Platner and The Purity Trap
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Platner and The Purity Trap
Feel like these last few days in Maine can be a teachable moment. What we are seeing play out is political information warfare that could be branded a "purity trap".
Purity trap tactics have their roots in the swift boating of John Kerry and the destruction of Al Franken. Purity traps were run effectively against 'Genocide' Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
So, let's talk about 'purity traps'...
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@mastodonmigration Thank-you! That is exactly what I have been saying. I’m a lifelong Democrat, not just because, but because I firmly believe that the Democratic Party is the best hope most Americans have at making a better life for themselves and everyone else. Will Rogers said it best in the 1930’s, “I’m not a member of any organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” His humorous quip there was poignant and somewhat holds true today, but I think in a different way. The 1930s Democratic coalition was much broader and less centralized. Today’s party tries to centralize things, like these ridiculous purity tests, but most Democrats bristle at that concept. We can be a big tent. We can disagree on certain things, so long as we keep our focus on the big picture. I’m not a Mainer, but I hope Platner beats the crap out of Susan Collins and her political machine.
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@mastodonmigration Thank-you! That is exactly what I have been saying. I’m a lifelong Democrat, not just because, but because I firmly believe that the Democratic Party is the best hope most Americans have at making a better life for themselves and everyone else. Will Rogers said it best in the 1930’s, “I’m not a member of any organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” His humorous quip there was poignant and somewhat holds true today, but I think in a different way. The 1930s Democratic coalition was much broader and less centralized. Today’s party tries to centralize things, like these ridiculous purity tests, but most Democrats bristle at that concept. We can be a big tent. We can disagree on certain things, so long as we keep our focus on the big picture. I’m not a Mainer, but I hope Platner beats the crap out of Susan Collins and her political machine.
Really appreciate your perspective. Had not thought about how corosive the chaotic fallout from purity tactics is to party identity and cohesion. Lots to unpack here.
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Really appreciate your perspective. Had not thought about how corosive the chaotic fallout from purity tactics is to party identity and cohesion. Lots to unpack here.
@mastodonmigration There is a lot to unpack. Republicans have a centralized structure, which focuses on whichever white, straight, rich, Christian man is in power. Democrats, traditionally, focused on what we have in common, things like a living wage, human rights, equal rights, peace, affordability. We used to accept the fact that we all didn’t think in lock step with each other, but accepted our differences as part of our diversity. In recent years, party leadership has tried to force us into a Republican model, whereby we all think the same way, use the same pronouns, embrace the same economic structures, etc. Purity tests are the result of that dogmatic crap. Let us, please, let people be people for who they are, where they are and focus on the most important task, which is evicting these fascist pigs from our existence.
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Platner and The Purity Trap
Feel like these last few days in Maine can be a teachable moment. What we are seeing play out is political information warfare that could be branded a "purity trap".
Purity trap tactics have their roots in the swift boating of John Kerry and the destruction of Al Franken. Purity traps were run effectively against 'Genocide' Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
So, let's talk about 'purity traps'...
1/
@mastodonmigration The Purity Trap is enabled primarily by the Purity Ponies, single-issue persons who will spend hours arguing with you that issue X totally disqualifies a politician. For example Kamala didn't come out immediately saying that Jews were Nazis exterminating Palestinians so that totally disqualified Kamala from being President. Despite the multitude of other reasons she would have been a better President than the orange underwear skidmark. #PurityPony #fail #politics
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@mastodonmigration That's an assertion without evidence. Joe had no intention of slowing down. We don't' know about Kamala. Regardless, voting for genocide is wrong. Voting for sexual abusers is wrong. Being unclear about who we are and what we represent destroys our movement. This can be seen in elections ever since Clinton in the 90s.
@reflex @mastodonmigration Demanding purity of any person in politics is essentially handing the election to an even worse opponent. Purity ponies elect tyrants. Purity ponies elected Donald J. Trump not once, but twice, by refusing to vote for candidates who were not pure and perfect. Uhm. They crucified the only perfect human being. Ain't been another one of them since. Just sayin'.
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Platner and The Purity Trap
Feel like these last few days in Maine can be a teachable moment. What we are seeing play out is political information warfare that could be branded a "purity trap".
Purity trap tactics have their roots in the swift boating of John Kerry and the destruction of Al Franken. Purity traps were run effectively against 'Genocide' Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
So, let's talk about 'purity traps'...
1/
This sounds made up ngl
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The intention here is not to render a determination on any of the cases, but rather to call out a specific type of deliberate political information operation tactic, so that we recognize it when we see it.
@mastodonmigration The intention here is to believe women and take their humanity as seriously as we take our own.
An 'op' that reveals true information about a person that reflects poorly on their comparison is an 'op' I do not care about, I care about the information, the person and their victims.
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@reflex @mastodonmigration Demanding purity of any person in politics is essentially handing the election to an even worse opponent. Purity ponies elect tyrants. Purity ponies elected Donald J. Trump not once, but twice, by refusing to vote for candidates who were not pure and perfect. Uhm. They crucified the only perfect human being. Ain't been another one of them since. Just sayin'.
@badtux @mastodonmigration If we vote in people who are a bit racist, sexist, transphobic, etc all we have accomplished is making our government more racist, sexist, transphobic, etc. To win elections.
In other words, we aren't actually the better alternative. We are conceding that sexism, racism, transphobia, etc are valid tactics to gain power. Just like the fascists.
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@mastodonmigration The intention here is to believe women and take their humanity as seriously as we take our own.
An 'op' that reveals true information about a person that reflects poorly on their comparison is an 'op' I do not care about, I care about the information, the person and their victims.
Understood. You think that the tactic is justified given the nature of the vulnerability.
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@FIAR_Light @mastodonmigration And then they blamed 'the left' for Kamala's loss. We told them what to do, we told them to end this genocide and US support for an Apartheid state. They refused and then blamed the consequences of that choice on the people with principles.
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Understood. You think that the tactic is justified given the nature of the vulnerability.
@mastodonmigration I think that women are fully human and their humanity is a baseline value that any party I support must uphold. This is especially true in an era where women's rights and autonomy are massively eroding.
You are complaining about the tactic and looking past the information because it is inconvenient to your political goals, and you are willing to sacrifice women to win elections.
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@badtux @mastodonmigration If we vote in people who are a bit racist, sexist, transphobic, etc all we have accomplished is making our government more racist, sexist, transphobic, etc. To win elections.
In other words, we aren't actually the better alternative. We are conceding that sexism, racism, transphobia, etc are valid tactics to gain power. Just like the fascists.
So would you hand power to the fascists who are much worse in every way, rather than compromise on these lofty principles? This is the essence of the purity trap.
Your arguments against voting for the flawed Democrat sound great, but there are only two choices.
So what are you advocating to do?
Vote for the fascist party? Or, not vote?
There are no other options.
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So would you hand power to the fascists who are much worse in every way, rather than compromise on these lofty principles? This is the essence of the purity trap.
Your arguments against voting for the flawed Democrat sound great, but there are only two choices.
So what are you advocating to do?
Vote for the fascist party? Or, not vote?
There are no other options.
@mastodonmigration @badtux Women being treated as human is a 'lofty principle' to you. Got it.
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@mastodonmigration @badtux Women being treated as human is a 'lofty principle' to you. Got it.
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@mastodonmigration @badtux Attempt to replace him. If we cannot, stop supporting him and focus our efforts elsewhere.
Supporting an abuser is always wrong.
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@mastodonmigration @badtux Attempt to replace him. If we cannot, stop supporting him and focus our efforts elsewhere.
Supporting an abuser is always wrong.
So, effectively not vote, and hand power to the fascist party.
Again, this is the essence of the purity trap.
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@mastodonmigration @badtux Do you understand how utterly offensive it is to keep labeling refusing to support abusers a 'purity trap'?
This shit is why we lose elections we should win. Nobody believes our rhetoric because we claim moral superiority and then abandon it the moment it *may* cost us an election.
If you don't live in Maine he isn't on your ticket. You have hundreds of important races across the country. You could focus on the ones not running abusers.
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@FIAR_Light @mastodonmigration And then they blamed 'the left' for Kamala's loss. We told them what to do, we told them to end this genocide and US support for an Apartheid state. They refused and then blamed the consequences of that choice on the people with principles.
@reflex @FIAR_Light @mastodonmigration IMO if both presidential candidates are genocidal, it's in everyone's interest to vote for the less genocidal candidate. It is disgusting, but also utterly true.
The same goes for sex pests, self-dealers, and all of it. You don't have to like it. None of us do.
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@reflex @FIAR_Light @mastodonmigration IMO if both presidential candidates are genocidal, it's in everyone's interest to vote for the less genocidal candidate. It is disgusting, but also utterly true.
The same goes for sex pests, self-dealers, and all of it. You don't have to like it. None of us do.
@liquor_american @FIAR_Light @mastodonmigration No change comes from this tactic, we just send the message that these things are okay and continue the slide to the right we've been in since Clinton.
And losing elections, we do a LOT of that. Nobody believes in us anymore.
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@mastodonmigration @badtux Do you understand how utterly offensive it is to keep labeling refusing to support abusers a 'purity trap'?
This shit is why we lose elections we should win. Nobody believes our rhetoric because we claim moral superiority and then abandon it the moment it *may* cost us an election.
If you don't live in Maine he isn't on your ticket. You have hundreds of important races across the country. You could focus on the ones not running abusers.
Unfortunately, every race matters and the Maine Senate race is absolutely crucial because control of the majority hangs in the balance. Harris losing the presidency certainly was a catastrophe. Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of just moving on when the choices are both bad. That's what politics almost always is. The least bad of two bad choices.
So choosing to move on, to not vote, is a choice. And one with consequences.
