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What exactly is the definition of astroturfed? If it implies spending lots of money then is there evidence of that here? A few Facebook groups (free) and a few
by homieg33 6y ago
What exactly is the definition of astroturfed? If it implies spending lots of money then is there evidence of that here? A few Facebook groups (free) and a few hundred dollars in domain registrations and hosting. Are these protesters being bused to rallies? What would a true grassroots movement look like these days?
- coolgeek 6y agoFirst off, grassroots vs astroturf describes a spectrum, rather than a binary or dichotomy. Astroturf implies control and/or financing by an organization. That organization might pay participants (Brooks Brothers Riot) or pay for advertising to generate support from those who would otherwise be apathetic. It is said that the Tea Party started out as grassroots, but was coopted and turned into an astroturf operation. OTOH, Occupy Wall Street rejected any kind of centralization and can thus be described as almost purely grassroots. Astroturfers often have additional, hidden goals that may be misaligned with those of the supporters that they have attracted.
- jml7c5 6y ago"Astroturf" means "appears grassroots, but isn't". It only implies deception. The amount of money spent or the scale of the operation is not that relevant.