Why this effect? Not because @GretaThunberg ate less meat or encouraged her family not to fly: if that's all she'd done, we'd never know her name. No, it's because she did one simple but incredibly powerful thing we can all emulate: she raised her voice to advocate for change.
"The @GretaThunberg Effect" is now an empirically demonstrated, peer-reviewed phenomenon:
— Geoffrey Supran (@GeoffreySupran) January 26, 2021
"We find that those who are more familiar with Greta Thunberg have higher intentions of taking collective actions to reduce global warming."
Open access: https://t.co/TFRyvBaNn1 pic.twitter.com/apqZdFgqfW

She raised her voice AND acted in line with the principles she advocates for. Living the change and speaking about it boosts climate communication. #ClimateCommuniActionhttps://t.co/V5askLNlKi
— Manuel Grebenjak (@ManuelGrebe) January 26, 2021
1/ https://t.co/e1MDOIiXZe
2/ https://t.co/YXr5Uq3WWN
Contrary to what many think, I don't spend my time talking to dismissives and my only helpful tip is this: don't bother, unless (a) you enjoy arguing and never getting anywhere or (b) there are other people listening who need to know there are solid answers to their objections. pic.twitter.com/KxJMdHf3NX
— Prof. Katharine Hayhoe (@KHayhoe) March 4, 2020
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And yet authoritarians often broadcast silly, unpersuasive propaganda.
Political scientist Haifeng Huang writes that the purpose of propaganda is not to brainwash people, but to instill fear in them /2
"propaganda is often not used for indoctrination, but rather to signal the government\u2019s strength in being able to afford significant resources and impose on its citizens...not meant to 'brainwash', but rather to forewarn the society about how strong it is" https://t.co/mFAurhEHeO pic.twitter.com/WXKKJaPqWQ
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) June 18, 2020
When people are bombarded with propaganda everywhere they look, they are reminded of the strength of the regime.
The vast amount of resources authoritarians spend to display their message in every corner of the public square is a costly demonstration of their power /3
In fact, the overt silliness of authoritarian propaganda is part of the point. Propaganda is designed to be silly so that people can instantly recognize it when they see it
Authoritarians do not use propaganda for brainwashing, "but to demonstrate their strength in social control...propaganda may need to be dull and unpersuasive, to make sure citizens know it is propaganda when they see it and hence get the implicit message" https://t.co/PqRpxjaIPL pic.twitter.com/1y67d2RCjB
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) June 19, 2020
Propaganda is intended to instill fear in people, not brainwash them.
The message is: You might not believe in pro-regime values or attitudes. But we will make sure you are too frightened to do anything about it.
I was half kidding. I also assumed someone would think of what I did pretty quickly and waiting for the comment to mention what I assumed was obvious.
The timing. I was sure someone else had thought of it.
Columbia professor: I do heroin regularly for 'work-life balance' https://t.co/6aq9cnGfPG pic.twitter.com/3OmmaHKORx
— New York Post (@nypost) February 19, 2021
But no one did. 20+ comments in people discussed the morality or bad sense or libertarian perspectives. Someone even said I’m thinking about doing that. No one said what I thought was obvious. Have you thought of it? Is it obvious to you?
Here’s a clue...recognize it?

How about this?

The author discusses it with Mike Wallace in 1958
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1. LWJ’s sword Bichen ‘is likely an abbreviation for the term 躲避红尘 (duǒ bì hóng chén), which can be translated as such: 躲避: shunning or hiding away from 红尘 (worldly affairs; which is a buddhist teaching.) (https://t.co/zF65W3roJe) (abbrev. TWX)
2. Sandu (三 毒), Jiang Cheng’s sword, refers to the three poisons (triviṣa) in Buddhism; desire (kāma-taṇhā), delusion (bhava-taṇhā) and hatred (vibhava-taṇhā).
These 3 poisons represent the roots of craving (tanha) and are the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain) and thus result in rebirth.
Interesting that MXTX used this name for one of the characters who suffers, arguably, the worst of these three emotions.
3. The Qian kun purse “乾坤袋 (qián kūn dài) – can be called “Heaven and Earth” Pouch. In Buddhism, Maitreya (मैत्रेय) owns this to store items. It was believed that there was a mythical space inside the bag that could absorb the world.” (TWX)
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