Quokk.auHow the right spread ‘brutal and cruel’ misinformation after Minnesota lawmaker killings
MicroWavewww.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/17/minneso…
The rightwing media ecosystem spins up narratives to serve their agendas after tragic events, regardless of accuracy
Tina Smith, a Minnesota senator confronted Mike Lee, a Utah senator, on Monday to tell him directly that his social media posts fueled ongoing misinformation about a shooting that killed her friend.
Lee’s posts, which advanced conspiracies that a Minnesota assassin was a “Marxist” and blamed the state’s governor for Melissa Hortman’s death, were among many threads of false or speculative claims swirling online after the killings.
Smith told Lee his posts were “brutal and cruel,” according to CNN. “He should think about the implications of what he’s saying and doing. It just further fuels this hatred and misinformation,” she said. She wanted him to hear from her directly how painful it was to see his words after the brutality her state endured. Lee didn’t say much, according to Smith, and seemed surprised to be confronted.
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“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
– Mark Twain
I'm not sure how to fight this constant assembly line of misinformation coming from hate groups like the current party in power, but we need something g more effective than the truth. Than words. The truth needs to be out there loudly and rapidly, but more needs to be done.
I hate to be the guy in the meeting saying something's wrong without providing any kind of solution, but that's where I'm at. It's easy to say that news shouldn't be for-profit, that creating and disseminating patently false information for the purpose of intentionally misleading the public should be punished as something like slander or something, or that the "news" complex in the US needs to be dismantled...but those are long, long term goals. And likely not realistic to expect in my lifetime.
It's how authoritarians spread the fear and hate they need to survive, though. We have to cut this misinformation flow out somehow.
I dunno. Just venting. Frustrated. Sick of the lies thay prop up this dessicated zombie of a failed capitalist state. Sick of the inaction for any opposing factions in the government.
That's all. Carry on with what you were doing.
pelespiritThere are things you can do.
- Call it out when you see it and then walk away. The trolls are very good at soft language to try and get you hooked into the conversation. I'm pretty good at spotting it and still get roped in occasionally.
- Downvote titles that have "Trump said..." most of the time. He's just using the firehose.
- Downvote titles that have "Trump's bill..." or "Trump's DOJ..." (FDA, VA, etc.) type posts Most of these are Republicans doing this, not trump. Having his name in the headline makes it seem like it's inevitable, when the Republicans can fire him at any time they want. They can also not let his shit through.
- Don't let people constantly go after the democrat(s) when the Republicans are literally burning the world down, grifting and stealing while killing people and being racist af.
- Support your neighbors and community. If all of us protect the people in our bubbles, there's going to be a lot of overlapping of protection.
These are all very excellent points, thank you!
The fight needs to be bigger, though. Individual action is important and does cause a snowball effect with enough momentum, but we're fighting multiple full-on _industries _ that manufacture and/or spread vast amounts of misinformation. And that's just in the US.
That's the daunting part, and a big part of what I was lamenting.
There's a vast amount fighting, moreso than I've seen in my lifetime. That should cheer you up. Republicans were at these protests too, that alone is something.
Wait a minute, isn't Trump a lefty? He did pardon all of those BLM and Antifa Capitol rioters from January 6th after all.
Better get used to it. Brutal and cruel is the reality of living under fascism.