Comment on Trump’s Social Media Surveillance: Social Scoring by Another Name
mspencer712@programming.dev 4 days agoNo I know you’re being genuine.
So this is going to sound really weird, because I think you’re talking about the experience of debating troll farm accounts - understandably really frustrating - but I’m talking about the people, the voters, the weird family members you can’t talk about politics with any longer. (I have some of those - they’re in rural Illinois while I’m in blue-dot Omaha, I love them very much, and I absolutely hate that we can’t talk politics any more.)
But I think you need to give them more sympathy. (The IRL humans, not the online trolls.) The worst of them grew up in a system where they only see minorities as risks, because (a) brains look for patterns, for free, factory firmware, and (b) they don’t realize evil people set things up long ago so that minorities had things on Hard Mode. And maybe © fighting against your factory defaults takes work and practice.
Like, because TLOU is back on TV I’ll share something uncomfortable. S01E03 was really uncomfortable for me to watch. I was a nerdy kid, teased for being gay in high school when I was not and am not gay. So I have some homophobia I haven’t gotten rid of yet. I’m trying. But I still look away whenever men kiss. My wife doesn’t love that part about me, but she still loves me.
Do you give up on me because my journey isn’t complete there? Am I to be hated because I look away, lumped in with the people who vote against gay rights? Clearly not. Mostly because I’m clearly making an effort.
Some people who voted for Trump don’t wear red hats. They were on the fence and they went one way and not the other. And I promise they’re not the people you’re tired of debating. They deserve your positive thoughts. Don’t let the troll farms steal those thoughts. Please.
Fingolfinz@lemmy.world 4 days ago
The people I’m referring to are fanily members and people who I thought was close to. The people I’m talking about are people like my mom. I don’t give a shit about strangers and wouldn’t base my experiences off those interactions
mspencer712@programming.dev 4 days ago
That’s got to be a nightmare. I’m really sorry to hear that, and I appreciate you sharing.
I can’t think of any ways to rephrase that, that don’t sound empty or performative. You sent my thoughts towards my own parents. I’m sorry for your pain.
Fingolfinz@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Thanks, I appreciate it and I do appreciate what you’re trying to say. I do believe that objectively you probably are more spot on and my experience is probably a bit wild subjectively and definitely not what a lot of people experience. It’s quite the duality to go through but I imagine it does cloud my judgement a bit towards others.
It’s also difficult for me to understand how people get brainwashed because I assume it just happens more with people with lower IQs. I’m saying this with as much modesty and self awareness as possible but it’s just difficult to ever put myself down on that level to understand how that stuff happens where so many people can get duped like that. That’s my own issue though and I could take more time and patience with some other people. Subjectively I’m just a bit fucked, hah. Apologies for being so combative about it and thanks for taking the time to make your points cos they are valid but I would say don’t underestimate cos some of them just have bad intentions and are shameless bastards.
mspencer712@programming.dev 3 days ago
No worries. I hope things get better.