Exterminate, exterminate—the Trollbot Inquisition may be coming for you!
by Anne R. Allen
We hardly ever write personal stuff here on the blog. I avoid politics and religion in my fiction as well as social media, and I figure nobody needs to hear about my little emotional ups and downs.
But a couple of weeks ago, something unpleasant happened I think my fellow writers need to know about. It could happen to any of us. In fact, I suspect it’s already going on and will escalate.
A Visit from the Book Inquisition
Three weeks ago, I got an email that seemed to be from one of the anti-book extremists who have been making headlines all over the US in the past couple of years. In Alabama, they’re even making it a criminal offence to be a librarian.
This email was sent in response to a little story I wrote for a cozy mystery anthology put out by my publisher, Thalia Press.
The point of the anthology was to introduce the characters featured in each writer’s mystery series. It had a free promotion for two days in March.
My sleuthing duo are a formerly wealthy etiquette columnist-turned bookseller, and her gay best friend. That might sound a little clichéd, since what socialite doesn’t have a gay best friend? But the bad boyfriends, quirky mysteries, and literary satire give the books their own style.
It never occurred to me that a book-banner from the Book Inquisition would read one of my romcom mysteries. Semi-literate thugs are not exactly my target demographic.
The Inquisition’s problem? The gay best friend.
That’s it. The fact I acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ humans got their little control-freak panties in a bunch.
My story has no sex or violence on the page — none of my books do — but yes, Camilla’s best friend Plantagenet Smith is a gay man.
Mr. Inquisition seemed especially verklempt over the fact Plant is married. The phrase “his husband” was what triggered his chilling message.
Apparently promiscuous gay men are not offensive. Only the legally married ones. Maybe that’s because some of the prominent book-banners like to get frisky in threesomes.
In any case, the sender demanded I stop writing “woke” books and threatened that no one would ever read my books again if I didn’t stop using the offensive phrase “his husband.”
I Respond to the Inquisition
The missive arrived on an evening after I’d had an idyllic day here on California’s beautiful Central Coast, listening to music with good friends. Coming home to that email brought me down like a punch in the gut.
I took a few minutes to collect myself, then I made the mistake of firing off a Camilla-like response.
I said I was sorry about his mental health issues and I would pray for him.
Yeah. Just a little bit of Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” came out there.
The Threats Escalate
Of course there was a reply. But not to my Church Lady response. It was a meaning-free word salad seemingly accusing me of publishing another book two weeks before that proved I was “woke.” (Alas, my last book was published more than a year ago.)
The “woke” accusations are pretty hilarious, since I’ve often protested the recent excesses of “woke” ideology in the publishing business.
But again the second message repeated the phrase “his husband.” That dreaded phrase had given poor Mr. Book-Banning Thug an attack of the vapors.
I spent way too much time trying to decipher the non-English of the email. But I finally realized the sender had no idea what the phrase “his husband” means. He repeated it the way Harry Potter and his pals repeat Latin phrases — as if the sound of the syllables alone could work dark magic.
It appeared it was on a list of phrases deemed verboten by the Book Inquisition.
There was nothing in either email about my story, my bio, or my Church Lady response. The sender obviously hadn’t read any of them.
Because — I finally realized — he/she/it knows no English at all!
So I Googled the guy’s name. I found nothing but two Facebook pages, almost identical, with the name slightly changed in one. They looked as if they had been put up by remarkably lazy bots in about three seconds. The page “owners” had no friends, and there were no photos of humans — just endless identical photos of cars and guns.
All the posts consisted of Anti-Ukraine and anti-democracy propaganda. Some were in Russian. This “guy” was just a bot. A Russian bot.
Censorship via Russian A.I. Trollbot
I realized the threatening emails had probably been written in Russian and translated by a robot. The incomprehensible, fragmented language must have been created by Russian A.I., then run through Google Translate.
I was being bullied by a Russian A.I. Trollbot!
The Russian troll farm must have an A.I. search function that scans free books available in English. The bot looks for English words and phrases deemed “woke” by the Kremlin book police. Then it fires off threatening A.I. emails to authors who use the forbidden phrases.
Who knew the phrase “his husband” was so terrifying to Vladimir Putin? (Perchance the shirtless horseman doth protest too much?)
How Much of Current Homophobia Coming from the Kremlin?
Putin has waged a personal war on the LGBTQ community since the Sochi games in 2014. Remember them? Right before the games, Putin signed an anti-gay law outlawing pride parades and forbidding teenagers from talking about LGBTQ subjects. He claimed that gay people are a threat to children (fun fact: 95% of pedophiles are heterosexual.)
This throwback-to-the-1950s law caused a big brouhaha with the games, and some people boycotted them because of it. Most of the world was shocked, because the LGBTQ community had finally achieved some hard-won rights in most modern countries.
But since 2014, homophobia and transphobia have escalated wildly in the US and Europe through far-right media, which is often fed by Kremlin propaganda.
I have no doubt these emails are part of Putin’s grand plan to “weaken the West.”
The Inquisition’s Counterfeit People
I fear this is just the beginning. The world is filling up with “Counterfeit People”—A.I. bots that do a good job of imitating real humans.
The late philosopher Daniel C. Dennet wrote in the Atlantic earlier this year:
“Today, for the first time in history, thanks to artificial intelligence, it is possible for anybody to make counterfeit people who can pass for real in many of the new digital environments we have created. These counterfeit people are the most dangerous artifacts in human history, capable of destroying not just economies but human freedom itself.
Before it’s too late (it may well be too late already) we must outlaw both the creation of counterfeit people and the “passing along” of counterfeit people. The penalties for either offense should be extremely severe, given that civilization itself is at risk.”
Pretty alarmist stuff. But after my encounter with the Russian Trollbot, I have a healthy fear of fake people. This one only frightened me for a day or two, but imagine if you had to deal with them every day, trying to control and censor your writing — and even your thoughts — with threatening messages.
The enemies of freedom are on the march. We know that already. But it looks as if the soldiers who are marching aren’t human.
And that is terrifying.
My Message to the Book Inquisition
So here’s my message to the Russian Daleks or whatever they are: This is still a free country, and Vladimir Putin is not the boss of me, at least for a few more months.
I write what I know. And if anybody lives in an artsy California beach town and doesn’t know any LGBTQ people, they need to leave the house occasionally and meet the neighbors 😊
Take it Up With the Almighty
I wish people who think the Creator made a mistake when He created humans with different skin tone, sexual orientation, or genitalia from their own would take it up with the Almighty, and stop blaming the authors of books.
Writers are not gods, no matter how powerful we may feel when creating characters on a page. The truth is we actually can’t do much to change reality, no matter how many unhinged emails their Trollbots send us.
Write fearlessly, friends! The Daleks haven’t conquered us. Yet.
by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) May 5, 2024.
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What about you, scriveners? Have any of you had a visit from the Inquisition? How do you feel about Russian censors deciding what you’re allowed to write about? How do you fight the Inquisitors and book-burners?
BOOK OF THE WEEK
This mystery anthology from Thalia Press, which includes the offending Camilla story called “Cozy Cottage for Rent,” is available on Amazon .
All the stories come from established authors of a mystery series, and gives you a glimpse of the main characters and setting of each series.
A perfect beach read!
SHERWOOD, LTD: Camilla Randall Mystery #2
A contemporary take on one of the myths of the indigenous people of England: the Green Man, Robin Hood.
Suddenly-homeless American manners expert Camilla Randall becomes a 21st century Maid Marian—living rough near the real Sherwood Forest with a band of outlaw English erotica publishers—led by a charming, self-styled Robin Hood who unfortunately may intend to kill her.
When Camilla is invited to publish a book of her columns with UK publisher Peter Sherwood, she lands in a gritty criminal world—far from the Merrie Olde England she envisions. The staff are ex-cons and the erotica is kinky. Hungry and penniless, she camps in a Wendy House built from pallets of porn while battling an epic flood, a mendacious American Renfaire wench, and the mysterious killer who may be Peter himself.
Here’s a great write-up of Sherwood, Ltd from Debra Eve at the Later Bloomer
Available in ebook from:
All Amazons GooglePlay Kobo Nook Smashwords
Available in paper from:
“… The myths and legends of the gentleman robber of Sherwood Forest weave their way through the narrative and are echoed by the characters in the present day, giving the story a depth and charm that I found irresistible.
Anne R. Allen is a new author to me, but I intend to read everything else she’s written because…when you find a good writer, that’s what you do. 🙂 Highly recommended…A. C. Flory
“I rocked and rolled through this who-dun-it with a cast of characters so finely developed that I could practically see them in front of me: and that was from the dialogue. Anne Allen is also masterful at keeping the plot twisting and turning; and making sure all those details make sense by the end. Highly entertaining!” Amazon reviewer
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featured image By Evan Moss – Doctor Who Experience
Anne, this should be written in stone! “…would take it up with the Almighty, and stop blaming the authors of books. Writers are not gods, no matter how powerful we may feel when creating characters on a page. The truth is we actually can’t do much to change reality,” Thanks for this astute column, and the warning it provides for all of us. I am shivering too.
Melodie–Thanks! Writers are the messengers who get shot–for things that are not in our power to change. We don’t create, we chronicle. Yes, this was some scary stuff. When I realized it was a bot, I felt a little less scared, but it’s still pretty chilling.
Mostly – so far – bots are fairly easy to spot and block, and blocking is something I have made an absolute rule. I do not interact with them at all. That works well for me, although of course it is not the course everyone chooses to take.
JR–I had no idea the original email came from a bot. It wasn’t until I did some research that I figured out what was happening, which is why I wrote this post. It’s wonderful that you can tell who the “counterfeit people” are, but that’s a gift most people don’t have these days, as you’ll see from Daniel Dennett’s quote.
I just shook my head as I read. This world is quickly turning into a breeding ground for hate, discrimination, and ignorance.
So sorry this happened to you, Anne.
I had to turn off comments on one of my blog posts about gender-neutral terms for writers, because it en”gendered” so much controversy — much of it off-topic.
Maybe consider a follow-up post in a few months?
Kathy–I did find this message of hate shocking. I realize that as a member of a privileged class of women, I don’t get routine hate mail the way LGBTQ, BIPOC and other minorities do, but it’s so depressing to know how hate is being spread around on purpose. I’ve only had to turn off comments a few times in the past, but as this kind of hate is being exacerbated by organized trolls and bots, comments may become impossible.
If I hear any more on this subject, I will let people know.
Two different men whose posts I follow doesn’t have a place for comments on their posts. When I want to comment, I have the option of emailing them directly. I have to go back to the email (which notified me of their posts) and respond to the email, not to the post. That may be the more secure means by which to receive comments from real people who read intelligently.
Sally–Unfortunately, my threats came via email, so it wasn’t a blog comments problem. Email feels much more like a personal attack. I much prefer blogs that allow comments, because that creates community. And Ruth and I respond to all comments. I hope we’ll never have to abandon comments here.
Unfortunately, I haven’t sold enough books to be a target for this kind of crapola. I have been targeted by real people-including people I know personally–for some of my stated preferences on Facebook. It got to the point when calm logic engendered (that pun again) more vitriol. I don’t mind that–I answered in kind. It didn’t solve anything, but was personally satisfying. But to realize now that I may be, in the future, exchanging pleasantries with AI is a real downer.
Fred–I mostly try to avoid controversy on social media. But these days people can be offended by anything. On FB, I’ve blocked several people, or muted them, if they’re posting negative or unkind things on my page.
Way long ago when I was a child working at Bantam, my job was to answer reader mail. Frequently came from prisoners — their return addy ID’d them with their number — because, of course, who else had plenty of time to read? We used a fake house name à la Betty Crocker to reply (don’t recall what it was), but I remember experiencing the occasional frisson of fear that “they” would track me down & come after me.
Ruth–I’m beginning to see the value in using a pseudonym. This is only the second time I’ve been threatened in a personal email. The last time was worse. I’d written something on the blog about how Amazon considers a 3 star review to be negative. I got actual death threats after that. One sent a photo of my house and said they were armed. All over a statement about online reviews. People can get crazy about anything. (Maybe we should both call ourselves “Betty Crocker” now? 🙂 )
Thank you for speaking up on this issue, Anne. (Personally, I don’t mind bloggers with opinions ;))
These bots are a danger in a lot of ways, spewing their owners’ hate all over the internet and into the real world. It’s more important than ever to stand against it. Bad enough that human extremists are on the rise.
I’m not a member of any minority but I welcome diverse casts in content I consume and try to write them as well. As you said, it’s the real world after all and I won’t let hateful people dictate my view on it.
Tina–It is scary that one bigot can send out 1000s of bot emails a minute spreading hate all over the Internet. People who need to spread hate are terrifying because they’re irrational and ignorant, and of course their bots are just extensions of themselves. They’ve created an army of stupid robots. It may be that “resistance is futile” but I’m going to resist anyway.
Hi Anne,
This hits home for several of my author clients over the past 2 years. After living on the edge for what seems ages, just to get your book done and out — and have some decent reviews — and see light in starting the next book, and then get AI-bombed — good grief!!
One recent author asked if I could protect him or help him publish without being ‘attacked’ (he had author pals who had been ‘bombed’. I asked why he felt he needed protection and he told me a story of 3 agents who had responded to his query letter with cruel remarks and ‘shouting’ that he couldn’t possibly write about experiencing a hurricane if he hadn’t been in one. His is a historical fiction, beginning in the horrible ‘cane of 1935. His life is full of adventures experienced yet was told by these 3 agents that since he hadn’t lived the life he was writing about, it would never sell. I told him to ignore these folk, as they had no imagination. And exclaimed that apparently no readers could read historical fiction, because they had never experienced directly the things in a story.
Sorry — this all just triggers such indignation… which is what your post did as well. Why can’t the non-readers just shut UP?! As my grandma said: “I use this broom for other things than sweepin’!”
Thanks for letting everyone know about this — :O)))
Maria–What was weird was this was an email. Not a review. Not a blog comment. Not a response to a query. This was an unsolicited email that came from a stranger out of the blue. A stranger who, it turned out, doesn’t exist. And it was a response to an anthology of cozy short stories–not where most people would go looking for something to offend them.
I don’t understand your author’s negative responses to his query. There must have been something in the query that triggered three separate agents. Usually they don’t even bother to respond these days, so something must have set them off. You might have him run that query by a third party. Most fiction is about stuff the author hasn’t experienced. JK Rowling has never attended Hogwarts. George R. R. Martin has never been a royal fighting other royals for the Iron Throne. And I’ve never been New York’s “debutante of the year” like Camilla. So something’s very strange there.
What a crazy world we’re in, Anne. Or is the same craziness as ever just with a new tech approach? Anyway, I haven’t heard from a Russian bot – at least not that I know of – but I get regular notes from a Nigerian prince. Hey, wait a minute! The Nigerian may be a bot as he never replies to my responses for him to send me the cash.
And I did not know Daniel Dennett died. He certainly made his mark on modern day philosophy, whether your agreed with him or not. Enjoy your day! You, too, Ruth!
Garry–I suppose authors have always received poison pen letters from people who didn’t like their work. But the letters were usually triggered by something controversial, not something as universally acknowledged as the existence of LGBTQ people. But now they’re harassing writers with robots, I guess it’s less rational. Robots are not smart. And this wasn’t like Nigerian prince spam, because it was addressed to me and specifically mentioned my story and a phrase in it.
Dennett died in April. He could be a polarizing figure, and lots of people disagreed with him, but his warnings about AI really hit home for me. Counterfeit people are dangerous. Because they’re robots. And robots are stupid.
In the immortal words of everyone’s favorite cross-dresser, Max Klinger, “Holy Toledo!” I know there are people who would force everyone to use their real name and photo on social media accounts, but I just can’t bring myself to with all the nutjobs out there. Sorry you had to be subjected to this.
For now, I think I will go write a story that prominently features a gay character (or two). 😁
DD–Max Klinger! He’d be in jail in a lot of southern states these days. Not to mention Milton Berle and Flip Wilson. And it’s my theory that the sudden, bizarre hatred of drag is happening because of Putin’s war on LGBTQ people. What chills me is that he’s winning. And much of our media seems to go right along with him. Sigh. Do write that story!
Oh, Flip Wilson! I do miss Geraldine!
Sorry this happened to you, Anne.
The thing is that these bots can scan thousands or millions of lines of data per minute and are programmed for ‘trigger’ phrases. I find it insulting and invasive and more than a little scary.
AI is everywhere these days and could be used as a helpful tool, but someone will always find a way to use it nefariously.
As for this war on the LGBTQ community, I often wonder what secret fantasies these protesters harbor. As you say, they protest too much. The same goes for drag. I also wonder if Putin and his ilk like the feel of silk panties and lace bras.
I’ve also put gay characters in my books from time to time. I don’t make a big deal of it. They are just people who happen to love someone of the same sex.
As for the bots, all we can do is consider the source and ignore as much as possible. I do applaud you bringing this into the light as a warning. I guess this is Russia’s way of bombing us without having to go nuclear.
The world gets crazier every day.
Brenda–I think it’s pretty obvious that the most homophobic people are dealing with self-loathing. Remember that politician who had a “wide stance” in a men’s restroom, and claimed he wasn’t playing footsie with the guy in the next stall. Total homophobe.
I think you’re right that this is Russia’s way of bombing us–quietly and secretly. Wearing us down and breaking us apart. And I fear it’s working.
A lot of people out there, mostly those who feed on social media (IMHO), deliberately look for the least thing to be offended about. They need to find something gainful to do with themselves, not seek to destroy others.
You can’t reason with them, for they are determined to celebrate their ignorance. They drool over the opportunity to rip into anyone who will respond to them. Most of it is an effort to gain attention from others and/or power over others. They are best ignored, as we learned as children that ignoring bullies doesn’t fuel their neuroses.
But it is very difficult to fend off such individuals, whether directly or indirectly from AI-generated bots.
Sally – I love sharing a quote allegedly attributed to Jack Nicholson (at least his grinning face is on the meme) “Being offended by something posted on the internet is like walking along the side walk and finding a steaming pile of dog crap then choosing to stop and roll in it instead of stepping over or around and keeping on.”
Garry–Haha. So true. But some of the people Sally is talking about manage to be offended by anything. And some aren’t actually offended at all. They’re just robots. Sigh.
Sally–That’s right. Some trolls are dealing with loneliness or mental illness. A nephew who deals with teens on the spectrum says many of his clients enjoy going on the Internet and arguing outrageously on places like Reddit. But what’s diabolical about the trolling I got was that it comes from military operatives, mimicking mentally ill folks. They program bots to troll people. One step beyond the ordinary troll. I wouldn’t have responded if I had any clue it was a bot. (Still, responding was a mistake.)
This is scary, Anne. Thank you for posting about it.
When people talk about the dangers of AI, most, I think, consider the Sci-fi stories of robots taking over, or computers like Hal in 2001. But this is much more insidious. And dangerous.
The bots, as many of your comments have said, aren’t intelligent, even if they are called Artificial Intelligence. They are not self-aware. They can only do what they are programmed to do. That’s what makes them so dangerous.
VM–It is frightening indeed. One guy with a computer can create armies of bots who will follow his every command. It’s less like 2001 and more like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, creating an army of brooms to do his job for him, only to realize he can’t control them.
This is terrifying. Thank you for sharing so when I get troll-bombed I’ll know it for what it is. Cripes, counterfeit people? Fodder for an eerie sci-fi if that were my thing.
Yvonne–Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a sci-fi novel. This incident certainly felt that way.
Thanks for putting up this most important post Anne, not just for writers but for mankind. Technology is in many scary people’s hands. We can see how clearly a war is now looked at in a microscope and social media creates reaction – and misinformation that sheep follow blindly. It’s very scary. I’m with every word of Daniel Dennet’s quote. And also, I’ll add, the word ‘woke’ has become so abused and lost its true meaning. 🙂
Debby–Right now I’m being mocked on the Passive Voice blog after PG posted this piece. Nothing scary at all about our enemies sending threats to a private citizen’s inbox, they say. And of course the incels over there call me “woke”. These morons now call any act of kindness or politeness “woke” so they can condemn it. If you aren’t shooting a puppy in a gravel pit at the moment, you’re too “woke.” 🙁
Just wow Anne, seems anything done in kindness or to inform is attacked these days from the many who obviously also don’t even know the meaning of woke! Grr! 🙁
“Write fearlessly, friends! ” Indeed. Perhaps your Trollbot needs a two-first-name name commensurate with his trollish self. Fyodor Sergei, or Mikael Alexei? Dmitri Boris might be nice.
CS–Come to think of it, he did have an odd name. But not as good as Dmitri Boris. I like it! 🙂
And, that proliferation of anonymity in public life is one that I wish would stop.
I’m generally against hiding who you are – whether it is behind a fake name/persona online, or covered in hoodie, glasses, and mask/scarf, and terrorizing bystanders (and, all too often, assaulting them).
Let the sunshine in!
Unmask the bots, use your REAL self when acting out online – I don’t mind so much being insulted, but I mind when the cheesy little cowards hide behind those words.
As far as censorship of libraries, from what I can tell, few truly care what other adults read. They DO generally care what vulnerable minors are exposed to. MOST people use those guidelines appropriately; there are some – teachers, community activists, and, yes, even a few librarians – who insist on imposing their own standards on other people’s children.
However, MOST librarians use excellent good sense on what materials to buy/display/suggest.
So, although I have gay friends and family, I do object to the so-called Drag Queen Reading Events.
Why?
– They dress, not like actual women, but in truly over-the-top makeup and dress, sufficient to scare children.
– They are often not vetted – some with histories of sexual abuse of minors have slipped through. As schools are QUITE conscious of the need to do background checks, fingerprint checks, and such, I have to questions whether the ‘failure’ was intentional.
– I object to anyone with an agenda is permitted access to kids. It’s fine to bring in controversial outside guests in high school; it’s quite another thing in elementary school. BTW, I also don’t like to see political activists in elementary/middle schools, whether it’s environmental extremists, animal activists, or partisans for EITHER side of a country at war. Nor, for that matter, propaganda provided by foreign or domestic partisans (The China Institutes who provide money, materials, and an unhealthy level of indoctrination are an example of who I wouldn’t like to see influencing students).
Save that for high school/college – and, DON’T make students’ participation in protests a mandatory part of their grade.
IFox–I agree. I wish the Kremlin would admit they sent that bot to intimidate me and persecute US LGBTQ folks.
I have no idea why you bring up drag queens here. Many are not gay. They are cosplayers. Just like somebody dressed up as Paddington Bear. Which I suppose might frighten children. I was traumatized by Mr. Peanut on a NYC street when I was five.
Using a dislike for drag as an excuse for bigotry against gay people is silly. And I know of no American children required to participate in protest marches. Sounds like somebody has a case of Kremlin propaganda-itis.
Sorry for the spelling/grammar errors – I’m on antihistamines at present.
Anne- thank you for posting this. I am actually pretty terrified of the ability of AI to infiltrate our lives – not only for myself, but for my grandchildren – it’s already hard enough to explain what is real.. The email you received was a clear example of how someone not even in our own country can manipulate us, and even though it sounds like work, I would encourage you to send a copy of this blog post explaining what happened to your congressperson and/or attorney general as an example of why AI should be a little more regulated in our country.
As far as the ‘woke’ issue, I would consider it a compliment if somebody called me that and the fact that someone considers being ‘awake’ an insult only shines light on the idiocy of the person spouting the comment.
Thank you so much for your ongoing blog, and for selflessly sharing this experience.
Debbie–I’m grateful that you understood the point I’m making here. You’re exactly right that AI can–and is–infiltrating our lives. It’s so hard to tell what is real. I was so sure the first email came from some religious fanatic, but when I did some research, I saw it was just a Russian bot. I find it terrifying that an enemy country is fighting us in such an insidious way.
I dislike the way “woke” has been misused and misunderstood by politicians. It simply means being awake to all people, and being polite.
I find very little difference between the majority of the population and these Russian troll bots. The majority are programmed just like a bot rather than being taught how to think. The failure of the education system has been made apparent. People are taught to memorize and regurgitate but not to identify logical fallacies and cognitive biases, then remove them from their thought processes and inlays the core problem.
Additionally I just want to say that America is not a free country at all. We are not allowed to do what we want with our own bodies. The only people who have freedom are the wealthy. If you can’t afford a lawyer, you can’t protect your rights and that means the majority of the population have no rights. Any corporation or wealthy person can do just about anything they want to a poor person and there’s nothing that poor person can do about it.
The war on drugs is a perfect example of how we are not allowed to do what we want with our own bodies. Full grown adults know very well what drugs work for them and what their dose should be and they are the only ones who could possibly know what works for them.
America has always been a rape orgy of religious and corporate fascism with freethinking intellectuals on the bottom.
If you look at all of the red states and the locations of the blue states you might notice that all the blue states are on the outside edges of the country. I theorized that this is because over many years the intelligent minority have been bullied to the fringes of society which now have become entire states but yet the intelligent minority do not bully the stupid majority out of those states.
On antisocial media people like me have no voice. We get blacklisted, shadow banned & demonetized just because we are intellectually accurate or we might say something that the majority don’t like and therefore we get branded “Not advertiser friendly”.
I assure you that some of the most prolific visionaries and profound thinkers of this age are wasting away in obscurity because of religious and corporate fascism making an impossible for anyone to know who these oppressed intellectuals are.
If you’re not privileged but still extremely intelligent, you can scream at the top of your lungs and you will be drowned out by the opinionated whispers of the majority and those who might have paid attention will be distracted by all of the privileged forms of intelligence that are also in their own right are forms of oppressive conformist cowards.
Adam–This isn’t a political blog, so I won’t get into a political discussion. I agree that we have slowly oozed into a corporate oligarchy with “trickle down” tax cuts for the rich and the Citizens United decision that says corporations are people, but you’re not. But if you think it wouldn’t be worse if Putin took over, hold my beer. Or talk to the families of Alexei Navalny and the people who get “accidentally” fallen out of windows and airplanes. Not to mention the entire nation of Ukraine.