What Exactly Is A Troll?

Did you know that the US military is profoundly interested in Social Media? Did you know they train and deploy armies of Social Media operatives? Ask yourself, “What do they hope to accomplish with that project?”

First, here is some prima facie evidence that they do do so.

Pentagon Wants a Social Media Propaganda Machine
“The Pentagon is looking to build a tool to sniff out social media propaganda campaigns and spit some counter-spin right back at it.“

Your Government Wants to Militarize Social Media to Influence Your Beliefs

“The overriding theme of the event is the need to exploit social media as a source of intelligence on civilian populations and enemies; as well as a propaganda medium to influence public opinion.”

Obama confidant’s spine-chilling proposal

“In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-“independent” advocates to “cognitively infiltrate” online groups and websites — as well as other activist groups — which advocate views that Sunstein deems “false conspiracy theories” about the Government.“

As a matter of fact, thanks to Edward Snowden, we have 50 slides of a PowerPoint training program created by the British equivalent of the NSA, that is GCHQ — Government Communications Headquarters — which reveal a great deal about how they size you up, my friends.

The Series is called The Art of Deception

Magicians, of course, don't perform magic, but sleight of hand.

It’s all very scientific, don’t you know?

There are step-by-step procedures that are university engineered
to be effective at deceiving large groups of people.

But one chief focus is how to split up groups. Ever encountered a troll online? Sound familiar?

This is a college, perhaps graduate course in how to make the public believe things THAT ARE NOT TRUE.

What becomes of a society that is deceived on an
industrial level by those that rule over it?

If you want to see the whole set, and read the article by Glenn Greenwald discussing the secret program that Snowden revealed, it is

How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations

Now I would like to share with you some of my own observations. Some rules of the road that I have gathered in my travels:

1. Trolls have the military mindset. They consider intimidation their chief path to success. Just as Native American warriors famously shrieked and with their hand covered and uncovered their mouths in rapid succession, for the purpose of terrifying their targets, so a troll will very frequently default to bluster and what is essentially “trash talk”, like you would overhear at the foul line in an NBA game, when somebody is trying to concentrate on his shot.

2. Along the same lines, trolls typically choose a Facebook Avatar that is as intimidating as they can think of. Roaring lions and tigers, snakes, scorpions, or images of horrible things. Likewise, hypermasculine poses and smirks. Alternatively, images of irritants, things that make you uneasy just looking at them. Again, images of the disingenuous, where the feeling you come away with is, they’re hiding something. Again, images of mockery.

3. When a troll confronts you, uses brusque language, talks down to you, insults you, remember, he or she wants to control weak minded people. If you are strong-minded, be careful not to depend on strong logic. They will slip out of the, to them, trap you have set by declaring that it is meaningless, irrelevant, or changing the subject. Once they lay that brick in the wall, the rest will follow. They don’t want to engage with people who understand the issue being discussed. They are at that point looking for an exit. They can’t wait to tip over the chessboard and flame you with a stream of invective, on the premise that the weak minded will allow them that excuse for refusing to address the very reasonable point you have made. So, bend over backwards to be as mild as Ivory Soap, as sweet as pie, and patient, simple, and take no offense. As Jesus said, “ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. “ (Matthew 5:39) That way, they will have no excuse to cut and run, and it will be harder for them to escape the validity of your point.