Twitter hashtags have been a great resource not only for rallying support for a cause or country but also in spreading a message to a wider audience. The revolutionaries of the Arab Spring have undoubtedly benefited from the utilization of hashtags. Andy Carvin is the unquestionable Arab Spring Twitter Hashtag King or ASTHK for short from now on. The hashtags that have swirled around Egypt, Libya, and now Syria, allow for lone voices in Homs, Suez, or Benghazi to get picked up by a broader audience. But like most of my commentary on twitter, there is a sinister and dark side to Twitter hashtags.
Ok, so “sinister and dark side” might be an overstatement but there definitely is an annoying, somewhat funny side to it all. I call it Hashtag Wars. Hashtag Wars start with some lone twitter user, usually the classic definition of an Internet troll or regime supporter, creating a counter narrative to the dominant twitter discussion on an issue. During Mubarak’s fall, there were hastags #Imsorrybaba (apparently Mubarak was a father figure for many would be regime supporters), after Qaddafi’s death there were hundreds of iterations of #qaddafiisntdead, and throughout the revolts in Syria there have been hundreds of pro-Bashar hashtags. These hashtags would spark revolutionaries, revolution supporters, or simply other Internet trolls to fight back with their own hashtags, #imnotsorrybaba or #gaddafiisdeaddumbass, you get the picture.
That’s basically how a Hashtag War gets started. The discussion and humor within this “war” is usually the intellectual equivalent of a 13-year-old girl’s slumber party. These Hashtags Wars only serve to allow regime supporters or Internet trolls to pat themselves on the back and revel in their self perpetuating glory. Usually it’s a harmless way for regime supporters to console themselves while their entire paradigm of reality is shifted before their eyes.
One of the most explosive and enduring Hashtag Wars revolves around Palestine supporters and Israel supporters and by extension also Hezbollah supporters and Israel supporters. Not to equate all Hezbollah supporters with Palestine supporters, but I find that the most adamant Hezbollah supporters—and Bashar supporters—generally tend to write the most viscous tweets during their hashtag wars with Israel supports. I’ve never participated in these hashtag wars, I do however enjoy standing on the sidelines watching the idiocy play out before my eyes. Sometimes I’ll shoot a reply to the most egregious Bashar supporter, simply because gross ignorance and lunacy shouldn’t go unaccounted for.
I’ve collected some of the more insane and interesting tweets from the recent hashtag war, #whyilikehezbollah
“Sacrificing a nail in the face” I have no clue what that means…but man have I sacrificed many nails in the face of forgetfulness, butterfingers, or the fact that I’m too lazy to pick up a dropped nail–I AM JUST LIKE NASRALLAH!
Yes, Nasrallah never lie, he never lie about anything because he is a legit politician and politicians never lie.
Because 2006 was a resounding victory against the U.S….or because “they are they” really effective at blowing up Marines? Please tell me in the comments or an email when Hezbollah defeated America because this tweet is blowing my mind.
I love Lebanon. It’s one of my favorite countries but everyone knows that it is the weakest, the most ill-governed and controlled country there is. Every Lebanese will agree with me…unless you think the strength of the sub-state militia Hezbollah means that Lebanon is “a strong entity that no one dares to try in war”. I’m sorry other countries don’t need to try to do that, Lebanon does that itself.
AIDS, crime, cancer, murder, even the devil himself were all caused by the idea that the Jewish people, after years of persecution, deserved a homeland, not even in Israel per sa but Zionism in and of itself.
I believe Hezbollah prides itself on starting the ’06 war but I may be wrong, lobbying rockets into northern Israel or northern Palestine (don’t want to lose readers over semantics!) isn’t aggressive. Hezbollah is a sweet little kitten. True liberty only comes in the form of a divorce, tax free havens like Swiss bank accounts, and the loving nurture of Hezbollah.
I don’t know what this girl was smoking but she must off missed the whole point of hashtags. #whyiloveslavery I have a bunch of books written by slaves including a diary journal by a guy named Uncle Tom
Oh Ikhras, the two virgin bloggers who perpetually harass me for my belief in a two state solution. ”Israel, the US Gov, & #saudi gov” all hate rapists, AIDS, and genocide, they must all three be right about something.
Hey guys he’s not as bad as the other tyrants out there! Really…I promise!
And when the U.S. ignores the UNSC and the UN and invaded Iraq they call it bad a thing but when Hezbollah does it’s a sign of respect. Note: I think the US invasion of Iraq was illegitimate and wrong but Ikhras’s logic is…well non-existent.
Yes because if Hezbollah didn’t lob rockets and do cross border raids there would of been so many more dead Lebanese. Thank god for all of the things Hezbollah did to protect Lebanon.
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