Winslow, you are now better informed than any Trump Disciple.
.
Some Trump Disciple will now explain that it was the Democrats who overruled CDC officials and ordered those infected with the coronavirus to be transported to the U.S. instead of being left in quarantine. And how, now that Pence is in charge, the virus will just disappear, miraculously. Unless it’s the rapture that Pence craves.
I can tolerate the politicians, but the hate speech bugs me. Let’s just enjoy the comics and see real news instead of some jerk telling us everybody on the other side is horrible.
Because there’s no differentiation between good information and bad information. That’s what a journalist’s job is.
And it isn’t just Trump. They’ve been doing it for a long time now. Saying that Rush Limbaugh was as valid a source of information as NPR, for example. Newt Gingrich and the Republican Congress ended media monopoly rules for the purpose of allowing an Australian named Rupert Murdoch to own both a major newspaper and a TV station. He was also fast-tracked to citizenship so he could own an American news channel. He’d already turned British news into a pile of tabloid garbage and propaganda, so they new he’d do it here.
I remember looking at an English newspaper in the 1980s. I couldn’t believe how awful it was. It was like the National Enquirer, except that it was a real newspaper. I didn’t think our newspapers would even get like that. I was wrong.
The possibility of a global pandemic will reveal our inability to make and distribute the things people need—just in time for a presidential election.
✄
Affluence politics is not the politics of being wealthy, though, but rather the politics of not paying attention to what creates wealth in the first place. That is to say, it’s the politics of ignoring our ability to make and distribute the things people need.
✄
Regardless, the end of affluence politics means focusing on whether medicine is on shelves, not bitter disputes over bloated and wasteful hospital and insurance billing departments.
It means caring about bureaucratic competence in government, and accuracy in media, not because these are nice things to have but because they are necessary to avoid immense widespread suffering.
It means understanding that pharmaceutical mergers that benefit shareholders while laying off scientists are destructive, not just because they are unfair, but because they make us less resilient to disease. (Shareholders, as it turns out, also have lungs.)
Finally, it means recognizing that wealth, real wealth, is not defined by accounting games on Wall Street, but the ability to meet the needs of our own people.
We came to these realizations once before in 1932, and created a vibrant democratic state over the following few decades—one that rapidly expanded our life spans, defeated the Nazis, and helped create Silicon Valley. The convergence of the Covid-19 outbreak and the presidential election will force us to do it once again. We’ve lived in the world of unreality for far too long.
As Richmond Federal Reserve Bank president Tom Barkin recently put it, “Central banks can’t come up with vaccines.” It’s time to get ready for what that implies.
Some Rules of Thumb I use as information filters: “They say” means “I heard it in a bar,” “I’m no expert, but . . .” means “My opinion is not based on any facts,” “It goes without saying” means “I have no idea but I’m going to say it anyway,” “Everybody knows” means “Nobody really knows,” and my personal favorite “It’s common knowledge” means “I just made it up.”
I just finished “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire” by Kurt Andersen. It traces the various strains of fantasy in the American psyche over 500 years to see how we got to where we are now.
What you get from the web is not necessarily information. It is data == unverified, unqualified, unvetted, unanalyzed, un-critiqued, it is just un-information. What you get from social media is less than that.
One definition of information is “facts”. Unfortunately, too much of what is available on the internet has little to do with facts. And too many people are unwilling (or incapable) of determining if what is posted is accurate, true, or factual. They just find something that confirms their personal bias and accept it at face value.
braindead Premium Member about 4 years ago
Same as yesterday: #TraitorTrump
Winslow, you are now better informed than any Trump Disciple.
.
Some Trump Disciple will now explain that it was the Democrats who overruled CDC officials and ordered those infected with the coronavirus to be transported to the U.S. instead of being left in quarantine. And how, now that Pence is in charge, the virus will just disappear, miraculously. Unless it’s the rapture that Pence craves.
Sanspareil about 4 years ago
Pence did well in his state regarding the HIV virus!
Oh wait a minute, he didn’t!
Never mind.
fuzzbucket Premium Member about 4 years ago
I can tolerate the politicians, but the hate speech bugs me. Let’s just enjoy the comics and see real news instead of some jerk telling us everybody on the other side is horrible.
Carl Premium Member about 4 years ago
GIGO
Ignatz Premium Member about 4 years ago
Because there’s no differentiation between good information and bad information. That’s what a journalist’s job is.
And it isn’t just Trump. They’ve been doing it for a long time now. Saying that Rush Limbaugh was as valid a source of information as NPR, for example. Newt Gingrich and the Republican Congress ended media monopoly rules for the purpose of allowing an Australian named Rupert Murdoch to own both a major newspaper and a TV station. He was also fast-tracked to citizenship so he could own an American news channel. He’d already turned British news into a pile of tabloid garbage and propaganda, so they new he’d do it here.
I remember looking at an English newspaper in the 1980s. I couldn’t believe how awful it was. It was like the National Enquirer, except that it was a real newspaper. I didn’t think our newspapers would even get like that. I was wrong.
Silly Season about 4 years ago
The possibility of a global pandemic will reveal our inability to make and distribute the things people need—just in time for a presidential election.
✄
Affluence politics is not the politics of being wealthy, though, but rather the politics of not paying attention to what creates wealth in the first place. That is to say, it’s the politics of ignoring our ability to make and distribute the things people need.
✄
Regardless, the end of affluence politics means focusing on whether medicine is on shelves, not bitter disputes over bloated and wasteful hospital and insurance billing departments.
It means caring about bureaucratic competence in government, and accuracy in media, not because these are nice things to have but because they are necessary to avoid immense widespread suffering.
It means understanding that pharmaceutical mergers that benefit shareholders while laying off scientists are destructive, not just because they are unfair, but because they make us less resilient to disease. (Shareholders, as it turns out, also have lungs.)
Finally, it means recognizing that wealth, real wealth, is not defined by accounting games on Wall Street, but the ability to meet the needs of our own people.
We came to these realizations once before in 1932, and created a vibrant democratic state over the following few decades—one that rapidly expanded our life spans, defeated the Nazis, and helped create Silicon Valley. The convergence of the Covid-19 outbreak and the presidential election will force us to do it once again. We’ve lived in the world of unreality for far too long.
As Richmond Federal Reserve Bank president Tom Barkin recently put it, “Central banks can’t come up with vaccines.” It’s time to get ready for what that implies.
https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-will-mark-the-end-of-affluence-politics/
Bookworm about 4 years ago
Some Rules of Thumb I use as information filters: “They say” means “I heard it in a bar,” “I’m no expert, but . . .” means “My opinion is not based on any facts,” “It goes without saying” means “I have no idea but I’m going to say it anyway,” “Everybody knows” means “Nobody really knows,” and my personal favorite “It’s common knowledge” means “I just made it up.”
William Robbins Premium Member about 4 years ago
Democratization of publishing unfortunately means you’re free to consume fantasy instead of verifiable reality.
danielmkimmel about 4 years ago
Because they’re watching FOX Noise?
Ryan B Premium Member about 4 years ago
The web is just like money. Use it wisely.
Plods with ...™ about 4 years ago
Seems people only access what makes them feel good or right.
martens about 4 years ago
I just finished “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire” by Kurt Andersen. It traces the various strains of fantasy in the American psyche over 500 years to see how we got to where we are now.
dogday Premium Member about 4 years ago
What you get from the web is not necessarily information. It is data == unverified, unqualified, unvetted, unanalyzed, un-critiqued, it is just un-information. What you get from social media is less than that.
Wibly_Colorado Premium Member about 4 years ago
How does the web get it’s information – the tooth fairy?
adrianrune about 4 years ago
One definition of information is “facts”. Unfortunately, too much of what is available on the internet has little to do with facts. And too many people are unwilling (or incapable) of determining if what is posted is accurate, true, or factual. They just find something that confirms their personal bias and accept it at face value.