You may or may not have noticed how the US and UK are being fed international news, often unverified, from media like the woolly BBC and other sources. Fake and misleading news full of intentional distortions has become a feature of US and European news over the past decade due to the laziness of reporters and the lack of insider true stories, so the reporters make it up as they go along because the masses cannot decipher whether it's really true or false. You've probably noticed how the reporters stand in whatever countries (at huge expense to the taxpayer) giving out reports which are so fuzzy and meaningless they aren't worth stating. Most news items expounded are easily refuted or overlooked when the 'true' facts surface later. It is an increasing scenario that we are all being manipulated and fed BS by the international media who are manipulated and fed BS by the politicians and power brokers above and we, the stupid populace, soak up the BS without questioning the provenance of these stories.

 

I dont disagree with you at all but you should cite some sources and provide solid evidence to support this notion. Otherwise everything said/read online is merly "heresay".

That said I do not watch any news channel read any paper or listen to any radio station. I used to but then I realized how biased and one sided news stories are. I also found myself annoyed with how often political advertisements are repeated over and over and over. I also find myself easily worked up whenever I did update myself on the latest events around the nation and the world. So I decided to take a big step back from all news media outlets. Now Snowden and Julian Assange claim that our news media outlets are rigged, paid for and designed to make us the people stupid.

I have absolutely no faith in the news, the media or the people anymore. But Im one person and there is nothing I could possibly due to change anything. My solution is to pack up my **** and get as far away from people as possible.

 

Hi Triar, I agree with your sentiments entirely. Unfortunately it is difficult to be specific, and illegal, but the £350K on the red bus in the Brexit scenario and the political punters lies is one case in point.

There are many distortions of the truth expounded by many media writers and usually based upon political distorted waffle. I go along with your sentiments, best not to watch the TV news or read these biased newspapers.

Both Merton and Hislop always cut to the quick, they are hated both by the media and politicians for their incisive knowledge and remarks.

 

So, wait, Offroad France, you get your news from a liberal comedy show? I recognize a good number of those actors from British television shows and movies I've seen. While I may agree with what they're saying in their comedic dialectic but I also remember the right wing media in this country tarring Jon Stewert because his show wasn't real news, just liberal wisecracking. Seems like what I saw in the clip you posted.

My thoughts on this "fake news" problems range from the reality that this is not the first time we've seen it in America. Sadly, most people just have such a miserable sense of history that they've never even heard the expression "yellow journalism." They probably don't know anything about, to cite one example, the newspaper wars that were waged in the last decade of the 19th century in US cities. Pulitzer and Hearst fought an ugly war with little regard for publishing actual facts. Hearst, single handedly, with insane stories of the mistreatment of American women at the hand of Spaniards in Cuba, launched the Spanish American War. "Remember the Maine" was the cry. The battleship had exploded in Havana Harbor, no proof of sabotage was ever found but that didn't matter. We went to war.

I guess what all of this really comes down to for me is that it is the responsibility of the citizenry to perform due diligence, to remain informed and to actively route out the BS. Sadly, today, children are not taught history so right off the bat they are at a distinct disadvantage.

Here's a good example. Got to a site like InforWars and read an article about Syria and Assad. Then scroll down to the comments and find people saying things like the Assad family are good people, they've never done anything to the US. We should have supported them when moderate Arabs revolted against the family. REALLY?????

I'll just point out one example of how the Assad family has been dangerous to the US, US interested and the interested of our allies. Assad and his father have been in bed with Hezbollah (****e's) for ever. In fact, it was with Syrian help that Hezbollah destroyed what was once a beautiful city, Beruit, in a very western country, Lebanon. Here's the kicker, it was Hezbollah backed extremists who drove a truck laden with explosives through the gates of a US compound, into a barrack where 241 Marines and 58 French soldiers were killed.

So when I see people advocate for the the Assad family and cheer Aleppo being overrun, it makes me sick to my stomach. The blood lust, fueled by people unaware of the history of that region is awful. For those who want to tear up the Iran Nuclear deal, you realize that Assad and Iran are as thick as thieves.

If you want to be able to understand, appreciate and parse through the news then first start with educating yourself and not just from one perspective. Read as much as you can from as many sides as possible. You might be aware that Truman called for the forced enlistment in the army of any striking railroad employees back in 1946. An interested interpretation of the Constitution. My point is, we've had all forms of CRAZY occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Ave over out 230 years of existence but only by having an understanding of our history can we every be able to really see what's going on today.

 

Hi Paul, I agree with you, I posted the clip as a 'tongue in cheek' dig at all the establishment rather than serious intent.

I do read many broadsheets, a great political cross section, UK, US, European etc but they all tell misleading info.

I was in the middle east during the 1967 6 day war and latterly in 1973. I vividly remember the Golan battles instigated by Assad's father. They showed no mercy back then so I don't feel sorry now at the plight of the Syrians, c'est la vie.

Assad will get his comeuppence sooner or later as his cosying up to the Russians will not save him as they are only interested in his strategic geographic place in the region, nothing else.

As for Hezbollah and Hamas, I clearly remember their involvements in the Gaza and Lebanon and the mess left behind of Beirut.

Unfortunately propaganda has been a feature of war and politics for nearly 2 thousand years but insidious 'fake news' is more of a political tool featured in the last decade or so and increasingly used knowing many of the populace are less aware or well read, in fact, thicker than ever before. They might be canny about FB, Instagram, Twitter or Twatter or whatever but in basic logical thinking many are just thick.

Fortunately at my age I have not to worry about the future and as far as I'm concerned the upcoming generations can sort out their own problems (if they can find time from gormlessly staring into their smart phones) as did our parents after WW2 and their parents after WW1.

Personally, I don't give a fig whether the UK stays in the EU or leaves, whatever now they will suffer the consequences either way, so 'you make the bed you lie on it' and if they didn't/couldn't be bothered to apply their brain cells before the vote it's their funeral now, too late.

Me, I take a recumbent position and watch the game with amusement from the baseline.

 

"but insidious 'fake news' is more of a political tool featured in the last decade or so and increasingly used knowing many of the populace are less aware or well read, in fact, thicker than ever before."

Therein lies the crux of the problem.

I thought this was an interesting article that speaks to the ease with which fake news can course through political dialog. It's from the Smithsonian Magazine to take that for what it's worth.

The Remedy for the Spread of Fake News? History Teachers | History | Smithsonian

One of the biggest concerns I have, these days, is the spread of the "new" political pundit who had avenues for reaching large numbers of people with the freedom to say virtually anything without recourse. What I'm speaking specifically of are the podcast and youtube channels that have proliferated over the last ten years or so. Anyone with a smartphone can set up a youtube channel. Depending on how outrageous you are you can collect views, subscriptions and a lot of money for your effort. The only checks are how many clicks you get, not how right or wrong you may be.

In an earlier discussion I saw more than one link posted for the InfoWars/Planet Prison/Alex Jones channel(s). Alex has been a purveyor of alternative news for a couple of decades. The arrival of youtube and podcasts have helped to vault him to the front lines of alternative news. He is crafty in many of his presentations. For example he doesn't quite say something did or didn't happen but he likes to present alternative interpretations of new events. The result is a cadre of InfoWars fans who, in almost robot like mimicry, spread, as the gospel, interpretations as facts.

One that is particularly hurtful to my wife and I is the contention that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. Type Sandy Hook Hoax into youtube and you get over a quarter of a million hits. Go to the Alex Jones youtube site and you can see dozens and dozens of videos all showing the impossibility of Sandy Hook ever occurring.

We live about 15 miles from Sandy Hook, my wife worked at a small shop for years in Sandy Hook, my wife and I worked at a farmers market that was held a couple of hundred yards from the Sandy Hook Elementary School, my wife and I KNEW two families that lost children in that horror. How the F*&k can anyone believe the BS that comes out of the mouth of such an addled mind as Alex Jones.

This is the same man who spent hours and hours on his website, news show and youtube channel expousing the belief that a pizza parlor in DC had underground chambers where children were held for sexual favors for the political elites. The minute a lunatic took a gun, stode into Ping Pong Pizza, blew the lock off a back door where the perpetrator was convinced he would find child slaves (thanks to the promptings of Alex Jones and others) and was arrested, Alex Jones changed his tune. Rather than talk specifically about Ping Pong Pizza he started talking about the need to not get distracted by this small event. That everyone needed to keep an eye on the bigger picture (whatever the hell that was at the moment).

Now, you want to see something even more frightening? Go to the comment section for ANY story on any of Alex Jones' sites.

All the while, interspersed among the screeds are adverts for everything from "Super Male Vitality" to "Brain Force Plus" or "Survival Shield." No, these are not adverts from outside sources, these are all products from Alex Jones to you, the general public.

Look, I'm right there with you Offroad, when it comes to the faults of the media. I like to believe the radical change occurred here in the US when major networks began to roll the news division budget in with entertainment. This is something that began in the 1970's. The movie "Network" was a clarion call to arms for those who feared what was to become of news in the US. Couple that with the removal, in the 1980's, of the Fairness Doctrine which required that networks provide equal time for opposing opinions and televised news was already pretty wobbly. Add to that the creation of the 24 hour news cycle and we were off to manufacture whatever might draw eyeballs to the boob tube. The pervasiveness of the internet with the likes of youtube, FB, ect and it's game over.

I know that it was Nietzsche who spoke of the impossibility of truth. There was nothing but perspective and interpretation. Facts were only what we molded to help convey or personal interest. For anyone reiterating this concept I suggest they actually read "Twilight of the Gods" in an effort to gain some geniune understanding Nietzsche's positions on "moral" facts.

 

I'm on a similar wavelength Paul, I really detest the way the world has evolved and the scummy people and politicians use the people as their pawns and playthings to their own ends be it power, politics or both.

This makes interesting reading Paul, Nietzsche, Beyond good and evil, it highlights the failings most never even realise but only some deep thinkers visualise.

"I know that it was Nietzsche who spoke of the impossibility of truth. There was nothing but perspective and interpretation".

Sadly, it is so true but many haven't the intellect to see the interpretation, the perspective or even the truth, lemmings to the cliff edge it sometimes appears.