Thursday, July 6, 2017

Low-Class Donald Worse Than Internet Troll

What strikes me most about the article CNN ran about the man-troll who created the Trump/wrestling video, which showed Trump body-slamming a wrestler with a CNN logo imposed on his face, are two points of interest:

(1) The man-troll (Reddit username "HanAssholeSolo) had a history of self-acknowledged racist, bigoted, and anti-semitic posts. After Trump tweeted the video, the man-troll wrote on Reddit:
"Holy s—!! I wake up and have my morning coffee and who retweets my s—post but the MAGA EMPORER himself!!! I am honored!!"
However, the celebration didn't last.

After his identity was ascertained, the man-troll expressed remorse and apologized. Per the CNN article, he said he feared for his safety and for the embarrassment it would bring himself and his family if his identity were published. After all, he said, he was merely "posting things to get a reaction." He also said he didn't think Trump's team should have posted the video. In his apology he wrote:
"To people who troll on the Internet for fun, consider your words and actions conveyed in your message and who it might upset or anger. Put yourself in their shoes before you post it. If you have a problem with trolling it is an addiction just like any other addiction someone can have to something and don't be embarrassed to ask for help. Trolling is nothing more than bullying a wide audience. Don't feed your own self-worth based upon inflicting suffering upon others online just because you are behind a keyboard."
This apology, I think, is a good summary as to how what is commonly called "trolling" is actually incredibly sociopathic behavior, behavior that has been normalized and now, even more so, by the Republican leader.

In 10 years of blogging, I see a somewhat common attitude, particularly among people in their early 20s (who have only come of age during the Internet era), that "what happens on the Internet isn't real, so you can just do or say whatever to anyone without consequence." Well, online speech does have consequences and it is real, despite how easy it is to "utter" in this medium, so to speak. It can cause harm. I suspect many people at least intuitively know this, which is why they "troll" in the first place. It makes them feel powerful to cause other people pain so easily.

(2) This man-troll has apologized.

Donald Trump, the Republican leader, has not. It is not likely he ever will, because Donald does not apologize for things.

Let this sink in. Donald Trump has shittier morals than a self-proclaimed Internet troll.

And still, how long must we wait until there we see some man telling , yet again, how "presidential" Trump is after he gives another speech or whatever after some catastrophe of his own making.

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