Thread by @Teri_Kanefield, (Thread) Nov 3: What might go wrong? Part IIIPart I is here: [...]

(Thread) Nov 3: What might go wrong? Part III

Part I is here: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1299769221329555456

Part">https://twitter.com/Teri_Kane... II is here: https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1299832936125014016

We’re">https://twitter.com/Teri_Kane... up to #6: Trump will attempt to delegitimize the election.

https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1299769221329555456

1/ This can only work if the election is close or if Trump creates so much chaos that most Americans lose confidence in the process.

@selectedwisdom explains that a goal of active measures is to “undermine democracy, to make Americans lose confidence in democratic institutions.”

2/ Link for @selectedwisdom’s quotation:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/russia-hacked-u-s-minds-and-undermined-democracy-author-says

When">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/... enough people lose confidence in democratic processes, it’s all over. That’s why Trump is trying so hard to get you to lose confidence.

Russia hacked U.S. minds and undermined democracy, author says

“Russian trolls were different from normal trolls,” says Clint Watts, a former U.S. government intelligence analyst who observed how Russia deployed a campaign of disinformation to discredit Hillary...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/russia-hacked-u-s-minds-and-undermined-democracy-author-says

3/ On the bright side, the polls right now are not indicating a close race. (That could change and bring us to my #1 worry, here:
https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1299769478155087872)">https://twitter.com/Teri_Kane...

Make sure the election will not be close by getting busy. see my To Do List here: https://terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/ ">https://terikanefield-blog.com/things-to...

https://twitter.com/Teri_Kanefield/status/1299769478155087872

4/ Elections are conducted and monitored locally, and results are certified by Secretaries of State. Once states totaling 270 electoral votes for Biden certify their results, Biden is the president-elect.

Now, notice the synergy between the 6 things we have to worry about:

5/ When Trump critics buy into the Strongman Con, they spread the word that OMG Trump and Putin can easily steal this election, which helps Trump delegitimize the election.

When this happens, Trump critics think their vote won& #39;t count, so they don& #39;t vote, and Trump wins.

6/ And yes, if you go around telling people that Trump has the election fixed and there’s nothing we can do because he and Putin can flip millions of votes and nobody will know YOU WILL DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM VOTING.

Sorry for the all caps

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😉" title="Zwinkerndes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Zwinkerndes Gesicht">

I don& #39;t yell often.

7/ There are vulnerable communities that remember when they were kept from the polls. Tell them their votes won’t count and many will believe you.

There is a fine line between healthy concern that motivates people to get involved, and despair-mongering that makes people give up.

8/ The problem with catastrophizing is if you’re spending your time worrying about unlikely worst-case scenarios, you can& #39;t solve the very real problems we have in front of us.

If we’re not solving the real problems we know about, they won’t get solved and Trump will win.

9/ So stay out of what-if rabbit holes.

Here’s how to tell if you’re being led down a rabbit hole. An argument looks like this:

First, X might happen. Then Y could happen. If both of these things happen, we could see B, and then PRESTO: Trump steals the election!

10/ See the problem? Speculation piled on hypotheticals removes us from what is actually happening. Stay grounded.

Going down rabbit holes dovetails with Firehose of Falsehoods because when dealing with compound hypotheticals, you’ve left the world of facts.

11/ Remember: The antidote to fascism is to stay anchored in truth and reality.

I made a webpage called “November 3: What Can Go Wrong," here: https://terikanefield-blog.com/nov-3-what-might-go-wrong/

I">https://terikanefield-blog.com/nov-3-wha... included the 6 real problems we are likely to face in the next few months that I covered in these 3 threads.

NOV. 3: WHAT MIGHT GO WRONG? - Musing about law, books, and politics

. . . and WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT Preliminary matter: Yes, Trump can win if he persuades a majority of voters to vote for him (or comes within 3 points of the winner and secures an electoral college...

https://terikanefield-blog.com/nov-3-what-might-go-wrong/

12/ I made a separate page for the unlikely, catastrophizing questions that I get regularly.

Here it is, with explanations about why these are unlikely: https://terikanefield-blog.com/faq/

Asking">https://terikanefield-blog.com/faq/"... me catastrophizing questions wears me out and makes me testy.

I’m not nice when I’m testy.

FAQs - Musing about law, books, and politics

I often get questions phrased as a panicked comment predicting an unlikely doomsday event that would require a string of unlikely occurrences. I am not going to take the time to explain why each and...

https://terikanefield-blog.com/faq/

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