Who are we reaching?

 I have given this some thought. And have come to no definitive conclusions.

I applaud Germaine for his tenacity, I really do. He even took his crusade over to BNR. That is COMMITMENT.

But who are we reaching? It's the same with just about any online debate site. No debate is happening.

Everyone is in their own camp and happy to defend their camp. So when we make an effort to reach those stuck on the other side, we get the usual tripe and name-calling and put-downs.

Then there is the media. Page after page after page of focusing on ONE story. Typically with a partisan slant. As if there are NO other news stories to focus on other than Renee Nicole Good.

AND depending on which political forum you go to, you will either hear that ICE are Gestapo, or that Good was a radical Liberal out to run over a cop. AND the media coverage is seldom any better.

So, I got to wondering, what is the answer? My own opinion is less hyperbole, more actual news that helps paint a picture. 

Example:

Oceans shattered heat records in 2025

Most countries today torture people. Torture is not an “aberration” of “a few bad actors.” It’s an habitual practice in many nations — including the United States.

Ohio appeals court quashes overly broad ruling used to strike down abortion law

China, Russia and Iran join South Africa for naval drills as tensions run high

But all we hear about is Fascism and Radical Leftists. Trump this, Trump that. 

Yet, there is no getting away from Trump this, Trump that, because he IS THE NEWS.

But if people on debate forums, on social media, are unreachable, why not give them OTHER stories to debate on?

Here is why not: Because WE, and THEY, don't care. We want to know the latest twist and turn in the Renee Nicole Good story. It's like the latest episode of The Young and The Restless. 

I could do an experiment, and may actually attempt it, where I post stories here that have nothing to do with the Threat to Democracy, or with Trump (at least not directly) or the latest twist in the Renee Nicole Good story and see if it flies.

Because who is really going to participate in conversations about oceans warming, torture still being practiced, abortion laws in Ohio, or naval drills in South Africa??? 

Research paper: Misinformation and the epistemic integrity of democracy

“I’ve won two Elections, the second far bigger than the first (it was Rigged!)” — Trump, 22 May 2023

“Despite having lost, the Defendant was determined to remain in power. … the Defendant spread lies that there had been … fraud in the election and that he had actually won. These claims were false, and the Defendant knew that they were false. But the Defendant … disseminated them anyway. — Federal indictment of Trump, 1 August 2023

In response to my various queries about democracy or demagoguery, Pxy cites this 2024 research paper fairly often. 

The paper is by researchers trying to better understand how widespread misinformation campaigns and tactics undermine democracy in two major ways. One is by attacking confidence in democratic processes, especially elections. The other is by spreading false information that prevents or degrades evidence-based policymaking on issues like climate change and public health. The paper comments:

Democracy relies on a shared body of knowledge among citizens, for example trust in elections and reliable knowledge to inform policy-relevant debate. We review the evidence for widespread disinformation campaigns that are undermining this shared knowledge. We establish a common pattern by which science and scientists are discredited and how the most recent frontier in those attacks involves researchers in misinformation itself. We list several ways in which psychology can contribute to countermeasures.

Citizens must know that power will be transferred peacefully if an incumbent is voted out of office. The facts that 28% of American conservatives do not support a peaceful transfer of power, and that more than half of Republican voters continue to question the legitimacy of President Biden’s electoral win in 2020, must therefore cause concern. A CNN poll in August 2023 found that 69% of Republicans questioned the legitimacy of President Biden’s electoral win, with more than half of those (57%) believing that there was solid evidence for their view.

MAGA's authoritarian agenda relies heavily on demagoguery, lies, slanders, irrational emotional manipulation, scapegoating, etc. Most of the MAGA rank and file continue to support radical right authoritarianism, but at the same time believe they are supporting the opposite (democracy, rule of law, civil liberties, etc.). People familiar with this blog are aware of all of that. 

The paper points out that disinformation about climate change is well-known. It is strategically disseminated to the public through well-funded special interest and authoritarian networks. The fossil fuel industry provides donations to members of Congress in direct proportion to their propensity to vote against environmental policies. The evidence indicates that the global warming disinformation campaign has been successful. One analysis shows that major US news reporting and presidential speeches have become more similar to the outputs of warming skeptical organizations from the 1990s to 2010s. At the least, disinformation undermines the public’s knowledge and reduces acceptance of the reality of climate change. Worse yet, misinformation cancels out most the impact of accurate information among some people.

MAGA demagoguery includes attacks on scientists studying climate, COVID-19, and misinformation itself. They face organized harassment including death threats, frivolous legal complaints, and demands for emails and documents. In 2023, MAGA representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) launched investigations targeting misinformation researchers, demanding records and communications in what researchers describe as an attempt to suppress their work ahead of the 2024 election.

Clearly, unspun truth is the enemy of MAGA authoritarianism. That is the same for all other kinds of authoritarianism. Inconvenient truth is inherently anti-authoritarian.

MAGA demagoguery

Alligators can fly!

Blog note: Posting at BNR

Given the fall-off in activity here, I've started posting at BNR. I'll probably restart posting here in a few days. 

Thoughts about politics and failure

A NYT sports article (not paywalled) focused on a commencement speech that retired tennis great Roger Federer gave at Dartmouth in 2024. He focused on his failures and how he dealt with them.

Federer:  “Now, I have a question for you. What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches? . . . . . . Only 54 percent. When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot. You teach yourself to think, ‘OK, I double-faulted. It’s only a point.’ When you’re playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world, and it is. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point and the next point after that, with intensity, clarity and focus. .... You can work harder than you thought possible and still lose. Perfection is impossible. Negative energy is wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. .... Effortless is a myth. It’s not about having a gift. It’s about having grit.”

Why did that resonate? It feels like that can translate to politics. 

One can treat political disagreements as a marathon of “points”, to keep focus on the  what’s next. Instead of fixating on losses and spending negative energy, one can maintain clarity for continuing efforts. That helps maintain resistance against aggressive authoritarian backsliding and democracy defender burnout.