Outraged by the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a wilderness survival trainer spent years undercover climbing the ranks of right-wing militias. He didn’t tell police or the FBI. He didn’t tell family or friends. The one person he told was a ProPublica reporter.
    • perestroika@lemm.ee
      9·
      3 days ago

      For me, the most important lesson in the mole’s own article was: access to social media can turn tides and fortunes around.

      What’s more, AP3’s best recruiting tool was essentially gone: Facebook had cracked down on paramilitary organizing. “Facebook has been our greatest weapon. It’s gotten us where we are today,” Seddon told his troops.

      Social media environments help build organizations like that. And when a social media company invests non-trivial effort to cut them off (generally not out of good will, but due to legislation), they do experience a withering effect.

      …but with lots of work, they can overcome it. Which is why their propaganda should be removed and countered anywhere it can be.

      Seddon sought ways to capitalize on the improving political climate. In Alabama, members fanned out to shops around the state, where they dropped off stacks of business cards encouraging patriots to “do your part.” “The APIII Alabama Recruitment line has rang non stop today,” a leader reported back afterward. “I honestly wasn’t expecting it to get this big.”

      In Washington state, AP3 members in the military reserves touted the militia to fellow reservists during their units’ regular monthly drills. One chapter looked into purchasing billboard ads. In internal chats, many members agreed the “best place to recruit” is Veterans Affairs facilities.

      …

      By the fall, they had arrived at a more efficient method. Facebook’s public posture hadn’t wavered. AP3 was still on its list of banned “dangerous organizations.” Again and again in press releases, the company said its efforts to combat militias were stronger than ever.

      Inside AP3, though, leaders were seeing something different: The social media giant was gradually loosening its controls.

      • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        3 days ago

        Social media environments help build organizations like that.

        I want to build this, but for liberal minded people to vote, prepare to defend themselves, learn mutual aid and self-sufficiency. In. That. Order.

      • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8·
        3 days ago

        Did you read the whole thing?! Despite all his up and downs, random careers and jobs, he was still able to pull these people together. That should be a wake up call. For all of us.

        Not to put too fine a point on it, but we libs could do the same, get a political org that actually speaks to people and gets them engaged. Or, at worst, ready to defend themselves.