5 Ways to Spot a B.S. Political Story in Under 10 Seconds

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

5 Ways to Spot a B.S. Political Story in Under 10 Seconds

It appears that even some of our esteemed colleagues from this above-average forum have fallen prey to the tactics described in the linked article. I hope that you can look at yourselves honestly and analyze whether you have succumbed to the lure of popular media and team politics or not. No one can tell you whether you are in the pool with the rest of them, but take some time somewhere along the way and be a little introspective about why you think the way you do and where your opinions are coming from. And keep in mind that the media is not your friend.

Partisan politics is not just a function of certain groups. The media keeps the game going too, mainly to keep the feelings of anger and offense going so that they can make money. (There's some secondary reasons too, of course.) So, is the solution to fix the media or to fix the consumers? Fixing the media isn't likely to happen, as they are just responding to how people work. Fixing the consumers isn't likely to happen as people generally aren't introspective and aren't aware that they are being manipulated, but that is where I do try to put some effort into waking people up (even those who are aware that they aren't aware and don't care to change). Or do you have a third option?

Comments

[dwer.livejournal.com]

I've read through the comments several times here, and I still think you're off base. As a liberal, I believe that questioning oneself is a fundamental part of classical liberalism -- after all, how can one be in favor of change without being in favor of changing oneself -- but this kind of condescension, followed by response after response of outraged defense of said condescension... well, I find it all extremely ironic.

Add in that it's really a tempest in a teapot anyway, and it's just too much. Headlines are supposed to grab your attention. They're advertisements for the articles they head. THAT'S THE POINT, to get you to read the article so that you buy the newspaper. So your faux concern really isn't all that relevant. I'm not going to argue that some media isn't insipid, but it's ALWAYS been that way -- because news organizations exist to sell newspaper advertisements or commercials. You'll notice that NPR or PBS headlines don't really tread that path. There's a reason for that.

You can keep posting this way -- telling people that they're wrong. You've done it several times before, and each time, you get kicked in the teeth. You'll find that people may communicate with you better if you help them identify with what you're saying. Standing at the top of your ivory tower, shaking your finger at people ain't gonna do it.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

As a liberal, I believe that questioning oneself is a fundamental part of classical liberalism

Sure, but do you actually do it? (You don't need to answer, it's just for you to think about.) People say they believe all sorts of things that they never follow through on. You can point to millions of "Christians" that do this, for example.

Standing at the top of your ivory tower, shaking your finger at people ain't gonna do it.

I'd rather people come up to paradise rather than have me descend to banality just to please them.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

christ, you're an arrogant chap.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Because I'm right 80-90% of the time.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

And so is everyone else to themselves. Very few people are clever enough to deliberately post factually incorrect statements to see if the Peggy Hills of the Internet can actually detect them when they see them. *That* is a special category of knowing you're right and they're wrong that never ceases to be amusing.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

The telltale sign of being right is when everyone disagrees with you.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Do you know I've actually done that? Deliberately posted wrong information to sniff out bullshit artists from the people that know what they're talking about? Invariably the people who preach piously about the stupid sheeple miss this and it's the ones they call sheeple that detect it.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

(http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx81/drewishdrewid/Macros/?action=view&current=00056g39.jpg)