Process
Status Items Output None Questions None Claims None Highlights Done See section below
Highlights
id584659971
Yet as we can see, many commentators — often highly credentialed voices with powerful institutional backing who are published in influential establishment news outlets — rushed to categorically dismiss the idea as fantastical and false and to declare anyone who advanced it as outside the bounds of seriousness. They were themselves spreading misinformation at the same time they were claiming to be correcting the record, taking a strident, absolute position on something that, at that point, it was impossible for them to know with full certainty was true or false.
✏️ This is the thing. I mean, it’s one thing for a leader to make a claim, and the US to strenuously deny it… that’s fine and expected. But then you had a slew of credible individuals, powerful institutions, and major media outlets, all rushing to back the denial and dismiss the claim as utter fantasy. They took such an absolution position on something that, at that point, was impossible for them to know with full certainty was true or false. The key aspect of this is that there’s no other path for them. They face zero consequences for backing the government on what turns out to be a false claim. They may not get that same free pass if they had contradicted the government though. 🔗 View Highlight
id584661165
There is a style of dissenting commentary, usually on the Left, that too readily accepts claims of US culpability before all the evidence is out, while sometimes overstating US involvement and level of control of events around the world. But the opposite is far more widespread: commentators and political figures who presume the fact that evidence hasn’t yet surfaced (or simply ignore it if it does) means any such claims are obviously untrue and absurd, and that we should rule them out from the get-go
✏️ Neither side is exempt from this behavior. The Left (myself included) are happy to jump on the bandwagon that the government is culpable of things before evidence is out (or even overstating their culpability).. but the first examples are far more widespread. 🔗 View Highlight
id584661386
a mountain of examples from recent and distant history of the US government carrying out coups, fomenting unrest, and trying to engineer regime change,
✏️ Quick collection of US intereference in world governments. 🔗 View Highlight