Wednesday Open Thread

5 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

1. Taxonomy of Conspiracy Theorists. H. Colleen Sinclair at Talking Points Memo

   There has been a lot of research on the types of people who believe conspiracy theories, and their reasons for doing so. But there’s a wrinkle: My colleagues and I have found that there are a number of people sharing conspiracies online who don’t believe their own content.

   They are opportunists. These people share conspiracy theories to promote conflict, cause chaos, recruit and radicalize potential followers, make money, harass, or even just to get attention.

   There are several types of this sort of conspiracy-spreader trying to influence you.

   Coaxing conspiracists: the extremists

   In our chapter of a new book on extremism and conspiracies, my colleagues and I discuss evidence that certain extremist groups intentionally use conspiracy theories to entice adherents. They are looking for a so-called “gateway conspiracy” that will lure someone into talking to them, and then be vulnerable to radicalization. They try out multiple conspiracies to see what sticks.

   Research shows that people with positive feelings for extremist groups are significantly more likely to knowingly share false content online. 

   Combative conspiracists: the disinformants

   Chaos conspiracists: the trolls

   Commercial conspiracists: the profiteers

   Common conspiracists: the attention-getters

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   1. So which one is Elon Musk?

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      1. I could only do this with ranked-choice voting: profiteer #1, attention-getter 2, disinformant 3, extremist 4, troll 5.

         The profiteer thing isn't so much about the word "profit" per se, but I think he's a Trumper in large part because he wants a tax break.

         I'm not sure I wouldn't reverse my 2 and 3, and my 4 and 5, if pressed. He's putting out holy hog lagoons worth of disinformation on twitter.

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      2. “which one“?????

          

         

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2. I believe Trump University had a graduate program in Slum Lording.  These guys must have graduated at the top of their class.

   Aurora pauses closure plans for apartments wrapped up in gang claims after court appoints caretaker

   Aurora city officials are delaying plans to close dilapidated — and now politically infamous — apartment buildings after control of two of the owners’ properties was transferred to a court-ordered caretaker.

   The court took action after the property owners defaulted on millions of dollars in loans. Attorneys for U.S. Bank Trust Company filed two lawsuits in recent weeks to force Aurora’s Whispering Pines and 200 Columbia apartment complexes into receivership. That is a court-appointed process that gives control of the assets to an appointed receiver to help unpaid creditors recover their loans.

   Both properties, controlled by troubled property owner CBZ Management through a web of limited liability corporations, were listed as collateral for roughly $10 million across two loans.

   U.S. Bank’s attorneys wrote that the properties’ owners have not made payments for three months and have repaid virtually none of the initial loan amounts.

    

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