I love the humor Pastis brings! Its true that a truly vetted book is probably more accurate than most web pages BUT then again history is often wrote by the victors (which could leave out a few details deemed irrelevent by a government) and a lot of editors often have their own political or social agenda which could be slanted….. A great example is history textbooks, one’s from different school districts could be quite different depending upon the “message” the school board and educators want to teach their pupils. Anyhow I always loved that faked moon landing conspiracy theory, especially how it really got traction after the movie “Capricorn One” which faked a Martian landing which was only “trumped” by the interest in Jim Garrison and the JFK conspiracy theory after Oliver Stone put out the epic movie JFK…….
I love books, but the truth is that they are no better at getting the truth out than any other form of media. More than 20 years ago, a book came out called, “Lies My Teacher Told Me” about how the history books of most of the 20th Century were filled with biased, incomplete, or simply false information. As long as there’s a way to spread a lie, there’ll be liars doing it.
Who needs Science Fiction when we have The Treasonweasel’s Twitter feed??? Of course, if you MUST read a Science Fiction book, there’s always “The Art of the Deal”…
Baloney! Authors, publishers, and editors have always put their own slant on everything. Slants to the left and slants to the right. You can go into any book store, buy two books on {Pick A Subject} and come away with two entirely different interpretations.
It comes down to faith. We all form ideas of what social and political reality, and truth, are, and then we have faith in those beliefs. Just as we have faith that the drivers in the opposite lane will not cross the center line and smash into us. And yes, history is much less a matter of what happened, than an account written by the winners of the last conflict.
There used to be a cost to spewing bullshit. Publishing took money, and if you lost credibility major outlets dropped you, and cranks got relegated to the hand-printed flyer ghetto; and even then POPULAR bullshit could find a publisher. Now there’s effectively zero penalty for spewing bullshit.
The moral of the story: “Don’t believe everything you read.” Media all-inclusive. The idea is to think about what we read. Therein lies the rub: for how can those with such hollow between their ears cause what passes through to tarry and reason?
Looks as though our only Hope is the Total Sensory Deprivation Chamber. And doesn’t that drive you looney after a while (can’t recall the name of the film)?
You have way too much faith in editors and publishers. It’s surprising how little fact-checking they do (c.f. Naomi Wolf finding out she was wrong about a legal term during an interview: https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/naomi-wolf-interview-book-error-bbc-interview.html).
Self-publishers and indie publishers are often much stricter because screwing up can mean no more work or sales ever. And freelance editors don’t have their success tied to the success of the book and they get paid per job, so they often go the extra mile to do a great job.
BE THIS GUY almost 5 years ago
I guess illiteracy has an upside.
NErDysprosium almost 5 years ago
Patsis should have ran this one 20 days from now.
Bilan almost 5 years ago
Bobby Book also didn’t realize that people don’t care about reliability anymore.
Templo S.U.D. almost 5 years ago
you’re quite the fellow, Biffy
sirbadger almost 5 years ago
Hitler got some of his conspiracy theories from books, so this problem is not new although there might be more conspiracy theories now.
kaffekup almost 5 years ago
And after all, Man Coulter and Bill O’Lie-ly write books that get edited and published …
chris_weaver almost 5 years ago
And the world is flat, too? Tell me more, Biffy!
Walrus Gumbo Premium Member almost 5 years ago
I’m surprised Trump hasn’t mandated this yet!
TampaFanatic1 almost 5 years ago
I love the humor Pastis brings! Its true that a truly vetted book is probably more accurate than most web pages BUT then again history is often wrote by the victors (which could leave out a few details deemed irrelevent by a government) and a lot of editors often have their own political or social agenda which could be slanted….. A great example is history textbooks, one’s from different school districts could be quite different depending upon the “message” the school board and educators want to teach their pupils. Anyhow I always loved that faked moon landing conspiracy theory, especially how it really got traction after the movie “Capricorn One” which faked a Martian landing which was only “trumped” by the interest in Jim Garrison and the JFK conspiracy theory after Oliver Stone put out the epic movie JFK…….
noahproblem almost 5 years ago
Pearls Before Swine is considered the greatest comic strip ever created. [citation needed]
Jml58 almost 5 years ago
The truth is out there, along with all the lies.
cdward almost 5 years ago
I love books, but the truth is that they are no better at getting the truth out than any other form of media. More than 20 years ago, a book came out called, “Lies My Teacher Told Me” about how the history books of most of the 20th Century were filled with biased, incomplete, or simply false information. As long as there’s a way to spread a lie, there’ll be liars doing it.
James Wolfenstein almost 5 years ago
We never landed on the Moon… I’m pretty sure I didn’t! Did you? :D
Breadboard almost 5 years ago
No Thank – You Rat ! Will continue to read books and make up my own mind about the contents ! ………. Croc Power !
Malcolm Hall almost 5 years ago
It costs a lot of money for yahoos to self publish but they can spew on social media for free. Like now.
Kaputnik almost 5 years ago
Well, you can always try multiple sources. The problem is being in a hurry and believing the first thing you read, whether it’s printed or online.
Zebrastripes almost 5 years ago
Kids today barely read books….they’re too busy with iPhones and x box. Dumbing down America…..PIG is having another meltdown….so what’s new?
Masterskrain Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Who needs Science Fiction when we have The Treasonweasel’s Twitter feed??? Of course, if you MUST read a Science Fiction book, there’s always “The Art of the Deal”…
YippiKiAyMofo almost 5 years ago
Baloney! Authors, publishers, and editors have always put their own slant on everything. Slants to the left and slants to the right. You can go into any book store, buy two books on {Pick A Subject} and come away with two entirely different interpretations.
Reader almost 5 years ago
Traffic jam in the marketplace of ideas.
Joseph Shelby Premium Member almost 5 years ago
yeah, the whole “we didn’t really go to the moon” conspiracy is the result of a self-published book.
BubbleTape Premium Member almost 5 years ago
The problem is not the platform but the process.
dlkrueger33 almost 5 years ago
My neighbor is a Flat Earther and worse than that, she home schools her children!
rs0204 Premium Member almost 5 years ago
People who honestly believe stuff like we did not land on the moon should be rendered incapable of reproduction.
Dr. Whom almost 5 years ago
The only way to avoid being misinformed is to remain ignorant.
Gent almost 5 years ago
If only every book was as well researched and as well written as The Chariots Of The Gods, say the ancient astronaut theorists.
royboy12 almost 5 years ago
Rose Madder Premium Member almost 5 years ago
And some yahoos still believe – we never landed on the moon.
Holden Awn almost 5 years ago
It comes down to faith. We all form ideas of what social and political reality, and truth, are, and then we have faith in those beliefs. Just as we have faith that the drivers in the opposite lane will not cross the center line and smash into us. And yes, history is much less a matter of what happened, than an account written by the winners of the last conflict.
dpatrickryan Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Two words: peer review.
WCraft Premium Member almost 5 years ago
What about comic books and cartoons?
MichaelHutson1 almost 5 years ago
There used to be a cost to spewing bullshit. Publishing took money, and if you lost credibility major outlets dropped you, and cranks got relegated to the hand-printed flyer ghetto; and even then POPULAR bullshit could find a publisher. Now there’s effectively zero penalty for spewing bullshit.
jimchronister2016 almost 5 years ago
Stephan this doesn’t sound like you! Normally you end on a sound moral lesson for young n old, what happened. What am I missing
rgcviper almost 5 years ago
The mentions of yahoos make me think of a classic saying …
YouTube MySpace and I’ll Google your Yahoo.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 almost 5 years ago
News events are like The weather. If you don’t like it, wait a minute. The news and the truth are very seldom the same thing.
Snoots almost 5 years ago
The moral of the story: “Don’t believe everything you read.” Media all-inclusive. The idea is to think about what we read. Therein lies the rub: for how can those with such hollow between their ears cause what passes through to tarry and reason?
Sisyphos almost 5 years ago
Looks as though our only Hope is the Total Sensory Deprivation Chamber. And doesn’t that drive you looney after a while (can’t recall the name of the film)?
Or course, “looney” means Fit to Read PBS….
wlburns almost 5 years ago
You have way too much faith in editors and publishers. It’s surprising how little fact-checking they do (c.f. Naomi Wolf finding out she was wrong about a legal term during an interview: https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/naomi-wolf-interview-book-error-bbc-interview.html).
Self-publishers and indie publishers are often much stricter because screwing up can mean no more work or sales ever. And freelance editors don’t have their success tied to the success of the book and they get paid per job, so they often go the extra mile to do a great job.
ComicReadingGenius455 almost 5 years ago
I’m an Apollo mission denier. I always knew the moon landings were fake.
JoshuaLiu over 4 years ago
so true… But we did land on the moon!