Juggling with words and false logic is not always easy to see through. Tips for recognizing disinformation can be helpful. De Volkskrant published a list and Maarten Keulemans gave it away for free on Twitter. Despite the obviously propagandistic character, they are largely well-known fallacies. The examples that are given frame everyone who criticizes the corona policy. It seems as if fallacies are exclusively reserved for the critics. To show that this is not the case, Martijn de Jong came up with some other appealing examples, as a counterbalance to mk's one-sided view. He shared them on Twitter – but with 272 followers, there's a good chance VV readers missed it. Below again at a glance, slightly adjusted. If always sharing is appreciated because Tweets from @infopinie themselves come less than 100 views far.
- EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE
Especially negative emotions, such as fear, anger and indignation, hold attention and lead to more interaction. Hence: "Do you want my grandmother dead?" if someone does not want to wear a mask. "Because of you, we have to go back into lockdown" against people who do not want to take a Corona vaccine. - PLAYING THE MAN
In other words, the 'ad hominem' attack. The sender is made suspicious to distract from substantive arguments. Think of: That dance teacher (for Willem Engel who has completed a study in pharmacology). That pollster (for statistician Maurice de Hond). Antivaxxer (for anyone who questions the mRNA jabs. Theo Schetters, Jona Walk, etc) - SELECTIVE SHOPPING
One of the most common tricks: a short crop from a graph, video, using text to make a point. RIVM: The vaccinations prevented 88,000 deaths in 2022, with the graph not showing that their peak is 2.5x as high as in early 2020. Sweden has more deaths than other countries (early 2020, leaving out that Sweden had a significant under-mortality rate in 2019). - FALSE CONTRADICTION
Suggesting a contradiction that isn't there, to give the impression that there are only two flavors to choose from. Hugo De Jonge: 'Two choices in the long term: either you get vaccinated or you get sick'. More Myocarditis after Corona than after vaccination (whereby it is concealed that the vaccination offers virtually no protection against Myocarditis after Corona and it is therefore an extra chance of Myocarditis). - SCAPEGOAT
Projecting all mischief onto a scapegoat, however unjustified. For example, "the pandemic of the unvaccinated" – Hugo de Jonge. several OMT members complained: "The people who do not comply with the measures are ruining it for everyone." - INCONSISTENCY
Disinformation often contains sloppy, internal contradictions. Such as the announcement that face masks and one and a half meters were abolished everywhere except in public transport. There, face masks remained mandatory because you could not keep a distance of one and a half meters – while that distance rule had been lifted. - FAKE EXPERTS
Impress with 'experts' who in reality have little relevant knowledge. Good examples are the members of the OMT. They had no relevant knowledge about virus spread and certainly had no knowledge about the impact of the measures they proposed on the economy, people's mental health or public health. Yet they were presented everywhere as 'experts' - Booster trick: CIRCULAR REASONING
In a lot of disinformation we see the circular reasoning coming along. Because we did A, B happened so we have to do A again without providing evidence for a causal link between A and B. Such as: We know that the measures work, because the virus spread has decreased (van Dissel). Ignoring that the same thing has happened for centuries in every pandemic without measures.
The 7 examples in the Volkskrant that gave rise to these adjustments
- EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE
Especially negative emotions, such as fear, anger and indignation, hold attention and lead to more interaction. Hence: 'vaccine damage' instead of side effects, 'repopulation' instead of immigration. - PLAYING THE MAN
In other words, the 'ad hominem' attack. The sender is made suspicious, to distract from substantive arguments. Think of: 'sleepy Joe (Biden)', 'Jaap van Dissel is corrupt', 'bag carrier' Sophie Hermans. - SELECTIVE SHOPPING
One of the most common tricks: using a short crop from a chart, video, or text to make a point. For example: the number of births has dropped 'alarmingly' this year (in reality, the number of births last year was higher than usual). - FALSE CONTRADICTION
Suggesting a contradiction that isn't there, to give the impression that there are only two flavors to choose from. Anyone who is not against climate policy is a 'climate alarmist'; those who complied with the corona measures follow the 'government narrative'. - SCAPEGOAT
Projecting all mischief onto a scapegoat, however unjustified. For example: the World Economic Forum directed the coronavirus pandemic, the OMT shut down the country, the mainstream media look away. - INCONSISTENCY
Disinformation often contains sloppy, internal contradictions. Such as: scientists cannot be trusted, according to research. Or: there is no climate change, because the climate changed even when there were no people. - FAKE EXPERTS
Impress with 'experts' who in reality have little relevant knowledge. For example: the 'inventor of the mRNA vaccine' Robert Malone (Malone was involved in some early mRNA experiments as a student, but left for industry before his PhD).
Framing and Shaming is how it works today. Whoever makes the best combinations wins, not common sense.
What I find much worse are the reactions such as "I don't know who to believe anymore". "I've heard this kind of thing so many times and it always blows over." "I don't have time (read: feel like) to read all that, it will take my time." And the worst of all "Surely the government will not be crazy to (want to) do such things".
Despite more than a decade of policies of lies and deceit still have faith in the government. That's loyalty.
Perhaps that should be investigated why people continue to cling to the old values that are visibly no longer what they used to be.
I think I already know the answer. People don't want to imagine what's really going on. They then have to get out of their comfort zone to do something about it. They don't feel it hard enough yet. I'm just afraid that if they think they feel it hard enough, it's too late.
But I also think that it is never too late, it only gets a lot worse and heavier, but the powers that are busy now always overestimate themselves, history teaches us that.