this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2025
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politics

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[–] halloween_spookster@lemmy.world 8 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I highly doubt that Russia is just standing on the sidelines not stoking the fires via bots on social media

[–] Lucky_777@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

100% they are. You can tell in almost every post about going after Dems. Just bots stir the fire up. These MAGA fucks fall for it everytime.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

I'm sure many of them are bots (as has been documented and proven on other platforms) but I assume they're mixed in with the actual people that happen to agree with the bots or get swayed by the bots' takes.

Don't underestimate the stupidity of the average flesh-and-blood American. (And before anyone says it, yes, I know there is stupidity elsewhere, but I happen to be an American, so I don't feel bad about criticizing them).

I try not to get into the habit of assuming that every braindead comment or post comes from a bot (though they may be indistinguishable). I am very aware of the bot/paid trolls issue, but I also assume there's the possibility of at least a non-zero share of the firehose of Internet stupidity which is generated by the sausage-like appendages of someone who is very much alive that I am forced to share a country with, and that they may typing those things in earnest without irony.

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 52 minutes ago

exactly. isn't there a common saying "don't assume malevolence where stupidity suffices as an explanation"?

people really are just dumb, largely. it could be perfectly well that that already explains the conflicts.