What if foreigners are, today, the ones largely responsible for much of the division, death and destruction sweeping America and, in many cases, are doing it not for ideology but just to make a buck?
Yes this is exactly what is happening. I'll never forget the moment facebook went public and the insane value it attained on Wall Street. I remember exactly where I was. I remember grieving a future that had yet to be lost, and friendships that would soon go out with the tide. How do you explain to someone, anyone - a thing that you yourself have no words for. And when the words do come, they are too complex. They don't place well within the confines of a bumper sticker.
Social media giants have created a robust and hearty medium for international criminals to homestead - borders be damned. Civility, society, order... Poof.
Either we ban ourselves from these monopolized algorithmic chaos inducers, or we ban them. We need to sort it out before it sorts us out. Time to regulate.
Sad but true, Congress can't/won't act responsibly until or if Democrats win more seats, especially, obviously, in the Senate ...BECAUSE OF THE FILIBUSTER! And they won't win any more seats until or if they can overcome all the misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information coming from all corners of Earth.
So, as always, the core of the problem are the fools who readily accept lies as truth. They're absolutely convinced it's all part of "God's Plan" somehow, even if they can't exactly explain what the plan is other than it must be followed to go to heaven.
So how do you convince someone they're following a "false god" when critical thinking skills in matters of "faith" are actively discouraged from the age of reason by parents and pastors?
Bingo -- right there! THAT deeply embedded pattern of thought is the number-one commodity for sale to the highest bidder, ideologically as well as monetarily.
We could start now doing what Finland is doing in their elementary education to teach the skills of critical thinking and to discern fake stories and conspiracies. It won’t happen anytime soon but could give some hope for the the future. Too many gullible people in the US and not enough emphasis placed on quality education.
As a Mandalorian might say, "This is the way" -- quality education based on science and true history. If someone's religious delusions can't stand up to the scrutiny, so be it.
...Two sides of the same coin with the same predictable result: a theocracy run by the "chosen" few. Religious fanatics fundamentally do not believe in democracy.
How do we get critical thinking, science and actual history into the red states (and they greatly outnumber us)? They all wish we would wake up and become critical thinkers. They're already the best critical thinkers on Earth, as far as they are concerned. Their churches already give them all the science they need to know, and it's "real" science. It would take a congressional act, as Thom has pointed out, but that would require enough majority in the House to overcome the blue dogs and "moderates," or at least 55%, preferably 60%, and in the Senate, at least 65% to get rid of the filibuster and overwhelm the "moderates." I have pulled a few rabbits out of a hat in my time, but this rabbit will require the entire country. My vote is to go after social media. They tough, as we know, and well financed, but it might be easier.
Not to mention the "main stream media" and "right wing media" spreading false information in the name of billionaires. Fox News watchers are easily brainwashed.
More so than even the Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, just in the sheer numbers affected, Rupert Murdock and Rush Limbaugh were the most effective pioneers who monetized the modern disinformation campaigns, mainly by exploiting the First Amendment and using our so-called freedoms and liberties against us for their own narrow ends.
I agree. It's not necessarily two different entities, just because one is foreign-based.
It's more likely it's one right-wing American billionaire who hates democracy and doesn't think they should be part of the progressive income tax system wanting to get a bigger bang for their buck.
I wish we could shut down face book. The book Targeted by Brittany Kaiser spoke about how FB and Cambridge Analytica used millions of points of data to micro target voters in 2016. It’s appalling that social media can have this type of influence and get away with it. There is more hatred and division over the air waves then ever before. Sad
I have read the comments submitted so far. This really traces back to King Donald and his attack on the "Fake News." So, as a consequence the "base" leaned into the "true news" emanating from FOX and Limbaugh and the other Republican frontliners. Don't forget Trump's role and hid continuing shouting of the Big Lie at rallies and through spokesman. Foreign supported sure, but don't neglect the original troll.
I was a skeptic about the weight of the influence Facebook had on the election till I read about how it operated and how effectively it worked. The Times, BuzzFeed, McGill, etc have tried to expose the misfits killing people with disinformation on the vaccines. Congress should hold the perpetrators responsible, just like any rain-man or snake oil salesman of long ago. Fire up the tar and get out the feathers. That said, it also brings up the point of how people have been vulnerable to these villains since the beginning of time.
We grew to be the single "super power". When you are king-of-the-hill, someone is going to come for you. China is out to eat our lunch, and it makes Putin happy to help them.
Yes this is exactly what is happening. I'll never forget the moment facebook went public and the insane value it attained on Wall Street. I remember exactly where I was. I remember grieving a future that had yet to be lost, and friendships that would soon go out with the tide. How do you explain to someone, anyone - a thing that you yourself have no words for. And when the words do come, they are too complex. They don't place well within the confines of a bumper sticker.
Social media giants have created a robust and hearty medium for international criminals to homestead - borders be damned. Civility, society, order... Poof.
Either we ban ourselves from these monopolized algorithmic chaos inducers, or we ban them. We need to sort it out before it sorts us out. Time to regulate.
Sad but true, Congress can't/won't act responsibly until or if Democrats win more seats, especially, obviously, in the Senate ...BECAUSE OF THE FILIBUSTER! And they won't win any more seats until or if they can overcome all the misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information coming from all corners of Earth.
So, as always, the core of the problem are the fools who readily accept lies as truth. They're absolutely convinced it's all part of "God's Plan" somehow, even if they can't exactly explain what the plan is other than it must be followed to go to heaven.
So how do you convince someone they're following a "false god" when critical thinking skills in matters of "faith" are actively discouraged from the age of reason by parents and pastors?
Bingo -- right there! THAT deeply embedded pattern of thought is the number-one commodity for sale to the highest bidder, ideologically as well as monetarily.
We could start now doing what Finland is doing in their elementary education to teach the skills of critical thinking and to discern fake stories and conspiracies. It won’t happen anytime soon but could give some hope for the the future. Too many gullible people in the US and not enough emphasis placed on quality education.
As a Mandalorian might say, "This is the way" -- quality education based on science and true history. If someone's religious delusions can't stand up to the scrutiny, so be it.
Religion. The same way that the Taliban is a religious war. Only the Taliban is far more religious than a Evangelical. They do not understand that.
...Two sides of the same coin with the same predictable result: a theocracy run by the "chosen" few. Religious fanatics fundamentally do not believe in democracy.
How do we get critical thinking, science and actual history into the red states (and they greatly outnumber us)? They all wish we would wake up and become critical thinkers. They're already the best critical thinkers on Earth, as far as they are concerned. Their churches already give them all the science they need to know, and it's "real" science. It would take a congressional act, as Thom has pointed out, but that would require enough majority in the House to overcome the blue dogs and "moderates," or at least 55%, preferably 60%, and in the Senate, at least 65% to get rid of the filibuster and overwhelm the "moderates." I have pulled a few rabbits out of a hat in my time, but this rabbit will require the entire country. My vote is to go after social media. They tough, as we know, and well financed, but it might be easier.
Not to mention the "main stream media" and "right wing media" spreading false information in the name of billionaires. Fox News watchers are easily brainwashed.
More so than even the Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, just in the sheer numbers affected, Rupert Murdock and Rush Limbaugh were the most effective pioneers who monetized the modern disinformation campaigns, mainly by exploiting the First Amendment and using our so-called freedoms and liberties against us for their own narrow ends.
I agree. It's not necessarily two different entities, just because one is foreign-based.
It's more likely it's one right-wing American billionaire who hates democracy and doesn't think they should be part of the progressive income tax system wanting to get a bigger bang for their buck.
I wish we could shut down face book. The book Targeted by Brittany Kaiser spoke about how FB and Cambridge Analytica used millions of points of data to micro target voters in 2016. It’s appalling that social media can have this type of influence and get away with it. There is more hatred and division over the air waves then ever before. Sad
Really good writing and research as usual. Thank you for being a voice of reason during these insane times.
I have read the comments submitted so far. This really traces back to King Donald and his attack on the "Fake News." So, as a consequence the "base" leaned into the "true news" emanating from FOX and Limbaugh and the other Republican frontliners. Don't forget Trump's role and hid continuing shouting of the Big Lie at rallies and through spokesman. Foreign supported sure, but don't neglect the original troll.
I was a skeptic about the weight of the influence Facebook had on the election till I read about how it operated and how effectively it worked. The Times, BuzzFeed, McGill, etc have tried to expose the misfits killing people with disinformation on the vaccines. Congress should hold the perpetrators responsible, just like any rain-man or snake oil salesman of long ago. Fire up the tar and get out the feathers. That said, it also brings up the point of how people have been vulnerable to these villains since the beginning of time.
We grew to be the single "super power". When you are king-of-the-hill, someone is going to come for you. China is out to eat our lunch, and it makes Putin happy to help them.