Fake Fact Checks

 

Creating a world where facts and truth are always questioned.

The idea to keep us in a state of confusion about power and politics. That way, powerful forces control the messages and their outcome. ProPublica reports that Russia is using fake factchecks to misinform the Russian population. what the Russian controlled media is doing is creating false narratives and then disproving those false stories with fake fact checks. According to the article, here's how it work:

"On March 3, Daniil Bezsonov, an official with the pro-Russian separatist region of Ukraine that styles itself as the Donetsk People’s Republic, tweeted a video that he said revealed “How Ukrainian fakes are made.”

"The clip showed two juxtaposed videos of a huge explosion in an urban area. Russian-language captions claimed that one video had been circulated by Ukrainian propagandists who said it showed a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city."

"But, as captions in the second video explained, the footage actually showed a deadly arms depot explosion in the same area back in 2017. The message was clear: Don’t trust footage of supposed Russian missile strikes. Ukrainians are spreading lies about what’s really going on, and pro-Russian groups are debunking them. (Bezsonov did not respond to questions from ProPublica.)"

"The goal of the videos is to inject a sense of doubt among Russian-language audiences as they encounter real images of wrecked Russian military vehicles and the destruction caused by missile and artillery strikes in Ukraine, according to Patrick Warren, an associate professor at Clemson who co-leads the Media Forensics Hub."

“The reason that it’s so effective is because you don’t actually have to convince someone that it’s true. It’s sufficient to make people uncertain as to what they should trust,” said Warren, who has conducted extensive research into Russian internet trolling and disinformation campaigns. “In a sense they are convincing the viewer that it would be possible for a Ukrainian propaganda bureau to do this sort of thing.”

The use of social media makes this so much easier that 25 years ago. The firehose stream of information has limited filters. The attacks on the media by Trump and his administration were a deliberate attempt to confuse the issues. There is no shared truth, only opinions vetted by those who would shape the narrative. Trump influenced conservatives are attacking science, intellectuals, journalism, an independent judiciary, and democracy...even organized, mainline, religions. Why? Divided, we are more vulnerable.

Pew published a series of reports to gain insights about the potential future effects of people’s use of technology on democracy. "The digital disruption of democracy has been a leading concern over the past four years – a time of the Brexit decision in the United Kingdom, the American presidential election and a variety of other elections. Pew shared a series of quoted from people who are studying these issues in a hunt for remedies." The report came out in 2020. Their worst fears are being realized in Trump's "Big Lie" and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The river of falsehoods and lies has become a torrent. 

Some of those quotes from the Pew article are below.

Is This The End? 

Many Tech Experts Say Digital Disruption Will Hurt Democracy 

About half predict that humans’ use of technology will weaken democracy between now and 2030 due to the speed and scope of reality distortion, the decline of journalism and the impact of surveillance capitalism. A third expect technology to strengthen democracy as reformers find ways to fight back against info-warriors and chaos.  (Pew Research Feb 2020)

All's Fair When You Win

 Autocrat's Tactics

When Trump spoke his praises in support of Putin after annexing more territory in eastern Ukraine, it should not have been a surprise. Extremist on the right have been cozy with Russians for years. For Trump. And the Republicans who support Trump, it is a deliberate political tactic. They want to project the image that Biden is weak, and only Trump can keep Putin under control.

Racist Attitudes

"The love affair between Russian and American extremists isn’t limited to individual relationships. Whole cultural exchanges are taking place between white nationalists in both countries, borne along by a current of swastikas, the Nazi “black sun,” and references to “88” (code for Heil Hitler) or “14” (code for the 14-word white supremacist mantra)." (splc 2018)

Trump's supporters in right wing media, like Tucker Carlson, agreed with his take on Putin. So did members of Trump's inner circle. "Now some of his supporters see an admirable figure in Putin. That includes Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state under Trump and recently called Putin “savvy” and “very talented." (Washington Post 2/23/22)

QAnon influencers have cast Putin in a positive light and believe he is now engaged in a fight against an international cabal of satanic pedophiles and "deep state" members who have interests in Ukraine. (Newsweek 2/24/22)

Speaking His Mind

It may seem like Trump may have spouted off, but what he says is  most often intentional and the product of the mindset driving his politics. 

Both Pompeo and Carlsen have stepped back their praise of Putin since the start of the invasion. Not Trump. He sees this as a chance for a divisive issue sure to appeal to his white supremacist base, while feeding conspiracies. Biden is weak. He is strong like Putin.

Importance of Self-Esteem

”Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” Unknown

Honest Admission

I grew up with a low opinion of my worth. I'm not sure why. My parents made a point of reinforcing and encouraging me to build on my accomplishments. So what was the deal?

Labels

Maybe it was because I was considered slow. The word slow is filled with all the aspects of ableism. That label was damaging.  I was slow to walk and talk. My reading and math skills were below the mean. My grades suffered. As a result, I aimed low. Maybe it was fear of failure or fear of disappointment. But disappointment from what? 

Maybe I was lazy, whatever that means. My parent sent me for extensive testing, including IQ tests to see if I was actually 'slow'. The results changed everything. I wasn't slow, I was an underachiever. Oh boy! In an instant, my easy life was over. It was filled with tutors and summer school. I was sent to a new school with much higher academic standards. At first I was stretched by the experience. I was so far behind my new classmates it seemed to reinforce my feelings of low self-esteem. 

My accomplishments at that school didn't dawn on me until much later. I was not at the bottom of my class, I was in the upper half. Creativity came forward in my writing and music. It turned out I was good at sports, but not at the traditional sports. I excelled at running the mile and playing soccer. In summer I became a competitive bike racer with a string of victories and strong showings.

A Slow Process

Even with these accomplishments, my self-esteem did not blossom until I matured, after age twenty-five. I went back to school at twenty-five and things began to fall into place. And the feelings of self-worth grew quietly, from with-in, as my confidence in my abilities grew. What I thought was a measurement of my worth was wrapped up in what I perceived others might think of me. I discovered It mattered more what I thought of myself. 

What are the signs of low self-esteem? 

According to the Australian healthcare site Healthdirect, Signs of low self-esteem include:

• saying negative things and being critical about yourself.
• joking about yourself in a negative way.
• focusing on your negatives and ignoring your achievements.
• blaming yourself when things go wrong.
• thinking other people are better than you.
• thinking you don't deserve to have fun.

”Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” Unknown

Building Self-Esteem

The Website skillsyouneed.com offers seven skills to build self-esteem.

1. Identify and Challenge Your Negative Beliefs. ...
2. Identify the Positive About Yourself. ...
3. Build Positive Relationships—and Avoid Negative Ones. ...
4. Give Yourself a Break. ...
5. Become More Assertive and Learn to Say No. ...
6. Improve Your Physical Health. ...
7. Take On Challenges.

Stephane Jade Wong came up with a list of 13 things that don't determine self worth in an article she wrote for Shine. "Bottom line: Your worth is entirely up to you. You are worthy because you say you're worthy and because you believe it. Look within, and trust that you are enough."

In an article for Psychology Today, Amy Morin, L.C.S.W., a psychotherapist, explains, "So often, the “stick” we’re using to measure our worth exists outside our control. We measure our worth based on the X’s on our to-do list, the number of matches on a dating app, the likes on our latest Instagram post, the promotions we receive—the list goes on and on. We tend to notice how our sense of self-worth affects us (aka those “I’m not good enough” feelings), but we rarely stop and think about how we’re doing our calculations."

It seems low self-esteem is a learned behavior, and learned behaviors can be changed.

Banning Books

The ideas in books spark more ideas

To some, ideas are dangerous. The Nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the German Student Union (German: Deutsche Studentenschaft, DSt) to ceremonially burn books in Nazi Germany and Austria in the 1930s. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to Nazism. 

- Wikipedia

Here come the Thought Police

It's happening again today. There is a concerted effort by conservatives to ban books that mention racism, slavery, the holocaust, anything about LBGTQ people, and feminism. It's a continuation of the culture war issues advocated by Pat Buchanan. It's an effort to advance thought control.

Why do people ban books? Often it's for religious or political reasons: An idea, a scene, or a character in the book offends their religion, sense of morality, or political view. Some folks feel they need to protect children from the cursing, morally offensive behavior, or racially insensitive language in a book.

Jan 30, 2022 commonsensemedia

Schools provide safe spaces to talk about controversial issues, and literature presents characters portraying human experience in all its richness and contradictoriness. Reading is a way to take in the difficult situations and understand them.
- Julia Alvarez

I read banned books in high school. You see, they weren't banned at my school. "Johnny Got His Gun," "Catcher in the Rye," "Huckleberry Finn," "Native Son," "The Great Gatsby," "Of Mice and Men," "1984," "To Kill A Mocking Bird," "Fahrenheit 451," and more. We had free and open discussions about the contents and the issues the subject matter represented. We were encouraged to debate. We were encouraged to express our thoughts. We were taught to think.

I did not grow up hating my parents. I did not change my sexuality. I did not become a communist or a member of the John Birch Society.

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."

-Benjamin Franklin

Constitutional Basis

Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.“
— First Amendment to the United States

What are the effects of banning books?

For teachers, book banning means shaky, ever-changing curriculum, fear for personal choices, and the tragedy of self-censorship. For students, book banning means a denial of First Amendment rights, a narrow world view, and psychological deficits. For the classroom, book banning means discourse is hindered. Core values of the public radio audience include Belief in Civil Discourse. The power to find solutions depends on informed individuals able to understand the complexity of the issues we face.

Book banning can hang on the thinnest thread of reasoning.

The Top Ten Ludicrous Reasons To Ban A Book  -The Januarist/Amy Thibodeau

1. “Encourages children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” (A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstien)

Is there a labor shortage?

Why are so many part-time workers struggling to find full-time work during a labor shortage?

David Leonhardt spoke with NYTimes reporter Noam Scheiber about worker shortages. He discovered many corporations do not want to move part time workers to full time positions to fill the gap of the labor shortage. The biggest reason they may not be getting hired fulltime, it's cheaper to have a labor force that does not qualify for benefits. 

There are people willing to do the work. Does this mean corporations are creating the labor shortage to keep from paying people a fair wage for their labors?

The bottom line

The increasing inequality of the U.S. economy over the past half-century is unlikely to end because of a temporarily tight labor market. “Labor shortages may be a necessary condition for changing the nature of these jobs,” Noam says, “but they’re generally not a sufficient condition.”

Effects of income inequality, researchers have found, include higher rates of health and social problems, and lower rates of social goods, a lower population-wide satisfaction and happiness and even a lower level of economic growth when human capital is neglected for high-end consumption. (International Monetary Fund)

The National Equity Access reports, The percentage of working poor has increased overall since 1980 from 8 percent of workers to 10 percent of workers although Mixed populations and Black populations experienced slight decreases. Since 1980 the share of Latinx people who are working poor increased from 17 to 21 percent.

Meanwhile the middle class share of income is diminishing. Middle-class workers are earning a national income share that is 8.5 percentage points lower, which translates to a 16.0 percent reduction. And the middle class is shrinking. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to further accelerate these trends. May 14, 2021     https://www.rand.org › blog › 2021/05 ›

Once upon a time, this was a problem for reserved minorities, but now the plight of a working class cuts across all sectors. The anger of the white middle class is a product of an unwillingness of those in power to share the wealth. The deck is stacked. PARTISAN politics on the right is blinding people to the real reasons for their plight.

Rani Molla and Emily Steward wrote an article for Vox, Why Everybody's hiring but Nobody is Getting Hired. In it they explain it's a difficult undesirable job market. "A lot of what people are seeing are low-paying jobs with unpredictable or not-worker-friendly scheduling practices, that don’t come with benefits, don’t come with long-term stability,” Shelly Steward, director of the Future of Work Initiative at the Aspen Institute, told Recode. “And those are not the types of jobs that any worker is eager to take on.”

The jobs available do not offer a future. That problem did not begin with the pandemic, but it got worse because of it. "A survey of workers actively searching for a job on FlexJobs, a jobs website that focuses on remote and flexible work, found that about half of job seekers said they were not finding the right jobs to apply for. Some 46 percent of respondents said they were only finding jobs that are low-paying, while 41 percent said there weren’t enough openings in their preferred profession."  And many workers do not have the skill necessary for the newer highly skilled positions. 

Too many Americans feel left behind. The dream of a better future has faded away.

Subverting the Vote

 Democracy is in Peril

According to the Brennan Center, Between January 1 and December 7, 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions. These numbers are extraordinary: state legislatures enacted far more restrictive voting laws in 2021 than in any year since the Brennan Center began tracking voting legislation in 2011. More than a third of all restrictive voting laws enacted since then were passed this year. And in a new trend this year, legislators introduced bills to allow partisan actors 

footnote1_lxt83ss1to interfere with election processes or even reject election results entirely.

Not only do these Republicans want to make sure certain constituencies don't vote, they still have their eyes set on overturning 2020.

In his War Room podcast that the he and the right are trying to do away with democracy by “taking over elections” and overturning Trump’s loss last November.

“We’re taking action. We’re taking over school boards. We’re taking over the Republican Party with the precinct committee strategy. We’re taking over all the elections,” 

“Suck on this!” he added. “Ninety-five percent of the ballots in Virginia were occupied with election officials and poll watchers and that is a principle reason we secured the election of Youngkin. They know it. They’re there to have a free and fair count. We’re going to continue that and get to the bottom of 3 November and we’re going to decertify the electors and you’re going to have a constitutional crisis."  -Steve Bannon as reported by Rolling Stone.

The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury indicted him on two counts of contempt of Congress.

Virginia is only the beginning.

 

The critics hated this song when first released, but there's a reason why this tune is so popular. It touches on a common experience, feelings of loss and the grief that accompanies being replaced in a relationship. 

That's according to Dr. Randl Gunther in an article for Psychology Today, 

Displaced, Replaced, Erased

The Anguishing Heartbreaks of Rejection

The opening paragraph reads, "Of all of the possible experiences people endure when they are abandoned in love, rejection is probably the most painful. Once felt beloved and valuable, they are understandably demoralized and broken when they are no longer “necessary” in another’s life. A once familiar and treasured experience turns into a terrifying, seemingly endless nightmare."

"Many times, the warning signs that could have predicted the loss were not obvious or denied. When the partners who are done leave the relationships, those left behind must face not only that humiliation of “being the last to know,” but the additional sense of powerlessness that accompanies a “done deal.” They are not only abandoned, but robbed of the chance to fix what is broken."

In her experience as a therapist, Dr. Gunther says the most commonly asked questions are:

1) How did I not see his discontent?

2) How could I have been so attached and not realize she was disconnecting?

3) What could have led me to believe that our relationship was still so valuable, when he obviously didn’t feel that way anymore?

4) When did we start falling apart?

5) What were the warning signs I didn’t see or didn’t want to see?

6) Why did she run away without giving us a chance?

7) Did he ever really love me?

8) Is her new partner just a better deal for her than I was?

9) How could I have done this differently?

"By the time a relationship ends, those questions can never be adequately answered. There is too much guilt on one end and grief on the other."

Matthias Roberts put it this way, "Being cut off from [an] Intimate relationship affects every other relationship in our lives."

You can move on, adapt, once the grief heals. The feeling of loss never goes away entirely. But you can adapt. At that point, you can rebuild by learning from the experience, and develop healthier relationships. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Lean on the support. Above all, take it easy on yourself.