Thread by @OurShallowState on Thread Reader App (2024)

1 - You knew it - originally - as PROPAGANDA.
With the advent of social media algorithms, it became DISINFORMATION.
When a pathological liar and conman ascended the political ladder, it became FALSE NARRATIVES.
At the end of the day - it's all LIES. BULLsh*t. UNTRUTHS.
AND - it's our #1 public and private enemy.
We're making a film about it, aptly named #UNTRUTH - and we've got news.

2 - #UNTRUTH is a follow-up film to #UNFIT - which was released in 2020 and seen by millions.(You can still watch it free, on Prime.) #UNTRUTH will put psychological (and sociological) science above politics; facts above feelings; information above judgmentalism. It will educate and inform.

3 - *** And like #UNFIT did, it will cross over from the left into the middle and into the soft right. There are more voters in that space today than ever, much more than most people realize. It's safe to say that the election can be won in that space.***

1- EVERYTHING about Trump, is FAKE, FRAUDULENT, and FALSE. Secrets and lies - going back decades to his grades in school and the size of his inheritance and continuing through to those recently staged bodega and Chick-fil-a visits, permeate everything he is and does.

2 - When you see people standing behind him in rallies, they are selected (even demographically) and paid. When he posted a week ago that thousands of people were turned away from the courthouse to support him, the true number is closer to ...ZERO!

3 - He uses relentless repetition to force-feed his falsities to an angry, disaffected, aggrieved, dopamine-addicted, and sadly susceptible segment of our electorate.
Nothing he says has even an underlying intent of being truthful.
He is a complete con.

(2/10) That disaster continues to ratchet. And after Trump, there will be Trump residue. The Republican Party is dug into the commitment to avoid inclusion, so they know that if they don't regain power now, they'll not regain it for some time. Beyond personal gain, THIS is what drives their cravenness, and willingness to discard our current form of democracy for Minority Rule.

(3/10) And the mainstream media!!?? So disappointing. Most of them have made normalization of Trump a priority! Even now, when he stands there sweating and sniffling with giant pupils, theyoffer no conjecture that he's medicated. And when he gaffes and slurs and forgets where he is or who he's running against, theymake fun, but avoid broaching the topic of potentially deteriorating neurology.

THREAD
(1/13) When we roll our eyes at MAGA, I think we're often asking the wrong question. Instead of asking: "How can they believe this nonsense," or "how can they follow and support the worst human being ever," I think we should ignore what they say they believe, and even put Trump aside long enough to instead ask: "What IS it about being in MAGA that endears them to it, and makes them so willing to suppress reasoned thought?"

2- Put aside judgmentalism for a minute. There are a lot of answers to the question of what they get out of being part of MAGA. First and foremost is "the need to belong." They can share and do stuff together - it's a brotherhood of purpose. Second is "the need to believe." Some people are wired to believe things, like the "faith" part of religion. AND - let's face it - it's easier to "believe," than to think.

3 - We're often asked if MAGA is a cult. The short answer: YES, it is. A cult is defined by an unusual, unwavering interest or belief in a particular personality or goal, where devotion transcends reasoned thought. When you make a habit of transcending reasoned thought, you can more readily transcend science ... or math ... or facts.

THREAD
1 -
Propaganda ... Disinformation ... False Narratives ... UNTRUTHS ... Lies for Power ... Lies for Profit ...
THIS is our #1 enemy!!!
Trump is being normalized and Biden is being demonized.
And it's risking Democracy!

2 -
Do Trump supporters really believe what they say they believe?
Why are so many Americans susceptible to false narratives?
How can so many Americans follow such a flawed leader?
Why do so many distrust and eschew science, experts, and authority?

3 -
WTF can we really do about the rampantspread of disinformation?
How much of what happens to America depends upon what happens to Trump?
Will Trumpism survive after Trump?
How the hell did we get here ... and what can we do to protectDemocracy NOW?

2 -
#UNTRUTH is a follow-up film to #UNFIT - which was released before the election in 2020 and has been seen by millions. #UNFIT, as many know, was about the Psychopathology of Trump. It introduced Malignant Narcissism into the lexicon.
#UNTRUTH is about 2024 - today - the rampant disinformation we face - the Psychology underlying TrumpISM and the cult -- and the War for Democracy.