2022-11-05 W.D.Greason counter-convergence
Walter D. Greason aka World Professor (@WalterDGreason): It took me a few days to realize it, but what we are seeing on Twitter is an example of 'counter-convergence'. It is happening across media platforms (& the US economy), and I've seen miniature versions of it for a few years. /1 #thread #CCV @esglaude @AOC @nhannahjones
Convergence is the way media scholars described the emergence, and coordination, of multiple media twenty years ago. Harry Potter was a major example of this pattern where books, films, & architecture 'converged' for global profit. /2 #CCV
This specific pattern became a dominant feature of the world economy after 2009. The rise of Netflix, Facebook, Google, SpaceX, Uber/Lyft, and Twitter all leveraged convergence alongside thousands of conglomerates struggling to keep up. /3 #CCV
The 2016 US election was the beginning of the "counter convergence" - conservative and reactionary institutions could not reverse the emerging patterns of global social change. Their efforts to control those new systems were halting and limited (see FoxNews). /4 #CCV
The grassroots white nationalists, even internationally, pioneered tools like Cambridge Analytica to begin converting the infrastructure of the convergence to their ends, starting with Facebook. /5 #CCV
These projects became visible to the public, and critics labeled them as 'disinformation campaigns'. However, the critics missed the scale and depth of the coordination across multiple platforms in support of authoritarians like Trump, Putin, Xi, and Orban. /6 #CCV
Since 2018, smaller efforts like the Lincoln Project and various liberal/left coalitions have tried to spotlight these networks, especially after the January 6 insurrection in the US. /7 #CCV
Despite Biden's presidential election victory in 2020, the underlying system of counter-convergence persists, and grew, in places like Arizona, Wisconsin, Texas, and Florida. These groups coordinated the support for Russian invasion of Ukraine & price-gouging in the US. /8 #CCV
In the 2022 election cycle, the counter-convergence coalesced initially around the narrative of rampant inflation, complete with references to the Carter Administration. The goal was to break the Biden coalition of 2020, especially + /9 #CCV
the inclusive, equitable emergence of stronger labor campaigns that led to strikes and unionization in 2021. The heart of that movement grew out of Black Lives Matter, and one of the key targets over the last 18 months is prominent Black people on social media. /10 #CCV
Biden's administration countered with very effective policy responses to moderate inflation over the last six months, as well as popular efforts like student loan relief and cannabis decriminalization. They also elevated Ketanji Brown Jackson and Kamala Harris + /11 #CCV
in ways that energizing the Obama coalition (2008/2012) for the Congressional election cycle.
Enter Elon Musk and the purchase of Twitter. /12 #CCV
Convergence media platforms have systematically been limiting and undercutting Black voices for several years, but Musk's acquisition has been central in breaking a wide range of online communities that stand against Putin, Trump, and the counter-convergence. /13 #CCV
Netflix firings were one sign. Shifts in coverage at CNN and MSNBC (esp the recent T. Cross firing) were another. Irrational commitments to increasing unemployment is a structural element of this change. /14 #CCV
The policy changes at Twitter have been organized around profitability, specifically in ways to de-legitimate critical analysis of white nationalism and corporate domination. /15 #CCV
In education and the historical profession, the counter-convergence created the anti-Critical Race Theory propaganda as well as current efforts to elevate James Sweet's ideas about scholarly research. /16 #CCV
Social media, and Twitter specifically, offers (offered?) a tremendous capacity to discover and share new ideas that generated global communities. These communities have (had?) the potential spark liberal/progressive revolutions in this century. /17 #CCV
*potential to spark (edit) /17 #CCV
My greatest joys on this platform are sharing and curating valuable content that does not receive global media attention. Even when former partners exclude broad content for self-promotion (a feature in academic life), the possibility for greater empowerment + /18 #CCV
is too important for me to casually abandon this work.
However, I do need to limit my participation until this counter-convergence is fundamentally broken, or, at least, hobbled. /19 #CCV
Please tag me on content that you want to share widely.
More importantly, retweet valuable content that you find here.
Likes are good, but the algorithms do not showcase them in the same way. /20 #CCV
Walter D. Greason aka World Professor (@WalterDGreason): Core content partners like @nhannahjones, @DrIbram, @soledadobrien, @KeishaBlain, @alondra, @bbray27, @AliMCollins , @neilparekh, @EvoHannan, @inspirecitizen1, @Hedreich, @KevinMKruse, @michele_norris, @DrSCutrara, @KeriLeighMerrit, + @FelixNater, @SilasLapham, @HSGlobalHistory, @socialstudiestx, @henneld_edu, @nayyeroar, @NickTShow, @BlackDigitalHum, @thisishannahkim, @ThisIsAwesomeEd, @JoyAnnReid, @SandyDarity, @harris_duchess, & @CathyNDavidson - THANK YOU!
There are so many millions of amazing people in this online network. Our standing together - on Twitter & anywhere - is absolutely essential. This counter-convergence can be broken, but only through our faith, determination, and courage at the darkest moments. /21 #ccv #endthread
Walter D. Greason aka World Professor (@WalterDGreason): *energized