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Go watch Carlin's old comedy bits. He talks about disinformation, culture wars, etc. You think fake news and misinformation is new? "Nothing can now be believ
by disown 6y ago
Go watch Carlin's old comedy bits. He talks about disinformation, culture wars, etc.
You think fake news and misinformation is new?
"Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knolege with the lies of the day..."
https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_speechs29.html https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_sp...
Go look up how "conspiracy theories" were used as a weapon by the media/elites to silence those they did not like just a few decades ago.
It's all like generational groundhog day. Each generation lives through the same story over and over again.
- tux1968 6y agoAnd this is why we should not be letting anyone convince us that they know best about which stories should be allowed and which should be suppressed. Those advocating for what amounts to a Ministry of Truth should really know better. We've already learned this lesson. This lever of power should not exist because it is impossible for it not to be abused. For all the downsides of too much information and a torrent of crappy opinions that exist on an open internet, it's still much better than the results you get with authoritarian oversight.
- mistermann 6y agoAnd yet, observe the lovely greyed out color of the comment to which you are responding, among the large quantity of claims that it's only the right that engages in propaganda and self-serving delusional thinking. It would be quite interesting (but I suspect unpopular) for HN to have an experimental mode where people must give a reason for downvoting. :)