Franken story follows alt-right media manipulation playbook. Do not fall for it.

[greenman3610]

https://medium.com/@Erinlank/the-alt-right-propaganda-machine-is-winning-because-americans-insist-on-being-stupid-a-timeline-of-e3bad99a51be

Note: copy and paste the whole url above - article very worthwhile
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America has its very own Joseph Goebbels, yet we seem to be either too ignorant to history, or too ignorant to technology, to acknowledge and deal with the massive propaganda machine that’s been assembled over the last 2 years here in America. Al Franken is just the latest casualty, and there will be more.

It’s disturbing to see Americans still falling for the same dirty tricks we fell for the entire 2016 election season. We have the benefit of hindsight now and a cavalry of expert citizens educating us about propaganda and how to counteract it. Yet time and again, we are let down. Our media fails us.
In their desperation for clicks they hop on any bandwagon that appears lucrative. And our people fail each other. They suspend critical thinking skills to line up on “sides” that don’t even truly exist.

So let’s use this past week’s Al Franken “scandal” as an illustration of the latest pizzagate-style propaganda hit job against our common senses. These manufactured “news stories” always follow the same distribution and amplification process, with few (but detectable) variables.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

1. Is there a website/organization that's reliably tracking these "Pizzagate" stories? One

we can point to and publicize as a VALID truth-checker that has legit recognition and is noting the bots and troll waves on each turbulent issue? Too many on here (still the vast minority) seem to fall in line like lemmings at the Stone machine's machinations.

[zentrum]

2. Not falling for it.

Will stand by him unless and until there's really something there, there.

[Saviolo]

3. Unrelated to the content: But you can fix the link

If you copy the entirety of the link, then highlight a single word (like Here, for instance), and then click on the "link" button above the text entry box.

Then you can do something like this, click HERE

[Ligyron]

4. I.m not finding the story you reference.

Lots of interesting stuff on that site tho'

[Qutzupalotl]

10. See link in post 3 above yours. n/t

[Johnny2X2X]

5. They are winning!

Without an organized and comprehensive effort to combat the propaganda they will continue to win.

This is all an effort to get Moore elected, a pedophile. This is a test. They can get anyone elected if they win with Moore.

[Turbineguy]

6. What seems to be going on is

that the alt-right is trying to tell us they can ratfuck anybody they want at any time. And because on this side of the line we are not so lacking in morals, their seeds hit fertile soil.

[wryter2000]

7. Furthermore, its getting more and more

Ridiculous and desperate as it goes along.

When the first allegations came out, I reserved judgment but tended to believe the accuser. Now it appears there is no there there.

[INdemo]

8. Seems like there were several here on DU that fell for it

Could have been Repuke trolls but posts here on DU were demanding, without much info that Franken should resign.'

Republicans have always used the strategy that they only have to tell a lie once..then its repeated so many times by others that sooner or later people will believe their lie..The Corporate media jumped on the Franken story before Franken had a chance to tell his side,but the truth will come out as it will be confirmed this was a set up and the Radio host was in fact reading from a Right Wing script,.

[Orrex]

9. Funny that some among us were so eager to run with this story.

Hmm...

[american_ideals]

11. Yes: Democratic sex "scandals" sourced/fueled by Kremlin / alt-right

From the Russian Troll monitoring dashboard (run by Clint Watts):
http://dashboard.securingdemocracy.org/

Between November 11 and November 17, we examined 55 articles that were among the top URLs shared by Kremlin-oriented accounts on Twitter. Over 40% of the URLs focused on sexual misconduct allegations; of those URLs, 42% attacked accused Democrats (or those connected to liberal causes), 4% promoted a narrative of a Saudi-linked pedophile ring, and 54% defended Roy Moore.

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Republican lawyer:

Link to tweet

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And

Link to tweet

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And finally

Link to tweet