The other day, I decided to correct the latest MAGOP talking point, that Democrats are the real fascists, not Republicans. Putting aside that it seems obvious from this that they have no more idea what fascism is than they know what communism or socialism are (despite trying to pain Democrats with that for the past 70 years), what they most are completely unaware of is that fascism is specifically a conservative political philosophy. So, calling a liberal a fascist is a contradiction in terms.
It turned out that MAGOPs don’t like hearing this. The vitriol came pouring down. Unrelentingly. I responded to many, continuing to explain politely that, no, they were incorrect, though for the most invective-laced it was clear why the “Block” button was invented. Occasionally, though, I did even reply to a few of those that cried out for an answer. For instance, I would reply, “Just so you know, starting a note to a total stranger with “Dumbass” is generally not going to start a meaningful exchange.” Or to those who would send a graphic meme that said something like, “You are a stupid idiot idiot idiot idot. You make me sick,” they would get the response, “That is not a compelling argument.” I particularly liked the person who explained back that fascism was actually just an offshoot of communism. It was near-impossible to let that fly past, so I’d just point out that that would be a neat trick that could not be found anywhere in reality. I didn’t engage anyone of these in conversation and debate – clearly, there was no point in that. Minds were certain, locked in. But to be clear, the reason I did reply at all was for other people reading the wildly off-base comments who didn’t know the truth, and I felt it was important to correct the disinformation so they didn’t go away believing it all. And yes, I understood full well that it was like playing whack-a-mole in a cornfield of whack-a-mole that spread as far as the weary eye could see. That’s all well and good. I was okay with the responses, since I eventually realized it was easy to ignore them. Replies on Twitter go to your Notifications folder, so all one has to do is not read your Notification folder for a couple days, when the vitriol usually dies down. It does mean you want see the “Likes” and “Reposts” and any comments from people you know who you might want to reply to. But it’s a minor downside to the beatific comfort of silence. What I didn’t count on was the magical world of algorithms, especially those set up by Elon Musk. Those are the computer codes that identify content and match it up with like-minded content it thinks you might enjoy. That’s one of the nefarious results that allows hate-filled posters to find one another and reinforce their anger and echo chamber. And it turns out that by answering many of these corrosive slams and lies and disinformation, my algorithm buddy seemed to think, “Hey, this guy is responding to these people, he must want to continue doing so! Okay, here, let me dump all this garbage on your timeline…” There is good news/ bad news to all this – The bad news is…well, obvious. It’s pretty hideous what solid MAGOP writes. Not to me, but just in general, and mostly to themselves. And they write a whole lot of it, too. It’s hateful, ignorant, often filled with lies and actual “fake news” (whimsical for people who claim they supposedly detest it so much) that they believe, and believe all the more so because it gets reinforced. And I have to wade through this tripe to get to the actual news and exchanges I’m there for. (To be clear, I’ve always gotten a mix of political tweets on my timeline. Mostly liberal, yes, but enough that’s conservative and MAGOP -- some of which I’ll reply to, most of which I’ll at least be aware of. And that’s fine, and as it should be. But this kind of empty, angst-ridden venality is just a detestable bubble.) The good news is that it’s important to see how desolate that unsubstantiated fury is. It’s disturbing, to say the least, but it’s important to know what the sane world is dealing with. And yes, the bad news part in this dynamic overwhelms the good news. But I’m glad for that perspective. What I don’t know is if I’m stuck with this algorithm from now on when rummaging through Twitter – especially since occasionally there will be something SO profoundly inaccurate or a hurtful lie about something that demands being corrected, or if it will fade back to normal, as long as I keep my replies to such things to a minimum. Time will tell. If it doesn’t, it might render Twitter useless, or at least as only a platform to post on and not bother reading. Or perhaps greatly limit what accounts can get sent to my timeline. I’m hoping for a return to normal. I’ll accept semi-normal. But I do mean it – I’m glad to see how insane and angry and utterly misinformed the core MAGOP world is. And no, that's not bias. It’s an accurate description of the equivalence of people saying “2 plus 3 equals ‘French toast,’ and I hate you, and all libs are scum, minorities should be deported, and Trump is God.” And just to cleanse the palate and end on a refreshing note -- the correct answer is 5.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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