Now, I know, many users are abusive. I'm not saying to engage with these users, but what I am saying is to know your enemy, to infiltrate the ranks, to create discussion.
I've been 100% focused on the propaganda efforts of the UCP in particular (but really these expand to the federal level too) because as was last discussed in my post 'What Jason Kenney and the UCP fear most' it is the weakest point of attack. Counter the propaganda and the entire ruse falls to shreds and alternatively, without countering the propaganda policy will be enacted without a care in the world because the goal of the UCP caucus isn't to be popular, or to be liked, but rather to help the banks.
This approach can not be taken from your point of view, you're not going to convince anybody with your point of view. Your counter points need to be their point of view, to poke holes in the propaganda using their own words and actions and to do this you need to know your enemy.
Go look at the comments to any of Keean Bexte's posts, what do you see? It's a majority positive commentary. I can tell you this, the folks commenting on those posts are reading entirely different news, watching entirely different videos, and are effectively living in an entirely different world, than you are. If you're one of the unfortunate souls that's been fooled by this shill piece of shit then the above is true, but for you from the opposite point of view. "Liberal bias", or whatever.
Closing yourself off from them, and promoting everyone close themselves off from them simply makes this situation worse. They may be diminished in influence for you, but within the ever growing echo chamber their perception is the influence is only growing. Especially if there are no opposing voices. If everyone is in full agreement of the nonsense, the confidence of this nonsense only grows. You're just not noticing that anymore.
If peace of political mind is all you want, then cool, but if you're looking to provoke discussion and change minds, it's far more effective to do it from the trenches. Without a counter point it's just a jumble of confirmation bias. Why do you think the propaganda centre has disabled comments, feedback, everything? Propaganda is more effective in unthinking echo chambers than it is when it's directly opposed.
And it is propaganda.
You all remember the IDU from Alberta's Great Panderer, right? It's interesting isn't it that O'Toole just the other day repeated the exact same messaging, of Jason Kenney, along with basically everything "right wing". Such as the various "Actions" "Prouds" and yadda yadda, all linked through the Manning Centre, and IDU.Here's the guy from 'Canada Proud' at Harper's ugly IDU.— FranklyMyDear (@MrDash109) January 16, 2020
'Canada Proud's Jeff Ballingall joins O'Toole leadership team'
Where everybody has more long guns than friends.#cdnpoli https://t.co/qzBjtx15Hc pic.twitter.com/J41WsSpyjR
This is a coordinated campaign, make no mistake. From Hammish Marshall and the Rebel, the Astroturfs, right to the CPC, Jason Kenney, Doug Ford and our propaganda centre. Efforts with this much pull behind them aren't going to be diminished, it's just 1 more voice of opposition lost.Not freezing in the dark tonight?— Erin O'Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) January 16, 2020
Thank a Canadian energy worker 🇨🇦 #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/huzBHcACq7
Go watch the Rebel's election coverage, seriously, sit through the whole thing (as difficult as that is because it's absolutely fucking stupid. I can't believe people would willingly choose this as their preferred election coverage). Put yourself in a real viewers' shoes. See what they're seeing because they're seeing it ALL the time.
Take notice of the complete lack of any opposing or balanced viewpoint, there is no debate, there is no critical thought, there is nothing but ridiculous stupid banter. One of my favorite moments is when Ezra Levant explains how parliamentary democracy voting works in that it's divided into seats and MPs need to have confidence of the house to form government as "we have an electoral college of sorts". In fact comparisons to the U.S. system of governance were abound. This is what you're up against, and there are no counterpoints in that sphere, none.
This isn't to say various mainstream news outlets may not be "biased", of course the media is owned by the money powers and are pushing an agenda. But there's discussion, opposing viewpoints (even if controlled opposition), it exercises thought to some degree. Not so with the increasingly isolated alternative reality being created for the UCP types. Attempting to diminish voices like those will have the inverse effect, not the desired effect, it makes the echo chamber louder for all those within it and the louder and more confident this echo chamber grows the less receptive to any information not coming from the cult leaders they will be.
You can see this already, often in discussions my sources will be written off as "liberal biased" because it's published by CBC or something. This has been consistent messaging. There's #defundcbc, etc. All of these efforts remove counterpoints. The less counterpoints, the more open air their lies have to fester.
From what I observe, left or right, most people just want things to be ok. I find the differences occur when specific problems are identified, or focused upon, that has a negative effect in another part of the broken system, which then effects someone else, and so on.
As an example lets look at a recent tweet by Bridget Casey on the $25 / day daycare pilot project that was cancelled by the UCP, which drew a good amount of attention:
Of course I support this initiative, but ultimately it's just a patch for a broken system. Why is daycare increasingly un-affordable in the first place? The counterpoint to her tweet was largely that these people feel they shouldn't have to pay taxes for other people's childcare, which again skirts the real issue in that childcare is increasingly un-affordable. That is the problem to solve, which really extends into.. why is everything becoming so expensive?the wage gap in Alberta is approx 65% (as in, women earn $0.65 to every $1 a man earns). It's the worst in Canada.— Bridget Casey (@BridgieCasey) January 16, 2020
This means failing to appropriately tax the highest income earners is simply a case of subsidizing men's careers.
It's the same thing with the wage gap, of course yes it is specifically a problem, but it's a problem within a much larger set of problems. Problems that extend into wage stagnation and the upper echelon taking all the gains. In short, we're all getting fucked.
For those worried about taxes or debt, I have news for you: all currency is debt. All of it is loaned into existence, at interest, and there is never enough currency in existence to pay the debt. Every government is in debt, and the only way Alberta could fake getting out of debt was with a massive price run up in oil fuelling an oil boom combined with devastating cuts to services. And it instantly fell right back in.
Long time readers of this blog will know I post the above video a lot, but if you're new please do give it a watch particularly if you're not aware how currency is actually created. It focuses on the US system, but every modern currency system works the same way and analyzing issues I find is difficult without this fundamental understanding. It is this understanding that bridges the gaps between the sides, for the problem is actually the same problem which if it didn't exist as it does now would result in an entirely different structure and level of wealth for society. If there is anything to know about how the system really works, it's this.
Understand it is literally impossible, in a debt based infinite exponential growth monetary paradigm, to ever pay off the debt. Ever increasing levels of debt is baked into the system and the slow degradation of the public good is assured. Conservatives are absolutely correct in that there should be no debt, they are absolutely right to be furious it exists, but they are fooled into believing that cutting services for the public good can ever achieve it. Their good intention is turned against them, and it's turned against us. They're not seeing the full picture, they just see the portion they're looking at. As is the case with most left and right disagreements in the organization of society. Things would probably be a lot less tense if we weren't being looted on a massive scale.
The interesting thing about Alberta is that while it's never been more divided, the divisions have never been closer together.
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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink
Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.
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