Comments on: Propaganda wars (Updated) http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/ I used to be in the middle, but they keep moving the line! Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:39:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Polimom Says » The new “news” http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3866 Tue, 23 May 2006 16:35:04 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3866 [...] Given my concerns about propaganda, and related fears that misinformation is being fed into the blogosphere deliberately, I think we all need to be thinking about this. [...] […] Given my concerns about propaganda, and related fears that misinformation is being fed into the blogosphere deliberately, I think we all need to be thinking about this. […]

]]> by: Markus http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3756 Mon, 22 May 2006 17:28:27 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3756 It's simple, forester. Other sources verified the truth of the story in outline, and that was lost in all of the whining of the right wing blogger bots. They successfully turned the truth into a lie. My children do this all the time, but I ain't dumb enough to fall for it at either level. It’s simple, forester. Other sources verified the truth of the story in outline, and that was lost in all of the whining of the right wing blogger bots. They successfully turned the truth into a lie. My children do this all the time, but I ain’t dumb enough to fall for it at either level.

]]> by: the forester http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3735 Mon, 22 May 2006 15:07:45 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3735 I'm reminded of Dan Rather's insistence that his story about Bush's National Guard service was true, even though the documents that supported it were faked. Hello? How can a story be true if the sources are not? In many ways our society has abandoned belief in objective truth. When everything is viewed as subjective and open to interpretation, it's only a small step from willfully misrepresenting evidence to completely manufacturing it. What's the problem, as long as the larger story is still "true"? Iran <i>is</i> prejudiced against Jews and Christians, even if there's no law that they must wear different clothing to distinguish themselves. Saddam <i>did</i> consider weapons of mass destruction a legitimate tool, even if he didn't possess any in 2003. The feds <i>are</i> watching telecommunications closely, even if they aren't necessarily tapping into phone record databases. Why should we allow our concept of truth to be limited so punctiliously by what's actually occurring in the world? (tongue in cheek ...) I’m reminded of Dan Rather’s insistence that his story about Bush’s National Guard service was true, even though the documents that supported it were faked. Hello? How can a story be true if the sources are not?

In many ways our society has abandoned belief in objective truth. When everything is viewed as subjective and open to interpretation, it’s only a small step from willfully misrepresenting evidence to completely manufacturing it. What’s the problem, as long as the larger story is still “true”?

Iran is prejudiced against Jews and Christians, even if there’s no law that they must wear different clothing to distinguish themselves. Saddam did consider weapons of mass destruction a legitimate tool, even if he didn’t possess any in 2003. The feds are watching telecommunications closely, even if they aren’t necessarily tapping into phone record databases.

Why should we allow our concept of truth to be limited so punctiliously by what’s actually occurring in the world?

(tongue in cheek …)

]]> by: Mark Folse http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3331 Sat, 20 May 2006 18:12:05 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/05/20/propaganda-wars/#comment-3331 While the folks we are talking about are professionals,they are subject the feeds of bad information. The political communication structure in this country has evolved into a very effective and very ugly disinformation machine, and the standards of journalism, bending to pressure from these same sources, resort to he said/she said stenography in which anyone can plant just about any story they like into the cycle. Until journalists step back from the spin cycle and start to take apart the information they are fed more effectively, they're going to be about as reliable as bloggers. While the folks we are talking about are professionals,they are subject the feeds of bad information. The political communication structure in this country has evolved into a very effective and very ugly disinformation machine, and the standards of journalism, bending to pressure from these same sources, resort to he said/she said stenography in which anyone can plant just about any story they like into the cycle.

Until journalists step back from the spin cycle and start to take apart the information they are fed more effectively, they’re going to be about as reliable as bloggers.

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