Trump channels Nixon's vengefulness and racism, but lacks his intelligence and experience. OMG, WE JUST ELECTED DUMB NIXON.
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) November 9, 2016
Historian here, with a message for folks arguing against holding people accountable for the siege of the Capitol because "history will be the judge." We are in this mess, BECAUSE people in the past didn't hold their contemporaries accountable. Please don't repeat that mistake.
I'd forgotten that James J. Kilpatrick, one of Virginia's most staunch segregationists in the 1960s, had a regular gig on 60 Minutes in the 1970s playing the role of the "conservative" in their point/counterpoint segment. This one from 1978 is a trip. https://t.co/8QwZam99aH
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) May 27, 2020
Nuts that Pat Buchanan was a prominent mainstream media talking head in the 80's, 90's, and 00's even though he was considered too antisemitic and "fascistic" for even Charles Krauthammer or Bill Buckley. https://t.co/HXIoF7gj9r
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) June 3, 2020
Every time a public figure talks about the P**ud Buoys, they should note that the group conducts readings from Pat Buchanan's 2001 book, The Death of the West, at every meeting. That book is a white nationalist screed against immigrants. There is no finessing this.
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) October 18, 2020
More from Seth Cotlar
I seem to recall a story from a while back that revealed that Ginni Thomas met weekly with a group of right wing operatives that included the Project Veritas hoax artist.
Oh hey.
Gosh, look at that.
It’s all just so absurd, and yet so potent.
Here’s Anna Khait speaking at a pro-Trump, pro-steal the election rally last December.
Project Veritas assigned female undercover operatives to arrange dates with FBI employees and other officials and secretly record them, with the aim of capturing any disparaging comments made about Trump. The women had code names like \u201cBrazil\u201d and \u201cTiger.\u201d https://t.co/N7Yrjx5M5U
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 13, 2021
Oh hey.
Gosh, look at that.
It’s all just so absurd, and yet so potent.
Here’s Anna Khait speaking at a pro-Trump, pro-steal the election rally last December.
This is why the founders separated church and state. pic.twitter.com/xJj9kjHyz2
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) December 12, 2020
It's important to note how deeply rooted & completely canonical these kooky ideas are in the US far right, & how dangerous it is that a sitting president is giving legitimacy to them. It's like Father Coughlin, the John Birch Society, and Geo Lincoln Rockwell had an orange baby.
Thanks (I think) to @z3dster for bringing this batshit tweet to my attention.
There's a long history of the American center-right and center-left laughing at this kind of stuff. It is indeed laughably ludicrous. But it's important to know that to millions of people, this is their truth. This is how they see the world. And now the President is condoning it.
One hallmark of fascism is that it defines "communism" as its enemy. One can be opposed to communism without being a fascist. But it's impossible to be fascist without being obsessed with the existential (and often hysterically overblown) threat of communism.
Every significant, US variant of fascism has depicted itself as a movement of Christian patriots defending the US from anti-American enemies of Christ. One can be a Christian and/or a patriot without being a fascist, but fascists almost always call themselves Christian patriots.
January 6th. See you in D.C. https://t.co/vynZTv9lHb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2021
Thanks (I think) to @z3dster for bringing this batshit tweet to my attention.
There's a long history of the American center-right and center-left laughing at this kind of stuff. It is indeed laughably ludicrous. But it's important to know that to millions of people, this is their truth. This is how they see the world. And now the President is condoning it.
One hallmark of fascism is that it defines "communism" as its enemy. One can be opposed to communism without being a fascist. But it's impossible to be fascist without being obsessed with the existential (and often hysterically overblown) threat of communism.
Every significant, US variant of fascism has depicted itself as a movement of Christian patriots defending the US from anti-American enemies of Christ. One can be a Christian and/or a patriot without being a fascist, but fascists almost always call themselves Christian patriots.
This reminds me of a 2010 poll of Tea Party supporters in which 84% said that "the views of the people involved in the Tea Party movement generally reflect the views of most Americans." Only 20% thought Obama shared the values of most Americans.
Full polling data here. I was asked to give a talk on campus about the Tea Party in 2010, and one of my main points was that it was a weakness of the movement that it had such a delusional perception of the American people. Oops.
Anyway...the dynamic described here has been a long time coming.
That's the weird, seemingly illogical, thing about the right's culture war. They simultaneously think of themselves as speaking for the majority of Americans, AND they think that they are the saving remnant protecting a decadent society from ruin.
What squares this circle is the assumption that "the real American people" consist of straight white, rural or suburban people, & anyone not in that category doesn't really count as an American. That's how right wing culture warriors can both be the "majority," and a minority.
This statistic that 90 percent of Republicans presume Trump will win may prove far more important than any of the sort https://t.co/LXTkTYzNsA covers. It scares me shitless. https://t.co/9z3NmfIbmX
— Rick Perlstein (@rickperlstein) October 27, 2020
Full polling data here. I was asked to give a talk on campus about the Tea Party in 2010, and one of my main points was that it was a weakness of the movement that it had such a delusional perception of the American people. Oops.
Anyway...the dynamic described here has been a long time coming.
A GOP political culture that regards Americans who don't agree with them as existential enemies to the nation is the logical result of the GOP's longrunning culture war approach to politics. They've been telling conservatives they're "at war" w/ their fellow citizens for decades.
— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) October 27, 2020
That's the weird, seemingly illogical, thing about the right's culture war. They simultaneously think of themselves as speaking for the majority of Americans, AND they think that they are the saving remnant protecting a decadent society from ruin.
What squares this circle is the assumption that "the real American people" consist of straight white, rural or suburban people, & anyone not in that category doesn't really count as an American. That's how right wing culture warriors can both be the "majority," and a minority.
More from Legal
BREAKING: at least six men that provided security for Roger Stone entered the #Capitol during the siege, per a @nytimes visual investigation.
All six are associated with the far-right #OathKeepers militia.
THREAD 1/
Story: https://t.co/abZlcVyaR6
2/ On January 5th, Stone appeared at the Supreme Court, glad-handing and being driven in a go-kart. Later he attended a rally near the White House.
As the @nytimes team shows, his security entourage featured a host of #OathKeepers...
3/ In the morning of the 6th, Stone stood outside the Willard InterContinental hotel, again flanked by men associated with the #OathKeepers.
Some of them, like Rob Minuta, have been named in prior
4/ Interesting detail: while scrutinizing the video of Roger Stone I spotted Rudy Giuliani exiting the same hotel.
Giuliani is accompanied by a man wearing the same outfit as Trump supporter John Eastman & other not-yet ID'd people.
Video source: https://t.co/Rure8TiQTp
5/ Now to the #Capitol: We see a several of Roger Stone's #OathKeeper guards amidst a larger group yelling at police. Video surfaced by the @CTExposers team.👇👇
https://t.co/NWsONDz0OA
All six are associated with the far-right #OathKeepers militia.
THREAD 1/
Story: https://t.co/abZlcVyaR6
2/ On January 5th, Stone appeared at the Supreme Court, glad-handing and being driven in a go-kart. Later he attended a rally near the White House.
As the @nytimes team shows, his security entourage featured a host of #OathKeepers...
3/ In the morning of the 6th, Stone stood outside the Willard InterContinental hotel, again flanked by men associated with the #OathKeepers.
Some of them, like Rob Minuta, have been named in prior
NEW: Rob Minuta guarded Roger Stone Jan 6th...& was later seen at #Capitol siege..
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) February 7, 2021
Now we know he has a history of escorting Trump allies like Flynn & Alex Jones. Also seen in December w/indicted Proud Boy #Spazzo.
THREAD
By @arawnsley
Link: https://t.co/8t38iOmgYP pic.twitter.com/dnRYZGuBCO
4/ Interesting detail: while scrutinizing the video of Roger Stone I spotted Rudy Giuliani exiting the same hotel.
Giuliani is accompanied by a man wearing the same outfit as Trump supporter John Eastman & other not-yet ID'd people.
Video source: https://t.co/Rure8TiQTp
5/ Now to the #Capitol: We see a several of Roger Stone's #OathKeeper guards amidst a larger group yelling at police. Video surfaced by the @CTExposers team.👇👇
https://t.co/NWsONDz0OA
Here's the footage of Roberto Minuta throwing a tantrum at the police, 1/6 at the east side of the Capitol (5:16 in the Youtube video link).
— Capitol Terrorists Exposers (@CTExposers) February 10, 2021
\u27a1\ufe0fhttps://t.co/rulMuaftCm pic.twitter.com/wz6A4zQLYT
1/ On Jan 2 we introduced Proud Boy Billy Knutson to the world. Billy said he was going to DC to "literally go Antifa hunting."
Well, Proud Boy Billy Knutson stormed the U.S. capitol with his fellow terrorists and participated in a failed coup:
https://t.co/Ctb7vThYhs
2/ Terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson placing himself at the scene of the failed coup in DC to overthrow democracy:
3/ From terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson's Parler in his own words:
PS: We see Texas Charter Plane 5 Jenna Ryan made the big time at the failed U.S. coup in DC
4/ FAIR USE claim: shows context in tweets
Terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson's Parler video where you can hear him screaming, "Stand Back and Stand By Motherf*ckers!" while standing on the US capitol steps. Speaker says they'll be back on Inauguration Day.
5/ Terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson already lost his Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & Twitter before heading to DC
However @Spotify & @YouTube continue to platform Billy Knutson, aka Playboy The Beast, a terrorist that participated in the U.S. failed
Well, Proud Boy Billy Knutson stormed the U.S. capitol with his fellow terrorists and participated in a failed coup:
https://t.co/Ctb7vThYhs
1/ ON 1/6 fascists will converge on DC to assault & harass black, brown, & other marginalized lives. Meet one of the fascists going: Billy Leonel Knutson, 35, of Charlotte, NC.
— Antifascist Trash Panda \u2199\ufe0f\u2199\ufe0f\u2199\ufe0f\U0001f99d (@trashpandaAFA) January 2, 2021
Billy is a member of the violent street gang Proud Boys, an @splcenter designated hate group. pic.twitter.com/IB4gjwBY2J
2/ Terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson placing himself at the scene of the failed coup in DC to overthrow democracy:
3/ From terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson's Parler in his own words:
PS: We see Texas Charter Plane 5 Jenna Ryan made the big time at the failed U.S. coup in DC
4/ FAIR USE claim: shows context in tweets
Terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson's Parler video where you can hear him screaming, "Stand Back and Stand By Motherf*ckers!" while standing on the US capitol steps. Speaker says they'll be back on Inauguration Day.
5/ Terrorist Proud Boy Billy Knutson already lost his Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & Twitter before heading to DC
However @Spotify & @YouTube continue to platform Billy Knutson, aka Playboy The Beast, a terrorist that participated in the U.S. failed
HOW IT'S GOING for Proud Boy Billy Knutson:
— Antifascist Trash Panda \u2199\ufe0f\u2199\ufe0f\u2199\ufe0f\U0001f99d (@trashpandaAFA) January 6, 2021
Facebook: #TangoDown
Instagram: #TangoDown
Twitter: #TangoDown
TikTok: #TangoDown
"200k+ fans, over 9 years of work, blood, sweat and tears...tens of thousands of dollars invested...all gone." ~ Billy Knutson https://t.co/Ctb7vThYhs pic.twitter.com/5BtKGNMHdy
1/
In light of this serious cyber attack and this being the second in a row that I've heard in the past few weeks, I'd like to take this moment to talk about the cyber attack known as #phishing so that others do not fall prey to it and stay safe online.
Thread starts:
2/
Phishing is usually a means of contacting you by impersonation to gather data, oversimplifying it. This can happen in several ways:
1. URL similarities: Usually when people visit a webpage, most people never check the URL (Uniform Resource Locator). For example, a fake URL of
3/
https://t.co/x0brAMyKgF would be https://t.co/HrdE9hklv1. Seem the same, right? No. I've replaced one single character of "L" in @Google with "I". Therefore, your entire data would be redirected to the server that is hosting GOOGIE, instead of GOOGLE. This is commonly
4/
hackers perform cyber attacks. However this is only one of many.
Many people might forward you genuine links with small "add-ons" which enter your system like a Trojan Horse. A beautiful meme of keyboard cat on the outside but a vicious data-mining link on the inside.
Plus
5/
There's also other means of doing this. And you might think "But dude, who's stupid enough to fall for it?"
LOTS of UNINFORMED people are.
2020 was a record breaking year for phishing websites and attacks as per @techradar. It's not just through
In light of this serious cyber attack and this being the second in a row that I've heard in the past few weeks, I'd like to take this moment to talk about the cyber attack known as #phishing so that others do not fall prey to it and stay safe online.
Thread starts:
2/
Phishing is usually a means of contacting you by impersonation to gather data, oversimplifying it. This can happen in several ways:
1. URL similarities: Usually when people visit a webpage, most people never check the URL (Uniform Resource Locator). For example, a fake URL of
3/
https://t.co/x0brAMyKgF would be https://t.co/HrdE9hklv1. Seem the same, right? No. I've replaced one single character of "L" in @Google with "I". Therefore, your entire data would be redirected to the server that is hosting GOOGIE, instead of GOOGLE. This is commonly
4/
hackers perform cyber attacks. However this is only one of many.
Many people might forward you genuine links with small "add-ons" which enter your system like a Trojan Horse. A beautiful meme of keyboard cat on the outside but a vicious data-mining link on the inside.
Plus
5/
There's also other means of doing this. And you might think "But dude, who's stupid enough to fall for it?"
LOTS of UNINFORMED people are.
2020 was a record breaking year for phishing websites and attacks as per @techradar. It's not just through
1/ In "stupid lawsuits over mean tweets" news, the 6th Cir. will hear arguments shortly in a case against @kathygriffin (save your personal opinions about her, I really don't care). Listen in here at 1:30 Eastern:
2/ The case has flown mostly under the radar, likely because it was dismissed on the relatively unsexy issue of personal jurisdiction. But it's extremely important in cases about online speech (I'll add more to this thread later about that).
3/ The suit was brought by parents of Covington Catholic students that attended that infamous 'March for Life', who probably saw the Sandmann lawsuit and said "let's try to get rich off of this too!" There's no shortage of lawyers willing to help you on that quest.
4/ The basis of the lawsuit is that during the whirlwind of coverage over the March for Life incident, Kathy Griffin sent some tweets about identifying the protesters seen in the videos that went viral.
Complaint: https://t.co/EF9ST2Som5
5/ The lawsuit calls these tweets "doxing," which strikes me as kind of hyperbolic. I know some people disagree with me on this, but the identity of someone taking part in a public event (which is literally all Griffin asked for) is not particularly private information.
2/ The case has flown mostly under the radar, likely because it was dismissed on the relatively unsexy issue of personal jurisdiction. But it's extremely important in cases about online speech (I'll add more to this thread later about that).
3/ The suit was brought by parents of Covington Catholic students that attended that infamous 'March for Life', who probably saw the Sandmann lawsuit and said "let's try to get rich off of this too!" There's no shortage of lawyers willing to help you on that quest.
4/ The basis of the lawsuit is that during the whirlwind of coverage over the March for Life incident, Kathy Griffin sent some tweets about identifying the protesters seen in the videos that went viral.
Complaint: https://t.co/EF9ST2Som5
5/ The lawsuit calls these tweets "doxing," which strikes me as kind of hyperbolic. I know some people disagree with me on this, but the identity of someone taking part in a public event (which is literally all Griffin asked for) is not particularly private information.
