Voting. Is. Not. Enough.

[garybeck]

Folks we all know it. this time around voting is not enough. and it doesn't matter who the D candidate is. we have to support him/her and we have to do something more than just vote.

The question is, what?

As much as we'd like to, we can't vote multiple times. We can't move to a different state where our vote matters more.

What can we do that actually could make a difference?

I've been thinking about this and for me, one of the main things I'm coming up with is, as much as I hate to admit it, is we have to engage in social media and combat the fake news and misinformation. the fact is that the vast majority of Trump voters are grandly misinformed about many many issues and if they actually knew the facts, some of them would change their minds.

I have one "friend" (actually I never met him in real life) on facebook who is always posting right-wing memes and they are usually based on a lie. for months now I have been responding with short, objective, respectful, non-attacking responses, pointing out factual inaccuracies. At first I was attacked with namecalling and laughs by not only this person but also his friends. But slowly over time, I have found a couple things: 1) he has some other friends like me and when I post something on his feed, they like or support what I say, and others see that. 2) Even the naysayers slowly over time, when they see I am not attacking them but wanting to engage in respectful conversation and debate, a few of them have actually gotten into discussion with me and read what I said. I know it is having an affect.

This is the battleground for 2020. Social media. It is not where we want to battle, but we must.

I started thinking I am going to organize some kind of effort to do this. i was going to create an image that can be used by everyone to "flag" inaccurate posts and should be followed with objective information pointing out what is factually incorrect. It could be used by either side. (yes even democrats occasionally say or post things that are not completely correct and yes they should be corrected as well. this shows that we actually care about the truth and we are not blindly following a person or ideal).

Then I found, thankfully, that I don't have to start this. It's already happening. I found that FactCheck.org has an effort to combat misinformation on social media. We all know they have some great info on specific questions and memes but I did not know they have a program to help people identify misinformation and respond to it on social media:

Debunking False Stories
FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on the social media network. We provide several resources for readers: a guide on how to flag suspicious stories on Facebook and a list of websites that have carried false or satirical articles, as well as a video and story on how to spot false stories.
https://www.factcheck.org/fake-news/

I invite everyone to visit that page and join the battle against misinformation.

No one wants to do it but this is something tangible, beyond voting, that we can do and it will have an affect. I've seen it.

A few things I suggest about when you are responding to fake news:

1) Be objective. Don't talk in hyperbole. Just say "that factually inaccurate." post a sentence or two about the truth and a link to something that supports your claim.

2) don't engage in namecalling. when someone calls you a name or attacks you personally, just ignore it or say something like "wow you called me a (insert name here). that is interesting but it doesn't relate to our discussion. If you would like to provide some actual facts or information to support your claim, then please provide it, I will check it out objectively. thank you" it is amazing what can happen if you deflect their childish tactics with adult-like objective and respectful ccomments that ask them to engage in a real discussion.

3) point out things they say that are true. many times a meme for fake news item is based on a tiny truth but it is exaggerated. for example, in my recent discussion, someone claimed that it takes 5 gallons of diesel to make one gallon of biodiesel. I did about 5 minutes of research and found it was comletely false but instead of attacking the person and saying they are an idtiot, i started by saying it is true that to make biodiesel, regular petroleum is used in the farm equipment, fetilizier, and transport of the biodiesel. the problem was in his numbers and I found a peer-reviewed study that showd that it's acutally about 1/5th of a gallon of petroleum goes into the production of one gallon of biodiesel. Because I responded respectfully and pointed out that he was correct in some ways, the personal attacks noticeably dimininshed and one guy that was calling me a "snowflake" at the beginning of the thread actually "liked" my later comment.

4) show them that you are willing to listen and check out links they provide. this is an opportunity to both gain their respect and also debunk their lies.

5) show them that you actually do research based on science and provide links. many times their memes are just made up and have no factual basis and they will have no response. but you made your point.

Often the thing that you don't want to do the most is the thing that is needed the most. I think this is the case here. No one wants to engage with rightwingers on facebook. But we have to. Some of those people can be swayed with objective and respectful discussion. Certainly not all of them. But remember every time you engage in this kind of discussion, it's not only the person you are responding to, but other people are reading it too. and you'll find that your right-winger "friend" has other friends who are sane, just like you, and sometimes they will support you with supporting comments.

This is the battleground. The lie machine is huge and well funded. but the truth is on our side.

Let's use that Factcheck.org program and find other tools to do this in an organized manner.

Be respectful. Be objective. Be smart.

Who's in?

[ck4829]

1. K&R. Report those who spread misinformation, find something

Take away their platform.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Voting is not enough...for what? It's unclear to me what your goal is here; the best I can determine

is that you're looking for ways to combat disinformation. Are you trying to build community, change the voting decisions of people who are reachable, own the right, what?

[ck4829]

3. For our political system I presume

It's clear that just voting and letting someone else handle things is not working.

[garybeck]

5. the goal is to get rid of trump in 2020.

the reason it is even close is because 30-40% of our population is buying a story that is simply not true. they believe a big long list of lies such as

-global warming is a hoax
-immigrants are murders and rapists and taking jobs away from americans

and about 100 more that you can find easily.

my point is that these people are voting the way they are because of the misinformation and if we can find an effective way to combat the misinformation that some people will change their minds, and ultimately when enough people start to realize that their sources are continually inaccurate they will actually turn off Fox News. No one likes to be believe lies.

[onecaliberal]

4. If you're not familiar with Hitler's rise to power, I would suggest reading about it.

The election will not fix what has occurred in the last two years. So called republicans do not care about democracy. They care about the survival of the white race. Rodger Ailes has created millions of hate monsters who will never accept the America the left is fighting for, where everyone matters.

[garybeck]

6. "The election will not fix what has occurred in the last two years."

no it won't but it's a start.

there is no one thing that will fix everything. but it starts with getting rid of trump. that is the most important thing we can do.

a close 2nd would be taking back the senate.

keep in mind there are a lot of republicans that are not racists. I know many of them. They just watch fox news and they think its the only source of true information. Someday they will realize, like the moment that dorothy and the tin man found the man behind the curtain, that they are being fed lies. My goal is to do my tiny part in making that day come sooner for a few people.

[onecaliberal]

14. Read Malcom Nance.

Everyone is acting like this is all normal and we can fix it with elections. We can’t even impeach the most criminal individual who has ever been in the White House. You assume they care about democracy. THEY DONT. They care about the survival and power of the white race.

[marble falls]

7. If voting means so damn little, why do they work so hard suppressing voting ...

and taking the right to vote away from Democratic voting bases?

[garybeck]

9. i didn't say voting means little. i'm saying we have to do more.

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. Absolutely, because the voting system has been corrupted in many ways

[Grasswire2]

10. excellent

One place to work at this is on local social media. TV stations, etc. So much ignorance on display there.

Be respectful. Just the facts, and sources.

[guillaumeb]

11. It. Never. Is. Recommended.

[Turin_C3PO]

12. Good post.

Thank you. I agree, we all need to go above and beyond this election cycle to ensure the survival of our liberal democracy.

[we can do it]

13. I tried this last time.

[Gothmog]

15. I am active in voter protection efforts

I have worked on voter protection efforts since 2004. I have been running war rooms for a long time

[JudyM]

16. Good post. What we focus our effort on has to matter.

There is such a firehose of misinfo.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. With all due respect, I disagree. Engaging in social media won't accomplish anything of value.

Getting things done takes money.

Contributing to an organization that is fighting on behalf of one (or more) of your favorite causes will accomplish much more than keyboarding away on the interwebs.

These organizations need not be political. A lot of the donations are tax-deductible. Contributing to Joe Blow's (or Jane Blow's campaign is, obviously, political. Contributing to the ACLU or the Planned Parenthood Federation of America is not political. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Thanks for the thread.

[ancianita]

18. Me. Been doing it for years. What you say works IS what works.

Last edited Tue Jul 16, 2019, 10:26 PM - Edit history (2)

I’ve shut down threads’ emo with facts. Shut down fake accounts with hundreds of Reports, then warned people in the thread how they can detect fake accounts’ divisive, paid trolling.

Ranti. Look it up on Wikipedia. It’s among many services that sell fake accounts by the thousands.

FB is paying more attention to Reports. And shuts down fake accounts by the millions.

This is our end of dealing with disinformation. We have to be in this to make sure that signal isn’t drowned out by noise.

I’m experiencing a sudden power outage right now but when I get back online I’m posting videos on what net security experts say about how to fight the disinformation war.

“Like” Citizen Lab out of Toronto on FB. Check them on Wikipedia. They are the best organization to warn citizens of what secures or endangers our net info and freedoms. They have the highest endorsement of Alex Stamos. Look him up, too, and you’ll see a decades-old friend of Beto O’Rourke’s.

[calimary]

19. Good stuff, ancianita! I'd add - find your nearest Indivisible group, and join up.

Ours organizes Postcard Parties where folks can meet up, order some eats, and write postcards to our legislators, both federal and state. We provide everything from postcards and postage to pens of all colors, addresses, and suggested scripts for what to say during those calls, or comments or requests (like Close the Camps, and Impeachment Now! and other issues of the week).

Those suggested scripts are what our Research & Writing team generates every weekend. Not only does that material get used at the Postcard Parties, but also when we have our pre-meetings to coordinate topics for discussion with our monthly visit to our Congressman’s office.

That material includes these one-per-weekday “asks” AND events, other sister group meetings, rallies, marches, speakers, and more. Every Indivisible group is unique and does stuff a little differently but what matters most is - - -

It’s stuff you can actually DO. It’s stuff that gets done. And allows you to use your voice and be counted. And sometimes do DIRECT in-person speaking-truth-to-power encounters.

It makes you feel like you’re actually accomplishing something. It’s empowering. And you meet new brothers and sisters of like mind, and your spirit gets nourished and uplifted that way.

AND you get to immerse yourself in the literal, physical, tangible truth that you are NOT alone! Heck, you might make a new friend or two, or five. That is a VERY wonderful and reaffirming thing. And the more you indulge, the more you’ll discover how NOT alone you actually are!

[ancianita]

21. I love indivisible. I can't remember when I've seen a more effective group across states.

Thanks, calimary!

[uponit7771]

20. There is no longer any reason to think 2020 will be a free and fair election, Trump will cheat and

... over votes wont matter.