Lord Buffalo Dupes the TDS Crowd
modern-day digital triangulation
Last week, a heavy metal band that no one has ever heard of posted a really scary message on Instagram that ripped through the music business scene in Texas, Nashville, and beyond.
See the pic below, taken from the Dallas Observer:
It reads (emphasis mine):
“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. Our drummer, Yamal Said, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12. He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release.”
Holy cow! This “forcibly removed” stuff is really scary business! Unable to contact him? Immigration lawyer? Oh golly!
As one may expect, those reading the news responded on cue and on message with the typical instantaneous hyperbolic reactions:
“What a wonderful time we’re all living in. Nazis are emboldened and on the rise, and our fascist president has a not-so-secret police force of jackbooted thugs rounding people up for deportation to an El Salvadorian prison. Usually you’d love to be able to turn to music to avoid those realities, but that’s not the case for Lord Buffalo.” [Oh , the humanity]
“No one should be pulled off a plane and jailed for simply trying to travel and make art with their band.” [Cute]
“This is Trump’s America - now they’re just yanking innocent people off of airplanes without due process!” [Scary…]
“There is no excuse for this. If you voted for Trump, you voted for this and now this is our America. Congratulations scumbags!” [Read on…]
“Nazis!” [Always Nazis]
More to the Story?
Of course, there is more to the story. There is THE story.
It turns out Lord Buffalo was serving up a big ol’ cow patty of bullshit.
I have pieced things together from various sources*. Here is what we now know:
Said was wanted for violating a protective order issued out of Llano County in Texas at least twice in the past year.
This is a felony in Texas, so a felony warrant was issued for his arrest.
It’s not uncommon for people to get removed from planes entering or departing the U.S. when they have felony warrants. So this is what happened.
Online records show that he is being held in a Tarrant County, Texas, jail on $40,000 bond (due process). His name is listed as Saad Saidbaca on the jail’s website.
Green card holders can face immigration action, including deportation, because of a criminal conviction under any presidential administration. This guy best proceed carefully…
It was not Trump’s fault.
Below is a screenshot of Lord Buffalo’s original Instagram post, as I type:
The TDS Crowd Hits Delete
Wompwompwomp…. Ruh-roh. Hit the “delete post” button. Make it go away!!!
Several news agencies had to amend their stories: “The arrest of the group’s drummer Yamal Said was related to a criminal warrant rather than his citizenship status, as originally stated.”
Once again, instantaneous hyperbolic reactions by those afflicted by TDS have resulted in their wiping egg off face, pulling foot from mouth, and enjoying crow well-served. Damn, they must love the taste!
WAATR
In matters such as these, I am a bit slower to respond. I like to:
Wait
Pause before reacting. Step back to see the big picture and avoid knee-jerk responses to breaking news.Assess
Observe reactions, news coverage, and analysis from multiple sources. Consider diverse perspectives to cut through bias and noise. There will always be bias and noise.Analyze
Dig into the story: What’s happening? What’s the context and backstory? Explore alternative angles and question the narrative. Always question the narrative.Think
Process the information. How do different inputs shape the outcome? Has new evidence shifted the situation? Reflect critically.React
Respond thoughtfully based on your analysis. Stay open to revisiting the cycle as new details emerge.
WAATR In Action (Lord Buffalo):
Wait
I am only seeing Lord Buffalo’s account of the story here. I need to wait to see reports from other sources, which may have more context or differing information.Assess
I am not seeing any video of someone “forcibly removed” from an airplane by Immigration agents. Usually, these things get iPhone’d to death and posted instantly. Are any reputable news agencies covering this? Who is talking about this and where?Analyze
There is a lot of angst around Trump’s immigration policies and enforcement, which is fueling the narrative around this story and many of the comments and responses. I need to wait and gather more info. False flag? Missing facts?Think
Ok, now I am reading more news and gathering a lot more info from very credible sources. It seems there is quite a bit more to this story. Let’s think through the difference between the band’s account and the facts now coming to light. They are different.React
I am going to respond in Substack. This people who fell for this bullshit need to be called out! ; > )
Conclusion
Look, I know Trump has you very upset. I get it. He’s a polarizing figure for sure, to say the least. He is trying to do things differently, well outside the norms of Washington, DC. That can be really scary for some.
However, the instantaneous hyperbolic reactions to EVERYTHING are simply making his detractors look foolish. The View has built a TV empire around it. MSNBC spends millions of dollars on it. CNN revels in it.
Time and time again, things keep working out differently, and time and time again, the TDS folks just look foolish. I could devote a daily Substack to the topic - or I could just read Jeff Childers. You should too.
In all of this, the Democrats are literally destroying their brand. Approval ratings for the DNC are at record lows, and ticking off new lows with every new round of polling [CNN, May 15 polling].
To date, DNC leadership has failed to right the ship. Have you ever wondered why?
Lord Buffalo should write a song about it…
Sincerely irreverent,
Todd