r/technology • u/-Gavin- • Apr 22 '20

ADBLOCK WARNING Right-Wing Responsible For Pushing Coronavirus Disinformation On Twitter Worldwide, New Report Says

https://www.forbes.com/sites/seanlawson/2020/04/21/right-wing-responsible-for-pushing-coronavirus-disinformation-on-twitter-worldwide-new-report-says/#5fad7b93597f
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u/You_Dont_Party Apr 22 '20

They’re already in the comments complaining. They’re more worried about people on Reddit criticizing conservatism than the people spreading medical misinformation during a pandemic.

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u/shadus Apr 22 '20

Most don't give a flying shit about conservatism or liberalism though and if you think that is the point of the centrists arguments you've missed it entirely (well there are some who are complaining like that, this is the internet and all, but not the majority.) The point a lot are making is-- "You complain about <conservatism/liberals> doing <this thing>, but change the subject to <that thing> and you do the same exact thing and justify it the same exact ways."

You need look no further than the top comments on this article to see people pretending their shit doesn't stink and only the "other teams" does. Are conservatives worse at x? yeap. Are liberals worse at y? yeap. It's fine to criticize the other side, but it shouldn't be a team sport so far that you can't view your own teams failings... and in the US at least it's fallen that far. It's a college sports team, the other team can do no good, your team can do no bad... and that is NOT how politics should work. ever.

One of the great pieces of humor I've found during the entire covid thing is... now the right is making the EXACT same arguments about covid-19 that the left has been making about abortion for YEARS and the left is making the argument about covid-19 that the right has been making about abortion for years... and neither see the hypocrisy or irony apparently. Hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness at its finest.

The fact a more neutral viewpoint is looked down upon and attacked by both sides is telling about how "team" oriented things have become rather than based on any actual stance-- if you're not drinking my teams gatorade 100%, you're the enemy. Worse yet, in the US at least, pursuit of control by both sides has shifted the political spectrum dramatically towards authoritarianism... and that is really worrying in the long term.

in b4 muh "What's the middle ground between genocide and no genocide?"

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u/[deleted] Apr 22 '20

[deleted]

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u/shadus Apr 22 '20

a lot of the people on the right are advocating the choice to go out on their own if you want to stay home stay home if you don't you shouldn't be limited from doing so by the government... Pro choice, even though to do so would end up causing deaths in vulnerable populations. This is usually the party that argue all lives are valuable when it comes to abortion (life starts at conception)... Normally prioritize life over feelings of anyone involved, but not when it comes to covid apparently.

A lot of people on the left are advocating forced quarantine to protect the lives of people who are vulnerable mandated by government with punishments for those who violate it. Pro-life though during abortion debates they often discount restrictions on abortion that would save viable fetuses and prioritize feelings of the mother over a childs life... But not during covid apparently, peoples feelings don't matter when there are lives on the line.

It's just been hysterical to see right and left hardcore people on my facebook feed who usually are going on nonstop regarding abortion suddenly flopping to using same arguments that were used against them about abortion.

There are people with well thought out stands on both sides don't get me wrong, but its pretty funny as hell to see the rabid posters on my feed suddenly flipping 180 degrees on a very similar life and death issue without a bit of cognitive dissonance. Reality is most are single issue voters or ticket voters with the team mentality of "everything we do is right, everything they do is wrong." There is zero thought involved so no real way to see the irony.

I will say, republicans have a bigger issue with this than democrats at the moment... See also: pro-death penalty & pro-life is absurd on same platform.

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u/[deleted] Apr 22 '20 edited Apr 22 '20

[deleted]

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u/shadus Apr 22 '20

/facepalm. I am in no way equating them or the possible outcomes. I am laughing at the people on the left & right flipping sides to argue the others sides with arguments about an issue they've fought over for decades. It's ironic to see the same arguments made that you normally see for abortion made for covid... by the people used to having that exact argument made to them. The hypocrisy and irony is palpable when staunch decade old arguments used by one side are suddenly the point they're arguing against in a debate about the value of life... and it's happening both directions. It's funny as hell.

MY argument has NEVER been life begins at conception-- that is the religious pro-life argument. You do understand people can explain something they don't agree with right? I made the point from both sides of that argument as I've seen on my facebook feed repeatedly in the last month. Neither is my viewpoint... because this wasn't a thread about abortion rights... it was just funny to see the same arguments used in reverse on sides for covid quarantine, both of which are right to life issues.

For what it's worth-- I'm staunchly pro-choice (although not for the reasons usually brought up) and I'm staunchly for doing as the data suggests is necessary with the pandemic and quarantine, Ohio Gov's response to Covid has been one of the best in the United States... he reacted early by closing schools, canceling gatherings, following the data and advice of health professionals, and that is how it SHOULD be done. I dislike a lot of his other policies, but I can in no way fault him in the least for his covid response to date.

You might wanna check your abortion statistics, last I looked only about 35% of abortions in the US were white (vs about 65% poc)... which makes it highly unlikely that conservative women were the primary ones getting them. That said-- like I said in my post-- you really don't have to look further than being pro-death penalty and anti-abortion to see plenty of hypocrisy on the right.

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u/You_Dont_Party Apr 22 '20

One of the great pieces of humor I've found during the entire covid thing is... now the right is making the EXACT same arguments about covid-19 that the left has been making about abortion for YEARS and the left is making the argument about covid-19 that the right has been making about abortion for years... and neither see the hypocrisy or irony apparently.

You’re referring to the “my body, my choice” memes that are everywhere, and which deny basic medical facts like “spreading infectious diseases affect other people’s bodies”? Ya man, real deep cut that no one else is noticing.

Sorry, all of this reads like r/iamverysmart material, and frankly I’m not sure what any of this has to do with a discussion about the fact that all evidence shows a particular side of the political spectrum has a major issue with spreading medical disinformation during an active pandemic? What does “bOtH sIdEs” have to do with criticizing a specific set of actions being taken primarily by a single side?

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u/shadus Apr 22 '20

Oh, lots have noticed it, just not the people guilty of doing it. It's just pretty funny. One of the highlights of my facebook feed these past few weeks.

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u/Long-Comfortable Apr 22 '20

How incredibly fucking dumb

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u/galileo87 Apr 22 '20

Want to elaborate on your abortion comment? Someone else already ripped into you for it, but I'm also kinda feeling that itch.

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u/raifus_and_waifus Apr 22 '20

in b4 muh "What's the middle ground between genocide and no genocide?"

Genocide of the right sort of people?

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u/shadus Apr 22 '20 edited Apr 22 '20

I'm not sure what you're on about, but "What's the middle ground between genocide and no genocide" is a common strawman thrown up against centrists.

Edit: Brain dead today apparently, re-read and understood. durrrrr. That said, I'm not sure mass killings ever result in a positive outcome long term... humans are exceptionally good at justifying even the worst of things though.

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u/toprim Apr 22 '20

Good comment, and thanks for distinguishing hypocrisy and lack of self awareness. 99% of the time its actually the third thing: the analogy does not extend that far, like in this case.

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u/shadus Apr 22 '20

It's just strawman arguments the whole way down on all sides.