They flood the zone with shit
#41
The Story
How to fight disinformation
How?
"Flood the zone with shit," Steve Bannon, the former Trump advisor and New Right strategist, once said. More specifically, he said: "The Democrats don't matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit." So, according to Bannon, the right should not fight against the Democrats – but against the media. And the means of this fight should not be opinions, facts, or even fake news but simply confusion.
Why would this strategy work?
Anyone confused begins to doubt. And then those people either defect to the enemies of democracy or – almost as effectively for the New Right – can no longer be mobilised by democratic forces. They voluntarily exclude themselves from political discourse. So it's not about convincing people, right-wing extremists don't want to lead a debate, they want to destroy discussions.
Example, please.
I live in Germany, so I primarily experience this far-right strategy in my country. What I see here is, first, facts are reversed; it is claimed that it is not the far-right, partly extremist and record-hitting AfD party that is unconstitutional, but rather the governing coalition. Second, doubts are cast about the credibility of journalistic work; they are accused of campaigning for the government, either financed by George Soros or the state. Third, critics are insulted and threatened.
How To Save Democracy
When times get uncomfortable, it may be attractive to retreat into private life. But this is not a good idea. Because then public space would be left to the wrong people. The public needs democrats. Every rally, every comment, every post, every conversation counts. Every reported comment and every criminal complaint, too. Above all, we should get and stand together. It empowers and clarifies that many, many people live and love to live in a democracy. That is the best prerequisite for it to live on.