2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: The attacks I'm seeing here against Bernie and his message are positively Republican in nature. [View all]hopemountain
(3,919 posts)are also masquerading as bernites with some of the nasty responses against hillary - all to discredit bernie supporters as being mean and nasty.
it's a typical "rovian" tactic these days to disparage a movement for the very things they represent - adapted to online forums of free speech.
in this case, bernie is known for his integrity and commitment to social justice issues. so, disruptors are sent in to prove otherwise. think back to the peaceful marches for civil rights and the union movement after the depression, hungry people in bread lines. disruptors are sent in acting as though they are in unity with the crowd - then they start shouting epithets to arouse the crowd - or shoot off a weapon, or pull out some other weapon and feign attacking law enforcement. all to discredit the people exercising their right peaceful assembly and free speech to end in violence.
again, disruptors masquerade as members of peaceful revolutionary activities - protests, town halls, forums, marches, etc., to push people around and get the crowd stirred up so they can later show how horrible the peaceful revolutionaries appear while protecting themselves.
what we can do is not allow the disruptors/trolls the space to be nasty by recognizing their intent and ignoring them. they will go away and go somewhere else. there is nothing a troll hates more than to be ignored.