5 ms·

This is like the Tea Party: there really is an authentic grassroots movement, AND it is being organized and promoted by a range of elite conservative institutio

This is like the Tea Party: there really is an authentic grassroots movement, AND it is being organized and promoted by a range of elite conservative institutions, including Fox News and the White House.

SlowRobotAhead 6y ago
Citation? I believe you of course. I just would like to see the evidence for all of this. Edit: no, apparently no citation is coming. Wild claims, no sources. Just blame Fox News the one mostly conservative outlet compared to the hundred counterparts like it’s still 2008
- millstone 6y ago
  The article gives examples of the President's tweets supporting the movement, and Fox News routinely airs positive coverage of the rallies. This WaPo article gives many more examples of ties between Facebook organizing groups and national organizations: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun-activists-using-facebook-groups-push-anti-quarantine-protests/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun... The protestor opinions is clearly in the minority. That said, protestors aren't being bussed in. People are choosing to show up to these rallies. The movement is authentic, it will get people killed, and that's why it needs to be grappled with. Dismissing it as inauthentic will get even more people killed.
- anigbrowl 6y ago
  Don't be a sealion. http://wondermark.com/1k62/ http://wondermark.com/1k62/
  - dpoochieni 6y ago
    Don't let a cartoon discourage you from probing further. Why limit yourself? I'm sure you are capable of curiosity
stale2002 6y ago
You have made a claim, without substantiating it. It should not surprise anyone that political organizers would organize multiple events at once. That's not a conspiracy. It is just standard political organization.
- ajross 6y ago
  It's astroturf, though. No one disputes that this is a coordinated national organization. That's the point. These aren't local protestors genuinely moved by local conditions and asking for local policy changes. They're following national orders.
  - stale2002 6y ago
    This is called political organization, in the same exact way that other protests across the country are political organization. Were you not aware that this is the case for most protests? Things like the women's march, or whatever, are also organized in a similar manner.
    - cycomanic 6y ago
      No, those organisations do not try to give the impression that they several unrelated local small grassroots organisations, which are in fact one big organisation creating lots of small entities, but this is what is happening here.
      - stale2002 6y ago
        Having a political organization run things in multiple places is normal, is what I am saying. There is nothing abnormal about an organization running political stuff in more than 1 place at once. In fact, I would question the competency of any political group or organization that isnt running their political organization in more than 1 place.
- codeka 6y ago
  It's fairly well-known that the Tea Party was basically funded by the Koch brothers, right? I assume you've read things like [1] which go fairly deep into how they funded and organized pretty much all the "grass roots" activities of the Tea Party Now, these "reopen" protests are basically the same. The sentiments of the people are real, but the funding and organizing are not "grass roots" by any normal definition of the word. For example, of the Michigan protests[2]: > The Michigan Freedom Fund, which said it was a co-host of the rally, has received more than $500,000 from the DeVos family, regular donors to rightwing groups. > The other host, the Michigan Conservative Coalition, was founded by Matt Maddock, now a Republican member of the state house of representatives. The MCC also operates under the name Michigan Trump Republicans, and in January held an event featuring several members of the Trump campaign. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/26/koch-brothers-americans-for-prosperity-rightwing-political-group https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/26/koch-brother... [2]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/18/coronavirus-americans-protest-stay-at-home https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/18/coronavirus-...
A4ET8a8uTh0 6y ago
This. I am certain there are well meaning individuals out there, who responded to the message for one reason or another. But it seems more and more like there is concerted effort to move it in a specific direction. I base it on Trump, Fox News and Patriot radio coverage.

SlowRobotAhead 6y ago

Citation? I believe you of course. I just would like to see the evidence for all of this. Edit: no, apparently no citation is coming. Wild claims, no sources. Just blame Fox News the one mostly conservative outlet compared to the hundred counterparts like it’s still 2008

millstone 6y ago
The article gives examples of the President's tweets supporting the movement, and Fox News routinely airs positive coverage of the rallies. This WaPo article gives many more examples of ties between Facebook organizing groups and national organizations: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun-activists-using-facebook-groups-push-anti-quarantine-protests/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun... The protestor opinions is clearly in the minority. That said, protestors aren't being bussed in. People are choosing to show up to these rallies. The movement is authentic, it will get people killed, and that's why it needs to be grappled with. Dismissing it as inauthentic will get even more people killed.
anigbrowl 6y ago
Don't be a sealion. http://wondermark.com/1k62/ http://wondermark.com/1k62/
- dpoochieni 6y ago
  Don't let a cartoon discourage you from probing further. Why limit yourself? I'm sure you are capable of curiosity

stale2002 6y ago

You have made a claim, without substantiating it. It should not surprise anyone that political organizers would organize multiple events at once. That's not a conspiracy. It is just standard political organization.

ajross 6y ago
It's astroturf, though. No one disputes that this is a coordinated national organization. That's the point. These aren't local protestors genuinely moved by local conditions and asking for local policy changes. They're following national orders.
- stale2002 6y ago
  This is called political organization, in the same exact way that other protests across the country are political organization. Were you not aware that this is the case for most protests? Things like the women's march, or whatever, are also organized in a similar manner.
  - cycomanic 6y ago
    No, those organisations do not try to give the impression that they several unrelated local small grassroots organisations, which are in fact one big organisation creating lots of small entities, but this is what is happening here.
    - stale2002 6y ago
      Having a political organization run things in multiple places is normal, is what I am saying. There is nothing abnormal about an organization running political stuff in more than 1 place at once. In fact, I would question the competency of any political group or organization that isnt running their political organization in more than 1 place.
codeka 6y ago
It's fairly well-known that the Tea Party was basically funded by the Koch brothers, right? I assume you've read things like [1] which go fairly deep into how they funded and organized pretty much all the "grass roots" activities of the Tea Party Now, these "reopen" protests are basically the same. The sentiments of the people are real, but the funding and organizing are not "grass roots" by any normal definition of the word. For example, of the Michigan protests[2]: > The Michigan Freedom Fund, which said it was a co-host of the rally, has received more than $500,000 from the DeVos family, regular donors to rightwing groups. > The other host, the Michigan Conservative Coalition, was founded by Matt Maddock, now a Republican member of the state house of representatives. The MCC also operates under the name Michigan Trump Republicans, and in January held an event featuring several members of the Trump campaign. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/26/koch-brothers-americans-for-prosperity-rightwing-political-group https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/26/koch-brother... [2]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/18/coronavirus-americans-protest-stay-at-home https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/18/coronavirus-...

A4ET8a8uTh0 6y ago

This. I am certain there are well meaning individuals out there, who responded to the message for one reason or another. But it seems more and more like there is concerted effort to move it in a specific direction. I base it on Trump, Fox News and Patriot radio coverage.