There’s a tendency in this heated political climate to simply reject people who are saying false things and to write off conspiracy theorists writ large.

But as the US approaches the third straight election in which misinformation — and the fight against it — is expected to play a role, it’s important to understand what’s driving people who don’t believe in US elections.

I talked to O’Sullivan about the documentary, in which he has some frank and disarming talks with people about what has shaken their belief in the US. But he paints an alarming picture about the rise of fringe movements in the country.

Our conversation, conducted by phone and edited for length, is below:

WOLF: What were you trying to accomplish with this project?

O’SULLIVAN: So much of mainstream American politics now is being infected and affected by what is happening on what was once considered the real fringes — fringe platforms, fringe personalities.

And I think really what we want to do in this show is illustrate how these personalities may be pushing falsehoods, but they’re no longer fringe. This is all happening right now. And it is having a big effect on our democracy.

  • eldavi@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    people who truly realize that they’ve fucked up work to right those wrongs they’ve committed meanwhile biden’s doubling down on the fucked up things he’s done so long as it doesn’t cost him votes from today’s democrats, as he has always done; willfully ignoring and reinforcing your own misinformed views is the reason why we keep voting for the lesser evil and not getting anything out of it.

    • Kedly@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      Is he not restoring the LGBTQ protections that the previous president removed? Which part of that is doubling down on him being wrong in the past? Attacking everyone who doesnt fully agree with you doesnt change ANYONES minds, and in fact makes you more enemies, thus putting whichever cause you fight for further behind

      • eldavi@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        as i said in previous response: keeping the same lgbt stance would lose today’s democrat voters so that is the only thing he’s not doubling down on.

        you can’t change anyone’s mind and willfully ignoring what he’s doing to palestine and what he did to bankruptcy relief and student loans makes you many more enemies