Thread: Beware of Despair Trolls

Despair Trolls seem to be anti-Trump, but they are also against the “Democratic Establishment.” They hate Pelosi and Biden and want you to believe that all hope is lost, Trump will win all the court cases, and Trump will even win the election.

People like Sarah Kendzior and Peter Daou are great examples of Despair Trolls. They say they hate Trump so we immediately think they are our side. But what is the message they want you to walk away with? Their message is that all hope is lost and Trump can’t be stopped.

Despair Trolls might have different motivations. Maybe they want to sell books or podcasts and know that despair sells. Maybe they want Trump to win re-election so they can keep profiting off of your despair. Or maybe it’s even more nefarious: maybe the actually work for Putin.

In the end it doesn’t really matter what is motivating the Despair Trolls. The important thing is that their message of despair is unhelpful to the cause of defeating Trump.

Let’s think about the ways despair is unhelpful.

First, despair leads to inaction. If you believe the “Democratic Establishment” is corrupt and all hope is lost, you’re highly unlikely to donate money to Democrats or volunteer to register people to vote. You’re more likely to cower and sob.

Second, despair takes the pressure off of those who might otherwise do the right thing. For example, if SCOTUS thinks they already are viewed as corrupt, then there is no pressure on them to do the right thing. They’ve already paid the price in advance.

Third, despair feeds into the myth that Trump always wins when, in reality, Trump always loses. Trump lost all of his inherited fortune and had to be bailed out by Russia. That’s *not* winning. Trump has lost all of his court cases every step of the way. That’s *not* winning.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from Despair Trolls. They are spreading propaganda. Of course they are pretending to be anti-Trump. That’s part of the scam.

By the way, if you’re an ardent supporter of Sarah KendzEeyore and you haven’t unfollowed me yet,

Some appear to be struggling with the difference between pointing out problems and being a Despair Troll. Here’s a simple example:

Your boat springs a leak.

Despair Troll: “The boat has a leak!!! We are doomed!!!”

Not a Despair Troll: “The boat has a leak. Let’s patch it!”