George Lakoff
@GeorgeLakoff
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Professor Emeritus @UCBerkeley . Best-selling author of The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant. Co-Founder of FrameLab newsletter with @gilduran76
California, USA
Joined January 2011
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Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter gives him direct access to tens of millions of brains. He is making a zealous effort to change and control those brains by flooding them with hate and misinformation.
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Trump uses social media as a weapon to control the news cycle. It works like a charm. His tweets are tactical rather than substantive. They mostly fall into one of these four categories.
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Four ways the press can stop helping Trump:
1. Learn how propaganda works and how he weaponizes words
2. Focus on the fact that democracy is under attack. This is a crisis
3. Stop letting him control every news cycle
4. Don't spread his lies
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Imagine if we took a different approach to Trump’s social media antics. Imagine if we put them in a small, quiet corner of the newspaper. Imagine if they were only a minor throwaway item at the end of the newscast. Imagine greeting them with calm clarity, not instant outrage.
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When you negate the frame, you evoke the frame.
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Susan Moore from Kentucky can't afford bus fare to get to her life-saving medical appointments. The Republican answer? Tax cuts for private jets. Please watch and share.
The reality of American healthcare: Kentucky woman can no longer afford dialysis treatment so she has accepted that she will die...
“I don’t have the money, Medicare doesn’t want to pay anymore. It's getting harder, I’d rather just quit."
We need
#MedicareForAll
!
#FridayFeeling
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They may think they’re negating or undermining him, but that’s not how human brains work. As a cognitive scientist, I can tell you: repeating his messages only helps him.
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Two items trending on Twitter right now. One is what Trump wants you to focus on. But THIS is the REAL story he wishes to distract from. Please read it, share it, and keep it real. Release the transcripts!
#TrumpRussia
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We have the power stop him. But we must stop letting him control our media -- and our minds. It’s time to give Trump a Twitter Time Out. Let’s shrink him down to size. Let’s take this weapon out of his hands.
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Don't take the bait! Debating someone with zero credibility or validity only helps them to gain status and spread lies.
By trying to negate their false ideas, you'll end up activating them. They win by making the difference between lies and truth seem like a matter of opinion.
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Imagine keeping a steely focus on what actually matters: the dismantling of our government; Republicans robbing the middle class and poor to pay off the rich; Robert Mueller’s criminal investigation into the Trump Organization’s betrayal of America.
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Imagine if we took back OUR power from this disgraceful man. Imagine if WE decided what was important, rather than dancing to Trump’s tune. Imagine if a tweet were just a tweet (or evidence in a criminal case), rather than the dictator of our reality.
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Being a minority president drives Trump crazy. Never stop reminding him that he lost the popular vote big league.
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Each tweet gets his message retweeted so he dominates social media. Reporters, social media influencers, and many others fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Every time. They retweet, share, and repeat his messages ad infinitum. This helps Trump tremendously.
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Think of Trump as a puppeteer, his tweets as the strings,
and anyone who retweets/shares him as the puppet. Cut the damn strings!
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First, it focuses all attention on Trump’s antics. This makes his nonsense seem like the most important thing in the world. It’s called the “focusing illusion” – and it’s a large part of why he got elected in the first place. It makes him larger than life.
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The tweets either get his framing established first, knowing that whoever frames first tends to win. Or when things look bad for him, he diverts attention or attacks the messenger. And when he wants to test public opinion, he puts out an outrageous trial balloon.
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Violent language invites violence.
Such language changes brains and can result in real world consequences.
The power of violent language far exceeds mere words.
And no one has done more to inject violent language into our politics than Donald Trump.
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I understand the desire to portray Trump as childish or deranged. But do you deal with a child or a deranged person by sinking to their level? Do you mock and scorn them, or trumpet their ridiculousness on the front page? No.
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Truth Sandwich:
1. Start with the truth. The first frame gets the advantage.
2. Indicate the lie. Avoid amplifying the specific language if possible.
3. Return to the truth. Always repeat truths more than lies.
Hear more in Ep 14 of FrameLab w/
@gilduran76
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Second, constant repetition of his Trump’s messages embeds them deeply in the brains of millions of people. Whether it’s locking up his opponents or threatening nuclear war, he has the power to control tens of millions of brains via tweets. He focuses them on his chosen topics.
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Truth Sandwich:
1. Start with the truth. The first frame gets the advantage.
2. Indicate the lie. Avoid amplifying the lie if possible.
3. Return to the truth. Always repeat truths more than lies.
Hear more in Ep 14 of FrameLab w/
@gilduran76
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Third, the constant attacks and outrage increase his credibility with his base. He can portray himself as a victim of the “establishment” – under constant attacks (which he provokes with tweets). He acts, his opponents only react. He is in heroic control.
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12 Traps for Democrats to Avoid🧵
1. The Issue Trap: Don’t get trapped in issue silos. Unite around common values such as Freedom and a government Of, By and For the People.
Full Link at FrameLab:
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The wall Trump desires isn't made of concrete or steel. It's made of hate. That's why Democrats have a moral responsibility to deny him any victory on this issue.
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Hey
@NRA
: Your "right" to own assault rifles ends where our children's right to stay alive at school begins.
#StudentsStandUp
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Many journalists still assume that language is neutral, that you can just repeat language and it’s completely neutral. In fact, language is never neutral. Language is always framed in a certain way, and it always has consequences.
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When you repeat a lie, you spread it.
When you spread a lie, you strengthen it.
When you strengthen a lie, you become an accomplice to it.
In this disinformation age, we must do better.
Avoid falling into simple propaganda traps.
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Frame First. Divert attention. Deflect blame. Float trial balloons.
These are the way Trump tries to control the news cycle.
Nearly every action he takes fits the pattern.
Thanks
@camorris
for creating this GIF.
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America’s Tweeter-in-chief will attack the free press next week. He desperately needs your help to succeed. But instead of retweeting him, let's reframe the conversation and beat him. Here's a modest proposal:
#ProtectTheTruth
#reiders
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By attacking
@AOC
and creating controversy around her idea, her opponents and the press helped spread it.
As it turns out, the American people like her idea.
Memo to
@TheDemocrats
: Generate good ideas, propose good ideas, spread good ideas, fight for good ideas - and win.
Oh? What’s that?
The majority of Americans respect when you break down reasonable policy proposals that are designed to combat runaway income inequality and help fund priorities they value most?
We can win public sentiment, stand our ground, & not be scared by GOP information.
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The job of Trump's VOTER SUPPRESSION PANEL is to create Presidentially-directed voter fraud to extend the current regime.
Okay,
@GeorgeLakoff
fans! How do you say "voter fraud is a myth" without using the words voter, fraud, or myth?
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The language we use in politics is not just about policy; it is about values. It is about what we care about, what we believe is important, and what kind of society we want to build.
Always use your own moral frames and word -- never use the opposition's frames or words.
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This is a battle over how we define freedom and how we govern our nation.
We must:
-Frame the debate around morality and values, not policy
-Emphasize the role of the Public, and the Public Good
-Understand the operative metaphors and use them
-Learn from past victories/defeats
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This graphic (by
@gibilisco
) exposes Trump's abuse of Twitter. Based on my interview with
@onthemedia
.
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Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter gives him direct access to tens of millions of brains, and he is making a zealous public effort to change and control those brains by flooding them with hate and misinformation.
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Journalists are courageous people who
#ProtectTheTruth
. Using
#NotTheEnemy
as a slogan helps Trump. Framing 101.
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These are your ideal citizens. They have studied the Constitution. They speak out. They are not afraid to stand up. They have already been on the other side of the guns.
#MarchForOurLives
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This wonderfully viral list comes from a talk I gave in Sonoma, California, last January. Since then, it's been attributed to many people, including
@RBReich
and
@BerniceKing
!
It's close, but not exactly what I said. Here's my list:
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Trump’s Lies Are a Virus, and News Organizations Are the Host
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#TruthSandwich
:
1. Start with the truth (if you lead with the lie, you privilege it)
2. Note attempt to divert truth (note, rather than amplify, the lie)
3. Return to the truth the lie is designed to hide (don't allow the distraction/diversion to work)
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Always
#FrameFirst
! Pelosi framed the government shutdown first as a "Trump shutdown." Donald, who likes to put his name on things, couldn't resist. Mistaking political liability for power, he accepted the frame...and the blame.
#TrumpShutdown
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Why are staunch Republicans fine with tear gassing refugee children? It's the conservative moral hierarchy. All conservative policy flows from this hierarchical view of the world. Any time you find yourself asking "why," consult this chart and you will find the answer.
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From "Don't Think of An Elephant" (2004):
1) Repetition strengthens the synapses in neural circuits that people use in thinking
2) Whoever frames first has an advantage
3) Negating a frame activates and strengthens it
From a new study of digital warfare:
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If the United States attacks Iran, it will be for one reason: President Trump desperately wants a war to boost his sagging popularity. Here’s what we can do to stop him:
#GulfOfTonkin
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Democrats must deliver the same messages and repeat them over and over. They must point out how their policies relate to values -- the progressive values crucial to democracy. Always frame with values. Read more in my interview with
@pattmlatimes
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Faced with an authoritarian leader who uses lies as weapons, reporters must evolve to counter the threat. Protecting the truth requires more than fact checking. It demands that reporters take into account the strategy behind Trump’s blitzkrieg of lies.
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“How can any poor person vote for Republicans when Republican policies hurt them so badly?”
It is important to understand this point: It is a serious mistake to assume that people are simply always voting in their self-interest.
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The Republican Party has become an existential threat to the United States of America.
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How to defeat authoritarian tactics and
#ProtectTheTruth
?
-Ban lies from headlines/tweets/chyrons
-Separate news from distractions
-Use Truth Sandwiches (truth first, always)
-Outsmart the "Friday Dump" (run it big Sun. or Mon.)
More in Ep. 15 of FrameLab:
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If we free the 44 million Americans caught in the student loan debt trap, the result will be millions of new jobs and increased economic growth. Important work from
@StephanieKelton
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A friendly reminder as the 2020 election gets underway: When his tweets control the news, we all lose.
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Every time he tweets, he gets instant reaction. He fuels a parasitic economy in which people compete to ride his digital coattails. Reporters, Democratic politicians, and social media influencers fall for it every time.This helps Trump tremendously.
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.
@realDonaldTrump
will now try to distract us from this raging scandal. Here are three steps to beat his strategy.
#inners
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Joy is powerful because it plays on your emotions. Emotions are everything in politics.
If you feel good about somebody's political views – if joining with them and voting for them makes you feel happy – that's the most powerful thing.
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When you repeat a false narrative for any reason, you spread it and strengthen it. This was a key lesson of "Don't Think of An Elephant" (2004). It's especially true in this era of social media. Why do so many influential people spend their entire day repeating false narratives?
Good lesson. “Each of them quote-tweeted the Gateway Pundit story to denounce it, but in doing so gave it more amplification.”
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The wall is a metaphor for racism, nationalism and white supremacy. The wall Trump desires isn’t made of concrete or steel. It’s made of hate. That’s why Democrats have a moral responsibility to deny Trump any wall – even a metaphorical one.
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Above all, Trump is a betrayer of trust. He sides with Putin against America, attacks our allies, wreaks havoc on the American economy, and uses the White House to enrich himself. This is betrayal and corruption at the most blatant level.
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People do not necessarily vote in their self-interest. They vote their identity. They vote their values. They vote for who they identify with.
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1/ The big question on Trump's tax returns is: did he commit Treason? Are Russian debts behind his support for America’s major enemy?
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Trump Administration revoking security clearances in order to manipulate the news cycle? It's
#2
on the list -- Diversion. These tactics apply to media manipulation in general, not just Twitter.
Trump uses social media as a weapon to control the news cycle. It works like a charm. His tweets are tactical rather than substantive. They mostly fall into one of these four categories.
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Whenever you find yourself asking “why” conservatives do the things they do, consult this hierarchy and you will find the answer.
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A former UC Berkeley student has started a
@gofundme
campaign to support my legal defense against the baseless lawsuit filed against me last week. Please RT to help protect freedom, truth, and the First Amendment.
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Never accept conservative framings of the issues, even in arguing against them; offer your own.
If you have to compromise with conservatives, start the negotiations from your own moral position—empathy and responsibility.
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When you repeat Trump's words -- including the nicknames he gives people -- you are helping him. Don't be a puppet! Cut the strings!
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The press is at a disadvantage when dealing with a super salesman who has an instinctive ability to manipulate thought by 1) framing first 2) repeating often & 3) leading others to repeat his words by getting people to attack him. Solutions:
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THREAD: Like some foreign dictator, the Republican in the White House will attack the free press today. Here are a few action strategies to flip his negative attacks into positive persistence.
1. Show your support for courageous journalists who
#ProtectTheTruth
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It’s time to stop asking “why” conservatives think the way they do and start figuring out what the American majority can do to make sure Republican dominance over our political system comes to a swift and final end.
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This is about courage. Courage is required when you deal with people who don’t care about other people. Republicans want us to turn our backs on Americans who need health care.
#governmentshutdown
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What happens when politicians strip away crucial protections for our health and safety? They put our health and our lives in danger from completely avoidable disasters. Regulations = Protections. Protections for our families, for our children. Protections.
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When you repeat Trump, you help Trump. You do this by spreading his message wide and far. It's time to grasp the basics of effective communication.
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Global warming is real, and it is here. It is causing—yes, causing—death, destruction and vast economic loss.
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Twitter Troll Playbook:
1) Frame the issue first (First to frame wins the game)
2) Repeat your framing constantly (Repetition is key to information war)
3) Bait attacks (Force opponents to repeat and amplify your framing by attacking it)
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You have to mock him about the right things. Mock his attempts to divert attention from the real story: the tightening noose around the money laundering and Russia connections. Constantly focusing on his diversions (tweets) helps him. Focus on the real issues and he fails.
I take your point,
@georgelakoff
. But it's also true that one of Gene Sharp's key insights was that authoritarians are most vulnerable to mockery. It was scorn and laughter that toppled Milosevic. Thoughts?
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Trump uses twitter tantrums to “step on” big developments in the Russia investigation, creating bigger stories to distract attention.
Iran tweets = diversion/trial balloon.
Read more here:
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"It's no good fighting an election campaign on the facts."
If you only watch one video today, watch this undercover investigation into how Cambridge Analytica poisons democracy.
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Important Father's Day message from Jay-Z about the need to reform the bail system. Please read & share.
#SB10
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Deferred pay.
I wish the NYT & other news media would stop calling Social Security & Medicare "entitlements." Millions of Americans worked for decades & paid in for decades to receive Social Security & Medicare. It would be better to call them "social insurance" or "old age insurance" programs
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Why do they hate abortion rights but love gun rights? Why do they demand “freedom” while stripping it from others? Why do they see fit to impose their minority opinions on the majority?
It’s because all of their positions follow from a hierarchical view of the world:
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Framing 101: When you negate the frame, you activate the frame.
When Nixon said "I'm not a crook," people saw a crook.
As for Trump...
Sarah Huckabee: "I can definitively say the president is not a liar." AHAHAHAHAHA
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Why are Trump and his ilk so tolerant of wife-beating, misogyny, and other abuses against women? It's the conservative moral hierarchy. If we want to defeat them, we must understand how their brains work.
How Republicans Really Think:
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Democracy is too important to leave the shaping of the brains of Americans to authoritarians.
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Why is Trump shifting focus to the MS-13 gang? It's the Salient Exemplar strategy: Use a well-publicized crime, individual, or entity to smear an entire class of people. He's weaponizing a stereotype.
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Truth Sandwich:
1. Start with the truth. The first frame gets the advantage.
2. Indicate the lie. Avoid repeating the specific lie language.
3. Return to the truth. Always repeat truths more than lies.
Hear more in Ep 14 of FrameLab w/
@gilduran76
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Trump's social media outbursts control the news cycle.
He knows this.
We have the power to stop him.
Let's use it.
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Ideas matter. No idea has mattered more in American history than the idea of freedom.
Quick, dorky take on the first Kamala video and how their campaign frame is a nod to
@GeorgeLakoff
.
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Hold Republicans accountable. He's just their sideshow. Hold Republicans accountable.
#BlueWave2018
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“We’ve got to remember what the Republican Party is about.” -
@BobCorker
For those in need of a refresher, here is the hierarchy underlying the conservative worldview (as outlined in my 1996 book "Moral Politics.")
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Trump's tweets move markets, disrupt diplomacy and inflame political anxiety almost daily. As long as we allow him to manipulate our public discourse with his fingertips, we’re his puppets. Time to cut the strings! My essay in SacBee's California Forum:
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.
@realDonaldTrump
's Twitter finger must be getting itchy. Here's a fun guide to his strategic use of tweets. (Thanks
@camorris
!)
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It's wonderful to see hundreds of newspapers stand up to Trump in defense of a
#FreePress
. But their choice of words shows how much they have to learn about language, framing, and the brain. (from Feb 2017)
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All thought is carried out by neural circuitry — it does not float in air. Language neurally activates thought. Language can thus change brains, both for the better and the worse.
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Words have meanings with real effects
Note to Democrats and media: Do not use ever use “chain migration.” It’s a loaded right wing phrase like “death taxes.” The proper phrase for the provision, according to the Immigration Act of 1965, is “family reunification.”
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.
@realdonaldtrump
lost the popular vote -- big league. Being a minority president drives him crazy. Remind him!
#PresidentsDay
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