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Kaliko Castille

@wizkaliko.bsky.social

6.5K followers 410 following 1.2K posts

Political Director, APANO Action Fund|Co-Founder, ThndrStrm Strategies| Fmr. President of Minority Cannabis Business Association.

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Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · Jan 23

Just finished my second audio book of the year (started last year) on Audible (tax Bezos).

For anyone looking for light at the end of the tunnel in the next four years, read this book by Neil Howe.

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Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 4h

Respectfully, only one of us is coming across as arrogant in this conversation.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 4h

I'm not sure you and I are having a productive conversation if you are laying that down as the parameters of a discussion.

I'm actually the only one here proposing doing anything different, BTW --- which was actually engaging with people we disagree with on the world's largest platforms.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 4h

So many folks on the left would rather be ideologically pure than fucking win.

It's pretty wild.

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Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 4h

I'm not sure why everyone's expectation is that you have to dominate the platform to participate. Culture is actually driven by millions of small accounts, not just the big ones.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 4h

If anything has been proven by this moment it's that the entire corporate/billionaire class is supporting fascism and nothing short of a general strike will wash any of our hands in participation in the system. I'm not giving up my iPhone despite the fact that Tim Cook bent the knee, for instance.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

But therein lies my point, Bear. Twitter has millions of users who are not right-wing and it is bad politics for us to assume everyone on there is because it's owned by one. I'm not trying to persuade right-wing influencers, I'm trying to convince my high school graduating class that watches them.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

Elon's best move was driving millions of progressive minded people from the platform. That was more effective than any algorithmic change. Algorithms are geared towards engagement (disagreements), so fighting with Nazi's actually means our content is shown to more people.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

Fair enough but I'm not saying being on twitter is a solution to all the problems, I'm just saying that we gave up one of the largest platforms on the internet and we're kidding ourselves if we think not being there is a better solution.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I think Step One should be don't run away from a fight.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

But do we disagree on the fundamentals of the constitution? There are a lot of folks in our country that are not equipped to take in the propaganda.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I take the approach that lies shouldn't go unchallenged and in an algorithmic world, when they aren't challenged at the source, they become reality for far too many people.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

That's great. This is an echo chamber and isn't driving pop culture or news cycles....so I don't think that's a win.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

It's certainly not what it once was, but I stand by the idea that leaving the platform *guaranteed* that it would only serve up right-wing content.

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Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I literally get DM's from people based on my interactions with right-wing accounts but I guess I'll just believe what others have read from someone more ideologically pure than me.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I guess it depends on how you define "win". I'm someone that believes every vote counts and therefore the juice is worth the squeeze.

Hate to break it to folks but *all* of these algos are tuned to amplify whatever makes these companies money and that means allowing for more right-wing propaganda.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

The Catch-22 is that it will take a new generation of legislators with enough guts to actually make this happen -- but our generation is largely frozen out due to economics.

cassie @wilsonxcassie.bsky.social · 17h

we gotta fix legislator pay before the 2028 elections idk how we do it but we gotta do it someone plz dear god

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I don't think echo chambers are particularly effective in building broad based power *and* I think the left prefers echo chambers.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I love @theframelab.bsky.social but disagree that it's not a strategic use of energy.

The left has to get better at cross-talk --- the idea that the message isn't for the person you're directly responding to but all the fence sitters that observe the interaction.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I like to think that engaging directly with the propaganda is undermining/disrupting it. The left has the power to win over algorithms. The engagement with right-wing echo chambers isn't to win over the author of the propaganda, but the random passerby's that consume it.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 5h

I can appreciate that everyone needs to make a choice that is right for them. As a movement, I think we have to be fighting on all fronts, though

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 6h

Because I think in the marketplace of ideas, you have to actually put your ideas forward to win.

I think we have to be in those spaces challenging the group think. It breaks the echo chamber, even if just one tweet at a time.

In darkness, a single source of light is even more noticeable.

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 18h

That's how I felt going down with COVID on the biggest week for ICE protests. 🤦🏽

Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 18h

In general, I don't support the idea of allowing for ideological power vacuums. The fact that one of the most powerful platforms on the internet is dominated by right-wingers isn't a good thing for progressive ideas.

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Kaliko Castille @wizkaliko.bsky.social · 19h

Guys, I don't think we should have ever left Twitter.

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Reposted by Kaliko Castille

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 23h

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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