If you have been reading regional portals and social media posts lately, especially those mentioning Texas, you might have gotten the impression that a war is raging there and that the state is on the brink of secession and who knows what else. Of course, none of that is true. It is an example of spinning and a form of anti-Western propaganda. So, let us set the record straight…
The Texas authorities, with Governor Greg Abbott at the helm, refuse to comply with directives from Washington to remove barbed wire and other barriers along the border with Mexico. Abbott insists that Texans have the right to take matters into their own hands and that the federal government is being irresponsible. He asserts that the issue lies in the mass illegal migrations, which are increasing.
This has led to a legal and political conflict – something an ordinary person, especially one who is not from the USA, would find hard to fully grasp. It is all part of a larger political game because Abbott is a Republican defying the government of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the run-up to the presidential elections scheduled for November.
The current narrative suggests that the Texan bubble will soon burst and that the USA is not faring well. We have seen claims that tanks are rolling down the streets, that Texas and America are burning, that America is heading for doom, and that a state of war is in effect. All these claims are based on footage of a tank on an American street. However, upon detailed examination, it was impossible to determine when and where the tank was filmed. One thing appears to be certain, though – there’s no civil war raging in Texas, and tanks have not been deployed on the streets.
The tank narrative continued, with a new video surfacing, which social media users claim also originated in Texas. However, this time, it was easier to check the facts. The video was produced in Chile before the tensions between Texas and Washington even began.
Various interest groups have tried to exploit the situation in Texas. A convoy called “Take Our Border Back” was organized to reach the border with Mexico to show support for Texas and exert pressure on the federal government to take action. Although planned as a grandiose protest on wheels, the convoy did not gain as much traction as expected and failed to attract the numbers the organizers expected. Nevertheless, a video circulated on social media showed a column of trucks and other vehicles supposedly heading south. The problem is that this footage was misinterpreted and was filmed at least as early as 2022.
The convoy narrative was supposed to gain traction, so there was also information that farmers were joining in. A lot of them. This was accompanied by renewed claims of “war in America.” However, it is likely that the farmers in the footage are not deeply interested in American politics, as they actually come from Germany. The large-scale protest by farmers from Forhtenberg, Germany, was used to reinforce these narratives.
Furthermore, even Governor Greg Abbott of Texas became a victim of disinformation. RT Balkan published an article alleging that Abbott had suggested in an interview with FOX that Biden should take cues from Russian President Vladimir Putin. An audio/video was provided as evidence where Abbott supposedly utters those words. However, it is a manipulation and a modified presentation of Texas’ leading official. He did not mention Putin but instead discussed Donald Trump’s migration policies. FOX confirmed this manipulation to Reuters.
Overall, this underscores a familiar pattern. Problems in the Western Hemisphere are exaggerated and supported by false or difficult-to-verify accounts. Ultimately, the question remains: who benefits from this…
Marko Vukajlovic, Raskrinkavanje.me journalist