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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.[/quote]

You don't have to be "dumb" or a "redneck" to be manipulated by a sophisticated political campaign. And the fact that those are the terms you used (not me) and that you think you are too smart to fall pre to dis-information says more about you than about me.

You can want open schools, I think most people do.  [b]APE started with open schools and now its openly advocating for all kinds of niche topics that have nothing to do with open schools.  That will continue and APE will be here trying to influence far after COVID is a distance memory.[/b] [/quote]

I'm not part of APE and don't follow APE (or Smart Restart, for that matter); but what's so bad about expanding your advocacy issues after forming around advocacy for one issue?  Lots of groups start and grow that way.  Doesn't mean their whole purpose in forming was to brainwash people in the long term.  Their name is Arlington Parents for Education, not Arlington Parents for Open Schools.  Unlike Smart Restart, which seems to be very specifically and narrowly focused on one issue, which also seems rather moot now that schools have "re-started."  Kinda late for a "smart" restart.  Maybe they should change their name so they can still advocate for what they want.  :roll: [/quote]

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