Is there anything that isn't a "threat to out 'democracy' " in these troubled times?

[the watcher]

Independent thinking and non sanctioned news sources seem to be really holding up the program. It's good we have people like Al Gore to keep us correctly orientated. Al Gore Warns: People Having Access To Non-Mainstream Information "Threatens Democracy" | ZeroHedge

 

[forkup]

Independent thinking and non sanctioned news sources seem to be really holding up the program. It's good we have people like Al Gore to keep us correctly orientated. Al Gore Warns: People Having Access To Non-Mainstream Information "Threatens Democracy" | ZeroHedge

Thinking is NOT independent when such thinking consists of actively looking for sources that confirm your biases. Something that is facilitated by the algorithm that handle social media. That is the problem. A problem I've and I bet you have encountered on numerous occasions.

True independent thinking consists of carefully selecting sources, preferably primary sources. Carefully reading and comprehending these sources and coming to your own conclusion based on that information. While at the same time being self-aware enough to understand and combat the human tendency to suffer from conformation bias.

It is time consuming, takes quite a lot of effort, and can be extremely uncomfortable when the opinions reached by looking at the facts aren't the same as what your biases say.


Since very few people bother, understandingly so, they rely on others to do that work for you.

Herein lies the problem and the reason for Gore's comments. The fourth estate has certain rules of conduct. Policed by themselves and (not always successfully) adhered too. On the other hand, a large part of the world instead chooses to just accept whatever information that agrees with their preconceived notions, no matter the source, including sources that have absolutely no compunction to be truthful. And because they feel that information is being withheld from them by the MSM, they become distrustful of that media, pushing them deeper into their echo chamber in a constant feedback loop.

To you, information you find on some niche blog is considered reliable precisely because it comes from some niche source and not the MSM, and because you take the time and effort to keep on looking until you find that information you are an "independent thinker."



I'm willing to prove it too. Take any topic. Differentiate between what you think and know. And only accept those things that you can prove by primary sources and discuss it with me, while I do the same. See where it leads.

 

[the watcher]

I know this: calling for governmental censoring of information is not conducive to people making informed voting choices.

 

[SeaMajor7]

Thinking is NOT independent when such thinking consists of actively looking for sources that confirm your biases. Something that is facilitated by the algorithm that handle social media. That is the problem. A problem I've and I bet you have encountered on numerous occasions.

True independent thinking consists of carefully selecting sources, preferably primary sources. Carefully reading and comprehending these sources and coming to your own conclusion based on that information. While at the same time being self-aware enough to understand and combat the human tendency to suffer from conformation bias.

It is time consuming, takes quite a lot of effort, and can be extremely uncomfortable when the opinions reached by looking at the facts aren't the same as what your biases say.


Since very few people bother, understandingly so, they rely on others to do that work for you.

Herein lies the problem and the reason for Gore's comments. The fourth estate has certain rules of conduct. Policed by themselves and (not always successfully) adhered too. On the other hand, a large part of the world instead chooses to just accept whatever information that agrees with their preconceived notions, no matter the source, including sources that have absolutely no compunction to be truthful. And because they feel that information is being withheld from them by the MSM, they become distrustful of that media, pushing them deeper into their echo chamber in a constant feedback loop.

To you, information you find on some niche blog is considered reliable precisely because it comes from some niche source and not the MSM, and because you take the time and effort to keep on looking until you find that information you are an "independent thinker."



I'm willing to prove it too. Take any topic. Differentiate between what you think and know. And only accept those things that you can prove by primary sources and discuss it with me, while I do the same. See where it leads.

Aaaaaand, the MSM keeps YOU up to date on THEIR BIASES.
Who the FUCK do you think you're kidding????

 

[Votto]

Independent thinking and non sanctioned news sources seem to be really holding up the program. It's good we have people like Al Gore to keep us correctly orientated. Al Gore Warns: People Having Access To Non-Mainstream Information "Threatens Democracy" | ZeroHedge

I posted an article about the Biden administration mocking the coming Russian election in 2024, and asked the question, "Can anyone provide me with evidence of Russian tampering with elections?"

No one could provide me with any evidence, even though all of them were convinced the elections were rigged.

Yet they mock the right in this country for the same kind of thinking.

One idiot said that the elections were rigged because all of the political opponents were thrown in jail, but failed to even understand that the Left is in the process of doing the exact same thing with Trump and could not draw any similarities between the two.

Just hysterically sad.

 

[gipper]

Independent thinking and non sanctioned news sources seem to be really holding up the program. It's good we have people like Al Gore to keep us correctly orientated. Al Gore Warns: People Having Access To Non-Mainstream Information "Threatens Democracy" | ZeroHedge

Even with numerous independent sources of media at their fingertips, most Americans are still dupes of the establishment. No people are more propagandized than Americans. Nearly everything they KNOW about their history, government, and politics is wrong.

 

[forkup]

Aaaaaand, the MSM keeps YOU up to date on THEIR BIASES.
Who the FUCK do you think you're kidding????

Way to miss, or more likely purposefully misconstrue my post.

Let's start with the answer to your question.

It's usually not all that hard to figure out the bias of whatever news source you use. For instance if a source confirms everything you believe, chances are they're biased towards you. It doesn't even have to be so roundabout. If a source uses loaded language, you cam discern their bias. Another common one is critically examining the content and splitting what is likely factual from what is opinion.

The point is this.

Most people who claim they think independently, just don't realize they're being manipulated, and in what way.

For me personally, this is less the case. It has nothing to do with intelligence, or never consuming biased sources. It has to do with approaching all news with skepticism. The more it confirms my biases, the more I feel the need to check up on the information. If a news source tells me. "Trump is being charged with 91 damning indictments". I will actively go and read the indictment. Because the word "damning" is loaded and I want to know why a reputable news source would put a loaded term in a straight information title. If Rachel Maddow gets out of a defamation suit by claiming she is entertaining people. From that point onwards everything else she says and has said becomes highly suspect.

Compare that with most people here. Fox can pay hundreds of millions for lying to it's viewers. Yet that same lie is still spouted here on this board. I come across articles by sources that are non-sensical, or cam be discerned as lies by even a cursory fact check.