I don’t want to think or write or move. Yet here I am. Writing. My thought last night was what I said on the Nicole Sandler show while talking about our mutual friend, the late great Joel Silberman. He taught progressive politicians to tell stories that illuminated their message.
Kirk, Joel Silberman and Spocko in A Piece of the Action
There is good news in the world. US job numbers are great. The Economy was not destroyed by GOP, THIS TIME. YET…. As Mrs. Spocko said, the relief that we feel when the GOP didn’t destroy the American and WORLD economy, doesn’t match the worry & anxiety that we have been feeling for weeks.
Celebrating the win is important. But also infuriating when we shouldn’t have been here. ALSO, I get Biden talking about “My friends across the aisle” since his plan worked. The MSM LOVES that bipartisan stuff. But I really want those assholes on the right who brought us here to be stopped. I’d like them to be punished, but that’s not Biden. So let’s look at how to punish them in their role in the insurrection. Telling a stories about victories is important for helping us feel good about our actions.
Anger is energy. Action is energizing. And Depression is real
I TOTALLy understand why the right stokes anger. It provides energy for them. I’ve used it in the past to fuel my action against RW media. Taking action can be energizing. And when it looks like all the anger you are feeling and the actions you are taking isn’t leading to stopping the right, NOR to getting justice for their horrific actions, the depression can get overwhelming.
The agents of destruction are still out there. They are still powerfully. They are still making money and getting resources and driving their grievance/ victim narrative.
I’m not just “documenting the atrocities” as Atrios likes to say. I try to help people with messages and actions. That includes, the choir. Because getting the choir to sing together is important. Picking the right music that meets the moment is important. Are we singing about a funeral or celebrating new life at a wedding or baptism? Do we sing in Latin, that only the elite understand, or the people’s language?
I believe it’s my duty to stop the horrible people on the right and to help others to stop them. I can speak with authority because I HAVE HAD SUCCESS in the past fighting them, both with our narrative and financially. When I tell these stories it’s not about self aggrandizement, but because I want to others to learn, and when we win, to inspire them. WE CAN DO THIS.
I told Nicole the story about how I worked with multiple religious groups, costing Michael Savage millions of dollars and dozens of advertisers. He sued one of them, CAIR, and lost.
The ecumenical religious group I worked with (Hate Hurts America) cost Michael “Weiner” Savage millions in ad revenue. He sued one, CAIR, for copyright violation and RICO, but he lost. Because they followed the guidelines I set up with my KSFO/ABC/Disney case, and the EFF defended them as they did me, CAIR won. And we established the ability to use their own words against them.
I saw on Chris Hayes someone said Biden won’t gloat or do a victory lap after winning the Debt Ceiling crisis created by the GOP. Sure, that’s an appropriate solution, if you are A Responsible Adult like Biden.
BUT I want CELEBRATE THE FEELING of defeating them. BIDEN got them to stop! Hurray! Let’s not just move on to the next crisis.
As I said, it would be best if people on the right realized they are wrong and changed. But what if they don’t? What do we do with the ones who know what they are doing is wrong and they keep hurting us? We need to figure out the ways that they get it. Punishments come in many forms. Personally, I don’t want them to profit, we know they care about money above almost all else.
But money is only one reason they keep coming. They like to hurt others. They use the phrase, “Own the libs” and “Make liberals cry” because that is SATISFYING to them. I’m all about making Fascism less profitable, but it’s not the only thing. I don’t know what the pathology is that drives them, but we know that autocrats use that emotion to consolidate their power.
Right now Trump is psychologically exhausting us. He uses many methods to stay in the media, but also lawfare. Everything is always delayed. No victory feels complete. He turns financial judgements against him into fundraising opportunities. He sends a message that he never really loses. NYU prof Ruth Ben-Ghiat talked about this to Ali Velshi.
Right now I see the fight against RW media, Fascists & their promoters requires having a plan to show, and then stop, their use of threats of violence to get what they want. This fight involves how we define threats of violence and the actions we can take when we see it happening. People can and do pay a financial price for defaming others. People CAN and DO go to prison for threatening violence.
It has now been established people go to prison for planning and implementing an insurrection.
The Department of Justice has been sending “the boots” to prison. Elmer Rhodes just got 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. Here he is with his prison issued orange eyepatch.
Now it’s time to send “The Suits” to prison. And tell the stories of our victories. And then we celebrate.
I’m just consuming science fiction content today while playing games on my phone.I don’t want to think or write or move. Yet here I am. Writing. My thought last night was what I said on the Nicole Sandler show while talking about our mutual friend the late great Joel Silberman
Kirk, Joel Silberman and Spocko in A Piece of the Action
There is good news in the world. US job numbers are great. The Economy was not destroyed by GOP, THIS TIME.YET…. As Mrs. Spocko said, the relief that we feel that the GOP didn’t destroy the American and WORLD economy, doesn’t match the worry & anxiety that we have been feeling.
Celebrating the win is important. But also infuriating when we shouldn’t have been here. ALSO, I get Biden talking about “My friends across the aisle” since his plan worked. But I really want those assholes on the right who brought us here to be stopped. I’d like them to be punished, but that’s not Biden. So let’s look at how to punish them in their role in the insurrection.
Anger is energy. Action is energizing. And Depression is real
E. Jean Carroll won. I’m glad she won, but I’m still depressed. Why? Because a financial victory against Trump is not enough.. As I said on the Nicole Sandler show on Thursday, we know how Trump responds when he loses, so we need to KEEP working to crush him after we win. He must be crushed legally, financially, politically and narratively.
I could speak generically, “Here’s what we should do.” But I have experience in fighting the right financially, legally, politically and narratively. I think that experience can be applied to the situation now and apply it in the future.
E. Jean Carroll after a jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing her in 1996. Photo John Minchillo AP May 9, 2023, in New York.
Recently I spoke on a panel about my wildly successful work to make the violent rhetoric, racism, sexism and religious bigotry coming from right wing media toxic to mainstream advertisers and less profitable to the distributors of RW media. It was a financial victory, but I kept working to make it a legal, political and narrative victory. I spoke about the narrative and messages that I used that people on our side . . . → Read More: Why we must keep crushing Trump after we win
No gag order for Trump, but judge requests those involved in the case ‘refrain’ from statements that would incite violence –NBC News Reports.
Judge Merchan did say: “Please refrain from making statements that would incite violence or civil unrest.”
–NBC News Reports, Phil McCausland, Jonathan Dienst and Gabe Gutierrez
Trump is going to keep threatening and intimidating people. He has already threatened the judge and his family. He’s not going to listen to his lawyers about what to say, OUTSIDE the courtroom. Why should he? He has gotten away with what he says publically and it has benefited him both financially & politically. It’s time to flip the script. The people being threatened by Trump and the right should profit, both financially and politically. Make #Trump’s threats cost him money!
I just found out that there is a FINE attached to violations of a gag order. It’s only $1,500, but I wondered, what are the other costs that can be tied to Trump’s threats? Who else can be made to pay for making threats to judges, DAs and their families? Trump supporters. Like when Junior, Marge, And Eric Trump Go After Judge’s Daughter. That can cost them their . . . → Read More: No Gag Order, Yet. How We Profit From Trump’s Coming Threats
Fox is NOT a journalistic entity, it’s a political operation.A person working for a PAC wouldn’t get congressional press credentials, but Fox does.It’s time to revoke the congressional press credentials for anybody from #Fox.
I’m happy Marcy started the conversation. I want to move it forward. I think that de-credentialing should be one result following the resolution of the Dominion case in favor of Dominion.
Why Bother To Revoke Fox’s Credentials?
Press credentials have VALUE to Fox. It allows them, as a political operation, to masquerade as a news organization. I’m making the case that Fox is like the RNC or a Political Action Committee and not a journalistic entity, therefore they are not entitled to the benefits and protections we offer journalistic entities in America. Having Congressional Press credentials, is a sign of legitimacy. Not having them wouldn’t mean they couldn’t still publish information, but NOT having them, and the REASON they don’t have them sends a message to everyone. I’m already hearing all the defeatist responses from the left about trying to do this. And the predictions that journalists and media organizations will defend Fox and won’t even TRY to revoke the credentials. We know how . . . → Read More: Revoke Fox’s Congressional Press Credentials
When Trump returns to Facebook he will likely instantly violate their lax new “guardrails.” We know it will happen. Adam Schiff even pointed out what the violations will be in a letter to Meta in December 2022.When it happens we should demand that Meta enforce their own rules. Will they? If they do, they will lose engagement. In Zuckerberg’s mind more engagement, even engagement that violates their community standards, means more revenue. We know this from the Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen. We also know from the Jan 6th committee memo on Social Media (Link to gifted Washington Post article) that Zuckerberg overruled his staff who wanted to ban Trump for his multiple violations of their community standards before Jan 6th. But engagement isn’t the only metric for Meta’s success. Meta’s stock price can be hurt in multiple ways. Stories about management making bad decisions hurt the stock. Stories about management supporting and enabling domestic terrorists can hurt the stock price. Big investors put pressure on management all the time when they see them making bad decisions (like they did on Zuckerberg for investing in the legless VR experience). Zuck thought it was going to be huge, he was wrong. . . . → Read More: When Trump violates Facebook’s new “guardrails” let’s make it hurt Zuckerberg financially until he’s banned again
Musk’s Twitter Takeover Turns from Dumb to Dangerous: ‘BradCast’ 12/14/2022 Guest: Media activist (and Musk’s former corporate PR trainer!) ‘Spocko’
Brad Friedman
Okay. All right. And does we can do that music here and then if we need to break it up and post if need be. Okay, everybody ready? All right, here we go. Everybody’s heard about the bird. The bird is the word in this case, a bird in question is otherwise known as Twitter, which everyone has heard about by now. I think if they hadn’t prior to six weeks ago? Well, they certainly have by now it’s hard to escape conversation about it, frankly. And believe me, I have tried. Welcome back to the Brad cast Brad Friedman from Brad blog.com. To be honest, because it is all frankly so stupid and grotesque. Well, I have been following as much as I can stomach regarding Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover of Twitter in recent weeks. I haven’t covered much on the show here. It’s all largely an ill advised and even accidental because he tried to get out of the dumb . . . → Read More: Spocko on Musk’s Twitter Takeover from Dumb to Dangerous: ‘BradCast’ 12/14/2022
Elon Musk has unbanned the guy who runs The Daily Stormer
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Andrew Anglin, Neo-Nazi Twitter User restored by Elon Musk. Notice how he positions himself as the victim in advance?
Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin, who was booted off Twitter in 2013, has had his account restored. Right Wing Watch is a part of the Southern Poverty Law Center
Factory owner welcomes back employees fired for intentionally spreading toxic gas
I’m imagining a “community meeting” where the factory owner has to explain his decisions to the community who has been hurt in the past and could be affected again in the future because of the owners decision. I was going to make this a press conference, but cunning factory owners know how to deal with the media. Public: Aren’t you worried they will do it again?Factory Owner: I have robots in place that will suspend them if they put out toxic gas again.Public: Why risk it? Why allow them a chance?FO: (Answer for public) They will make tons of gases daily but only a small percent <.01% will unleash toxic gas.
The Matt Binder Doomed Podcast had on a great guest, Alejandra Caraballo, talking about Twitter and the harm that Musk is causing people with his actions. I called in during the after show to talk about efforts to pressure him and what he is doing to avoid negative consequence. Since then a few things have happened. Musk took a walk with Tim Cook at Apple and had a video call with the EU commissioner. I talked about them on the Nicole Sandler Show.
I’m going to break down what’s happening and what we can do besides popping popcorn and cackling.Musk makes promises to people who can help him be successful. And those who can thwart his success. Early on at Twitter it was big advertisers. When he didn’t deliver what he promised he said: “I don’t need you advertisers anyway!” (But behind the scenes he is still talking with them and asking them to give him a shot. “Think of all the people you will reach!” ) When Twitter Blue was a disaster he pulled it and is trying to fix it so he won’t have to rely on advertisers. (Behind the scenes he knows that Twitter Blue . . . → Read More: Here’s how Musk will try to weasel out of his promises to Apple and the EU
Musk is making massive blunders in his take over of Twitter. It’s great fun to point and laugh. Which I will happily do. It’s an opportunity to show him (& the rest of the world) why his definition of “free speech” is juvenile and harmful. It’s also a time to point out that when social media companies fail to act on known harmful content, there should be consequences.
I’m @Spockos@mastodon.online
Showing companies the financial consequences of their failure to act on harmful rhetoric is a powerful tool for change. It’s one of the methods that I have developed and taught multiple groups & people for the last 15 years.
Bloggers Take on Talk Radio Hosts — New York Times January 15, 2007
A San Francisco talk radio station pre-empted three hours of programming on Friday in response to a campaign by bloggers who have recorded extreme comments by several hosts and passed on digital copies to advertisers.
The lead blogger, who uses the name Spocko, said that he and other bloggers had contacted more than 30 advertisers on KSFO-AM to inform them of comments made on the air and to ask them to pull their ads.
