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Facebooking Ourselves to Death | Foreign Policy

FacebookingOurselvestoDeath
Americans are awash in a sea of disinformation. We've got to ght back.
BY ILYA LOZOVSKY

NOVEMBER 18, 2016 - 2:53 PM

ILYA.LOZOVSKY

@ICHBINILYA

Therecanbenolibertyforacommunitywhichlacksthemeansbywhichtodetectlies,WalterLippmannonce
wrote.Theinuentialcommentator,sometimesdescribedasthefatherofmodernjournalism,wasnotoriously
skepticaloftheabilityoftheaveragecitizentounderstandtheaairsofstateortomakerationalpolitical
judgments.

AndthatwasbeforeFacebook.
Inthewakeoflastweeksunbelievableelection,ithasbecomeclearerthaneverthatourcountryisfacingacrisis.
AndImnottalkingaboutourpresident-elect.IfAmericasdemocraticinstitutionsprovestrongenoughand
theyareamongthestrongestintheworldwemayyetsurvivethereignofDonaldTrump.ButImafraidwe
faceaproblemthatsbiggerthanoneman.Wehavelostourabilitytohaveacoherentnationalconversation
aboutpolitics.
Manyofushavehadtheexperience,inrecentyears,oftryingtoengageinmeaningfulpoliticaldebatewhether
ontheinternetoratthefamilydinnertableandofthrowingourhandsupinexasperateddefeat.Our
opponentsseemnotonlytobeholdingdierentvalues.Theyseemtoliveinadierentfactualuniverse.

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Icertainlydontmeantosuggestthatthetwosidesareequivalent.Contrarytothepopularwisdom,the2016
electionproducedadelugeofexcellentjournalismthatmadetheuniquehorrorofDonaldTrumpscandidacy
abundantlyclear.TheNewYorkTimesdoveintoeverythingfromhistaxavoidancetohisbusinessfailures.The

WashingtonPostsDavidFahrentholdearnedhighpraiseforhismeticuloustakedownofTrumpsliesabouthis
charitywork,nottomentionhisdisgustingpredatorybehavior.Editorialboardsacrossthecountry,nomatter
theirpoliticalorientation,cameoutdecisivelyagainstTrump.Eventhetelevisionnetworks,roundlycriticized
forprovidingthecandidatewithcopiousfreecoverage,helpedpopularizehismanyoutrages,suchasthetimehe
openlymockedadisabledreporter.
Itmadenodierence.Thebiggestcollectiveeorteverundertakenbythenationsentirejournalisticcommunity
wasdrownedoutbytheclickbait.AndifthereverseweretrueifDonaldTrumpwereaparagonofvirtue,andif
HillaryClintondeservedeverybitofmistrustheapeduponhermostvoterswouldbenolessinthedark.Stuck
intheirechochambers,theyhavenowayofjudging.(Infact,aBuzzfeedinvestigationfoundthat,whilerightwingpageshadmoremisleadingcontent,therewasplentytogoaroundonbothsides.)
Itgetsworse.Theoutrightfakeryisaproblem,butpotentiallyasolvableone.Suchcontentcanbedeemphasized,
maybeevenbanned.FacebookandGooglehavealreadybeguntocrackdownonatleastthemostobviousabuses.
Buttheproblemofsplittingvotersintoself-reinforcingechochambersismuchmorepernicious.Asmoreand
morepeople,particularlyyoungergenerations,getmostoftheirnewsonline,itslikelyonlytogetworse.
Thirty-oneyearsago,inabookcalledAmusingOurselvestoDeath,mediacriticNeilPostmanarguedthatthe
natureofamediumdeterminesthemessagesitcarries.Hewasworriedabouttheriseoftelevision,which,he
warned,wouldtransformallpublicdiscourseintoentertainment.
Hewascertainlyrightaboutthatasourrecentpresidentialelectionsovividlydemonstrates.Yetwhile
televisionmayhavedegradedourpublicdiscourse,atleastwestillhadone.Socialmedia,byitsverynature,
atomizesdiscussion.Wesharestoriesthatsignalandreinforceourtribalidentities,notthosethatpromptusto
thinkcriticallyaboutthem.Wereadwhatourfriendsshare.Weretweetwhatourfavoritejournaliststweet.And
weseemtohavenointerestinseekingoutalternativeviews.Idontseethisasamoralfailing,exactly.Itssimply
inournature.

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Weoncehadgatekeepersthatfoughtagainstthistendencyandgroundedusinthesamerealitythenightly
networknews,themajorandminornewspapers,thenewsmagazines.Butintheageofsocialmediatheyvelost
alltheirpower,sendingusallspinningoondierentorbits.Variousfact-checkershavetriedtostepintothe
breach.Buttheyrenothavingmuchsuccessreplacingthegatekeepersofold.AsJoshuaBentonpointsout,a
fakestoryclaimingthatthePopehadendorsedDonaldTrumpwassharedalmost900,000times,whilethearticle
thatdebunkeditgotjust33,000shares.Factcheckersarefortheelites,notforthemasses.Wearetweeting,
facebooking,andsnapchattingourselvesapart.
Someentrepreneurialidealistsaretryingtondtechnicalsolutionstothisproblem.AnewsitecalledBurst
encouragespeopletobursttheirinformationbubblesandtalktopeoplewithwhoseviewstheydisagree.The

WashingtonPostrecentlydescribedatoolthatndstheclosestcountythatvotedtheoppositeofyours,
suggestingareectivevisit.Andevenwithoutspecialgadgets,wecanallcultivatethepracticeoffollowingsmart
peoplewedisagreewith.
Butnoneofthiswillbeenoughbyitself.Whatweneedisanall-outoensiveofmedialiteracyeducation.Itmust
betaughtinschools,anditmustbetaughtfromanearlyage.Howdoyoudistinguishacrediblesourcefromone
thatistryingtoconyou?Whyisitimportanttolookforawsinyourownreasoning?Whatiscontext,andwhere
doyoulookforit?Howdoyouengageproductivelywithpeoplewhodisagreewithyou?
Perhapsweneedtobemoreambitiousstill.Howaboutacrashcourseingettingtoknowoneanotherakindof
internalstudyabroadthatwouldbringruralandurbanAmericanstudentstogether,awayfromtheir
smartphones,tolookatandunderstandeachotherslivesandproblems?
Afewprogramsinthisveinalreadyexist.TheSchoolforEthicsandGlobalLeadershipbrings11thgradersfrom
aroundthecountrytoWashington,DCforasemesterofstudyandinterpersonaldiscovery.Wehavestudents
withlive-inhousekeepersandstudentswhoseparentscleanhomes,saidNoahBopp,theschoolsfounderand
head.Theydochorestogether.Wehavestudentswhoaregayandstudentswhothinkhomosexualityissinful.
Theyliveinthesamedormitory.Wehavelibertariansandsocialists.Theywritecollaborativepoliticalspeeches
together.MairadOGrady,anadministratorattheschool,toldmeabouttworoommates,bothfromNewJersey
butfromradicallydierentbackgrounds:Onewhite,oneblack;onefromaprivateschool,onefromapublic
school;oneconservativeandoneliberal.Withinweeks,OGradysaid,theybecameclosefriends.

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Whatifsuchprogramswereavailabletoeveryone,insteadofaselectfew?Whatiftheyweregenerouslyfunded?
Whatiftheyweremandatory?
Itsoundslikeapie-in-the-skyidea,andIdontpretendtothinkthatitwillcometopassanytimesoon.Butthats
thelevelonwhichwevegottobethinking.Divisionthroughsocialmediashouldbeviewedasaslow-burning
emergency.Ifwedontdosomethingaboutit,itwillkillus.
Photocredit:DAVIDMCNEW/GettyImages

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AChanceforChangeintheNewThailand
Now that the king is gone, can Thailands opposition come together to challenge the ruling
military junta?
BY RAPHAEL MIMOUN , JOSEPH BRENNAN

NOVEMBER 18, 2016 - 2:13 PM

Forovertwoyears,thestreetsofBangkokwhichhadgrownaccustomedtofrequentandmassive
demonstrationshavebeenuncharacteristicallyquiet.Thailandsraucouslastphaseofdemocracyendedin
May2014,whentheRoyalThaiArmedForceslaunchedacoupthatdeposedthegovernmentandinstalleda
militaryjunta.Sincethen,thedemocraticoppositionhasremainedinternallydividedandmostlypassiveonthe
nationalstage.ButwiththeadoptionofthejuntasconstitutionthisAugustandevenmoresignicantly,after
thedeathofthewidelyreveredKingBhumibolseveralweeksagoanewpoliticallandscapehasbeentaking
shape.Thejuntahasconsolidateditspowerandgainedanelectoralmandate,butlostthepopularlegitimacyit
derivedfromabelovedandreveredking.Foranoppositionthathasbeenallbutinert,thenewpolitical
environmentoersanopportunitytoformaunitedfront,challengethejunta,andrestoredemocraticruleif
theycangraspit.

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Inthewakeofthecoup,themilitarygovernmentledbyGeneralPrayuthChan-ochapresenteditselfasa
shipthatwouldguideThailandtosafetyinrockywaters.Thecountryhadenduredmonthsofpoliticalgridlock
betweensupportersandopponentsoftherulingPheuThaiParty,foundedbypopulistleaderThaksin
Shinawatra.Theragingprotests,punctuatedbyviolence,hadcreatedfearacrossthecapital.Thecoup,Prayuths
deputyforeignministersaid,wasarevolutiontoinstallstability.Sincethen,Thailandhasindeedgrownquieter
asthemilitarydetainedandintimidatedjournalists,bannedanyassemblyofovervepeople,andissueda
streamofendless,oftenham-stedpropaganda.Itsleadershaveregularlypromisedelectionsthatwouldreturn
thecountrytocivilianrulebutasexpected,thesehavebeencontinuouslypostponed.Likepreviousmilitary
rulers,Prayuthhasleanedheavilyonthemonarchy,thelastsymbolofnationalunityinadeeplypolarized
society.Thekingssupportforthecoupwasapowerfullegitimizingforce.Exploitingthisstampofapprovaltothe
fullest,themilitaryhaspositioneditselfastheultimatedefenderoftheroyalinstitutionandhasmadeharshand
broaduseoflse-majestlawstosilencedissent.
Havingsuppressedanyimmediateopposition,thejuntaquicklymovedtoinstitutionalizeitscontroloverThai
politicsforthelonghaul,engineeringareferendumlastAugustthatenshrinedanew,morefavorable
constitution.Accordingtothenewcharter,Thailandssenatewhichholdsvetopoweroverthelowerhouse
willbeappointedentirelybythejunta.Forthersttime,theprimeministerwillnolongerhavetobedrawnfrom
theparliament,clearingthewayforamemberofthemilitarytoleadthecountry.Prayuthhasevenoatedthe
ideathathehimselfcouldcontinueonasprimeministerafterthejuntarelinquishespower.Thenewelectoral
system,whichisstrictlyproportional,willmakeitharderforanypartiestowinstrongmajorities,leadingtoweak
coalitionsandreinforcingthepowerofthemilitaryasthearbiterofthecountryspoliticalorder.
Thejuntacampaignedvigorouslyforthereferendum,sendingasmanyas350,000pro-draftcanvassersintothe
countrystownsandvillages.Atthesametime,theregimedeniedopponentsthechancetocampaignonalevel
playingeld,punishingcriticismoftheproposedconstitutionbyimprisonment,criminalizingassembly,
detainingoppositionleaders,andintimidatingthepress.Evenaspro-constitutioncanvassersandmediaooded
Thailandsvillages,shopownerswhodisplayedbannersinoppositionwereforcedtotakethemdown.Acrossthe
country,thejuntacarefullystackedthedeckwhileparadingthereferendumasashowofpopularparticipation.

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Thegovernmentseortstopushthroughthenewconstitutionwereaidedbyadeeplydividedopposition.The
countrystwodominantpoliticalparties,PheuThaiandtheDemocraticParty,expressedtheiroppositiontothe
charterbutrefusedtoactivelycampaignagainstitforfearofarrestorharassment.TheRedShirts,whosupport
formerprimeministerThaksinandareThailandslargestcivilsocietymobilizingforce,alsorefrainedfrom
campaigningagainsttheconstitutiontoavoidreprisals.Instead,itattemptedtomonitorthereferendumto
preventfraud,onlyforthemonitoringtobebanned.Laborunionsandruralorganizersurgedtheirfollowersto
boycotttheballottoavoidlegitimizingthejunta.Intheend,itwasthestudentgroupsthatcampaignedmost
vigorouslyagainstthenewconstitution,despitefacingharassmentandarbitrarydetention.Butwhilethese
groupsrepresentingthecountrysdemocraticoppositionwereallopposedtotheconstitution,theyfailedto
createaunitedfront.Thisledtoapredictablevictoryforthejunta,with61percentofvotersinfavoranda
turnoutof55percent,thelowestofanyballotsince1983.
Perhapsthemostglaringdividewithintheoppositionisbetweenitstwomostactiveelements:Thestudent
groups,whoareattheforefrontofthecurrentghtagainstthejunta,andtheRedShirts,whoareociallyknown
astheUnitedDemocraticFrontAgainstDictatorshipduetotheiroppositiontothepreviousmilitarycoupin
2006.Thestudentgroups,mostnotablytheNewDemocracyMovement(NDM),liketostagesymbolic,highvisibilityactions(primarilyinBangkok),usingFacebooktospreadawarenessacrossthecountry.TheRedShirts,
ontheotherhand,areinuentialamongfarmersandlaborersfromthecountrysruralNorthandNortheast.
Theirstrongpresenceinthetraditionalmediaandinlocalcommunitynetworksenabledthemtobringmillions
intothestreetspriortothecoup.Intodaysrepressiveenvironment,thestudentshavethrivedbyusingdispersive
tactics,suchasashprotests,whiletheRedShirtshaveabandonedthestreets.

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Giventheirdierenttacticsandconstituencies,itwouldseemthatthestudentgroupsandtheRedShirtswould
formanaturalunitedfrontagainstthejunta.ButtheRedShirtsarefarfromanapolitical,pro-democracy
movement.TheyarecloselyalignedwithruralpopulationsandthePheuThaipartyofformerPrimeMinisters
ThaksinShinawatraandhissisterYingluckShinawatra,whowerebothoustedbypreviouscoupsin2006and
2014respectively.Foryears,theRedShirtshavefacedointhestreetswiththeYellowShirts,acoalitionof
royalists,nationalists,andmembersofthepoliticalandbusinessestablishment.TheRedShirtsalliancewith
PheuThaiandtheShinawatrasmakeitapolarizingforce,andthestudentsfearthatanyalliancewiththem
wouldpreventthemfrombeingabletoformwidercoalitions.Theybelievethattheirmovementismoreeective
whenoperatingindependently,andthattheRedShirtleadershipwouldmerelyattempttoabsorbtheirfollowing.
Finally,untilnow,therehasbeenlittleagreementamongstudentgroups,RedShirts,labororganizersandother
democraticforcesonwhenandhowtomobilizeagainstthejunta.Manysawtheadoptionofanewconstitution
asunavoidableanddecidedtowaititout.Mostcriticalofall,theimpendingdeathofkingBhumibolhadkept
oppositiongroupsindecisive,astheyknewitwoulddestabilizethejuntaspowerbaseiftheyonlywaited.Incoup
aftercoupThailandhasexperienced19since1933themilitaryhasusedroyalsupportasalegitimizingforce.
Butincontrasttohisfather,whohadbeenreveredandrespectedbyalmostallsectionsofThaisociety,Crown
PrinceVajiralongkornisadivisivegurewhoenjoysfarlesslegitimacy.Alreadyfacinggrowingchallengestoits
authority,themonarchyandthusthemilitaryjuntaislikelytoloseagreatdealofitspopularityduringthe
royalsuccession.Seeingthelinkbetweenthemonarchslegitimacyanditsown,thejuntahaslaunchedmassive
propagandacampaignstoeducatetheyouthonthemonarchy,buildingstatuesofpastkings,running
televisionads,andorganizingseminarsinschools.Ithasalsoworkedtorehabilitatethereputationoftheprince.
Sowhilethereferendumprovidedthemilitaryjuntawithanelectoralmandateandgreatinstitutionalpower,the
deathofthekingwasaseriousblow.

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Insum,thewaitinggameisnowover.Inafewmonthsatmostfollowingaperiodofmourningforthebeloved
kingthedustwillsettleandanewpoliticallandscapewillcomeintobeing.Inthisnewenvironment,the
democraticoppositionwillbeabletoorganizeandmobilizefarmoreeectivelyforareturntodemocraticrule.It
willbeabletocapitalizeontheunpopularityofthenewking,mobilizingpopulationswhowereunwillingto
challengethejuntaanditsroyalmandate.Itwillalsobeabletounitevariousgroupsaroundcommonstrategies
andcampaigns,nowthattheuncertaintiesofthereferendumandthekingshealthhavepassed.These
campaignsmighttargetthenewcentersofpower,oruseelectionsasmobilizingopportunities,orfocuson
unitingbothmajorpartiesagainstthejunta.
Butofcourse,thiswilldependontheabilityofcivilsocietygroupstobridgetheirdivisionsandunitebehinda
singlebanner:returningThailandtodemocraticgovernance.Indeed,unityisoneofthemostcritical
componentsofasuccessfuldemocraticmovement.Giventhemilitaryssteadyconsolidationofpowerandits
relentlesspropaganda,onlyarobust,uniedfrontwillbeabletoplaceThailandbackontracktowards
democracy.
Thenextelections,plannedforNovember2017,providetheperfectopportunityfortheoppositiontochallenge
thejunta.Thequestioniswhetherdemocracyactivistswillseizeonthisopportunity.
Inthephoto,ThaissingtheRoyalantheminhonorofthelateKingBhumibolAdulyadejonOctober22.
Photocredit:PAULABRONSTEIN/GettyImages

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THE KING IS DEAD. IS THAILANDS MONARCHY NEXT?

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