Bluesky

It’s always interesting to see how discussions about disinformation attract the very tactics they describe. A predictable pattern emerges in these responses—one designed not to engage in good faith but to mock, dismiss, and deflect.

Here’s how it typically plays out:

• Mockery Instead of Argument

  • Rather than addressing specific points, they resort to sarcasm and ridicule.
  • Compare serious, well-documented concerns to absurd conspiracy theories—"Fluoride in the water! Precious bodily fluids!"—so that the entire discussion is framed as ridiculous.

• The “Conspiracy Theory” Dismissal

  • Even when the argument is based on intelligence reports, independent research institutions, and government investigations, they lump it together with baseless internet conspiracies like QAnon.
  • This is not a counterargument—it’s a lazy rhetorical trick to make the entire topic seem unserious without actually refuting anything.

• Demand Sources, Then Ignore Them

  • If a comment doesn’t include direct links, they pretend it’s “unsourced,” even if it references well-known institutions like RAND, Stanford, or U.S. intelligence agencies.
  • Ironically, they don’t provide sources themselves—because their goal isn’t fact-finding, but discrediting.

• Dismiss the Premise Without Engagement

  • They don’t acknowledge the existence of Russian disinformation efforts, despite overwhelming evidence. Instead, they treat the claim itself as laughable.
  • This is classic gaslighting—pretending a well-documented reality doesn’t exist to make people second-guess whether it’s even worth discussing.

• Turn the Conversation Into Noise

  • By injecting sarcasm and misrepresentation, they shift the focus away from the substance of the discussion.
  • The goal is to waste people’s time, exhaust them, and make the entire conversation seem like a pointless back-and-forth.

This is one of the most effective disinformation tactics—not to argue a case, but to flood the zone with nonsense until people disengage. And unfortunately, it works. When bad-faith actors derail discussions with sarcasm and mockery, it discourages others from engaging at all.

So, the next time someone tries to dismiss a fact-based argument by ridiculing it instead of addressing it, recognize the pattern. It’s not a debate—it’s an attempt to control the conversation by making real information seem like a joke.