Positive self-discipline defeats psychological warfare
You'll see some posts here on the dailypaul forum that have suspicious content.
You can always click on someone's username and track their history and investigate their motives. Of course, you can never know someone's motives.
I'd like to remind you of the basic steps in psychological warfare:
1. Establish rapport. Convince people in an emotionally appealing way that you are on their side.
2. Introduce doubt. Provide information that subtly takes the people off course and raises suspicion and self-doubt.
3. Conclude with failure. Convince people to lay down their arms because surrender is the easiest way to achieve peace.
It's a bait and switch strategy, as old as time.
Beware of BIG CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!
Beware of urgency and exaggeration.
Re-inforce the positive and ignore the negative.
output
I noticed
I have noticed the difference here in the last month or so.
What is interesting is knowing what is happening. It makes me curious about these people trying to manipulate us. Do they do it for the money? I have to wonder how much money they are paid and is it my tax dollars. How do they feel about manipulating their fellow American? Does the Constitution mean anything to them or is it just a piece of paper? Do they realize what and who they are working for? I also notice what we say here does have impact on the news and the talking heads will slip in our own words and here I thought no one ever listened to me. Peace, and thanks for the heads up.
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It could just be that with more users, there's inevitably going to be a much wider and more varied group of people, and the chances of clashes increases. I honestly don't think most of the negative posters are shills. I think some people are just a bit too emotional and act too quickly in a negative way about something that is not a big deal. People are just really on edge here, and even the whole "calling out the shills" thing is a bit much. If someone really is just trying to stir stuff up and is obviously not a Ron Paul supporter, then quietly delete their threads and account and move on.
For example
See
Damaging Promotion of Ron Paul: What Should We Do About It?
I examined your motives and history.
They're as pure as rain. :D
Thanks for this. Totally spot on. And what I've been calling people out for awhile now. Notice; how none of them object? Try to debate it? - arguing against the stone cold blatant truth, is very difficult to do without looking ridiculous.
Again, cheers!
We all want the same thing...
to get RP elected, so if any real supporter is misguided on something they will either correct his ways once it is pointed out (i.e. delete a post as many have once they realize the damaging effects) or at the very least attempt to debate his position.
If someone refuses, that doesn't mean they aren't a supporter, but certainly increases the odds...
I suggest that when we see a truly negative article we post one and exactly one response -- "bury this now" and state the reason... any one of us reading that should make an effort to not comment on that article, but to go grab 2-3 of our favorite threads and bump them.
I am going to bookmark a few threads to have easy access to them... (i.e. How did you hear about Ron Paul?")...
We should be careful not to bump good stuff off of the front page though, so should look there first for things to bump...
Yep yep.
I did this the earlier today. Waited till it was about half way down, the negative article - (Romney had 6.5mil day) or some other bogus crap thread. Had prepared 10 replies to 10 positive posts.. I got it off the front page. Then some tool bumped it about an hr later. And it stayed up again.
dailypaul is such a fun place to get news
I like coming here to get news and share it when I have some. It's frustrating to see a great post atrophy while people rant over something sensationalist and suspicious.
I've made similar mistakes. Someone called me out, and they were right so I deleted my message. I saw something outrageous about a competing candidate, etc.
Speaking of good news, Ron Paul won the straw poll in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Ron Paul 49
Thompson 25
Hunter 15
Romney 14