propaganda - Politics - Sleepless Dystopian - dystopian cyberpunk writer2024-03-29T07:15:36Zhttps://sleeplessdystopian.com/politics/feed/tag/propagandaGaslighting the British Publichttps://sleeplessdystopian.com/politics/gaslighting-the-british-public2021-07-17T11:00:06.000Z2021-07-17T11:00:06.000Zi am Sam i amhttps://sleeplessdystopian.com/members/mentalistpoet<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9260736265?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>So, what is really going on right now? What is the truth? Whilst BoJo and his team of co-conspirators look to dismantle the NHS and crash it during a plague. As he and his cronies have said “let the bodies pile high” and then gaslight us with repeating failed concepts; experimenting with the immunity of the heard. Using a metaphor that leaves the British public framed as not just animals and beasts but ones that are tamed, controlled and devoured by their masters. It is clear they have one thing on their agenda: the economy.</p>
<p>For the economy read the bank balances of them and their buddies for which all us, as beasts, are expendable. And whilst his Virgin lobbyist 1%’ers dazzle and distract us by dancing around in space as they ripped new holes in the ozone, the truth goes unnoticed. As we paid for Branson and his cohorts to take their flights of fancy by the many tax avoidance schemes of the billionaire club, he lies to the poor children of the 99% remaining by saying that as a child he had a dream and made it happen so can they, no they can’t. Not with the systems in place today that keep even the basics you, Mr. Branson had in your middle-class upbringing out of reach and drive the gap between the 1% club and the rest of us by increasing the cost of living to further line your pockets. All the time you lobby parliament and government for more freedom for you and further erosion for the rest of us.</p>
<p>Friend of the people Branson himself did his best to bring the NHS to its knees when Virgin Care didn’t win a contract in surrey. No doubt some of that helped pay for his seat on his own spaceship. Of course, we do sympathise with a man worth an estimated £4billion when he needs a bailout for Virgin Atlantic amidst the greatest plague of our lives so far. But he had his priorities in order, of course, we peasant class can’t even fly off on holiday, his airline staff are no doubt lining up at food banks and definitely doesn’t objectify women to promote his brand and he rubs our faces in it with his galactic adventures. But this entrepreneurial environmentalist at least kept the emissions down to an estimated equivalent of 278 world citizens for those wonderful three minutes of weightlessness. With his chums' <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2021/07/12/space-flight-for-fun-billionaire-egotism-trumps-sustainability/?sh=4a80bde859cb" target="_blank">Musk and Bezos’s looking forward to joining the 50-mile, altitude above earth, high club</a>. </p>
<p>All of this plays into BoJo’s agenda of course; distract the public by real-life Tony Stark like characters flying to outer space, on a ship the 99% will never see the inside of, on money stolen from the British taxpayer as they remind the heard of their place by rubbing their noses in it. But of course, we should be thankful for all of the entertainment it gives us along the way.</p>
<p>All of this pays into BoJo’s agenda of distraction, focus on the economy over public health or safety and reminding people that anyone can get to where Branson is if only, they work hard enough; only they can’t.</p>
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<p>Meanwhile down on earth, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/boris-johnson-minister-of-chaos/619010/" target="_blank">the minister of chaos</a> decides to throw caution, and some say his former health sectary, NHS, and the British public, to the wind. Or is it under the bus? For the sake of the economy.</p>
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<p>As he scratches around desperately trying to make Brexit work by trampling all over our privacy rights in the rush to join the Comprehensive and Progress Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GQJVChsk0vM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>And at the same time, living in fear of the online activists and street protesters he wants to suppress your voice to complain about it with the <a href="https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/access-denied-service-blocking-in-the-online-safety-bill/" target="_blank">Online Safety Bill,</a> <a href="https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-stop-digital-police-state" target="_blank">The Digital Police State</a> and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/policing-bill-protest-laws-kill-vote-b1878417.html" target="_blank">removing your right to protest.</a></p>
<p>Clearly, BoJo and his clowns fear the power of the public. They have seen the great work achieved by activists online and off, with generating media attention for their causes. Even the ridiculous attempts by the police to label Extinction Rebellions and Black Lives Matter as extremist organisations, because of how impactful they are let’s face it, have only helped to swell support for these causes. So now, under the guise of protecting the public AKA big business and the economy, the draconian laws are being put through parliament.</p>
<p>At the same time BoJo and his chums, all of which got rich off both the pandemic and the fallout from Brexit, decide to experiment with the lives of the British public by lifting all restrictions on Monday. Of course, we should not forget that he is banking on “the common sense and decency of the British people” a great example of this we saw at the riots before the Euro 2021 final in London, the crowded facemask-less masses of social distancing conscience white men hugging strangers after each goal and the lovely comments of support our black footballers got from the racist faceless cowards online.</p>
<p>But it is ok, despite BoJo disparaging footballers for taking the knee and getting into politics, he does think the social media companies should do something about the racist abuse. Not the Government of course they only have the power to prosecute where are the social media companies have the power to suppress and delete comments, that is much more important. The fact that these young black footballers have done more for society and to feed children than he and his government has ever done and the fact they had to step in when the government wouldn’t he doesn’t think they should play politics. Even despite describing them as the very best of the British public.</p>
<p>BoJo does at least give straight answers to questions from the public and media during news conferences and during PM question time and in no way ignores the questions, deflects, and gaslights that wonderful British public he so loves and cherishes.</p>
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<p>If you note a change of tone on this article this is part of a bid to use the things that AI bots and algorithms can’t understand to prevent suppression in search engine rankings and of social posts. Using satire, sarcasm, metaphors, and similes apparently confuses them. So, let’s disrupt these digital architectures of control and chaos and get our messages heard.</p>
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<p> </p></div>Tackling Information Operations, Propaganda and Dark Advertising: It’s not all Fake Newshttps://sleeplessdystopian.com/politics/tackling-information-operations-propaganda-and-dark-advertising-i2019-06-23T15:21:03.000Z2019-06-23T15:21:03.000Zi am Sam i amhttps://sleeplessdystopian.com/members/mentalistpoet<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3076269959?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><strong>It's all fake news anyway!</strong> </p>
<p>Fake news is in the news. It's been headline activity ever since Trump helped propagate it within his ongoing media ramblings. Used now by him and his entourage of bewildered future inmates, it has become a distraction technique during and after his presidential campaign. He has now successfully driven the narrative to be able to deflect anything that is said negatively about him, even by his beloved Fox News, as a five-year-old in a supermarket meltdown. </p>
<p>Ask him about his taxes, and he deflects. Ask him how half of his campaign staff have now ended up in jail or anything else that does not put him in a good light and he will denounce it as fake news in a game of "I know you are but what am I?" </p>
<p>In fact, ""fake news"" has now become a catchall statement for anyone who doesn't know what they are talking about or can't counterargue with points to use when they do not like something or when a news report does not support their particular standpoint. It's far easier to label something as false news than do the research and take a reasoned articulated approach with righteous and pompous indignation. To add to this dilemma is that there has been a noticeable and significant increase in false news sites and a need for fact-checking both news stories and politicians' statements. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, we do not have a political standards agency as we do for advertising that can hold politicians accountable for the lies they tell. </p>
<p>You could refer to this post as fake news if you don't like its content, and who knows it might even be. </p>
<p><strong>It's not just about fake news</strong><strong>: Information Operations.</strong> </p>
<p>The issue is that focusing on ""fake news"" alone distracts from the broader narratives propagated by Information Operations around the world. Yes, it is an issue, and it has been used by many "bad actors"" to make false claims, promote agendas and distract from the truth. Some of these by "rogue states" or as acts of cyber warfare, but only going after and chasing "fake news" misses out the tackling of content, narratives and whilst not necessarily fake promote disruptive agendas. </p>
<p>Content does not necessarily have to be fake to be used by Information Operations. Often it can be opinion pieces or advertising that doesn't make any statements that could be labelled as true or false but could be of one political bias or a propagandist nature. </p>
<p>It can also be in the form of curating legitimate content from trusted sources to promote a specific narrative. The new <a href="https://demos.co.uk/project/warring-songs-information-operations-in-the-digital-age/" target="_blank">Demos report "Warring Songs: Information Operations in the Digital Age"</a> goes into detail about the definition of Information Operations and some of the tactics they use. It looks at how we might tackle these techniques and tactics but first suggests we need to push past the narrative of only focusing on fake news. We will be expanding on this report later, but it is certainly worth a read. </p>
<p><strong>Dark Advertising </strong> </p>
<p>Together with fake news and information operations, we would do well to consider dark advertising. Not only from these ""bad actors"" and Strategic Information Operations but also media, big business, academia and politics. </p>
<p>Dark Advertising, as it sounds, is the areas of digital, or direct, advertising that is incredibly manipulative by its nature. It is usually targeted at the vulnerable and more impoverished population. </p>
<p>In her book Weapons of Math Destruction, Cathy O'Neill'Neill describes dark advertising as "ads that pinpoint people in great need and sell them false or overpriced promises. They find inequality and feast on it."" She goes on to state ""Anywhere you see a great need and ignorance you'll likely to see predatory ads."" O'Neill is here talking primarily about academic advertising by both for-profit and not-for-profit colleges that encourage vulnerable people to sign up to massive student loans under the guise of ''picking themselves up out of their current socio-economic situation by gaining a degree etc.'' </p>
<p>What's wrong with that you may ask? Well, it's's the targeting of people who are ''isolated'', ''stuck'', ''of low self-esteem'', ''pregnant ladies'', ''mothers on welfare'' people in ''low-income jobs'', ''recently experienced a death'', ''have been physically or mentally abused'' the list goes on. </p>
<p>Let me just reiterate here, what she is describing is a so-called ''Academic Institution'' targeting people, vulnerable people, when they are at their most vulnerable because they know they are more likely to make emotionally based decisions. </p>
<p>If this is what the education industry is doing, we can only imagine the length that Information Operations, politics and big business are going to, we only have to look at Cambridge Analytica for some insight to this. </p>
<p><strong>What about </strong><strong>legislation</strong><strong>?</strong> </p>
<p>If we think our governments are going to step in and put down legislation that protects the average voter and consumer, to protect the vulnerable, just consider the fact that the previously mention Demos report states that of the 39 Information Operations they analysed 34 were aligned with a government of which 24 focused on internal audiences, that is audiences within their own country. </p>
<p>We have to question that when governments, like the UK, have plans to address ""online harms"" what they define as ""harm"" and the impacts this has on freedoms of expression and free speech. We have to question do they purely focus on the online bully, fake news, fraud, terrorism and so on or do they also tackle Information Operations and dark advertising, do they include themselves, their behavioural insights team and their political campaigns within these plans. </p>
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<p>If fake news has done anything positive it has at least but people's minds to question some of what they read and hear. Moving people on from here to critical thinking and analysis is surely the next, very challenging, step. </p>
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