I found an account dedicated to spam posting "enlightened centrist" talking points and pundits. Their name itself is part of the advertising. They even would post the same content across multiple communities, without cross-posting. And not just political stuff, they posted the same meme about 4 times without linking them.

I know this sort of thing happened all the time on Reddit and essentially it was hopeless because of how the corporate power structure worked.

"Politics" and "News" communities seem especially "apolitical" (that is to say Neoliberal) and hands-off "free speech to the end user" about what is posted. I'll frequently see a lame article, sensationalist headline, instead of the first source or the most informative one. Or I'll see a great thread about a great news story - and someone reposts the same content the next day with better timing, and it will be weaker journalism with weaker comments - yet more people will see it. Now this doesn't constitute abuse, but it will be just as permissive of abuse of the system as Reddit was.

I've also seen threads asking about where to find good sources, how to find accurate journalism... without much great advice. It's sort of an acquired skill, but we have the potential to help people acquire it.

Post Link: NPR: NYC Rolls Back Bail Reforms (May 2023)

Giuliani: Eric Adams Can't Let Hochul Have Bail Reform 2022

Giuliani and Adams are dragging Hochul towards the center on this issue. And Zeldin (2022 R. Governor Candidate) capitalizes on it.

NYPost: judge discretion was never the provlem

This writer effortlessly slides the goalpost. 'We can debate the perceived issue of racism in bail all we want, but criminal court judges need to be able to decide.'

DataCollaborativeForJustice: Bail Reform issue explained 2023 (.PDF)

CNN: Police Say Recidivism Fuels Rise in Crime Stats 2022

CUNY summary of bail statistics (2022)

“The actual data on New York’s bail reform doesn’t lend itself to easy soundbites,” said Michael Rempel

VERA: NY Bail Reform effects on Prison Population

VERA: graphics on NYS Prison Pop.

69% of total NYS Jail Population is Pretrial Detainees

Recidivism is being used as the current wedge issue by police and reactionaries to undo bail reforms. It's working. Eric Adams is providing the perfect reactionary playbook to fight against every single reform we want. We need to find rhetoric to combat these arguments.

:3 :3 :3 :3 :3

Transcription: crude line drawing of a young goofy person sitting in a school chair. They have mid-length straight red hair, messy and needing a trim. They are wearing a hoodie of GIR from the cartoon show Invader Zim. That character is a pet-coded green alien dog with a goofy long tongue. Dialogue: off screen character saying "She has Aspergers" main character thinking: "ha ha ha ass burger" Thought bubble of a very crudely drawn pair of butt cheeks and a hamburger. End transcription.