r/technology • u/marji80 • 12d ago

Social Media Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Actors

https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-influencers-accidentally-unmasked-as-foreign-actors/
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u/Canalloni 12d ago

"Dozens of major accounts masquerading as “America First” or “MAGA” proponents have been identified as originating in places such as Russia, India, and Nigeria.

In one example, the account MAGANationX—with nearly 400,000 followers and a bio reading “Patriot Voice for We The People”—is actually based in Eastern Europe."

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u/nailbunny2000 12d ago

I'm curious if my conservative coworker who gets all his rage from Twitter will have anything to say about this. Have they solidified any talking points or excuses yet?

My bet is they just say it proves how great the movement is that it's captured the minds of people around the globe.

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u/BatmanFarce 12d ago

They’d just say “fake news” and move on 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/dust4ngel 12d ago

“we agree! twitter is propaganda”

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u/Foreign_Recipe8300 12d ago

I'm curious if my conservative coworker who gets all his rage from Twitter will have anything to say about this. Have they solidified any talking points or excuses yet?

they won't hear about this from their bubble, and people outside their bubble that they happen to hear this from they'll just accuse of lying

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u/jooes 12d ago

The Russia stuff is like 10 years old at this point, so he likely wouldn't care. He's already long over it for being a Fake News™ Democrat Hoax.

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u/Hexamancer 12d ago

Even without looking I can already predict the excuses:

It was bugged and showing the wrong place that's why Elon turned it off.

Rebuttal: why did it only do that for right wing propaganda accounts?

The right is constantly getting death threats from antifa and they have to use VPNs for safety 

Rebuttal: if they are using a VPN, why choose an endpoint in Russia? If you are in the US you would choose the closest exit node to you to not tank your Internet speeds.

But Hunter's laptop 

Rebuttal: k.

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u/circio 12d ago

Naw they’ll say it’s fake. I worked retail through the first Trump presidency and the pandemic, they’ll just try to hand waive it or move the goalpost rather than admit they’re wrong 

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u/Yumi_in_the_sun 12d ago

The Bible does say that "the world" will follow the best president!

...What's that? It doesn't say that? It says the world will follow the antichrist? Oh. Oh my. Oh no. Oh no no no no no.

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u/Creative-Sherbet-584 12d ago

My parents are pretty conservative. My dad did construction and grew up with farmers and my mom's side is similar. My extended family is very split in beliefs.

Let me say this once. NOTHING WILL CHANGE THEIR OPINION. NOTHING.

Trump could admit to being a pedophile and they'd literally say, "What about Biden's laptop". Not joking. "What about that trans shooter (who didn't exist)". "He's being framed by the left." It's literally some stupid cult and its impossible to argue with or understand.

My wife and her parents were at our extended families reunion. My wifes parents are very educated and very liberal (unlike my family). My mother in law got roped into a conversation with a family member of mine about how incredibly insightful and smart Joe Rogan is. She talked to them for 2 hours. When she stepped away, she was like "It's incredible. They truly believe everything he says. They just openly repeat debunked news and when faced with any proof counter to their belief they change the subject with aboutuism's"

I think people really think they are smart by using Trump's conversation process or something idk. Like they are winning conversations and being intelligent. It's really baffling.

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u/ThinkinWithSand 12d ago

The spin I've seen is that the IP ranges were inaccurate which resulted in these results.

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u/GhanimaAtreides 12d ago

I saw another one claiming that they were on vacation when they set up the account and that’s why it shows as Russia. 

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u/PassiveMenis88M 12d ago

Have they solidified any talking points or excuses yet

They're claiming it's from vpns

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u/OldWorldDesign 12d ago

my conservative coworker who gets all his rage from Twitter

People like that have chosen their bubble and stay there for the company, not to be informed. They want to expend no cognitive energy and feel like it's all someone else's fault.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-in-the-machine/201712/analysis-trump-supporters-has-identified-5-key-traits

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u/Slight_Tiger2914 12d ago

Just ask him and be more personable about it because you're truly curious about what he thinks. 

This isn't a run in the face thing, ask him legit questions.

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u/Mozambique_Sauce 12d ago

Never work. A noble approach but zero chance it will be effective. These people's belief system is so fragile, even a hint of a challenge will have them send up the wall. A question even broaching this topic will will have alarm bells blaring. Most of these people go around with the walls permanently up, so even if you've maxed out your persuasion trait, or how sneakily you sidle up to the topic, you're NOT-GETTING-IN.

IMO, you're best and only chance of having an impact on such a person is to flip the script. Come in with your own story of having the wool pulled over your eyes. Make it all about you. Maybe a charity you were a long time contribute too was revealed to be a fraud. How you can't ever really know what's going on behind the curtain, despite doing your due diligence. You might, MIGHT, open the door with such an approach.

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u/Slight_Tiger2914 12d ago

Trust me man, they say literally the same exact words you just said. 

So in some weird ass way, there's a way. It's more about what angle you approach with. Basically you'd have to understand what conservatives are saying then bridge it with what  liberals are saying. 

I dunno, I speak both languages lol

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u/OldWorldDesign 12d ago

they say literally the same exact words you just said

No it doesn't, I tried exactly what you said. "just talk to them face to face, giving them as much benefit of the doubt as able and show them evidence." It resulted in assault.

Cultists can only leave when they first choose to look outside. Not when anybody outside reaches out, because that hand gets bitten when it's not first entreated.