Concern Trolling 2.0

Concern trolling is a strange phenomenon, mainly because it is entirely ineffectual to those it is aimed at. If you are not familiar with concern trolling, it is basically a trick where a troll ineptly masquerades as a supporter of a political cause then expresses outrage and disillusionment at that cause, announcing that they now no longer support it. It is a tactic to encourage others to follow suit, aiming to influence the third person, hopefully providing that necessary compelling reason why they should too abandon the cause.

Essentially, concern trolls are usually right whingers masquerading as left wingers. The problem for concern trolling is that the only people who'd believe them to be real people would be other right wingers, who are stupid anyway, and who'd use the opportunity to gloat at anyone whose life is not manipulated every moment by corporate media.

Concern trolls are so obviously not who they purport to be. No one who genuinely supports the cause they are trolling would be convinced. I came across a concern troll on a Facebook post by the Green Party. After the Greens posted a meme in support of LBGT+ and women's rights, amongst the distressed males screaming whateaboutery over their particular exclusion in the meme (?), and the general (feigned) upset over the correct terminology for certain sexually orientated groups, there was at least one concern troll.

This troll was so offended by the assertion of LBGT+ rights that she announced her drop in support for the Greens. Further down the thread she then announced that she wouldn't be voting for Corbyn either. Apart from the general right wing tone of the person's comments, it is clear to anyone with a brain no true supporter of the Greens would be so offended by a single Facebook post, let alone a post in support of LBGT+ and women's rights, that they would abandon all support for all left wing parties altogether.

This is where concern trolls fail. It is hard to effectively lie. However, I believe I have discovered a slightly more subtle version of concern trolling. I might be wrong, and if so, potentially condemning an innocent person, in my mind at least, to the realms trolldom, but there is certainly something wrong about the person in question, and I believe they are a troll, or perhaps, a shill.

Much of the Green Party's comments are of general agreement and approval, or they are from obvious trolls, comparing the Greens to the Soviet Union (?); or they are from obvious pro-nuclear shills that write passionate, windy comments about the virtues of nuclear energy (which is not at all a clean source of energy by the way).

The comments of this troll in question are a bit different. The troll regularly comments on the Green Party's Facebook posts. What sets this person apart is that she is not entirely enthusiastic to the ideas the Green Party put forward. Often her comments, adorned with an overuse of emojis, seem decidedly non-committal or are just pessimistic.

But the real giveaway is that the person is clearly pro-corporate and in favour of privatisation over nationalisation. While the points she makes are certainly valid and worth considering, and on the face of it seem rational, the general tone of her comments are sided more to the right than the left. In short, she just doesn't fit.

And I would surmise if one were to (bother to) argue with this troll, the troll would hide behind their purported Green Party support, dismissing any accusations you put forward as something they are not personally guilty of, their general position being: I support the Greens, I just don't agree with them on this point, etc., etc. … They will regularly, slyly show support for corporate power, but, for example, would deny being a Tory supporter and thus avoid being criticised for their Tory support.

This troll is at work, not overtly trying to trash the Greens, but to influence people to be more centrist. I assume then the idea is to ease people away from the Greens gently and, through gentle persuasion, let them wander out into the wilds of the political spectrum where they can find the open arms of a pro-corporate centrist party, or even the Tory Party. I guess we should call this form of trolling the Owen Jones Effect.

If this is a new phase of concern trolling, I wonder if it will have an effect on people's opinions. After all, the corporate media certainly have had an effect on the right wing mind, gently easing it further to the right while the unwitting voter happily goes along with it. Think tanks have been publishing right wing material to influence students in universities since at least the 1970s, as well as creating right wing discussion groups, and hosting right wing speakers.

A new, subtle phase of concern trolling is certainly possible, and it wouldn't take much for a company to try it out. Certainly a comment feed of a large number of seemingly sensible pro-corporate opinions would be far more compelling than usual nonsense of the usual idiot troll.

EDIT: Seems to me she is a concern troll. Her comments have been a lot more critical of the Green Party.