When I write here, I am talking to progressives. So I probably sound conservative, because I’m discussing the points I have disagreement with progressives about.
The real debate of course is with the right, and more with the people who are brainwashed by the propaganda machine, and also those who are legitimately conservative but just really don’t get how things affect people and what game is going on. But I can’t talk to those people here, so I wrote this piece on Medium:
medium.com/...
A family member said to me, well, DACA was illegal. It felt like a punch in the gut more than a discussion, because for me, this is not really a theoretical debate, because it is hurting and affecting actual people right now. So its not really at that level. But after a moment I wanted to answer at that level, and so I wrote this.
For one thing, if the executive order were illegal, it would be thrown out by a judge, that is how illegal is determined. The fact that several state governors declared their intention to sue does not make anything illegal.
That isn’t the main point though
I strongly believe based on my direct observation, that Fox news and Breitbart are engaged in systematic falsehoods, twisting of facts and race-baiting, in the service of generating hatred and promoting a kleptocracy. For instance, when a study was performed by a reputable group (The Zuckerberg Group) that showed that the vast majority of DACA recipients were gainfully employed, Brietbart quoted that study with a headline “Zuckerberg: 700K American Job Openings if DACA ends”. I am sure if the study had found low employment, they would have run a headline about how DACA recipients are all deadbeats. This tells me that they are not at all interested in the truth or objective reporting, but that they have an agenda to promote which is aimed at hate and denigrating a specific group.
Similar talking points promoted on social media can be traced to ‘trolls’ hired by the Kremlin; and when “people” post these points on Facebook, often the account is clearly fake (not having real friends). The same arguments that Fox News is putting out, are also being being posted by trolls paid by Putins government. To me that is some evidence for promoting a kleptocracy.
This is why, repeating the talking point of the law being ‘illegal’ triggered me. It is clear to me that these talking points are not based whatsoever in geniune concern for law, but are just tested and refined to convince people who do care about the law, that they are on the right side. They are extremely disingenuous in their supposed logic.
This by itself is disturbing, but it becomes more emotional when I meet the people who are afraid, angry, whose lives are disrupted and are afraid of further disruption. Also those who are lied to by ICE because there is no due process and no recourse, so there is impunity in how to treat them.
Words do matter, because they impact how people are treated, and I feel that the propaganda campaign on the right is really starting to impact people’s lives.”
I tagged it with ‘illegal aliens’ and ‘america’ to try to reach outside the progressive space. That might generate hateful comments — I changed ‘illegal aliens’ to just ‘illegal’, might change it back — but also maybe will reach some people who will think about what I’m saying.
What do other people do, to try to communicate with Fox news watchers? Sometimes I post comments there, but I can’t stomach doing that much.