The Post Millennial By Libby Emmons
A Major General, in the US Army has called for people to “block and report” those they disagree with on Twitter. Major General Patrick Donahoe posted what he called a “Public Service Announcement,” telling people to “Block and report the trolls and the disinformation tinfoil hat team.”
Public Service Announcement. Block and report the trolls and the disinformation tinfoil hat team.
— Patrick Donahoe (@PatDonahoeArmy) July 25, 2021
Pushback on Twitter was swift and fierce. Human Events’ Jack Posobiec noted that Donahoe “couldn’t even win a Twitter war…” and in fact, he couldn’t.
Dumpy Pat Donahoe couldnât even win a Twitter war⊠https://t.co/UAcxPl3BTZ
— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) July 26, 2021
Glenn Greenwald called Donahoe out for “accusing people who question him on Twitter” as “shills for Putin.” Greenwald posited that Donahoe is more interested in securing tv appearances than actually doing his job in the US Army.
An actual active Major General in the US Army, @PatDonahoeArmy, accusing people who question him on Twitter that they're "shills for Putin." Seems he's thinking more about how to score a Morning Joe appearance that anything related to defending the U.S. pic.twitter.com/qvBpjR6Aho
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 26, 2021
A Marine herself, Twitter user Michele Perez Exner said that Donahoe’s statements mark the “disturbing trend in the breakdown of civilian-military discourse in America,” and said that Donahoe himself is “directly contributing to that problem.”
There is a disturbing trend in the breakdown of civilian-military discourse in America. And Maj. Gen. Donahoe is directly contributing to that problem. https://t.co/MyWIWZBHsF
— Michele Perez Exner (@michelepexner) July 26, 2021
Former White House official Darren Beattie said that Donahoe’s comments were “embarrassing,” and that the Major General has not exhibited “bravery” but only shown that he is “an obedient dog for his superiors.”
It's embarrassing. But it's a good thing to pierce the mystique of the military brass
Patrick Donahoe didn't get to where he is via bravery.
He got to where he is by being an obedient dog for his superiors. https://t.co/lkjFgTUqlb
— Darren J. Beattie ? (@DarrenJBeattie) July 26, 2021
Elijah Schaffer of The Blaze noted that Americans are constantly being told they face some new, bigger, more horrific threat. “First,” he said, “the threat was climate changes… Then it was white supremacy… Now it’s Twitter trolls.”
First the threat was climate change
Then it was white supremacy
Now itâs Twitter trolls
What is the army for again?
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) July 26, 2021
In his tweet, Donahoe uses the terms “trolls” and “disinformation” as though everyone knows exactly what they mean, as though they are commonplace terms that identify easily recognizable things. They do not.
In fact, each term is highly open to interpretation, and each term is designed to be malleable and manipulable enough to be used to take down detractors, without need of evidence, or facts.
