When events in the real world challenge our preconceived beliefs, most of us experience a sense of cognitive dissonance; the intellectually honest amongst us ultimately adjust our beliefs to account for these inconvenient truths. Others respond by inventing their own realities in which these truths are deemed falsehoods.
Adjusting your beliefs to fit reality can be a challenging task. But those who reinvent reality to fit their preconceptions face their own set of cognitive challenges — particularly when the inconvenient truths keep coming.
Even if you’re a world-class fabulist like Mike Cernovich, who has built his own personal fake news empire pandering, first to Gamergaters and then to Trump fans, by feeding them elaborate falsehoods that reinforced their beliefs. Remember the “Sick Hillary” myth that helped to contribute to her defeat? Cernovich was the primary promoter of that bit of nonsense, and has stuck with it even as an obviously not-on-the-verge-of-death Hillary has reappeared on the political scene.
But pimping fake reality ain’t always easy. Consider the mental gymnastics Cernovich has gone through this week in attempting to explain away events in Syria.
He began his mental gymnastics routine after news broke that Syrian dictator Assad had launched a gas attack on his own people. Cerno started by retweeting several “skeptics” who insinuated that the attacks were “fishy” if not an outright “hoax.”
He then picked up the “hoax” charge himself, blaming the attack on “deep state agents” possibly in league with ISIS, and energetically promoting the #SyriaHoax hashtage that had originated in Russia.
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/849840640816893952
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850079263956938752
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850100719482949632
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850106538274332672
One of the sources of Cerno’s new belief? Noted geopolitical analyst Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams.
Cerno faced his next instance of cognitive dissonance when his beloved Donald Trump launched a real airstrike in response to the allegedly fake attack. Cerno could only conclude that the otherwise darn near perfect president has a “soft spot” for children — ignoring Trump’s unwillingness to allow Syrian refugees, including children, to enter the US.
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850244948528054272
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850414783878774784
How exactly anyone other than Assad could have used an airfield controlled by Assad’s forces to launch this “fake” attack is not exactly clear.
When people began raising questions about possible Russian involvement in the gas attacks — hardly an outrageous line of inquiry given that Russia is allied with Assad — Cerno cried “false flag.”
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850406688339316736
While many on the Alt-Right have abandoned Trump in the wake of the Syria attack, Cerno remains a supporter, apparently convinced that Trump is a well-meaning dupe of ISIS and the “deep space” whose only crime is his excessive love of children, even Syrian ones.
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850423864911740928
Or maybe it’s all the fault of United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and her, ahem, “globalist” pals?
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850419840560930816
Damn those “globalists” forcing him to appoint Haley!
Cerno somehow managed to also blame “babies and betas” for, well, I’m not exactly sure what.
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850430889028755456
Meanwhile he continued to absolve Assad for his crimes.
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850423213880352768
He demanded answers from his critics:
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850431690094690304
But when his critics tried to challenge his bizarre assertions with facts, he simply refused to listen. (Cerno is in blue in the exchange below.)
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850431310434783232
Meanwhile, he continued to hope that Trump had some incredibly complicated secret plan that would make the Syria strike a brilliant strategic move rather than a “mistake.”
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/850437067578277888
In a post on Medium, Cerno laid out the most persuasive defense he could come up with for his “hoax” claim — and it turned out to be a formally recognized logical fallacy, the “argument from incredulity.”
In what world does Assad, who is 51, make the most catastrophic mistake of his life by bombing children with poison gas? Even in prison, those who murder children are killed. Harming children isn’t merely the act of a maniac. It’s a level of deprativity even violent criminals will not countenance.
Consider the following meeting occurs. Assad is at his table, surrounded by his generals and most trusted advisers. He has finally defeated ISIS. Syria is stable. The U.S. is considering a major aid package. As he smiles with pride, a general speaks up… “Imma let you finish, but first I have to say that we need to gas children with poison gas.”
If you’re laughing, good. You should. It’s absurd to believe Assad would gas children.
Never mind that Assad is fighting a civil war (or rather a number of civil wars) against an assortment of enemies on Syrian soil, so that any civilian killed in attacks by his troops will by definition be “his own people.” Never mind that Assad has been using chemical weapons and committing other atrocities for years.
And never mind that there does indeed seem to be a “grim logic” to his seemingly inexplicable targeting of civilians, as the New York Times has explained:
For years, at least since it began shelling neighborhoods with artillery in 2012, then bombing them from helicopters and later from jets, the Syrian government has adopted a policy of seeking total victory by making life as miserable as possible for anyone living in areas outside its control.
Government forces have been herding defeated opponents from across the country into Idlib Province, where the chemical attack occurred. Starved and bombed out of their enclaves, they are bused under lopsided surrender deals to the province, where Qaeda-linked groups maintain a presence the Syrian military uses as an excuse to bomb without regard for the safety of civilians. …
Dr. Monzer Khalil, Idlib Province’s health director, said such extreme tactics aimed to demonstrate the government’s impunity and to demoralize its foes.
“It makes us feel that we are defeated,” said Dr. Khalil, whose gums bled after he was exposed to scores of chemical victims on Tuesday.
Cernovich wonders what kind of depraved monster would do this to his own people? The answer is simple: A depraved monster like Assad, who has been doing just this for years.
Cernovich, of course, refuses to even consider such inconvenient truths, which he could have discovered with a single Google search for “assad bomb civilians.” But why would he? His fame and influence is built on his ability to deny reality, selling convenient falsehoods to those who care more about pushing a compelling narrative than they do about telling the truth.
*AHEM*
(backed by bass [ol- . ol- . olcol-ol-.] and clap [ . xl- . xl- . xl- . xl-])
Sayin’ its the right time
Shovelin’ up the grime
In a tone so asinine
You’re talkin’ ’bout a redline
I know I’m not the only one to notice here
How quick you are to jump and defend
A state whose cruel intentions are oh-so-clear
Claimin’ that all the trouble’s pretend
A fantasy you claim is from the lib’ral side
To provoke your beloved Fuhrer to strike
But when they’ve got a track record ten miles wide
You try to blame it on them–[Man I’m not sayin’ that, brace for a mass attack!]
Our alleged fake news versus alternative facts
About the nature of the reality about these attacks
With the body count of humanity teeterin’ on the brink
It could escalate in the time it takes to blink
Raise your flags
And vary your hashtags
It’s a day for you and me
Your war against reality
Damn the facts
‘Longside the yellows, browns and blacks
There ain’t nobody keepin’ score
Welcome to the war
I won’t put down a single dime
On claims there’s been some massive crime
Nor will, I hope, I ever find
Me on your side of the frontline
The orange moron gave the first command
To use explosives to crack tarmac
Yet you’re caterwaulin’ bout us on your land
And on evidence that you lack
Goin’ on about some deeper state
Pulled by forces you can’t control
You could get out before it’s too late
But you keep diggin’ your god-damned hole
You’re not about to impress
Anyone with your ramblin’ ’bout 4-D chess
And if you’re lookin’ for peeps who want World War 3
Look to the towers, not at me
Raise your flags
And vary your hashtags
It’s a day for you and me
Your war against reality
Damn the facts
‘Longside the yellows, browns and blacks
There ain’t nobody keepin’ score
Welcome to the war
[ritardando, add record crackle]
Welcome to the land of the allegedly free
Home of the war on our reality
Welcome to the land of the allegedly free
In the blackness there’s nothin’ to see
[And I look out and say…]
Welcome to the land [In desolation!]
Of the allegedly free [The remains of a fallen nation]
Surely the price of your life’s a simple fee
Welcome to the land [The fissures crawlin’ down!]
Of the allegedly free [No man to wear the crown!]
Prepare to fight for what we call a country
Welcome to the land [Look past it all!]
Of the allegedly free [See the ruins of a bombed-out mall]
No, you’ll never get a single plea
Welcome to the land [Tear through! Tear through!]
Of the allegedly free [Until you see the sun!]
Lock away what you knew as mercy [Come on, you know what’s real!]
Welcome to the land
Of the allegedly free
…Hey, what’s that way you’re looking at me?
I say welcome to the land [And if you’ve sold your soul away…]
Of the…allegedly…free… [What makes you think you’re safe?]
…oh, God, please, don’t hurt me! [Once you’re redundant, you’re out!]
…This isn’t all of it. There’s a second half. I’m just trying to get it all through…
Unsuccessfully.
God dammit, and this is the cool part that’s not going through…
@David Futrelle, your site officially hates me.
Take pity on this mortal soul that just wants to share her music.
*HNNNGH*
Raise your flags
And vary your hashtags
It’s a day for you and me
Your war against reality
Damn the facts
‘Longside the yellows, browns and blacks
There ain’t nobody keepin’ score
Welcome to the war
I won’t put down a single dime
On claims there’s been some massive crime
Nor will, I hope, I ever find
Me on your side of the frontline
The orange moron gave the first command
To use explosives to crack tarmac
Yet you’re caterwaulin’ bout us on your land
And on evidence that you lack
Goin’ on about some deeper state
Pulled by forces you can’t control
You could get out before it’s too late
But you keep diggin’ your god-damned hole
You’re not about to impress
Anyone with your ramblin’ ’bout 4-D chess
And if you’re lookin’ for peeps who want World War 3
Look to the towers, not at me
Raise your flags
And vary your hashtags
It’s a day for you and me
Your war against reality
Damn the facts
‘Longside the yellows, browns and blacks
There ain’t nobody keepin’ score
Welcome to the war
Making effort noises seems to help, but they’re still not getting me past a certain point.
Sinkable John,
“civilians also pick sides”. Yes, good point. I suppose it’s none of our biz if they choose religious extremism.
Policy of Madness,
I reread both my comments and I don’t see where I have made any assertion that Assad didn’t do it. He could have. Others also could have done it. The link was not to prove that he didn’t, I just provided it to show where I got the idea that someone else could have.
I just hate the idea of getting stampeded into another war, especially if it involves shooting at Russians who I’m pretty sure will shoot back.
Chlorine is readily available. Not very well made nerve gas can be made without too much trouble. Plenty of vicious assholes on the battlefield. Said vicious assholes were in charge of the warehouse that got bombed. Again – I don’t know who’s to blame, very few people do. Trump thinks he knows. Maybe.
“When the US says, “You do you, Assad, live and let live,” Assad is going to do his thing.” Yeah, could be.
“AOE spell” “you know there’s more than one, right?” Yes, I do. I went thru chem warfare defense drills in the Navy several times. Nerve gases are generally dense and oily. They stick to clothes and slowly deteriorate. I have no doubt some of the rescue personel got sick. I just thought it was strange that if someone thought a chem warfare attack had just gone down they would just rush in without at least putting on a pair of gloves and a wet rag over their mouth. Later videos show folks wearing more protection. Perhaps the first responders didn’t know and just rushed in despite the danger. I’ll remove that one from my weird list.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I just think that the world is full of assholes and some of them lie a lot. With some assholes it’s easy to tell. It’s really hard to figure out what’s going on in another country when there is a war.
@Troubelle
Dayum, that shit go! ?
@silly
Come now
Maybe it’s a comment on an Austrian who ate a lot of beans?
@Axe
I’d like to go harder, but it won’t let me post the whole thing for some reason. I hit comment, and it just doesn’t show up. Trying again, however, has it claim there’s a duplicate.
If you’re willing to reveal your e-mail address, I can hit you up in full…
@2sillybill
There are only two people who could have carried out the attack: Assad and Putin.
Part of being “not very well made” is having a short shelf life. You can’t stockpile a bunch of it in a warehouse.
There is a near-zero chance that the attack was conventional bombs that accidentally set off stockpiled chemical weapons. When the other possibility is someone with a history of using chemical weapons intentionally using chemical weapons, it’s not worth considering.
I’m sorry. I’m a contrarian who spouts off to quickly. I’ll go ponder the meaning of ‘fallacy of incredulity’ in the context of recent events.
And refrain from ill advised political commentary.
Possibly a little homework as well. Nitey nite.
Keep it up Troubelle.
@Troubelle
Is there maybe a proscribed word in your post that the filter is catching? Some of the slurs, if unmodified, will get your post sent to the filter at last report.
@Sillybill
The link I provided was to Al-Jazeera English, and included interviews with first responders and survivors of the attacks. All of whom are confident that it was Assad’s forces who did it. No government sources necessary. From anyone’s government.
Which has what to do with whether the gas attack in question was launched by Assad? Nobody here is arguing that Trump’s attack was justified/a good idea, but that’s a completely separate discussion.
@rick
I’m perfectly aware of what you meant, and it makes you sound as much of a fool as if you’d called it an Inquisition. That you appear to honestly believe this doesn’t make your case stronger, it shows your ignorance to be deeper.
@Axe
And, of course, Communism. The ‘red’ part, where the threat was (supposedly) to the very fabric of the capitalist system? Putin doesn’t have that going on. Cozying up to openly fascist strongmen is as American as American as hypocritical nativism.
@PoM
Well, “liberal bias” is used. Think that might be getting in the way?
(If this goes through, probably not…)
Edit: Nope, apparently not that.
@Troubelle
Pretty sure liberal bias is not auto filtered. 😉 It was just a guess based on you apparently having a fixed sticking point where the posts will not advance.
@sillybill & rick
Jesus fucking Christ.
I mean, hey, I think there is a conspiracy going on here – but you’re not heroically exposing it to the know-nothing sheep, you’re covering it up in the grossest way possible. Let’s just look at the actual facts instead of whatever SO WOKE nonsense you’ve pulled out of your desperate arses:
Read this, this and this. Actually read them, don’t immediately scream FALSE FLAG RED SCARE HYSTERICAL WIMMINZ SANDY HOOK ACTORS KILLED JFK ON 9/11.
Between those known facts and the general timeline, Occam’s Razor agrees with me: Assad, Putin and Trump organised this horrific clusterfuck together to take the heat off the Trump-Russia investigation (and net Hairpiece Hitler a bit of cash from the missiles). You are defending dictatorial murderers for the sake of feeling smarter than you really are for a few brief moments. You are vomitous scumbags.
And…something just disappeared?
This is getting annoying.
I had a post vanish after the timer was done a couple of hours ago. I can easily imagine that some of the language set off a filter since I was talking about something with lots of associated strong emotion. I would not be surprised if the same could happen with Troubelle’s post. Maybe we broke the filter?
Yeah, this isn’t the place to be contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. I mean, you can do it if you want to, but people aren’t likely to put up with it.
That would have been more relavent in the Nazi flat earther thread. Also I posted that and this from my phone and the post that vanished was posted from my computer. I’m sure there is some other feature I can mess with without meaning to.
Donald Trump Jr. thinks this man deserves a Pulitzer. I’d wonder how it’s possible to be that stupid, but then again he was raised by Donald Trump.
sillybill
The word you omitted is ‘immediately‘. I’ve read a couple of interviews with some of those people – they started coughing or displaying other symptoms when they returned home or an hour or so after they’d finished dealing with the victims. Probably depends on how well, how consistently, they managed to get themselves directly in the path of the water sprays while they were trying to help.
@sillybill
Yeaaah… I’ma chalk this up to what you said about being contrarian, aight.
@Troubelle
I always like yer songs but you’ve outdone yourself there.
What this really means is “I’m an asshole for fun and I don’t care what kind of damage I do in the process.” I mean, as long as you’re having fun, I guess it’s all good?