The Mighty Viking

Conquering those things we must, one story at a time

On memes, dupes, friendship and Freedom.

This isn‘t a political post. Honest. But it’s about your politics. We need to talk.

If you make political posts to social media, using memes you share from elsewhere, sooner or later you‘re going to get caught with one that is blatantly false. You shared it because it said something you already thought was true, were prepared to believe was true, or wanted to believe was true because it supported your candidate, your cause, or your opinion.

But it was false. Not just “oh, we made a mistake” kind of false, but turns out it was insidiously crafted to appear true, to appeal to you and those who believed like you, all the while being a bald-faced lie.

You were duped.

It happens, sooner or later. There‘s a little bit of shame to it, but nothing you can‘t shake off.

But did you ever stop to wonder about who it was who made that post? Did it ever come to mind to really contemplate the full scope of the origins of these things – of what had transpired?

Think about it. Someone – someone who knew better – sat down and connected a series of facts they knew full well were false, to paint a picture designed to mislead the potential viewer, You.

That person did it on purpose.

Who were they? Were the part of a party subcommittee of an organization who‘s task it is to create propaganda? Do they work from the knowledge that even the most blatant lies are bought into by a certain percentage of people? Do they ever think, in the late evening when they‘re alone, about the fact that their work for that day was a known, intentional deception?

And what about you? What did they intend for you? When the deceivers created the meme, they weren‘t thinking about those they consider the Opposition. They knew full well they‘d never get anywhere close to those who already disagree with them using this method. It is you who are the intended victim. When they set out to deceive, you are the target of the lie. You. and your friends, and your friends‘ friends!those who think like you already are targeted to become a standing army of willingly deceived carriers in a game of power being played out upon your backs. And as with many an abusive relationship, you excuse them, make excuses for them, intentionally blink over the facts and fight for them using raw emotion – and the ego that doesn‘t want to acknowledge that you‘ve been used.

And what‘s to become of your friends, the ones who agree with your points of view, who will wake up in the morning and see the meme that you shared – the one that was a lie from the beginning, targeting you? Those friends aren‘t getting the lie from its source. They‘re getting it from you. You have become, like many victims of abuse do, the abuser yourself. Look your friends in the eye. If time and distance prevents it, pull up a picture on your screen, and look that friend‘s picture in the eye. Are you going to lie to them? Are you willing to target them with an abusive attempt at thought control? Which is more important to you? The friend? Or your abuser‘s designs for using you?

If your friends are more important, then when you come across a meme that speaks something you want to say, check it first. Check it hard. Use sources you know want to put it down, see what they have to say. Protect your friendships first and foremost, don‘t let mutually accepted lies and deceit substitute for friendship. Resist the attempt by outside forces to trick you into believing in your independence, when the only freedom is theirs, to sway you at their whim into taking action on their behalf, to solidify their power.

Government of a free people is not a means itself to an end. It is only the tool to prevent others from forcing us to be their means to their ends against our will. Choose to be part of “the people” first – a faithful and respectful friend.

This technology we‘ve invented for ourselves – it shrinks our world, allows us to be communal beings without the limitation of physical presence. It sometimes shrinks us too far, to the point of being nothing but a pulsing ego in a fantastical world of our own imagination, inattentive to the other aspects of our humanity. Don‘t let your world shrink until it is only you, and an invented, inhuman notion of controlled servants. Let others be free.

Be free.

 

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “On memes, dupes, friendship and Freedom.”

  1. Brighid says:

    Well said, and so very true!
    I try very hard to do due diligence on things passed to me. Often the source is not someone I wish to be linked with. When that happens I notify the friend that sent it to me (in private message) that they might wish to check out the source.

  2. Bodiep says:

    Excellent piece. Really, really excellent. Some memes are true. Many are not. And it’s important to know the difference before we share (I’ve been caught out a few times myself. It’s embarrassing.)

Leave a Reply