Sharyl Attkisson on fake news

[lastwhiteman]

This is a 9.42 minute video of Sharyl Attkisson from a Tedx talk at the University of Nevada. She is probably the most unbiased and honest journalist on earth today. It's very much worth 10 minutes of your time.

https://youtu.be/UQcCIzjz9_s

https://pjmedia.com/video/sharyl-attkisson-explains-tedx-talk-origins-2016-fake-news-narrative/

 

[Kronx]

Yep, she's on point. Unfortunately, I don't see a fix for it. With big companies like Google and Microsoft under the hood of most of the technology people use, we're all at the mercy of their algorithms. A study was done regarding this and they basically determined that even if you as the end user are trying to find unbiased information the engines of your search are going to lead you down certain biased paths.

I've heard people argue that Ted Turner was a catalyst to this mess we're in now. Because prior to his creation of CNN, news departments were always considered necessary but ultimately revenue losses than makers. Ted Turner proved news could turn a profit. Once news became profit makers, other news channels popped up and now they're fighting for viewers. Which is why most "news" channels are more editorial than news. They use personalities to draw viewers from specific demographics in and sensationalize everything.

I'm glad she mentioned Richard Jewell, because I bring that case up all the time. I remember that one so vividly. That dude was VILLIFIED by the media and his life was ruined.

All of this disinformation from both sides has created a HUGE amount distrust. No one knows which way is up. She didn't seem too concerned about it when she talked about it affecting our democracy, but I do think it's cause for concern. Not on its own, but combined with the distrust in other key institutions -- the DOJ and our election process -- I think America's foundations are getting really shaky.

The thing is this is serious. The same people she pointed out claiming the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax (InfoWars) are already spinning crazy theories about yesterday's school shooting. And while the stories themselves get debunked there are way too many people who believe them. I've said this before, there is a power behind all of this that wants to keep Americans arguing with each other. I've used the term proverbial Hatfields vs McCoys several times in discussions here. They want us arguing over one hand so we're not paying attention to what the other hand is doing. And now we've got foreign powers exploiting the Hatfield vs McCoys too.

 

[lastwhiteman]

Yep, she's on point. Unfortunately, I don't see a fix for it. With big companies like Google and Microsoft under the hood of most of the technology people use, we're all at the mercy of their algorithms. A study was done regarding this and they basically determined that even if you as the end user are trying to find unbiased information the engines of your search are going to lead you down certain biased paths.

I've heard people argue that Ted Turner was a catalyst to this mess we're in now. Because prior to his creation of CNN, news departments were always considered necessary but ultimately revenue losses than makers. Ted Turner proved news could turn a profit. Once news became profit makers, other news channels popped up and now they're fighting for viewers. Which is why most "news" channels are more editorial than news. They use personalities to draw viewers from specific demographics in and sensationalize everything.

I'm glad she mentioned Richard Jewell, because I bring that case up all the time. I remember that one so vividly. That dude was VILLIFIED by the media and his life was ruined.

All of this disinformation from both sides has created a HUGE amount distrust. No one knows which way is up. She didn't seem too concerned about it when she talked about it affecting our democracy, but I do think it's cause for concern. Not on its own, but combined with the distrust in other key institutions -- the DOJ and our election process -- I think America's foundations are getting really shaky.

The thing is this is serious. The same people she pointed out claiming the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax (InfoWars) are already spinning crazy theories about yesterday's school shooting. And while the stories themselves get debunked there are way too many people who believe them. I've said this before, there is a power behind all of this that wants to keep Americans arguing with each other. I've used the term proverbial Hatfields vs McCoys several times in discussions here. They want us arguing over one hand so we're not paying attention to what the other hand is doing. And now we've got foreign powers exploiting the Hatfield vs McCoys too.

You are correct, sir. I believe the danger of this whole political mess in DC is due not only by the entire corrupt system in power (elected and unelected) but in the level and amount of propaganda and disinformation being shoved down our throats from all sides. This is how you defeat an enemy you can't necessarily beat on the battlefield. Take ancient Rome and Greese for instance. Not an exact analogy but enough parallels to consider. Baffle your enemy with bullshit and make subtle moves. All this talk about Russia, Russia, Russia but look at the things China is up to, seems to be missing in the daily Amerikan Pravada reports. I believe this is all designed to confuse us with petty trivia while much larger things are at work in the shadows.

 

[Kronx]

You are correct, sir. I believe the danger of this whole political mess in DC is due not only by the entire corrupt system in power (elected and unelected) but in the level and amount of propaganda and disinformation being shoved down our throats from all sides. This is how you defeat an enemy you can't necessarily beat on the battlefield. Take ancient Rome and Greese for instance. Not an exact analogy but enough parallels to consider. Baffle your enemy with bullshit and make subtle moves. All this talk about Russia, Russia, Russia but look at the things China is up to, seems to be missing in the daily Amerikan Pravada reports. I believe this is all designed to confuse us with petty trivia while much larger things are at work in the shadows.

I admit I'm pessimistic by nature, but I feel we've already reached a point where any sort of course correction is ultimately pointless. The American empire is circling the drain and there's only one direction we're headed. Now this doesn't mean next year we'll be fighting over scraps and Mad Maxing across the landscape. We'll still be functioning. Limping along for decades, but we're done.

There's a good read of a book written by a conservative I respect called "The Death of Expertise." Summation of the book:

"People are now exposed to more information than ever before, provided both by technology and by increasing access to every level of education. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism.

As Tom Nichols shows in The Death of Expertise, this rejection of experts has occurred for many reasons, including the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement.

Nichols has deeper concerns than the current rejection of expertise and learning, noting that when ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy-or in the worst case, a combination of both. The Death of Expertise is not only an exploration of a dangerous phenomenon but also a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age."

 

[forestdaledave]

I just finished reading the Mueller indictments. It was put out by Atlantic monthly. Breaks down what Russia was doing in detail. Cultivating and fueling the divisions in American culture. At the tune of a million plus per month trying to bury Hillary and help Trump. A lot of people sucked it all up with never a doubting thought. You have Republicans and Democrats slugging it out with a well organized Russian effort putting shit into the game. Trump won't accept it but Mueller has names, places , what they did, a lot of detail.

 

[tothemax93]

trying to bury Hillary and help Trump.

I'm not sure how putting on a "not my president rally", or firing up "Black lives matter" people is helping Trump, but what ever you say, Dave. It worked both ways.

 

[forestdaledave]

I'm not sure how putting on a "not my president rally", or firing up "Black lives matter" people is helping Trump, but what ever you say, Dave. It worked both ways.

I'm not sure of what you mean by both ways. but wouldn't "Not my President", be after the election?

 

[tothemax93]

I'm not sure of what you mean by both ways. but wouldn't "Not my President", be after the election?

The Russian "propaganda" was about creating chaos in all the parties. not one over the other. The Russian "meddling" also supported Jill Stein, and Bernie... "Both ways". Maybe better put, both parties.

 

[Kronx]

The indictments clearly lay out how Russia was(and they still continue) to sow discord among Americans. To fan the flames of the proverbial Hatfields vs McCoys. And clearly it's working.

At the end of the day Russia ran 1 million dollar a month political campaign. They not only promoted Trump, but they also promoted Sanders and Stein which would in turn bleed some votes off of Clinton than they potentially would Trump. And the efforts targetting BLM was to perpetuate the division among Americans more than political reasons. Look at how the right holds up BLM as an equivalent to the left's labels of neo-nazis as domestic terrorists. Hatfields vs McCoys propoganda.

Russia's efforts are working. For just a million a month without a shot being fired. They're gonna get America to collapse on itself like America did with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

But at the end of the day, despite every Trump appointed head of intel saying Russia is going to continue to do it, even if you believe they weren't trying to help him, they're still clearly fucking with us.

Yet Trump still has yet to speak ill of Russia once and has yet to impose those sanctions on Russia - deliberately disobeying the law. Now that the indictments are out(I'm sure more are forthcoming) and clearly show evidence of a very deliberate effort from Russia, it's worth pointing out most of this is stuff Trump has been briefed on before he even took office. That Russia has been fucking with us is most definitely not news to him if he's actually paying attention to his daily briefings. But he's been constantly denying it publically. Why?

So I think it's worthy remind folks he actually proposed a joint cyber defense unit with Russia:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-cyber-security-unit-with-putin-idUSKBN19U0HX

I think it also is a good time to remind folks that Putin tossed a few hundred people from the US Embassy in Moscow, Trump publically THANKED Putin:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...r-slashing-u-s-diplomatic-staff-idUSKBN1AQ2IW

I'd also like to point out that Trump appointee Mulvaney is not going to investigate that Equifax hack, which was the largest U.S. identity theft on record, and by the way, was actually a lot worse than initially reported:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ts-equifax-probe-on-ice-sources-idUSKBN1FP0IZ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/equifax-hack-might-be-worse-than-you-think-1518191370

Did you know a couple of Romanians hacked DC security cameras just before Trump's inauguration?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...meras-before-trump-inauguration-idUSKBN1EM1SU

Did you know hackers are successfully penetrating US power grids?
https://www.wired.com/story/hackers-gain-switch-flipping-access-to-us-power-systems/

Now I'm not laying all of this at Trump's feet. The counter-intel community has been raising red flags about this for many years. The Obama administration was slow to react. It also didn't help when a certain treasonweasel sitting in Moscow right now by the name of Edward Snowden gave Moscow the keys to our digital kingdom.

The Obama administration did impose sanctions, threw a few dozen Russians diplomats out and closed two Russian compounds. Those sanctions also gave about 80 million to the State Department to fight against Russia disinformation and SoS Rex Tillerson never used it(it had an expiration date) because he worried it would rile Moscow. Which by the way is sort of why Trump claims he wont impose sanctions on Russia. They don't want to piss Russia off. They'll talk tough to our allies in NATO but don't want to rile Moscow. Think about that.

http://www.newsweek.com/rex-tillers...ht-russian-propaganda-because-it-would-645554

Now Trump is sitting on sanctions he won't implement and claims they're already serving as a deterrent despite the fact that the heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA, DHS, NGA and the Director of Nation Intelligence(all Trump appointees BTW) claimed just last week that Russia is not deterred at all. Hell Rex "I dont want to rile Moscow" Tillerson has just recently claimed Russia is already interferring in the 2018 midterms. But this weekend Trump went on a tweet storm about Mueller's indictments and he blamed Obama, the Democrats, Hillary, and the media... he never once blamed Russia. Does it not make you curious why Trump won't speak one ill word of Russia or follow the law and impose the sanctions? Wasn't he promoting himself as the 'law and order' candidate?

This is nuts.

 

[Kronx]

Sometimes the troll factories forget to turn off location services on their social media apps. Classic example of how Russia is getting America to argue with each other. That account has now been suspended.

And you may not think it makes a difference, but consider a video claiming this kid was a "crisis actor" which is the theory that the post in the screenshot is supporting was one of the top trending videos on YouTube a few days ago.

The Mueller indictments that pointed out the efforts Russia was going to with Russians here pretending to be American and holding rallies. Some of those "unwitting Americans" have been interview recently. All sorts of different reactions coming out of them. But the ones that are alarming to me are the ones that just flat out refuse to believe they were tricked.

Keep your guard up -- especially on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.