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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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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Purity Trap (cont)
A 'purity trap' can be defined as a deliberate, concerted and sustained effort by the opposition utilizing the media to amplify and characterize some political vulnerability as absolutely disqualifying.
The goal of a purity trap is to shift focus entirely from all other issues such that the subject vulnerability becomes dispositive.
This is done through blanketed coverage and repetition.
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Purity Trap (cont)
A 'purity trap' can be defined as a deliberate, concerted and sustained effort by the opposition utilizing the media to amplify and characterize some political vulnerability as absolutely disqualifying.
The goal of a purity trap is to shift focus entirely from all other issues such that the subject vulnerability becomes dispositive.
This is done through blanketed coverage and repetition.
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Purity Trap (cont)
It is important to point out that the subject vulnerability can be either real or made up. It can be a kernel of truth and exaggerated, or it can actually be something truly awful. Most often there is at least some truth.
The term 'purity' here simply relates to establishing the subject vulnerability in the target's minds as politically disqualifying.
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Purity Trap (cont)
It is important to point out that the subject vulnerability can be either real or made up. It can be a kernel of truth and exaggerated, or it can actually be something truly awful. Most often there is at least some truth.
The term 'purity' here simply relates to establishing the subject vulnerability in the target's minds as politically disqualifying.
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Purity Trap (cont)
Once the purity trap has been established, nothing else matters for those who have been successfully captured. For instance, it does not matter that the people in Gaza would be much worse off under a GOP administration, Biden's support for Israel was disqualifying.
Once a purity trap has been sprung you will hear statements like, "I could never vote for..." said person.
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Purity Trap (cont)
Once the purity trap has been established, nothing else matters for those who have been successfully captured. For instance, it does not matter that the people in Gaza would be much worse off under a GOP administration, Biden's support for Israel was disqualifying.
Once a purity trap has been sprung you will hear statements like, "I could never vote for..." said person.
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Purity Trap (cont)
Purity traps don't work on GOP candidates. GOP voters are much more inclined to ignore such vulnerabilities in the interest of winning party power. Also, purity traps utilize control of the media and the GOP billionaires control the media.
Democrats are more susceptible because they inherently believe their leaders must be good people too. It is much easier to convince Democratic voters their candidate is disqualified, even if the opposition is much worse.
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Purity Trap (cont)
Purity traps don't work on GOP candidates. GOP voters are much more inclined to ignore such vulnerabilities in the interest of winning party power. Also, purity traps utilize control of the media and the GOP billionaires control the media.
Democrats are more susceptible because they inherently believe their leaders must be good people too. It is much easier to convince Democratic voters their candidate is disqualified, even if the opposition is much worse.
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Purity Trap (cont)
The most crucial thing about purity traps is that they collapse the political stakes. There may be huge consequences in the election, like in this case, winning a majority in the US Senate. But, because we are caught in a purity trap, what is literally an existential issue for democracy in this country takes a back seat to these accusations.
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Purity Trap (cont)
A 'purity trap' can be defined as a deliberate, concerted and sustained effort by the opposition utilizing the media to amplify and characterize some political vulnerability as absolutely disqualifying.
The goal of a purity trap is to shift focus entirely from all other issues such that the subject vulnerability becomes dispositive.
This is done through blanketed coverage and repetition.
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Thanks for posting.
"CNN, the New York Times, The Nation, the Washington Post, and the New York Post are all regularly suggesting that Democrats are torn about Platner."
Stoller's analysis seems to track with this purity trap thesis...
https://mastodon.online/@mastodonmigration/116716798829551526
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Purity Trap (cont)
The most crucial thing about purity traps is that they collapse the political stakes. There may be huge consequences in the election, like in this case, winning a majority in the US Senate. But, because we are caught in a purity trap, what is literally an existential issue for democracy in this country takes a back seat to these accusations.
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@mastodonmigration I feel like most of this dynamic is that Republican voters are in a party that runs legitimate democratic primaries, so nobody uses their media contacts to cheat like Schumer here with Platner. The DNC is always putting its finger on the scale for the oligarchs and Israel. Since these murderers and child rapists are unpopular, they can't DIRECTLY advocate for them so they need to trot out bullshit like not-even-adultery and alleged single source arm grabbery.
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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 It's a "Purity trap" to hold sex pests accountable? Are you being serious here?
Al Franken had six accusers. Platner has them coming out of the woodwork. Comparing that to the Swift Boat attack on John Kerry is massively disingenuous as that was literally made the fuck up. The claims against Franken, Platner and yes Joe are real.
If we cannot nominate people who at the very fucking least do not support genocide and abuse women what the fuck are we even doing?
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@mastodonmigration It's a "Purity trap" to hold sex pests accountable? Are you being serious here?
Al Franken had six accusers. Platner has them coming out of the woodwork. Comparing that to the Swift Boat attack on John Kerry is massively disingenuous as that was literally made the fuck up. The claims against Franken, Platner and yes Joe are real.
If we cannot nominate people who at the very fucking least do not support genocide and abuse women what the fuck are we even doing?
As expressed in the thread, the subject vulnerability can range from completely fabricated to absolutely true. It can also be something in-between with exaggerated elements.
The point is the tactic is to establish the vulnerability as absolutely disqualifying through concerted media coverage.
You may think this is entirely appropriate and justified given the nature of the vulnerability. Nevertheless, there is a political tactic in play.
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As expressed in the thread, the subject vulnerability can range from completely fabricated to absolutely true. It can also be something in-between with exaggerated elements.
The point is the tactic is to establish the vulnerability as absolutely disqualifying through concerted media coverage.
You may think this is entirely appropriate and justified given the nature of the vulnerability. Nevertheless, there is a political tactic in play.
@mastodonmigration Nominate a sex pest and I will fucking work to block them from office. Spent my entire time as chair driving sex pests out of WA state politics.
A good read: https://truthout.org/articles/why-misogynists-make-great-informants/
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As expressed in the thread, the subject vulnerability can range from completely fabricated to absolutely true. It can also be something in-between with exaggerated elements.
The point is the tactic is to establish the vulnerability as absolutely disqualifying through concerted media coverage.
You may think this is entirely appropriate and justified given the nature of the vulnerability. Nevertheless, there is a political tactic in play.
Would also call your attention to the part about collapsing the political stakes. The success of the purity trap in disqualifying Biden for many supporters of the people in Gaza, helped Trump win, which resulted in many more of the people they intended to support dying. So, things are not always so black and white simple.
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Would also call your attention to the part about collapsing the political stakes. The success of the purity trap in disqualifying Biden for many supporters of the people in Gaza, helped Trump win, which resulted in many more of the people they intended to support dying. So, things are not always so black and white simple.
@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.
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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.
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.
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@TagYourToe @mastodonmigration Says the bot hired by the Israel lobby who opened an account three days ago... when you point a finger at another, you point three at yourself, sadly!
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@TagYourToe @mastodonmigration Says the bot hired by the Israel lobby who opened an account three days ago... when you point a finger at another, you point three at yourself, sadly!
@TagYourToe @mastodonmigration there is an old Aryan saying for this from the Vedic era: "He who digs a pit for another will fall into that pit himself."
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@TagYourToe @mastodonmigration there is an old Aryan saying for this from the Vedic era: "He who digs a pit for another will fall into that pit himself."
@TagYourToe @mastodonmigration @TagYourToe are you out of Tel Aviv or a low cost South Asian being exploited by Jews, or both? Or AI? I am legit curious!
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Purity Trap (cont)
The most crucial thing about purity traps is that they collapse the political stakes. There may be huge consequences in the election, like in this case, winning a majority in the US Senate. But, because we are caught in a purity trap, what is literally an existential issue for democracy in this country takes a back seat to these accusations.
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@mastodonmigration It's also effective - even if the controversies around platner *shouldn't* be disqualifying, that they have come up and at least *seem* legitimate (not entirely fabricated) means his odds of winning have dropped, and more importantly - his odds of winning the *actual election* (rather than the primary) are also dramatically worse - which is why the dems likes to use this tactic against their own party - even if he wins the primary, he's now a 'tainted' candidate for senate >
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@mastodonmigration It's also effective - even if the controversies around platner *shouldn't* be disqualifying, that they have come up and at least *seem* legitimate (not entirely fabricated) means his odds of winning have dropped, and more importantly - his odds of winning the *actual election* (rather than the primary) are also dramatically worse - which is why the dems likes to use this tactic against their own party - even if he wins the primary, he's now a 'tainted' candidate for senate >
@mastodonmigration So, tactically - it is likely best to run some other dem, even if their policies are worse, because platner is likely to lose to a fucking nazi now.
(No matter what you think of the controversies or him as a person/politician.)
