The Peacemaker's Playbook: Recent Episodes
Josh & Kaleene Robertson
Be in the habit of questioning your own outrage, because you're very possibly wrong, and you're probably being used. See peacemakersplaybook.com/question-outrage for transcript and footnotes, including info sources.
Optimism is the only choice for those who want to make peace happen, because it’s effective and contagious. Plus, the future really is bright! See peacemakersplaybook.com/be-optimistic for transcript and footnotes, including info sources.
In a free democracy, each of us has a say in where we go and what we do (or don't do) as a people. We ‘have a say’ by expressing what we think the most important issues are and advocating for the positions we think are most just.
A free democracy is a beautiful thing.
And it rests on a very fragile foundation, consisting of particular beliefs, behaviors, and values and requiring the continual cultivation of goodwill.
So as peacemakers, we must resist the temptation to fight for causes - even for those causes we believe to be of transcendent importance! - in such a way that we harm our neighbors by damaging the foundation that serves us all.
Foundational considerations trump 'transcendent' political issues. The ends do not justify the means.
References / helpful resources:
On the values we must preserve: Brooks, D. (2019, August 01). Marianne Williamson Knows How to Beat Trump. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/opinion/debate-marianne-williamson.html
Kaleene and I tested positive for COVID-19, and we're focusing on recovery this week. We didn't want to leave you without an update, though, so we recorded a quick hello. Stay safe, and be well.
Social media companies sell ads, so they make more money when they can keep our attention for long periods of time. For this reason, apps like Facebook and Twitter have been designed to pull us in and to deliver the videos, posts, etc. that will maximize each person's engagement.
Unfortunately, since we tend to engage most passionately with false information and with stories that make us angry or fearful, this is exactly what we're fed.
The result? A murky, angry world.
Not good for peace.
The would-be peacemaker must acknowledge that if they're active on social media, the behavior that feels natural is probably contributing to a murkier and angrier world for their neighbors. Anyone seeking to make peace has two options: log off or love better online (recognizing that the latter will be an up-hill battle).
References / helpful resources:
On social media companies' awareness of the problems caused by their apps and their refusal to address them: Horwitz, Jeff, and Deepa Seetharaman. “Facebook Executives Shut Down Efforts to Make the Site Less Divisive.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 26 May 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-it-encourages-division-top-executives-nixed-solutions-11590507499.
On the greater speed of false info: Vosoughi, Soroush, et al. The Spread of True and False News Online. 9 Mar. 2018, science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6380/1146.full.
On the greater reach of anger-inducing stories: Brady, William J., et al. “Emotion Shapes the Diffusion of Moralized Content in Social Networks.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 11 July 2017, www.pnas.org/content/114/28/7313.
On the prevalence of false information and how it outperformed true information in the run-up to the 2016 election: Silverman, Craig. “This Analysis Shows How Viral Fake Election News Stories Outperformed Real News On Facebook.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 16 Nov. 2016, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/viral-fake-election-news-outperformed-real-news-on-facebook.
On Russia's past interference in US elections: Volz, Dustin. “Senate Report Affirms U.S. Intelligence Findings on 2016 Russian Interference.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 21 Apr. 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/senate-report-affirms-u-s-intelligence-findings-on-2016-russian-interference-11587483408.
See a list of Russia-linked, false posts widely-circulated on Facebook during the run-up to the 2016 election: https://intelligence.house.gov/social-media-content/social-media-advertisements.htm
On Russia's continued interference in our elections: McMillan, Robert. “New Report Points to How Russian Misinformation May Have Adapted Since 2016 Election.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 16 June 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/russia-linked-disinformation-campaign-spread-messages-across-multiple-platforms-to-elude-detection-new-report-says-11592319829.
When we deliberate with like-minded people, we grow more extreme: Sunstein, Cass R. “The Law of Group Polarization.” SSRN, 13 Dec. 1999, papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=199668.
"Just let people live": https://twitter.com/thomaschattwill/status/1300434905441206274
How to spot false information on social media: https://blogs.ifla.org/lpa/files/2017/01/How-to-Spot-Fake-News.pdf
Peacemakers work for the absence of divisive conflict and for the inclusion of their suffering brothers and sisters, even if it's costly to do so. Peacemakers are patriots, and they are true neighbors.
References:
Taleb, Nassim Nicholas. The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Incerto). Random House Publishing Group.
McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States Book 6). Oxford University Press.
‘Word Study: Shalom - "Peace”’ video from BibleProject https://youtu.be/oLYORLZOaZE
On image restoration: Crouch, Andy. “Andy Crouch.” Andy Crouch: Author, Musician, Public Speaker, 2015, andy-crouch.com/extras/the\_three\_callings.
French, David. “The Deep Breath Before the Plunge.” The French Press, The Dispatch, 16 Aug. 2020, frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/the-deep-breath-before-the-plunge.
We're a married couple from Chicago, and we are concerned about America's worsening political rift. We're learning how we might, in our own little way, help ease tribal tension and avert further unhealthy conflict. Join us!