I’ve posted quite a bit on here since I created my account, posts I consider non-controversial, since I’m not interested in arguing or getting into heated topics like politics. Even so, I still get the occasional snarky comment. Out of curiosity, I sometimes check the person’s post history when I see something like that, and without fail, their profile is full of snarky, negative, or hateful posts overall. It always makes me wonder: do people like this genuinely get enjoyment from surrounding themselves with negativity? What’s the thought process behind it?
I wouldn’t read that far into it. American defaultism is such an omnipresent phenomenon across most of the popular internet, it feels like most places are catered to Americans in some capacity.
What I can sympathize with are the communities that restrict US politics, or politics in general. Other than the echo chamber/circlejerk nature of it, it often just becomes an anxiety-inducing spiral into nothingness that sometimes people, American or otherwise, just want a break from. Because it’s already everywhere else.
There are 100% paid trolls out to cause as much disruption as possible, this has been repeatedly and reliably documented. This is a fact, not conspiracy.
Is every single asshole you meet a paid troll? No, that’s highly unlikely, but it is absolutely true that there are campaigns run by governments and corporations to astroturf all sorts of shit from elections to what products you buy.
The Alt-Right Playbook: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJA_jUddXvY7v0VkYRbANnTnzkA_HMFtQ
I’m not saying astroturfing doesn’t exist, just questioning the idea that Americans are being left without a place to enjoy or feel comfortable in. If anything, I see astroturfing doing more of the opposite, shoving the American propaganda machine into every crevice it can. Which “coincidentally” happens to align well with Russian interests, too.
You’re just questioning the idea, eh? The “American propaganda machine” is the right wing who coincidentally aligns with Russia and the Russian mob for decades.
Yes, the right wing who goes out of their way to make the internet feel as “America First” as possible, that’s what I said. Again I ask, how does that not make Americans feel comfortable in online spaces? Unless you’re referring to one of the “wrong” kinds of Americans that the right-wing doesn’t approve of, I suppose.