The tragedy here is that people like you disempower dissidents around the world by mindlessly exaggerating the power of foreign governments and also falsely accuse very brave people fighting for freedom as being foreign agents—and thus you help authoritarians crush dissent.
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Replying to @zeynep @lilyslynch and
If we lived in the world of your fantasies—few trainings and some money somehow generating people willing to risk their lives—the world wouldn't look like it does. But your vilification of dissent is well aligned with what all authoritarians claim—dissidents are "foreign hands".
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Your original claim the Egyptians were trained by Serbians on how to overthrow their regime, and that was somehow a big factor is offensive beyond words and false to the point of ridiculous. Protesters always look to learn from everything but someone's training session isn't it.
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Replying to @zeynep @lilyslynch and
The idea that Egyptians wouldn't otherwise use a new tool that let them bypass censorship unless they got US-funded training by Serbians is insulting, racist and also ridiculous. That movement pioneered many new uses, but they also, of course, learned by looking at the world.
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Replying to @zeynep @lilyslynch and
The only use for these exaggerated claims, besides empowering authoritarians, is when people apply for funding—by claiming something that is basically a rounding error in historical dynamics is actually important. (US should get a refund on the pointless billions spent on Cuba.)
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Replying to @zeynep @lilyslynch and
In Cuba they even funded a fake social network! Didn't work. (I wrote an article condemning it as pointless and illegitimate in a mainstream outlet.) Most trainings are a few powerpoints and banal points protesters figure out ANYWAY from reading the news. haha lol big difference.
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Money isn't it. They spent billions on Cuba. Castro smoked cigars to his death in a bed through 10 US presidents. I repeat your claim that the Egyptians learned to use the Internet for dissent from Serbians and that they wouldn't otherwise do so is false, ridiculous and racist.
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted
Here's your original claim that I responded to. I repeat: it's ridiculous and racist to claim that Serbian "training" was a major factor of any sort in Egypt. You are again confusing "State Dept claims or spends money on" with results. Can't help you more! https://twitter.com/lilyslynch/status/1167978749599481857 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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