RE: Everything Keeps Changing About The Skripal Narrative Except "Russia Definitely Did It"
Reminds me of that Suskind article from back in 04:
The aide said that guys like me were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. "That's not the way the world really works anymore," he continued. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."
https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/faith-certainty-and-the-presidency-of-george-w-bush.html
But, you know, Bush is cool now. He wasn't so bad in illegally invading the planet and unleashing omnipotently omniscient domestic and international surveillance...
So crazy. Thanks for your work @caitlinjohnstone.
Wow, this got downvoted? What the hell?
@ninjapiraterobot @heather2000 - you should remove your downvotes. It's a satirical comment. Bush isn't cool because he invaded the planet and unleashed domestic and international surveillance. That Ron Suskind piece is an historic piece that deals exactly with this kind of attempt at manufacturing reality.
Leaving us in the "reality based community" outside the realm of polite conversation just like this. This comment should not have been flagged even if it wasn't satire.
The flagging of this comment is Suskind's point.
These people are bad actors which have been consistently suppressing opinion with downvotes.
They certainly look to be that, don't they?
Scary situation here, actually. Might not make it through 2018.
That is the whole point of what they are trying to achieve. They are abusing the flagging system of 'goodwill' to silence (new users especially) opposing opinions, which will eventually drive them away from the platform. Not only that, but they are scamming the system in other ways to grow their accounts. It's just going to turn into another facebook where only mainstream views are allowed. If people don't kick up a huge stink about this NOW, then it will continue forever. Problem is that the stealth sniper tactics they employ with their smaller accounts does not hurt or hinder the users with bigger reputations. They can take the hit like its a little annoying mosquito. The constant downvoting of smaller users slows down the growth of accounts, because it hurts the reputation rating, which in turn affects the earning potential. Organised networks of sockpuppet accounts like this are going to destroy the platform.