@feloneouscat The article says that the ADF has pushed all their chips into the middle of the table on a premise that is wrong one way or another. (Either she did make a site, and there were no repercussions as emphatically predicted. Or she didn't, and the entire thing is moot.)

When there are organisations running on platforms of discrimination, and they're finding their devil under every doily, it's crucial that they're exposed as bad-faith actors brazenly manipulating legal precedent.

Mental health tip: if you're intent on comparing yourself to your heroes, choose lower-quality heroes.

😃

@see_the_sus Yes, exactly!

"Check my privilege, you say? But the whole point of having it is so I never have to do that!"

Sigh.

I just saw a post on FB that said wishing people "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" isn't about being politically correct, it's about respect (because there are way more holidays than just Christmas).

Yeah...but...wait...that's what "politically correct" has always meant. It's always been about respect and sensitivity.

We're still playing this game?!

@CoyoteConscious Right, yes, I agree with you there -- I think some things are definitely easier than decision-makers let on.

(Paradoxically, I'm also convinced that denying positive action by saying "It's too complicated!" is another form of oversimplification! 😃)

I guess I'm just saying we need the appropriate level of simplicity and complexity.

@Wbtphdjd This is one very clear thread running through all of it.

Another is Christian nationalism (or Christian supremacy) which, by the way, neatly dismisses all non-republican Christians.

Only their (fluidly-defined) in-group matters to them; TFG regularly shone the brightest spotlight he could on that.

I want to add that these aren't the only principles in play among conservatives. But the others have been so swallowed up in their quest for dominance, any moral credibility is trashed.

It's dangerous to assume that anyone else's politics aren't principled. We need to examine what the principles are to be sure that we're making robust decisions, minimising unintended consequences.

It's also crucial for us each to recognise that we're susceptible to social pressure to align with some ideas in our in-group which don't perfectly fit our principles.

#Politics are big and complicated by design, and intention. We can't afford to oversimplify this; we've seen where that takes us.

I've started to see expressions like: "This isn't political. It's principle." This is naïve.

There are various levels at play. I'll name 3:
-Personal
-Principle
-Political

Personal includes the things we feel because they affect us directly.

Principle are the things we feel because they interact with a bigger-picture need or conviction we share with those affected personally.

Politics is how we enact our principles in public, from speech all the way up to laws and consequences.

#politics

@grayman Just extrapolating from the admittedly limited experience gleaned from our cat, this painting rather quickly would become an interactive exhibit.

@Wbtphdjd @catlynne333 We have lots of ways of determining misinformation. They boil down to further observation.

The real problem is that conservatives have made post-truth their whole brand, while hypocritically accusing everyone else of being post-truth.

They self-identify as the arbiters of objective truth, which means they take every difference of opinion as an existential threat. They use fear as their mobilising strategy, to great effect.

They are creating problems they can't solve.

Have you been a part of a thing that was stuck simply because no-one knew how to take initiative effectively?

Perhaps more importantly, have you ever been a part of a thing that solved this particular problem?

How?

Humans built these massive, global social-media networks where people can connect with each other to express and satisfy their boundless curiosity.

Wouldn't it be nice if it was actually being used that way?

@see_the_sus @Kaysymmetry Just a heads-up: The Beaverton is full-on satire.

@see_the_sus It's hard to take. When the core of the religion is about giving and loving and eradicating prejudice, to see it twisted in this way, on this scale, is profoundly disturbing.

@see_the_sus My parents are evangelical in Canada, and I see the same thing happening to them.

They're becoming increasingly radicalised, falling for every conspiracy including the current shenanigans around "parental rights."

It's bewildering to watch the people who raised me to be rational, empathetic and generous take this ride so eagerly.

@see_the_sus It's saturated with lies, and it's all bent toward animosity.

Social media and talk radio are the places where the influence is being felt the strongest, in my opinion. They're taking free speech for a joyride,.

The internet is full of stories of the people fleeing this crap -- the numbers are bearing it out. The church is shrinking and its broader influence is shrinking...but that is making who is left behind more concentrated, more desperate, and in control of the resources.

@see_the_sus A few notable examples aside, for the most part, pastors are not leading this surge. It's a grassroots movement that is circumventing all of the structures, conventions, and guardrails.

Research is pointing to an on-record, intentional rejection of Jesus Christ's teaching, while people continue to tenaciously grasp the label "Christian" in order to push for conservative extremism.

This phenomenon is spreading internationally.

It's truly a bizarre moment.

In the discipline of communication we've long recognised the more-or-less invisible power of the gatekeeper.

It is this recognition that gave rise to the pushback against the "elites" who are controlling elements in our lives.

However, a shift has happened. The gatekeepers are now digital algorithms which are fed intentions that serve corporate interests, not human/social ones.

Social media companies are increasingly anti-social. Too many folks have simply accepted this as the new normal.