Populism wins when people stop thinking critically.
Recognize these tactics & call them out! 💡

🔁 Repost this to expose their tactics!
💬 Have you seen these tactics in action? Let me know! 👇

5️⃣ Ad Hominem 🗡️

"Don't listen to them, they are corrupt idiots!"

➡ Instead of debating the issue, they attack the person.

💡 Counter:
📌 Bring it back to the argument. "Insults aren’t arguments. Let’s talk facts."

4️⃣ Whataboutism 🔄

"Why talk about our mistakes? Look at the others!"

➡ Instead of addressing criticism, they shift the focus.

💡 Counter:
📌 Stay on track. "We can discuss both, but let’s focus on this issue first."

3️⃣ False Dilemma ⚖️

"Either you support us, or you're a traitor!"

➡ Complex issues are reduced to just two extreme choices.

💡 Counter:
📌 Show the middle ground. "Reality isn’t binary. There are other options."

2️⃣ Strawman Argument 🎭

"They want to take away all our jobs!"

➡ They twist the opponent’s position into an extreme version & attack that.

💡 Counter:
📌 Bring back the real argument. "Nobody said that. The real proposal is X."

1️⃣ Shock & Awe

"Our country is under attack by immigrants! Everything is collapsing!" 🔥

➡ Overdramatic statements trigger fear & anger, so people don’t think critically.

💡 Counter:
📌 Ask for real data. "What exactly is collapsing? Can you prove it?"

I wish you much success, good shared experiences, and bidirectional solidarity with law enforcement (you are all 'the people', the super rich destroying your country are not).

Be safe.

And spread your protests online. Europe stands ready to share your demands, to amplify your voice.

(2/2)

Final Thought:

My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone who wishes for a future where violence is not met with more dehumanization.

Our democracies are strong —
but only if we resist falling into the traps of division and fear.

And that applies to Canada just as much.
I sincerely hope Canadian voters remember how precious their free, democratic society is — and choose to defend it.

What does this mean for us?

➡️ Don’t rush to conclusions.
➡️ Don’t spread rumors.
➡️ Stay alert to how the media and politicians frame the event.
➡️ Watch carefully who tries to politically profit from it.

But history shows us: Even when the original motives are unrelated, such events are politically exploited — often aggressively.

And almost always, it’s the forces who thrive on fear, division, and demands for a "strong state" who benefit the most.

Important Clarification:

There is currently no confirmed evidence that this particular attack was politically motivated.
The idea that incidents like these are used for election interference remains speculative.

Germany witnessed similar patterns before its own elections, and investigative journalists were able to trace financial flows — in some cases — from Russia to terrorist groups.

Other countries might be acting similarly.

We can no longer ignore it:

It’s becoming increasingly plausible that such tragedies are used as tools for election interference.