By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following a judge’s decision to prevent the Oregon National Guard from deploying to Portland, the Oregon Republican party celebrated the planned deployment of 300 California National Guard troops. Social media posts by the party utilized an image falsely depicting the Portland protests as out of control by combining photos from South America, taken in 2008 and 2017. When questioned about the image’s authenticity, the party’s X account admitted they were “just bad memers.”
Read the original article here
Republicans post photos of fiery Oregon protest – using photos of South America. It seems we’re talking about a rather blatant instance of deception here, one that highlights the lengths to which some are willing to go to push a particular narrative. The core of the issue is that the Oregon Republican Party, or at least someone on their behalf, was caught using images from South America to depict a supposedly out-of-control protest in Portland, Oregon. That’s right – they were trying to make it look like things were erupting in flames in the streets, when in reality, the situation was far less dramatic.
The “protest” itself, as described by those with firsthand experience, seems to be a rather subdued affair, often involving small groups of people, perhaps some retired folks, and maybe even a guy in a frog suit. The images they used, however, clearly didn’t reflect this reality. The fact that the pictures were from South America should have been a dead giveaway to anyone paying attention. The language on the riot shields in the photos, “POLICIA,” further solidified their origin. Yet, some people, perhaps those not paying close attention, or those eager to believe the worst, might not have caught on.
The response from the Oregon Republican Party, when confronted about the fake images, was particularly telling. They simply stated, “We’re not reporters, just bad memers.” This admission reveals a disturbing lack of seriousness and accountability. Instead of apologizing or correcting the record, they seemed to embrace their dishonesty. It’s a flippant response that undermines the importance of truth and honesty, and it certainly raises questions about the integrity of those in positions of power.
This whole situation serves as a stark reminder of the power of propaganda, especially in the age of social media. The aim is clear: to create a sense of fear and chaos, to paint a picture of a city in turmoil, and to potentially garner support for more extreme measures. It is not about informing, but about manipulating perceptions. This is a narrative that attempts to portray a “crisis” where none exists, potentially with the aim of deploying ICE or the National Guard. This could be intended to stoke fear and garner support for the deployment of federal forces in the state. The focus appears to be more about feeding misinformation to the White House and Trump, who seems to make decisions based on television and social media.
One can’t help but wonder if those pushing this narrative genuinely believe it, or if they’re simply exploiting the ignorance or biases of their audience. Either way, the implications are serious. This type of deceptive behavior erodes trust in public institutions and creates a climate of division. It’s a sad situation when political actors are willing to sacrifice truth for the sake of political gain. It seems some are more interested in pushing a particular narrative than they are in the truth.
The comments we see here touch on the motivations behind this type of behavior. Some believe the goal is to deceive voters, playing on their fears or prejudices to get elected. There’s a sense that those who are easily swayed by misinformation are seen as “useful idiots.” The idea that the Republican Party, or anyone in a position of power, would resort to blatant lies and misrepresentation is disheartening, but sadly, not surprising. It is a clear display of the willingness to manipulate public opinion through dishonest means.
The fact that this kind of deception is so easily exposed, yet still persists, is equally troubling. The ability to quickly disseminate and share information online, and for others to then call out the lies, should, in theory, make it harder for these tactics to succeed. Yet, we continue to see them. It points to the existence of echo chambers and the willingness of people to believe what they want to believe, regardless of the facts.
There are valid concerns about the role of social media platforms in all of this. They are the vehicles that allow this information to spread so rapidly. Trump’s use of media to intimidate and the fact that there’s no oversight for AI-generated images are certainly factors. There needs to be some kind of regulation, especially regarding intentionally false information that incites violence.
It seems like this is just another example of the erosion of truth and the increasing polarization of our society. It’s a testament to the lengths to which people will go to push their agendas, and the challenges we face in trying to maintain a civil and informed public discourse. Hopefully, people will start to see through this nonsense.