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Denzil_DC

(7,187 posts)
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 01:12 AM Dec 2019

American dirty tricks are corroding British democracy

Super PACs in the US are notorious for smear campaigns and disinformation – now we're seeing them in the UK election. Be careful where you take your phone.
...
How they are shaping this election

Up and down the country, we’re beginning to see something a lot like Super PACs shaping this UK election.

They aren’t all on the same side. By far the biggest spender on Facebook ads is the pro-EU group Best for Britain, which has thrown nearly three-quarters of a million pounds at sponsored posts over the past year. The legal limit for non-party spending on election campaigning for the year before the vote is £480,000 – though, as Best for Britain points out, many of its ads are non-partisan voter registration messages, which don’t count.

On the other side of the Brexit rift, Leave.EU quickly established almost as much Facebook traction as Labour. With nearly a million Facebook likes, the group – founded by the millionaires Arron Banks and Richard Tice – pillories pro-EU politicians. Like America’s most notorious Super PACs, it courts controversy, incites rage and drives debate.

In a recent post – shared 7,000 times – the pro-Tory group reused an image of refugees from a notorious poster unveiled by Nigel Farage during the Brexit referendum, an image widely compared to Nazi propaganda.



https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/american-dirty-tricks-are-corroding-our-democracy/


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American dirty tricks are corroding British democracy (Original Post) Denzil_DC Dec 2019 OP
Formerly known as Russian dirty tricks. C_U_L8R Dec 2019 #1
I find it ABSOLUTELY patetic that anyone could believe any of this SterlingPound Dec 2019 #2
Lots of dodgy ads on Facebook, YouTube etc right now T_i_B Dec 2019 #3
Oh please, Denzil.. whathehell Dec 2019 #4
Dodgy US style attack ads are a new thing here T_i_B Dec 2019 #5
A new style of "dodgy", perhaps whathehell Dec 2019 #6
Of course there's a history of political dirty tricks in the UK. Denzil_DC Dec 2019 #7
Of course.. whathehell Dec 2019 #8
Maybe read the article ...? n/t Denzil_DC Dec 2019 #9
Maybe get a sense of humor...? n/t whathehell Dec 2019 #10
Perhaps you'll forgive me. Denzil_DC Dec 2019 #11
I do whathehell Dec 2019 #12

T_i_B

(14,734 posts)
3. Lots of dodgy ads on Facebook, YouTube etc right now
Mon Dec 9, 2019, 08:52 AM
Dec 2019

But the attack ads from strange organisations you've never heard of but almost certainly related to the Conservative Party have been a feature of this election. Usually scaremongering about Jeremy Corbyn.

T_i_B

(14,734 posts)
5. Dodgy US style attack ads are a new thing here
Thu Dec 12, 2019, 02:40 PM
Dec 2019

It's been a major part of this election.

Oh for the days when the main parties put more effort into leafletting and canvassing than misleading tripe on Farcebook.

whathehell

(28,969 posts)
6. A new style of "dodgy", perhaps
Thu Dec 12, 2019, 05:09 PM
Dec 2019

but according to my European friends, political dodginess is both old
and universal.
I'm old enough to remember Margaret Thatcher in office and I do recall seeing some viciously sexist graphic representations of her showing up at demonstrations.

Denzil_DC

(7,187 posts)
7. Of course there's a history of political dirty tricks in the UK.
Thu Dec 12, 2019, 05:20 PM
Dec 2019

In the past, they've been attributable to the political parties.

The point of the article is that these lines of responsiblity have become progressively blurred in recent times, for the reasons it goes into, and dark money is playing a greater and greater role.

whathehell

(28,969 posts)
8. Of course..
Thu Dec 12, 2019, 05:47 PM
Dec 2019

so what's with the "American style attack 'corroding'" your democracy about?
I don't know how much our "style" of attack would be responsible for your problems, but if it's a style you've chosen to adopt, the responsibility would lie with you.

Denzil_DC

(7,187 posts)
11. Perhaps you'll forgive me.
Thu Dec 12, 2019, 06:13 PM
Dec 2019

The exit polls released in the last few minutes are predicting a resounding Tory majority, so I'm not much in the mood for teasing.

My own corner of the country is projected to have returned 55 SNP MPs out of 59. It's not much consolation, but I guess it would have to do.

whathehell

(28,969 posts)
12. I do
Fri Dec 13, 2019, 02:11 PM
Dec 2019

and hope you don't feel quite as bad as we did on November 4, 2016.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but getting rid of a bad PM in your country seems an easier process than getting rid of a bad President in ours.
You have that, at least.






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