unflusteredmodest.bsky.social
I post frameworks on how to fight:
- populism
- authoritarianism
- fascism
Further, I educate on how to have a real impact on society.
https://unflusteredmodest.substack.com/
249 posts
19 followers
18 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
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Populism wins when people stop thinking critically.
Recognize these tactics & call them out! š”
š Repost this to expose their tactics!
š¬ Have you seen these tactics in action? Let me know! š
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5ļøā£ Ad Hominem š”ļø
"Don't listen to them, they are corrupt idiots!"
ā” Instead of debating the issue, they attack the person.
š” Counter:
š Bring it back to the argument. "Insults arenāt arguments. Letās talk facts."
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4ļøā£ Whataboutism š
"Why talk about our mistakes? Look at the others!"
ā” Instead of addressing criticism, they shift the focus.
š” Counter:
š Stay on track. "We can discuss both, but letās focus on this issue first."
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3ļøā£ False Dilemma āļø
"Either you support us, or you're a traitor!"
ā” Complex issues are reduced to just two extreme choices.
š” Counter:
š Show the middle ground. "Reality isnāt binary. There are other options."
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2ļøā£ Strawman Argument š
"They want to take away all our jobs!"
ā” They twist the opponentās position into an extreme version & attack that.
š” Counter:
š Bring back the real argument. "Nobody said that. The real proposal is X."
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1ļøā£ Shock & Awe
"Our country is under attack by immigrants! Everything is collapsing!" š„
ā” Overdramatic statements trigger fear & anger, so people donāt think critically.
š” Counter:
š Ask for real data. "What exactly is collapsing? Can you prove it?"
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I wish you much success, good shared experiences, and bidirectional solidarity with law enforcement (you are all 'the people', the super rich destroying your country are not).
Be safe.
And spread your protests online. Europe stands ready to share your demands, to amplify your voice.
(2/2)
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Final Thought:
My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone who wishes for a future where violence is not met with more dehumanization.
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Our democracies are strong ā
but only if we resist falling into the traps of division and fear.
And that applies to Canada just as much.
I sincerely hope Canadian voters remember how precious their free, democratic society is ā and choose to defend it.
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What does this mean for us?
ā”ļø Donāt rush to conclusions.
ā”ļø Donāt spread rumors.
ā”ļø Stay alert to how the media and politicians frame the event.
ā”ļø Watch carefully who tries to politically profit from it.
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But history shows us: Even when the original motives are unrelated, such events are politically exploited ā often aggressively.
And almost always, itās the forces who thrive on fear, division, and demands for a "strong state" who benefit the most.
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Important Clarification:
There is currently no confirmed evidence that this particular attack was politically motivated.
The idea that incidents like these are used for election interference remains speculative.
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Germany witnessed similar patterns before its own elections, and investigative journalists were able to trace financial flows ā in some cases ā from Russia to terrorist groups.
Other countries might be acting similarly.
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We can no longer ignore it:
Itās becoming increasingly plausible that such tragedies are used as tools for election interference.
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And, unfortunately, a troubling pattern emerges: Before major elections, attacks and "chaos moments" seem to spike.
These incidents can be deliberately used to:
- Spread fear and insecurity
- Further divide society
- Strengthen right-wing or authoritarian forces
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Why does this matter ā beyond the immediate tragedy?
ā”ļø Canada is holding early parliamentary elections on April 28, 2025, much earlier than originally scheduled.
ā”ļø The political atmosphere is highly charged, fueled in part by the ongoing trade war with the U.S. under Trump.
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But one thing stands out:
Once again, an attack occurs right before a major election ā Canadaās parliamentary elections tomorrow.
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Sounds naive?
So once did the end of monarchy.
So once did democracy.
So once did the abolition of slavery.
Empires fall.
Letās not build a new one.
Letās build something better.
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But what if we broke the cycle?
No more empires.
No more systems built on domination, extraction, and fear.
Instead:
Systems built on dignity.
On justice.
On global cooperationāreal, not rhetorical.
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The U.S. empire is faltering.
Its power and influence are subsiding.
It falls.
But what comes next?
If weāre not careful, someone else will rise to claim the throne:
š Authoritarian regimes
š¼ Corporate technocracies
š§ Post-truth empires of control and manipulation
Different mask. Same game.
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They always tell the same story:
Expansion = peace.
Domination = order.
Wealth = virtue.
Collapse = someone elseās fault.
And when they fall, they leave a vacuumāone we rush to fill with the next empire.
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Every age had its empires.
Each thought it would last.
None did.
Power doesnāt die.
But empires do.
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But empire isnāt exclusive to the West
šøPersia ruled from the Indus to the Mediterranean.
šøChinaās dynasties built lasting civilizations.
šøThe Caliphates connected continents through trade and knowledge.
šøInca and Aztec empires rose high in the Americas.
šøMali and Songhai flourished across Africa.
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Letās be honest:
The United States didnāt invent empire.
It inherited the mantleāfrom Britain,
who reimagined Rome,
who absorbed the legacy of Greece.
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And more often than not, collapse is self-inflicted:
By overreaching abroad, by retreating inward, by sowing division through fear, xenophobia, and a shrinking sense of solidarity.
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unflustered.modest
Its the late stage of empire.
šøThe stage where might replaces diplomacy.
šøWhere spectacle replaces substance.
šøWhere decay is denied until itās too late.
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From torn treaties to trade wars, from abandoned allies to praise for strongmen.
Trust collapsed.
So did credibility.
But this didnāt happen in a vacuum.
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The message is clear:
"We donāt care what happens to the worldāonly what happens to us."
And that doesnāt even include all their citizens (not even remotely).
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And he put it in overdriveātearing up constitutional norms, eroding checks and balances, and dragging the faƧade of democracy into open crisis.
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Trump didnāt start this decline on his ownā
but he made visible what others advocated for a long time:
Turning inward, flirting openly with authoritarianism, and scorning allies, global institutions, and shared values.
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You can copy this. You can remix it. You can ignore it.
But if you feel something reading it, donāt let it fade.
Follow the pull. Itās not wrong.
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(8)
You donāt have to save the world.
You just have to stay human in it.
š¤
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(7)
History doesnāt need heroes.
It needs people who refuse to go numb.
š”
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(6)
If youāre alive right now, you are part of the tipping point generation.
You didnāt choose that.
But you can choose what it means.
š§
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(5)
Somewhere right now, someone is preparing to burn a book.
Somewhere else, someone is quietly printing 10 copies of it.
ššļø
Guess who wins in the long run.
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(4)
And thatās the difference between despair and resistance:
Despair says, āNothing I do matters.ā
Resistance says, āI canāt do everything ā but I can do something.ā
š„