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Original poster

Friend is now full on Trump-supporting, QAnon-believing conspiracy theorist

325 replies

Offskki · 09/01/2021 14:07

I just can't believe it and I'm a bit gutted to be honest. Any advice on how to deal with this?

OP posts:
Kendodd · 09/01/2021 22:31

Some of them (eg Flat Earth) are relatively harmless

These anti science views aren't harmless.
Also, conspiracy nonsense is really widespread and dangerous, we dismiss it at our peril (although I don't quite know what can be done to tackle it). Americans have watched trump for four years, and 70+ million of them voted for him, of them, nearly half (YouGov polling, small sample) agreed with the storming of the capital and that the election was stolen. If we extrapolate that out, that means nearly quarter of Americans don't believe the result of the election. This would be a quarter of police officers and a quarter of the military. Look at all the politicians inside the chamber who contested the Biden win (over 50% of Republicans) even AFTER the riots.

I saw some commentator on TV saying American need to come together and get behind Biden. I don't agree, they can spend the next four years campaigning against him and holding him to account for his actions, as is their right. They do need to come together around the truth though, and facts. If we all have our own set of facts, we're in serious trouble.

Kendodd · 09/01/2021 22:37

And irrespective of what you think of Trump just think about this for one second, we have twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google and apple now silencing a president and anyone close to him.

Bollocks. Trump is not silenced. He could walk into any news studio in the world and they'd put him right on air. If that meets your definition of being silenced, well, I don't know what to say to that.

Gabite · 09/01/2021 22:38

@cyclingmad

Wow having different beliefs is now a mental illness fml are you even listening to yourselves when you say that! Seriously, people are free to challenge and believe in something that doesn't fit the status quo and not be mentally ill. Jesus isn't this exactly what was in the press a while back about silencing people who dare to say anything different...hang on isn't that what China does since when did we or America become like China?

And irrespective of what you think of Trump just think about this for one second, we have twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google and apple now silencing a president and anyone close to him. Just put aside your thoughts on trump and think when the feck did corporations have that much power! Why haven't they silenced extremists the left wing fanatics etc.?

This is just the start and its alarming, cancelling people, social media blackouts, rewriting history. I'm no conspiracy theorists but after seeing social dilemma and now whats happening, it'll be a dystopian world soon.

Coeporations have always had the right to stop people from using their platforms if they use them to encourage violence.
sonjadog · 09/01/2021 22:38

Are you in the US, OP? If not, could you just say that with so much going on in the UK (or wherever you are) at the moment, you don't have the mental energy to think about American politics and ask if you could talk about something else?

blueangel19 · 09/01/2021 22:38

all cyclingmad Yes, all the way.

I really would like to ask these tech companies why dictators like Maduro and his entourage all incites and call for violence that ends in death people still in twitter. Aren’t they violating their terms of use.

Also, protest have been called by leaders of social movements that have end up in deaths and damages to entire areas. The language they use on their sites looks like hate speech and racism to me. Why are they still there?

blueangel19 · 09/01/2021 22:40

all sonjadog WTF

Kendodd · 09/01/2021 22:46

I think one good starting point would be to make it a criminal offence for politicians to lie to the electorate. Of course that would never happen for obvious reasons.

user1471565182 · 09/01/2021 22:51

Corporations/private companies have the right to stop anybody broadcasting anything at all from their service, not just if its spreading violence.

Remember when these lot were gleefully defending bakeries not serving gay couples?

I should probably point out the irony of conservatives not understanding the concept of the free market but I think society is already too much of a mess for those sorts of obvious observations to be suprising to anybody reasonable anymore.

user1471565182 · 09/01/2021 22:53

oh you mean the same Maduro whos account twitter suspended?

blueangel19 · 09/01/2021 22:56

all Kendodd Yes

Gabite · 09/01/2021 23:08

Remember when these lot were gleefully defending bakeries not serving gay couples?

They only think that businesses should should able to not serve people until they're the ones not being served.

cyclingmad · 09/01/2021 23:14

@blueangel19

all cyclingmad Yes, all the way.

I really would like to ask these tech companies why dictators like Maduro and his entourage all incites and call for violence that ends in death people still in twitter. Aren’t they violating their terms of use.

Also, protest have been called by leaders of social movements that have end up in deaths and damages to entire areas. The language they use on their sites looks like hate speech and racism to me. Why are they still there?

Exactly if these corporations were implementing their policies fairly to everyone but they aren't and thats what is alarming. Why do they get to decide to give other platforms to spew their hate and violence and silence others, they shape what information people see by doing this.
user1471565182 · 09/01/2021 23:16

cycling Why are you not answering who all these' left wing extremists' are who are free to spout hate on there in positions comparable to US president?

Gabite · 09/01/2021 23:17

So what do you suggest? That they make it illegal to ban people from twitter?

Try gab, you might fit in there.

cyclingmad · 09/01/2021 23:22

@Gabite

So what do you suggest? That they make it illegal to ban people from twitter?

Try gab, you might fit in there.

No I said it should be implemented fairly thats what they should be doing
cyclingmad · 09/01/2021 23:23

@user1471565182

cycling Why are you not answering who all these' left wing extremists' are who are free to spout hate on there in positions comparable to US president?
Shock horror i don't have to educate you on this stuff go look it up yourself
user1471565182 · 09/01/2021 23:24

Because you dont have an answer. Simple as that. Come on give us one.

user1471565182 · 09/01/2021 23:26

There are no 'left wing extremists' in anywhere near a similar position to Trump who are spouting violence on twitter, you just want to defend fascist shit by bringing out some piss poor straw man.

cyclingmad · 09/01/2021 23:30

@user1471565182

There are no 'left wing extremists' in anywhere near a similar position to Trump who are spouting violence on twitter, you just want to defend fascist shit by bringing out some piss poor straw man.
Nah I just not going to get into a conversation with you, I qas here giving my response to OP thread. I don't care what you think or want to say about me and my point wasn't about defending one side or the other so no im not going to provide names.
user1471565182 · 09/01/2021 23:52

Because you have none. It was a lie.

Shamoo · 09/01/2021 23:58

If any of my friends started taking this sort of shit to me I would make it very clear that I think they are embarrassing themselves and contributing to the spreading of extremely dangerous lies. If they carried on trying to talk about it with me, our friendship would be over. The only tiny exception to that would be if I already knew the friend had MH issues before they got into this nonsense, but I do have friends with MH issues and none of them believe this bollocks.

To suggest that people who believe it all have MH issues is ridiculous. Nobody says that about people who follow ISIS. Generally speaking the people who seem to believe it all are just egotistical, very right wing idiots. Some may also have MH issues, but far from all.

And honestly people spouting rubbish about how Twitter shouldn’t ban Trump because there are loads of other people on the left who are as dangerous, powerful and evil without being able to name a single relevant person are just embarrassing themselves.

shouldhavecalleditoatabix · 10/01/2021 00:11

Yeah, posting on any social media is a privilege, not a human right. It isn't owned by the people it is owned by a corporation. I'm all for protecting freedoms and I understand that taking away rights is a slippery slope. But banning trump from social media? Bloody good decision if you ask me!

ktp100 · 10/01/2021 00:42

@cyclingmad

And irrespective of what you think of Trump just think about this for one second, we have twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google and apple now silencing a president and anyone close to him. Just put aside your thoughts on trump and think when the feck did corporations have that much power! Why haven't they silenced extremists the left wing fanatics etc.?

If Hitler was around now and chatting shit on social media would you be happy for him to spread the hatred and lies that ultimately caused the deaths of millions of people?

Would being anti Hitler and expecting companies to stop antisemitism being spread on their platforms make me a leftie extremist and a silencer now?

When did it become OK to be a fascist? You all bang on about 'Antifa' but when did we STOP being anti fascist?! As a country we have fought war after war against fascism but now it's just fine so long as it's wrapped up in right wing conspiracy bollox?

ODFOD.

cyclingmad · 10/01/2021 01:00

@user1471565182

Because you have none. It was a lie.
Funny how you make assumptions about me as a person isn't it when u have made none about you. So apparently I support fascism and am also a liar. Yet I've said nothing to indicate that just because I refuse to respond to your question Hmm why should I if you cannot engage with me in a civilised manner.

Says alot about you than it does about me

cyclingmad · 10/01/2021 01:08

[quote ktp100]@cyclingmad

And irrespective of what you think of Trump just think about this for one second, we have twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google and apple now silencing a president and anyone close to him. Just put aside your thoughts on trump and think when the feck did corporations have that much power! Why haven't they silenced extremists the left wing fanatics etc.?

If Hitler was around now and chatting shit on social media would you be happy for him to spread the hatred and lies that ultimately caused the deaths of millions of people?

Would being anti Hitler and expecting companies to stop antisemitism being spread on their platforms make me a leftie extremist and a silencer now?

When did it become OK to be a fascist? You all bang on about 'Antifa' but when did we STOP being anti fascist?! As a country we have fought war after war against fascism but now it's just fine so long as it's wrapped up in right wing conspiracy bollox?

ODFOD.[/quote]
If those corporations want to use the excuse that their policy it to prevent people using their platforms to incite hatred, violence and what not than yeah ban everyone who does that but don't ban one person and let others continue on.

Thats the point I made thats seems to be lost on you.

And dont make stuff up that I said, I never mentioned antifa and nor did I say its ok to be facist.

Whats clear is that corporations hiding behind policy for one person and letting others continue on. Thats hypocrisy and yes its silencing people whilst allowing others to speak freely. Either your apply it across the board or you don't. Cherry picking who gets to voice their views isn't the way forward.

And don't say ODFOD, it's rude and unnecessary particularly given that you've made incorrect assumptions about my posts.

Seems like even having a civilised conversation on here is beyond quote a few people without resorting to the gutter.

Is it too hard to have a civilised response

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