Gullible

The mainstream media is amazing. The stuff they publish. The way they manipulate facts to promote their viewpoints.

The New York Times is a good example. Recently, the Times ran an editorial noting that investors are running from stocks and buying bonds. The reason for this, says the Times, is that the stock market has become untrustworthy because it isn’t regulated.

They don’t know what they are talking about. They ignore the fact that people went into the market when it was unregulated – precisely because it was unregulated. And the Times apparently never stopped to consider that exiting the market right now just might be a good thing.

Fox News is another good example. They are always featuring “news” events that are nothing more than silly little stories that pander to the prejudices of conservatives.

This raises the question: Why do so many people believe this crap? And I think the answer is that most people are not capable of rational analysis. Our educational system does not include – as it should – basic courses in logic, discourse, and reasoning. These are considered “elective” subjects for college students. Yet they should be part of every grammar school curriculum.

Lacking the ability to reason, people need to make decisions nonetheless. So they rely on prejudices they learned as children. And they look to the media to reinforce their prejudices and, thus, justify their decisions.

The End of Privacy Is Near.

 

John Hurt in "1984"

Communications technology made it inevitable. Human nature – which wants to out the truth – demands it. Charles Bukowsky, Lenny Bruce and Howard Stern prepared us for it. And economics makes it profitable. The public has an insatiable desire to inspect the most intimate details of their fellow creatures. And the media is giving it to them – with the rise of the paparazzi and reality shows, etc. Even when we are outraged by the media’s reach, we cannot stop looking. The Rupert Murdoch fiasco will not stop reporters from using technological tools to invade private lives. The backlash against Murdoch’s papers will only force the media to hide their tactics for a while. Tools that invade privacy are like steroids for news agencies. They will be necessary if you want to compete.