The reposts and expressions of shock from public figures followed quickly after a user on the social platform X who uses a pseudonym claimed that a government website had revealed “skyrocketing” rates of voters registering without a photo ID in three states this year — two of them crucial to the presidential contest.
“Extremely concerning,” X owner Elon Musk replied twice to the post this past week.
“Are migrants registering to vote using SSN?” Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ally of former President Donald Trump, asked on Instagram, using the acronym for Social Security number.
Trump himself posted to his own social platform within hours to ask, “Who are all those voters registering without a Photo ID in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arizona??? What is going on???”
…
Yet by the time they tried to correct the record, the false claim had spread widely. In three days, the pseudonymous user’s claim amassed more than 63 million views on X, according to the platform’s metrics. A thorough explanation from Richer attracted a fraction of that, reaching 2.4 million users.
The incident sheds light on how social media accounts that shield the identities of the people or groups behind them through clever slogans and cartoon avatars have come to dominate right-wing political discussion online even as they spread false information.
Some of these are clearly wedge-driving divisive trolls posing as leftists. Especially those touting voting 3rd party or not voting.
This is absolutely rampant on .ml and it drives me nuts that their predilections for stupid campism causes them to not just allow, but actively protect right wing trolls.
You know electoral system is truely garbage when voting for 3rd party is considered “bad”. Not a lot of freedum going on in the US.
Additionally have you also considered some people dont agree with your political view, so not everything has to be a conspiracy
Yep I do agree it’s bullshit. The FPTP combined with Electoral College has utterly fucked our country. I really wish we could vote for independents or 3rd party and not totally fuck everything. Unfortunately that won’t happen until changes most probably comes through Democrats as it has historically worth most other issues.
To your second point, don’t know, it just seems extremely self-defeating to the point that one has to wonder…
Some of these are clearly wedge-driving divisive (sic) trolls posing as moderates. Especially those hectoring voters that vote with their conscience now that attitudes toward a current genocide is making it impossible to vote for either of the frontrunners.
Let me crystal clear. I do not think that your position or attitude are moderate either. Haranguing people to vote against their conscience is a bad look. Big genocide, small genocide, both are genocide. If that overloads some people’s ‘election calculus’ it’s a reasonable and engaged reaction. If anything talking down to them is more likely to turn them off voting at all.
Normally I’d agree to each their own but I truly cannot grasp how anyone can come to the conclusion that when the two options are inevitable, they would choose more genocide over less genocide. It quite literally means less people dying. It’s the only logical and ethical choice.
Voting for big genocide or voting for small genocide is irreconcilably voting for genocide for some people. It’s a morally cognizant choice for some to not want to put the endorsement of their vote on either.
I’ll never not believe that is logically and ethically-flawed thinking, sorry. A vote doesn’t mean “I Endorse Genocide,” it just means, “I am doing the thing between two inevitable choices whether I vote or not that will help Palestinians, Ukrainians, and women’s rights more than the other option.”
If merely one less child dies, then it is clearly worth it to vote — right?
It is ‘rational’ attitudes such as this that MLK bemoaned in his Birmingham jail letters. Order above justice. An order in which the boot is not on your neck. So you minimize its dehumanizing brutality in relation to the maintenance of the day-to-day comforts you enjoy.
Hypothetically: if Biden was sending weapons and financial support to Russia in support of their war efforts but mildly denouncing Putin when pressed; and Trump was pledging full throated support of Putin and offering to nuke Kyiv; would you still feel so enthusiastic about voting for Biden or for your moral calculus? Might you lament the electoral system that has put this decision before you. Might you protest this mockery of democratic choice. Even if you internally still cede to moral calculus, might you continue to make your displeasure known and apply whatever pressure was within your purview as a voter to make. Might you be offended by people demanding you not only vote for Biden regardless your rightful concerns about Putin and the sovereignity of Ukrainians but also try to insinuate that you are part of some foreign operation to undermine the election for voicing your concerns?
Much respect to your comment because it remains neutral-toned and raises fair points. I hope I can reflect that in my response.
To me, I feel MLK was wrong, no? 1 year later, those “white moderate” liberals he lambasted in the Birmingham letter voted for the Civil Rights Act merely 1 year later — the most unprecedented step-up for securing equal rights for blacks. Would that change have come if support in the north, the offspring of abolitionists, were abandoned at the polls and every anti-segregationist just stayed at home to protest change that didn’t come soon enough? Do you think Southern offspring of Confederates would have helped blacks more and passed the Civil Rights Act if they had a stranglehold on Congress? Of course not. Liberals were able to be moved; conservatives by comparison could not.
Besides, the two notions — protesting and voting — can exist in tandem: One can demonstrate and protest as MLK and Malcolm X did; but one can also recognize who the bigger threat is and what the rational choice is when it comes time to vote. If, hypothetically, it was a choice between more lynches or less lynches; less rights over more rights — would MLK have chosen the former over the latter? Of course not.
To your hypothetical regarding Russia — No, I wouldn’t feel enthusiastic about voting for Biden, but I’m not asking anyone to feel enthused; I’m asking them to hold their nose as they choose the lesser-evil when one of the two options are guaranteed outcomes. As much as I’d dislike it, I would vote for Biden, but that doesn’t mean I pledge my support for all they do. If I’m told with a gun to my head to choose between my child or my wife, I’d choose the child because that’s what my wife would want and the child has more years to live. I wouldn’t be enthused about choosing.
So I must ask again: if merely one less child dies, then it is clearly worth it to vote, yes?
Change never comes soon enough, but it’s a fact that change did come through one of the two major parties; and in the modern day such change will NEVER come through Republicans. We will only take more steps back; women and trans will only lose more rights; MORE Gazans will suffer; MORE Ukrainians will suffer. And I’d be willing to bet that if one polled any sample of Ukrainians or Gazans, they would be crossing their fingers that Biden stays in office, for that is the only hope for their respective futures.
Recognizing all this, please understand the frustrations of people like me who feel they see the writing on the wall; that one may be able to pat themselves on the back for not voting for anyone — and yet the ultimate outcome is more people suffer. Respectfully, if I have to choose between fighting for Gazans and Ukrainians or women’s rights, I’m going to choose to fight for them over hurting the feelings of anonymous users grandstanding from the comforts of their safe homes. At the same time, look at the subject-line of this very submission. We know right-wingers are doing this; so it’s very hard to be patient with people when they quack like the right-wing duck and you recognize that literally the only people to benefit from this divisive wedge-driving is none other than fascist right-wing Republicans. So in the end, whether it’s intentional astroturfing or it’s naivety, the outcome remains the same and so that’s why people like me tend to identify these two groups as one. For the record, again, I’m not really a liberal; while I’m not full-blown socialist/commie I’m closer to a Social Democrat Bernie Sanders type who endorses something akin to the Nordic Model of a well-regulated market system backed by strong social safety nets and select-nationalized industries with strong labor unions.
Not if my conscious isn’t ok with voting for a genocide-doer at all
Then you risk letting the person who will commit genocide even more.
How is more genocide better than less genocide for your conscience?
Wrong, as I don’t live in a swing state. You know, like the majority of Americans?
I can safely not vote for either knowing that my state isn’t going to go to Trump. I even personally know 2 people who voted Trump last election who are going third party this time around, so I’m DOUBLE-covrred.
I just love seeing people online automatically assume people are in swing states (or that the EC doesn’t exist) and try to guilt trip people. It’s hilarious
Wait, was it your conscience or is it because you don’t live in a swing-state…? Because you dodged the question:
If you live in a firmly blue state that will vote for Biden, then sure your entire point is moot. But just like how red states have turned blue or at least purple (Arizona), blue or swing-states can turn red (e.g., Ohio). So it might be worth voting just to ensure that trend continues.
Because Republicans love this messaging you’re now promoting; for it only weakens blue state strongholds as you expect other voters to do the work for you.
Can’t read, or unfamiliar with how US elections work?
Because I don’t live in a swing state my lack of voting for Biden does not support Trump
So my vote is for no genocide but my state will force it to become some genocide through the EC
If you want to pretend like a Californian not voting Biden is somehow giving the election to Trump: that’s a you problem and I find it hilarious
And? Maybe the Dems shouldn’t put forth garbage options then. don’t blame voters for the DNCs inability to do basic shit to win elections.
i live in a swing state, and my lack of voting for biden also does not support trump. only a vote for trump supports trump.
Maybe you should’ve run for office yourself? Perhaps you should’ve primaried harder? Don’t be upset that the nation chose Joe Biden; welcome to Democracy, or “are you unfamiliar with how US elections work?” How silly.
I say again: your not voting still runs the risk — even in a blue state — that could possibly turn red in lieu of your own laziness and end up promoting the candidate who commits MORE genocide. How is that better for your conscience, again…? You still have yet to directly answer conveniently.
Facts:
Found one
Y’all reuse the same tactics too: when accused of something, copy/paste it but change a couple of words around. EPIC WIN!!
It’s boring, do something different.
Exact same arguments are made to minimise right wing extremists, “has to be a left wing false flag”.
Both are possible. The enemy is extremism, regardless of leaning.
You can’t really divide right wingers. They fall in line, because they are close minded. The left’s tent is much bigger and thus much easier to divide.
@madcaesar @pendulum_
And the left doesn’t hate itself.