Create a Shield Then Share It
Shields Will Crumple Forked Tongues
We all know there are things missing from Republicans: integrity, courage, compassion, common sense, and empathy. There’s another component Republicans often turn away from and that is the truth.
There is only one definition for truth used by anyone in the Republican party. When a Republican speaks of truth, they are indicating a piece of information which, when viewed in a certain light, can be used against Democrats by changing the framing. Those Republicans in public office are masters at this game. In case you haven’t figured it out, it is their favorite method of presenting a lie. Twisting or misusing the truth.
Case in point. Trump and his lackeys are trying desperately to flood major cities with a military presence. They know that in order to make this palatable to Republicans across the country, they have to demonstrate that this kind of escalated law enforcement, whether legal or not, is necessary to “protect” fellow Americans. Portland, OR, is a current target for deployment. To qualify Portland as a city in need of military intervention photos from the GOP have been circulating on social media depicting a line of riot prepared police facing a line of protesters with flares.
Surprise! Both pictures were taken from the archives. At least one depicts events that occurred in 2008. And both pictures were taken on foreign soil. You can easily tell that one of the pictures is being misused since the police shield is emblazoned with “policia”, not an American term.
There are multiple other examples. A photo put out on June 8 supposedly shows a Los Angeles police car fully engulfed in flames. The photo is actually showing a 2020 event taken during George Floyd protests.
Buckle up. As Trump forges further and further into the Project 2025 playbook imposing more and more direct fascist elements on Americans, this type of propaganda will increase. There will be more of it, circulated more widely, and created to be progressively more incendiary.
Rebuttal is becoming increasingly consequential in the battle for America’s true knowledge. Not just rebuttal but immediate, sourced, and validated rebuttal. Propaganda is rarely attributed to a respected source. As counterclaims are created and launched, it is crucial that there be a way for the man on the street reading social media posts on a break, can immediately tell it is valid information. Validity should be produced by giving sources, the time period it occurred, to whom, where. Information that can be verified is the key.
Whether you are out in the street fighting the good fight or you never leave your computer keyboard, you can be part of this non-violent militancy.
Be sure to verify information taken from social media before sharing. Find the original source and cite it when you share. Add some sort of information not originally included like the location or time frame.
When you encounter inaccurate information being used as propaganda, do not repost it even to give a rebuttal. Many social media “readers” actually read nothing hence visuals like headlines or photos stick with them. Don’t multiply their presence online.
Inform others how to spot propaganda. Have some quick examples to show the difference between a propaganda post and a fact laden post.
Create a file of facts even if not currently being discussed in the media. Quick response is going to be crucial in this escalating onslaught. Being able to produce the truth to counter statements, news clips, photos, comments, examples, or general posts is the strongest way to beat down the propaganda. And it has to be timely.
Make yourself the go-to person among friends, family, and co-workers for validation of information. If you cannot validate or counter a piece of information, be honest. Say that you can’t validate it one way or the other, so you view it as suspicious.
This prong of the campaign to save democracy will become more and more indispensable as Republicans, especially those in the administrative arena, spew more and more cagey information to justify actions. Information will begin to flood the media from all angles of the administration. It will take all of us pushing back and denouncing this information with authenticity to even hold back the flow much less gain a foothold. The mainstream media is complicit in sharing misinformation because misinformation is usually inflammatory and that brings ratings.
Focus. Start building your truth portfolio and don’t be afraid to trot it out. Just getting angry at information you know to be false is not enough. Prove it on the public stage. Consider yourselves the legitimacy legion.