this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
635 points (97.2% liked)

politics

19104 readers
1544 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

National security officials are used to shaking off absurd conspiracy theories, but the latest rumor that’s gripped MAGA world just hits different.

The claims by Fox News and far-right influencers that pop star Taylor Swift is part of a Pentagon “psychological operation” to get President Joe Biden reelected, and somehow rig the Super Bowl to benefit Kansas City Chiefs tight end (and Swift’s boyfriend) Travis Kelce, has been met with forehead slaps in the national security world.

“The absurdity of it all boggles the mind,” said one senior administration official, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. “It feels like one of those ‘tell me you are a MAGA conspiracy theorist, without telling me you are a MAGA conspiracy theorist’ memes.”

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 85 points 9 months ago (6 children)

This feels like one of those things /b/ started as a joke, and a few echo chambers took it seriously, and the media assumed or "assumed" it was far more widespread than it was. At least, I hope so

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 30 points 9 months ago (2 children)

At work I have a regular that comes into the office and she spouts conspiracies like these and started talking about Taylor Swift vaccines and the deep state in the last week or so, so there are definitely a few true believers.

[–] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 24 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Taylot Swift vaccines

These will never work. She's just too infectious.

[–] MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

You just gotta shake it off. (Yes, I hate myself)

[–] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

That pun. I knew you were trouble when you walked in.

[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Oh no doubt, no matter how insane sounding there will be believers. It's almost always related to undiagnosed or unmedicated mental disorders with delusions as a symptom. It's really sad that we don't prioritize mental health more in this country.

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This woman is like 75 years old, lives in a van from '89, gets healthcare from her father being in the military or something based on what she says. She definitely has undiagnosed schizophrenia based on the way she acts and the bits of past she gives out. I feel bad for her, but she comes in, destroys our bathrooms to take a shower, then when she gets barred from using our restrooms, gets upset claiming she has no memory of causing the mess and tells us she will have to inform her doctors if that's the case. It seems all the more tragic that she lives this way but has access to the things that could help her, but chooses not to. She says she lives in the van to save money, but she has a full retirement account. There's a military base with her father's name on it.

Everyday, someone new is out to get her. Government, vaccines, Democrats, CNN, George Soros. The right has effectively weaponized mental illness on a national scale.

[–] dipshit@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago

Damn Taylor. TIL

[–] DogWater@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago (2 children)

The entire alt right movement was exactly that. It was a joke on b that did this.

Like I used to think that enders game was stupid when it came to the weird internet forum starting a movement and influencing politics but that has literally happened in real life lol

[–] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Except that in Ender's Game they used weird internet forums to actually improve public discourse and awareness.

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Reality turns out to be much dumber than fiction sometimes. I'd say often but there's a lot of porn.

[–] DogWater@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sure but what's your point? I'm saying it was weird to me that the author thought that was realistic or possible. And it happened in real life, proving that it was possible lol

[–] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Oh, I read Enders Game in high school and took the opposite view from you. I believed that the Internet would raise public discourse by elevating intelligence and empathy over our baser instincts. Then we all, including me, proved that wrong.

Optimist, I guess. Not sure what to do with that side of me now.

[–] bAZtARd@feddit.de 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Right? I remember when the_Donald started on reddit, I thought it was hilarious and just people making fun of Trump and behaving like over the top cultists. And in the beginning it obviously was only just a joke. And then it got real and people really thought what was written there was the truth. People for banned and an echo chamber formed.

Was it the same on /b/? Did anyone experience the same as me back then? I really wanna know if all of this came from dumb internet humour...

[–] DogWater@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

I know people used to post the updates for Q on there. That's why its called Qanon. Because the were from 4chan and the posts were anonymous.

[–] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

You took the words right out of my neurolink embedded keyboard...

This really is one of the most amusing panics they've had in recent years.

[–] Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Until someone shoots up a concert again

[–] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Well sure if you want to take morbid reality into account. Yet they wonder why people call for gun laws when nutcases pull things like that.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

"They are trying to take away our right to shoot up a concert!" -Q cultists probably

[–] TurtleJoe@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago (2 children)

There have always been sports fans who think that when their team loses, it's because the ref is on the take. Now you have legalized sports gambling everywhere, with non-stop ads, and official NFL partnerships. Combine that with dozens of hyper slo-mo cameras covering every angle when a ref misses a call, and the conspiracy that the NFL is rigged has become more common the last two years.

Without getting into how absolutely stupid that is, it's only a few more leaps in logic to get to where they seem to be: they keep showing Swift during games, because her fans tune in to see her, ergo, they'll want her to be on screen during the biggest have of the year! The NFL wants the Chiefs to go to the super bowl. (I bartend, and I've had non-maga people saying this to me.) Add in the paranoia that comes with facism, and boom, a new MAGA grand conspiracy is born.

[–] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

There have always been sports fans who think that when their team loses, it’s because the ref is on the take.

It doesn't help that this has actually happened though like with the NBA in the late 90s/early aughts.

[–] S_204@lemm.ee 7 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Listen, I'm a lifelong football player, coach and fan. If you're trying to tell me the game isn't rigged for the Chiefs to be in the Superbowl I'm telling you you're the conspiracy Nutter!

Signed Your biggest Baltimore Ravens fan.

[–] flicker@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Woof. I felt so bad for Flowers on 1/28. They kept zooming in on him when he was rattled and you could see how bad it was getting to him.

[–] S_204@lemm.ee 3 points 9 months ago

He made rookie mistakes after not playing like a rookie all season. The offense shit the bed the second half, wasn't just one guy Flowers doesn't deserve as much hate as he's getting. Deserves a good share though.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

There actually is a confirmed government plot to keep the Bills from winning the Super Bowl, though. It was confirmed in that documentary from the 90s, "The X-Files".

[–] S_204@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Oh fuck watching that FG go wide right the other week gave me flash backs to nam.

[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

Trump's massive inferiority complex and narcissism is also driving it

[–] MaxPow3r11@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

I feel like this is how a lot of stuff starts these days. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a "psy op" (possibly created by actual children).