RE: Why MIT's Orwellian "Largest-Ever Study of Fake News" Is Nonsense.

You are viewing a single comment's thread from:

Why MIT's Orwellian "Largest-Ever Study of Fake News" Is Nonsense.

in news •  7 years ago 

I said this, "Most people aren't going to do their own research, and when you consider how many people believe truly ridiculous things, you begin to lose faith in democracy."

My sentence links "democracy" to people "believing truly ridiculous things," which implies, I think, that I am referring to the information market and not a form of government. I shall clarify now. I meant the democratization of information, meaning, everybody gets to say and hear everything. The move in this direction of "democracy" has produced, in my view, little improvement in the people's understanding., but has simply added more noise. Most of the new information is bullshit, and so now people believe a greater variety of bullshit than they used to, but are no closer to truth. The one real effect, probably, is to increase distrust of establishment sources, which I deem to be a positive effect, but if the establishment lies are merely replaced by other lies, then people are no better informed and become more informationally isolated. They agree on less and become less politically effective. So, this "democratization" of information produces politically dubious results. Also, the establishment troubadours sabotage the information market in their own devious ways. And they have the resources to talk over the truthers, who are unable to unite because nobody agrees on anything in a free information market. The result seems to promote disintegration of any consensus. I think I'm just babbling now. Perhaps you understand my democracy reference now.

Your one-on-one efforts with logic may be successful. I can't judge that. But, one-on-one makes very slow progress in a sea of disintegrating consensus. Not saying you should stop. I'm not advocating anything but understanding.

Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE STEEM!
Sort Order:  

Thanks for clarifying. In my experience, the cause of the problems is not that information is freely available, but that there is denial involved in the minds and intentions of the people. Denial has us thinking something is true when it is not and allow us to be deceived. By ending denial, we solve these problems and it can be done. This process requires us to end our own denials and then we can help others to do the same. Closing down information and judging that 'someone' has the capacity to direct people to the 'right' information is itself a form of denial, so while we all might think we are qualified to be that person, ultimately it doesn't help.

Denial may be the problem, but how does the truth win? Does a free information market empower the truth? Are people looking to "buy" truth in this market, or are they looking for something else? A free market also empowers lies. Maybe people want lies. Maybe they prefer lies. O, well. The driver really did shoot JFK, if you care to know.

Denial may be the problem, but how does the truth win?

By remaining open, open to the possibility that any idea is the 'right' one and even when we are sure we are right, we still consider all the alternatives. Judgements are the cause of most denials. Judgements say 'something is such and such' - they keep reality frozen and don't allow for change, they are outside of time.

By releasing judgements, we open space for change and alignment with actual truth.

Does a free information market empower the truth?

Non suppression of information empowers the truth, so if your definition of a 'free information market' includes non suppression of truth, then it might help.

Are people looking to "buy" truth in this market, or are they looking for something else? A free market also empowers lies.

A free market does not specifically empower the truth or lies, it simply allows 'buyers' to choose from a broader range of resources. What is truth might not be apparent until we have 'bought into' lies for a while. If we don't even know that certain ideas exist because they are suppressed, then how can we have the experience of the error from which to learn from and decide?

As soon as 'someone' controls information and denies it to others, we have imbalance and error is guaranteed.

Maybe people want lies. Maybe they prefer lies. O, well.

Maybe some do, but that does not mean that control is part of the answer.

The driver really did shoot JFK, if you care to know.

E. Howard Hunt is a CIA agent who admitted to being part of the large hit team prior to his death:

https://steemit.com/politics/@ura-soul/the-whistleblowers-series-30-2-us-mil-cia-agents-admit-to-participation-in-and-knowedge-of-the-gov-assassination-of-jfk

Why would you believe E. Howard Hunt? Isn't he the guy who said, "Nobody is entitled to the truth?" A CIA agent? This is your truth? LOL! See what I mean? Everybody "knows" that Hunt admitted it!

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

He was already suspected as being part of the plot due to him apparently being caught on camera at the scene, along with George Bush Sr.
I don't believe anyone - I simply look at the evidence, which is extensive, and do my best to ascertain the truth of it all.
Are you suggesting that he admitted it on his death bed, ruining his family's reputation - to protect someone else who remains undetermined and who really doesn't need any protection?!

I would suggest that he "confessed" as a gift to his son, who has been milking it ever since. The photograph, one of the three "tramps," in my opinion, cannot possibly be him because he was too young at the time to have been that person. Also, he always denied that it was him in the photo, and he didn't change his story at his "deathbed confession," not that I would believe a word he said. He was already a convicted criminal in the Watergate scandal, so there wasn't much of a reputation to protect.

17156068_357123934682135_5004375880379626376_n.jpg

We agree on this picture, one of the most disgusting, anyway. LBJ was one of them.

I have no evidence of any benefits his son may have gained, but it's not the kind of gift most of us need or want.