementia.
Trump posts footage of Florida as if it was Chicago.
And the Oregon posts a stock photo of South American almost 15 years as if it was Portland.
To deceive, incite and divide. Pure fascism. Pure MAGOP. Pure Trump.
And pure desperation. Because when you have the facts on your side, and when you have the public support on your side (as opposed to 38% approval), you don't need fake videos and fake photos like this. You present the reality.
"A delusional governor" they say. (Though notably leaving out saying what he's supposedly actually "delusional" about.) This is what is known as "projection." All coming from a party leader who is suffering from what expert psychologists write is dementia. Whose life is living in delusion. Who over this past weekend wrote a social media post about President Joe Biden's actions on January 6, forgetting that, no, he himself was president on January 6 -- and forgetting that he himself gave a speech to the mob on January 6, saying he'd lead them into the White House -- and forgetting that he himself spent hours watching the TV news of the insurrection in the White House on January 6, throwing a bottle of ketchup against the wall.
That's why these fake, deceptive, delusional videos are part of a pattern. And a tactic that is so today's MAGOP. And pure Trump. Who has dementia, which is degenerative. And seems to believe all this delusion is real.
Comments