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in another thread i mentioned the startling overlap between trolling and the ways politicians handle the press during crises
want to know how some politicians play you?
here's a mini field guide to ten strategies so you can go spot some trollitics out there in the wild
1/15
want to know how some politicians play you?
here's a mini field guide to ten strategies so you can go spot some trollitics out there in the wild
1/15
i'll use just one politician (literally no prizes for guessing who) and one crisis (seriously, no prizes) but you’ll find this stuff being deployed by all kinds of figures to deal with all kinds of awkward shit worldwide
and you'll recognise plenty of these tactics already
2/15
and you'll recognise plenty of these tactics already
2/15
remember: i distilled all these strategies - plus others - from years of analysing *trolling*, and then found how well they account for political (and other) crisis management
makes me wonder what i'm worth as a Dr-Evil-in-ur-Ear™ consultant, a la @MrMichaelSpicer…
3/15
makes me wonder what i'm worth as a Dr-Evil-in-ur-Ear™ consultant, a la @MrMichaelSpicer…
3/15
AAAANYway, yes, i really did do this for a phd
it meant i got to spend about five years on the internet reading my favourite online groups without feeling guilty don’t judge me I’m weak okay MOVING ON…
do we *already* live in the era of the trollitician?
let’s find out
4/15
it meant i got to spend about five years on the internet reading my favourite online groups without feeling guilty don’t judge me I’m weak okay MOVING ON…
do we *already* live in the era of the trollitician?
let’s find out
4/15
strategy 1: criticise - turn the focus on someone else’s fuck ups. china! hillary's emails! BENGHAZI!!!
if all else falls, make shit up because brandolini's law is on your side
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/20/21227903/trump-blames-obama-coronavirus
5/15
if all else falls, make shit up because brandolini's law is on your side
https://www.vox.com/2020/4/20/21227903/trump-blames-obama-coronavirus
5/15
strategy 2: digress - drift and then stay off-topic. (combines well with all the other strategies.) if forced back on topic, be vague, use if-conditionals, future tense, abstract hypotheses, etc.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-tv/trump-brags-about-high-tv-viewership-of-coronavirus-briefings-idUSKBN21G0TR
6/15
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-tv/trump-brags-about-high-tv-viewership-of-coronavirus-briefings-idUSKBN21G0TR
6/15
strategy 3: shock – drop a dirty little tabloid-baiting scandal or a deadcat. eat your own if you must. throw literally anyone under the bus, including, to a limited extent, yourself. it's useful to have an affair laying about for times like this
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/02/dumb-as-a-rock-9-times-trump-insulted-people-he-appointed.html
7/15
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/02/dumb-as-a-rock-9-times-trump-insulted-people-he-appointed.html
7/15
strategy 4: provoke – say something outrageous. "tell it like it is". dispense with all that "pc brigade nonsense". say "what everyone's thinking"
https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/donald-trump-quotes-57213
8/15
https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/donald-trump-quotes-57213
8/15
strategy 5: endanger - throw out some seriously questionable or outright dangerous advice
up till recently i hadn't seen many examples of this one, but then… well, i think we all know where this one is going
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52407177
9/15
up till recently i hadn't seen many examples of this one, but then… well, i think we all know where this one is going
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52407177
9/15
strategy 6: deny – as journos and critics start to push back and accuse you of, well, the actual shit you've done, gaslight the fuck out of them. it never happened and anyone who thinks it did needs to go get professional help
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/21/watch-trump-deny-saying-things-about-coronavirus-that-he-definitely-said/
10/15
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/21/watch-trump-deny-saying-things-about-coronavirus-that-he-definitely-said/
10/15
strategy 7: doubt – when accused of something, demand evidence, then dismiss anything provided as fake. accuse anonymous witnesses of cowardice and identifiable witnesses of gold-digging. tone police and sealion the shit out of everyone
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/15/trumps-rogue-killers-line-is-reminder-his-consistent-bad-faith-demanding-proof/
11/15
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/15/trumps-rogue-killers-line-is-reminder-his-consistent-bad-faith-demanding-proof/
11/15
strategy 8: diminish – reframe it as a joke or a misunderstanding. become one with schrodinger's douchebag. play it all down
(this is a favourite of predators, abusers, and fraudsters, btw, to find both victims and co-conspirators/enablers)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-disinfectant-sarcastic-coronavirus-treatment/
12/15
(this is a favourite of predators, abusers, and fraudsters, btw, to find both victims and co-conspirators/enablers)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-disinfectant-sarcastic-coronavirus-treatment/
12/15
strategy 9: reciprocate. when accused of something, retaliate by accusing the critic. turn them into the bad guy with the evil agenda
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/25/trump-accuses-media-of-wanting-to-keep-economy-shut-to-hurt-his-reelection
13/15
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/25/trump-accuses-media-of-wanting-to-keep-economy-shut-to-hurt-his-reelection
13/15
strategy 10: aggress. tear down. get personal, mean, nasty. threaten. encourage others to dogpile. incite hatred and even violence
https://www.newstimes.com/opinion/amp/Opinion-Trump-insults-reporters-at-briefings-15197401.php
14/15
https://www.newstimes.com/opinion/amp/Opinion-Trump-insults-reporters-at-briefings-15197401.php
14/15
to conclude, this is all essentially the @SparkNotes (love you guys) version of ch6 of my thesis, but just the "what trolls do" bits
for the “yes but how the fuck should I respond to shit like this?!” episode, tune in at some later point in the indeterminate future
15/15
for the “yes but how the fuck should I respond to shit like this?!” episode, tune in at some later point in the indeterminate future
15/15
somehow i managed to... not add this properly?! anyway, as promised: https://twitter.com/DrClaireH/status/1254733246526558208?s=20
