*** THREAD ***

Accuracy or Entertainment, Which Do You Prefer?

The Importance of Listening to Experts

1/

As you no doubt already know, Twitter is a vast universe of unbridled lunacy.

The most obnoxious and incorrect voices are often amplified, while the truth is drowned out, stifled, then beaten to death through groupthink, and mass pile-ons.

2/
I am not an expert in Active Measures, Information Warfare, Geopolitics or Counterintelligence.

I'm a student, loosely.

But there ARE experts and I have always tried to point my followers to them.

3/
Today, I have an opportunity to show you the difference between an actual intelligence expert with years of experience and a Twitter personality with zero intelligence creds, so that you may see the difference.

Let's compare...

4/
This take comes from a foreigner, who is not even an American citizen, with zero intelligence credentials.

I daresay it IS entertaining.

But, alas, it isn't accurate, which I will soon show you.

https://t.co/zsgIyHNooc

5/
Here is an article on the same topic, from Dr. John Schindler, a former NSA Intelligence Analyst and Naval War College professor, who also has many years experience in Counterintelligence.

https://t.co/WEbJMvW8UH

6/
Declaring the actions of a hostile intelligence service an "Act of War" is no small thing.

While such a characterization may be entirely innocent, the net result is that potentially 300,000 Twitter followers have been unnecessarily whipped into a frenzy over a few words.

7/
Let's take another look at what the intelligence expert has to say...

This is IMPORTANT, because it means something entirely different...calls for an entirely different response...

8/
And accuracy warrants the accolades of OTHER experts.

Here's the response to John's article and expertise, from General Michael Hayden, the only man to have served as Director of both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.

9/
We must, MUST follow experts if we want to get it right.

Twitter personality cults are fun entertainment, particularly because they tell us what we want to hear.

But choosing to listen to them over experts, ultimately, isolates us from the truth.

10/
If you don't already subscribe, I highly recommend considering a subscription to John Schindler's Substack account.

It's the best intelligence expertise you'll find, for normies like us.

https://t.co/aHxbpfSJ0f

11/
Understand CLICKBAIT when you see it.

Don't fall for the fear-mongering.

12/

@threadreaderapp compile please

More from For later read

The common understanding of propaganda is that it is intended to brainwash the masses. Supposedly, people get exposed to the same message repeatedly and over time come to believe in whatever nonsense authoritarians want them to believe /1

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


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


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.

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