Read on Twitter
[Thread] As we head into 2020, we are inundated, more and more each day, with an overwhelming amount of novel information & news stories that stir deeply ingrained fear and pain. All of this as we try to sort through bullshit to find truth. A reminder of some common traps:
There are a number of ways that activists and researchers can be discredited in order to silence their voices.
The person may be fed disinformation and led down a rabbit hole in order to eat up time otherwise spent uncovering useful information.
The person may be fed disinformation and led down a rabbit hole in order to eat up time otherwise spent uncovering useful information.
Or they may find themselves attacked and discredited once they inadvertently bring the disinfo to a larger audience. This we saw plenty of in 2017. Remember the RU numbers station thing? Or like, anything about Microchip? *eye roll*
Of course it's always possible that things from an activist or researcher's past may be dug up to attack them with. Barring that, there are plenty of ppl happy to create fake docs or pics.
On occasion, a dedicated, patient, and effective ratfucker will take the time to properly infiltrate a group in order to build relationships that can later be used to manipulate behavior. Some ppl call that extortion but whatevs. Moving on.
Sometimes, tho, that all fails. Perhaps the researcher's ADHD is just way too much for them to get stuck in any one rabbit hole too long. Or maybe they surround themselves with grounded, honest ppl from whom they regularly seek feedback. Maybe; I dunno. That's what I'd do.
So then what? Well, this is where the power of the rumor comes in. Whisper campaigns sound simple enough; smear campaigns if you prefer. But crafting and placing an effective rumor is an art; one which requires patience and self control.
An operative running a whisper campaign must be able to sit on information for an indefinite period of time, using it when it becomes relevant to simply...present a line of questioning. To provide a "what if" situation & lead the mark to reach the desired conclusion on their own
If the operative pushes just a bit too hard, if the smear becomes personal, if the mark has been an ongoing source of difficulty, if the degree of honesty and openness btw friends has been underestimated....the operative invariably outs themselves.
So what can you do? Be honest. Be open. Welcome criticism. Talk to your peers. Ask questions. Be open to alternate points of view. Value your relationships enough to confront the person being smeared. Practice humanity and forgiveness.
And now, for no particular reason whatsoever, here's an article from 2013 about why Tories shouldn't do smear campaigns. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/here-s-why-tories-shouldn-t-do-smear-campaigns
Also, for no particular reason, here's a report from Media Matters about the smear campaigns launched against #OWS in 2011. https://www.mediamatters.org/occupy-wall-street/guide-smear-campaign-against-occupy-wall-street
Examples of infiltration ops: https://twitter.com/StBridgetAthena/status/1186399505748500481
Erik Prince and Project Veritas hiring ex-spies to infiltrate liberal groups. Like, I dunno, #Resist? Or, aNtIfA
? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/erik-prince-project-veritas.html
? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/erik-prince-project-veritas.html
None of this is new. These tactics have been around forever. What *is* new is how the internet and social media have increased the likelihood that we be exposed to ops like this.
We are dangerously unprepared for the manipulation we encounter online. But!
We are dangerously unprepared for the manipulation we encounter online. But!
We can learn.
This is not something that need cause paranoia. This is a call to do some reflection. Be honest with yourself, understand your motives, don’t compromise your values; that’s the best protection against those who would use you.
This is not something that need cause paranoia. This is a call to do some reflection. Be honest with yourself, understand your motives, don’t compromise your values; that’s the best protection against those who would use you.
