The Washington Post’s Post

Everyone's talking about disinformation. But do we *actually* know what works to stop or reduce it? An insightful read that summarises what the latest research is pointing at - and as true for most social phenomena, there isn't one silver bullet to fix an issue that is, indeed, more of a symptom than a cause, of our underlying and increasing mistrust in the broader socio-political systems that we are embedded within. "These days, even talking about solutions is difficult. Disagreement rages about how to fix or even define the issue: Does misinformation include propaganda, satire or other gray areas of speech? Is good analysis possible when social media companies withhold so much of their data? Should successful solutions be measured by their ability to stop bad actors, slow the spread of bad information or win people over to the truth? Can those people actually be bothered to engage?"

Comment on the subject of Populism, Relativisation, Euphemisms and Complicitness in times of crumbling Liberal Democracies A pretty important read I would technically recommend reading, although a lot of people had to read that with great concentration and a subsequent in-depth introspection. Otherwise, they'll treat it like I treat many news articles: You devour the content but don't really digest it. It just undergoes the usual procedure and what cannot be converted into energy or fat deposits will be excremated. So, I just thank the author for having written this down and gotten it published in a renowned magazine.  What I would perhaps add to the euphemisms and hyperbole is the relativisation, or the "He/She/They deserved it" faction. The most recent example on my feed certainly was Derek Chauvin, the infamous Minneapolis police officer who asphyxiated George Floyd by kneeling on his neck despite the latter's repeated exclamation that he couldn't breathe. Chauvin was recently stabbed in prison and was hospitalised thereafter. While I understand in part why some people besmirked his near fate, it would still have been an extrajudiciary execution, or lynch justice. I don't think that I needed to explain this in greater detail on why lynch justice is abominable and a thing of dictatorships or authoritarian rulership. Still, some people seem to be unfamiliar therewith; I couldn't explain why else one would support the stabber over the convicted murderer in uniform. Surely those people made a joke, but supposed jokes are nothing but another platform to convey some of the formats addressed in this opnion piece. It likens the people who go viral with an incredibly stupid 'take' on Twitter, just to then paddle it back and claim that they were being 'sarcastic' or 'ironic'. Spinelessness has never been so visible.  What I mean to say is that there are too many people who will simultaneously claim that the internet were a shithole in which too many stupid people shared their equally stupid opinion and give little consideration to what they are writing before they press the 'post / tweet' button, while exercising the same vice they just condemned. Twitter, of course, is the prime example thereof, since it also limits the user's ability to express themselves, with 280 characters per tweet. But other platforms don't have such (low) limits. Facebook is one such example. LinkedIn has a limit, as I have to learn time and time again, although I don't know the exact character limit. Anyway, platforms like these, disregarding blogging platforms like Blogger and WordPress (inter alia), allow us to express ourselves more elaborately, so that we didn't have to resort to shortened expressions and more concise statements. What I mean is that the less we try to write, the more we are forced to resort to populism and paroles. Couldn't write down the whole text here. You can read it in full hereunder: https://lnkd.in/e3Vdb6yq

Briant Stelter’s latest piece in The Atlantic is a must read because it points to a dangerous convergence — the ease with which former President Trump lies about anything he believes is a threat to his ‘winning’ persona and the prevalence of AI-image generation. This week, after Kamala Harris and Tim Walz attracted large crowds for their rallies (a topic that, as we all know, is very sensitive for the former President), Donald Trump resorted to sharing AI-generated images to claim that the crowds we all saw with our own eyes weren’t real. Rampant disinformation is nothing new. Donald Trump lying isn’t a novelty either. In fact, his return to the X platform is unsurprising because the platform’s owner — whose controversial America PAC has caught the eye of multiple attorneys general for its data collection & possible election interference — has said that he is funding efforts to elect Trump as well. But what is deeply concerning is both the pace at which this unholy alliance is forming and the potential it holds for becoming the driving force behind growing geopolitical destabilization. In another recent Atlantic piece from Peter Whener, he wrote, “The prospect of not just being beaten, but being beaten by a woman of color, has sent Trump into a frenzy in a way almost nothing else could.” Couldn’t agree more. The difference this time is that when Trump ran for President in 2016 and 2020, Elon Musk didn’t own X, formerly Twitter. While AI resources for image manipulation & generation have grown in sophistication & popularity over the last decade, they weren’t nearly as accessible as they are today. This means that Trump’s frequent meltdowns and frenzies now have a longer runway for reverberation. They have more advanced & sinister accomplices aiding their amplification, including a far right tech “broligarch” who does very little — by design — to moderate content on X. And of course the irony shouldn’t be lost on any of us that the people hell bent on taking us back are also the most willing to bastardize modern technology in service of revitalizing their nostalgia for oppression. This means that in the 84 days until the election, we need to be prepared for the “DEI candidate” attacks, the questioning of Harris’s race, and the misogyny, but also for the sheer caliber of chaos created by people who will do anything to prevent losing to a woman of color — and particularly a woman of color whose rallying cry is “We’re not going back.” ACTION STEPS: 🗳Make sure you are registered to vote. PLEASE check your status to confirm! 🗳Pay attention to the tools of disenfranchisement and voter suppression already underway (can you say GA, AZ, MS?!) 🗳Volunteer with the campaign — especially if you are in a swing state. There are roles for introverts and extroverts alike! Let’s Energize, Organize & Mobilize🔥🔥🔥 But first — read this article. Because “when we fight, we win.” #VOTE #EOM #POTUSHARRIS https://lnkd.in/eZyWyVUZ

NEVER LISTEN TO MAINSTREAM MEDIA. Look how fast they put out stories about the Trump assassination attempt. All they want to to is make Trump look as feeble as Biden. They always try to spin it against good people. We all know the shooter was a commie try-hard with no sense of morality. You won't find these headlines as they were quickly changed as real reporters started releasing information on the shooter and videos and photos were spread too fast for the deep state media to take control. The "left" and many of the "right" are all deep state globalist that hate themselves and hate your freedom. They are paid to lie. And people like Antifa losers have no goals in life, no achievements and serve no purpose to their community. Here are example of scum reporting:

Social media is not just for memes or pictures, it can also be a political game-changer. Watch out for misinformation, especially during election season. Here’s how to separate fact from fiction: 1️⃣ Check where the information comes from 2️⃣ Double-check facts 3️⃣ Look for proof 4️⃣ Watch out for emotional manipulation 5️⃣ If you spot lies, call them out #BeyondTheBallot

Summary: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's performance at the 3rd GOP presidential debate, likening him to someone having a colonoscopy on stage. Huntsman also stated that DeSantis is dropping in the polls and that it is a foregone conclusion that Donald Trump will win the GOP nomination. Huntsman expressed his skepticism about the debates, saying that much of it is noise. He also praised former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for showing leadership qualities. Takeaway: Huntsman's critique of DeSantis's debate performance highlights the challenges of standing out in a crowded field of candidates. It also underscores the belief that Trump remains a strong contender for the GOP nomination. The comment about noise in the debates raises questions about the value of such events in the political process. Hashtags: #GOPdebate #RonDeSantis #JonHuntsman #2024Election #Trump2024 #NikkiHaley

ILLUMINATION published my article. "No surprises here. When it comes to politics, people who desire full power and control always seek ways to suppress (and even oppress) those with opposite viewpoints. However, I would like to think that there are enough intelligent open minds in America to come up with a practical solution so that we can ALL BE FREE! (Is that dreaming or wishful thinking?)" **Use this link to read free if you are a non-member on Medium: https://lnkd.in/g3_Uz8cf #America #socialmedia

Disinformation, Election, & Narrative Intelligence Thanks Tom Nagorski for interviewing me on this important piece. The Cipher Brief 1. How do we address this worsening problem that continues to exacerbate the fissures and divides in our nation? I think first and foremost, we have to accept that we will continue to face a great many theories and opinions about significant issues and events. 2. We don’t have reference points by which to evaluate wildly propagating stories and narratives in real time. Establishing those reference points without content moderation (removing or algorithmically deindexing content that is deemed problematic by the platform) or deplatforming (suspending or banning accounts) has great potential. 3. In other words, enabling users to ascertain what is accurate, timely, and transparent is how we can reduce the harms of mis/disinformation. 4. When it’s readily available to note where and how each story comes from and is amplified, then we’re less likely to think conspiracy theories have factual fidelity. In the end, when we treat conspiracy theories as conspiracy theories where we don’t act on them, then there should be little harm to the public. EdgeTheory #generativeAI #artificialintelligence #electionintegrity #nationalsecurity #democraticresilience #informationwarfare #Assassination #AssassinationAttempt