this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
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There's a saying on the left that if you sit down at a table with a nazi, there are now two nazis at the table. I don't completely agree with that logic, but the far-right are a sizable influence in those protest groups. Sure you get the crunchy hippy vegan wellness-mummas who are only there because they're anti-vax or anti-fluoride or whatever, but they have seemed pretty alarmingly willing to jump on the anti-trans hate train recently. Anger at the system does seem to be the main uniting value, you're right, and personally I think that anger is something that needs to be healed through civil discourse and maybe politics. But that anger is currently being hijacked by the far-right to bolster their cause, and that worries me.
I don't believe they are either, but I think some of the people supporting and pushing these movements absolutely are. For a movement that is hyper-aware of "agendas" and "narratives" the people in these protest movements seem pretty oblivious to the possibility their own movement is influenced in exactly that type of way.
Which is honestly unsurprising. Western intelligence groups have been sounding alarm bells about Russian attempts to interfere in the politics of western democracies for a decade or so now, as you likely know well. In my time on Telegram I've noticed a constant low-level hum of spam in major channels that has all the fingerprints of state-sponsored propaganda, likely out of Russia. Telegram itself has such intimate links to the Kremlin it may as well be a state asset at this point. Whatever your personal reasons for being pro-Russia, you have to recognise they have a clear interest in sowing disharmony in western nations, and they have the capability to do it. If I were in their shoes, these anti-government fringe movements would be the perfect tool for the job. Have you really not considered the possibility that you've bought into the propaganda platform of an increasingly hostile foreign government?
The guy who made telegram is dodgy af. I have no idea what he's up to, but Russia's ministry of defence is on there, officially.
I love the russian propaganda, but I don't approve of boomers ranting about the whole trans-gender thing. It's too cringe for me, especially when we have problems like housing. I've definitely seen that hum of spam on certain issues. It's designed to appeal to boomers and fools. The anti-vaccine and anti-WEF is totally a state sponsored operation, it's about undermining trust in institutions on the long-term.
I'm against the NZ government and I'm against the so-called "intelligence community" too.