Love your article .. will try to get on zoom as I believe the issue of misinformation is a central point that needs to be attacked if anything is going to change by the next election. Being an engineer I believe in the use of data to help make decisions and I am know for going on rants about why isn’t there a central place to go that has factual data .. hmmmm this sounds a lot like trying to stop the misinformation news !!! I AM IN!
Oh my gosh, your background is perfect for this! Also, taking action is better than fretting (I feel better every time I publish an article)! Thank you!
“We can’t expect our fellow Americans to “know better” when nobody defends them against the cesspool of lies.”
This is a great piece, but I sincerely disagree with this particular statement. While I agree that not as enough is being done to cut through the disinformation, I think people need to own their own ignorance. I fully understand that many people in red states grow up under authoritarian indoctrination, reinforced by their communities. But why do many, who are raised in that environment, end up rejecting it? There is personal responsibility to consider.
I see what you’re saying and I agree with your point. I’ve even defended that at times. But I’m growing increasingly frustrated with the way the media allows misinformation to be blasted out on major platforms all the time. I’ve had the privilege of a good education. Not everybody has, and those people aren’t as equipped to see the flaws as I am (and even I miss them sometimes). Valid comment, thank you!
Hmm… who owns the people who own the media? Don’t they all depend in one way or another-as I do as I read and write this-on that array of satellites overhead?
Walter, I hear you and I’ve been where you are now on this issue. But now I have lost all empathy for white privileged people who think they have the worst lot in this country.
This is not a new thing- the history of the United States has shown that it has hardly always been "united" on anything. And, specifically, the media has usually been at fault for that. Newspapers in America from the 18th century to the early 20th century were heavily slanted to partisan politics and used heated rhetoric regularly to condemn opponents (Mark Twain parodied this in some of his stories, particularly in "How I Edited An Agricultural Paper"). The idea of a truly objective approach to media journalism is a relatively recent invention, and it can only work if the media sector has ownership and management independent of corporate forces- which is does not have at this moment.
There should always be a place for independent journalism, but, increasingly, it has been something journalists have had to create from scratch online. And put behind paywalls here....
David Perlmutter, what a remarkably fine and fitting comment.
Having lived in the mountains for the vast majority of my life, I am a rural American clean down to my bones. As you might expect, I am continually alienated by urban, suburban, and exurban Americans ignorant and hateful stereotyping of rural Americans. This stereotyping has made it difficult for me to cast my votes based on reason, knowledge and experience, rather than the childish pleasure of kicking them in the face, the same way they kick us.
Mark Twain's story made your point perfectly. Its a short story and I too, recommend people read it (link below). For now, a quick summary.
The editor of a small farming community's newspaper is taking a vacation and asks Mark Twain to fill in while he is gone. Mark Twain agrees and writes articles and editorials for the newspaper. Unexpectedly, the editor returns from vacation early and proceeds to have the following 'conversation' with Mark Twain.
“The editor was looking sad and perplexed and dejected.
He surveyed the wreck which that old rioter and these two young farmers had made, and then said: "This is a sad business—a very sad business. There is the mucilage-bottle broken, and six panes of glass, and a spittoon, and two candlesticks. But that is not the worst. The reputation of the paper is injured—and permanently, I fear. True, there never was such a call for the paper before, and it never sold such a large edition or soared to such celebrity; but does one want to be famous for lunacy, and prosper upon the infirmities of his mind? My friend, as I am an honest man, the street out here is full of people, and others are roosting on the fences, waiting to get a glimpse of you, because they think you are crazy. And well they might after reading your editorials. They are a disgrace to journalism. Why, what put it into your head that you could edit a paper of this nature? You do not seem to know the first rudiments of agriculture. You speak of a furrow and a harrow as being the same thing; you talk of the moulting season for cows; and you recommend the domestication of the polecat on account of its playfulness and its excellence as a ratter! Your remark that clams will lie quiet if music be played to them was superfluous—entirely superfluous. Nothing disturbs clams. Clams always lie quiet. Clams care nothing whatever about music. Ah, heavens and earth, friend! if you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could to-day. I never saw anything like it. Your observation that the horse-chestnut as an article of commerce is steadily gaining in favor, is simply calculated to destroy this journal. I want you to throw up your situation and go. I want no more holiday—I could not enjoy it if I had it. Certainly not with you in my chair. I would always stand in dread of what you might be going to recommend next. It makes me lose all patience every time I think of your discussing oyster-beds under the head of 'Landscape Gardening.' I want you to go. Nothing on earth could persuade me to take another holiday. Oh! why didn't you tell me you didn't know anything about agriculture?"
Mark Twain replies to the editor, saying…
"Tell you, you cornstalk, you cabbage, you son of a cauliflower? It's the first time I ever heard such an unfeeling remark. I tell you I have been in the editorial business going on fourteen years, and it is the first time I ever heard of a man's having to know anything in order to edit a newspaper. You turnip! Who write the dramatic critiques for the second-rate papers? Why, a parcel of promoted shoemakers and apprentice apothecaries, who know just as much about good acting as I do about good farming and no more. Who review the books? People who never wrote one. Who do up the heavy leaders on finance? Parties who have had the largest opportunities for knowing nothing about it. Who criticise the Indian campaigns? Gentlemen who do not know a warwhoop from a wigwam, and who never have had to run a foot-race with a tomahawk, or pluck arrows out of the several members of their families to build the evening campfire with. Who write the temperance appeals, and clamor about the flowing bowl? Folks who will never draw another sober breath till they do it in the grave. Who edit the agricultural papers, you—yam? Men, as a general thing, who fail in the poetry line, yellow-colored novel line, sensation-drama line, city-editor line, and finally fall back on agriculture as a temporary reprieve from the poor-house. You try to tell me anything about the newspaper business! Sir, I have been through it from Alpha to Omaha, and I tell you that the less a man knows the bigger the noise he makes and the higher the salary he commands. Heaven knows if I had but been ignorant instead of cultivated, and impudent instead of diffident, I could have made a name for myself in this cold selfish world. I take my leave, sir. Since I have been treated as you have treated me, I am perfectly willing to go. But I have done my duty. I have fulfilled my contract as far as I was permitted to do it. I said I could make your paper of interest to all classes—and I have. I said I could run your circulation up to twenty thousand copies, and if I had had two more weeks I'd have done it. And I'd have given you the best class of readers that ever an agricultural paper had—not a farmer in it, nor a solitary individual who could tell a watermelon-tree from a peach-vine to save his life. You are the loser by this rupture, not me, Pie-plant. Adios.
Great piece, except for what I feel is minimizing bigotry/sexism. Gender isn't the problem, misogyny (and racism) are. A LOT of men going to the polls said they would not vote for a woman, ever. And half of wyt women voted against their best interests. That's not from Russia.
But every day I am shocked that we allow the non-stop lying to continue. This country is letting it go on as if it's not capable of destroying minds and countries, as well as relationships (unity), which make up the fabric of the country. I watch as nothing is done about any of it, and it's hardly even talked about ... as if this onslaught of mind bombs isn't the most dangerous enemy we have right now.
The other issue here is brainwashing. You said you pushed back with someone about the economy -- I can guess, but what was their response? NOT ONE person I have spoken with, particularly my indoctrinated, hateful mother, is open to even the slightest amount of real information if it goes against what they want to believe. She gets something out of hating "liberals" and mentally depending on The Five on Fox. This has become her identity, and she believes a truckload of shocking things that are objectively false (also, no college education). It seems to me, we're past any point of normal communication, as their beliefs are like stone now. I am at the point where, after this election, I don't know that I can ever speak to her again. She chose a r*pist liar democracy-killer over her own daughter and well-being.
So far, Putin has won. And the ignorant among us have zero clue about it.
As a vulnerable citizen as well as deeply empathetic, I personally right now am in total despair. I'm glad you started by mentioning your crying, because that helped indicate how much this all hurts for you too before I read the rest.
I have spoken with people who have looked surprised when I've provided a counter argument that they haven't heard in the media. I think if the Democrats were more mindful of how much they lag behind in messaging, they'd greatly improve their chances. Instead, they're too quick to leverage gender and race to limit who they select as candidates in the future. My argument isn't to minimize misogyny or racism, but to ensure the DNC doesn't disqualify those candidates out of hand.
Oh, my mother literally has not one fact in her head. Not one. And she's narcissistically grandiose about her uninformed opinions. It's awful, so I can't engage mostly. And the other people I have tried to engage with are deep down the rabbit hole and seem to love it there. Ugh. Sometimes on media I'll see someone engage someone who gets an eye-opener for real, but when it happens with my mother, she'll seem to agree then walks right back into her BS bubble.
I really hadn't thought about this thing you speak of regarding limiting who they select. You're kind of implying the DEI trope, in a way, no? Can you say more about this? Everyone deserves representation, and I don't see their choices being usually anything but the same level of qualifications as any other person.
I am with you completely that Democrats have failed in certain ways regarding information. I just feel like more could be done and can't understand why it's not.
I agree with you but literally no one in the media seems to care. My last 3 notes were about misinformation in the media here on Substack which got zero traction. The first 2 notes are about the Health and Wellness category promoting stories about the Covid 19 vaccines being responsible for 17 million deaths in the Southern Hemisphere. It took me 5 minutes to uncover that a number of the author’s sources, including his own and those of the doctor who runs the stack, have been withdrawn or retracted because they haven’t been proven. I’m talking about the number one story in the category here on Substack and no one cares because of First Amendment free speech. My 3rd note was about current legislation the restricts social media from posting any content that might be construed as prostitution. The effect is a ban on all the major platforms of even the word sex. So no sex education content, anything showing women’s bodies unrelated to birth or nursing which disproportionately impacts women and other marginalized groups. I don’t agree with these laws, but just showing how a moral agenda is governing censorship, limiting First Amendment rights which most people don’t seem to care about either. This is a bipartisan issue as Democrats and Republicans have sponsored laws limiting free speech based on their moral beliefs about sex, but can’t be bothered to confront stories with faulty data driven by a desire to manipulate the public for money and power.
I find myself not caring anymore if America eats itself. I'm just trying to figure out where the new underground railroad would lead. When they come to round up my students and their families, where do they look for help and hope? If I wanted to help them escape danger here in the US, where can they dream of?
I feel we all need comfort and inner strength to face our current inner fears. Let's be present in the moment and embrace our humanity with empathy and respect for all people.
I love these quotations from Frank Herbert in 'Dune', which seems so very appropriate at this time in our lives.
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little- death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
What terrible things we do to those we love!
"How would you like to live billions upon billions of lives?" Paul asked. "There's a fabric of legends for you! Think of all those experiences, the wisdom they'd bring. But wisdom tempers love, doesn't it? And it puts a new shape on hate. How can you tell what's ruthless unless you've plumbed the depths of both cruelty and kindness?"
Love your article .. will try to get on zoom as I believe the issue of misinformation is a central point that needs to be attacked if anything is going to change by the next election. Being an engineer I believe in the use of data to help make decisions and I am know for going on rants about why isn’t there a central place to go that has factual data .. hmmmm this sounds a lot like trying to stop the misinformation news !!! I AM IN!
Oh my gosh, your background is perfect for this! Also, taking action is better than fretting (I feel better every time I publish an article)! Thank you!
“We can’t expect our fellow Americans to “know better” when nobody defends them against the cesspool of lies.”
This is a great piece, but I sincerely disagree with this particular statement. While I agree that not as enough is being done to cut through the disinformation, I think people need to own their own ignorance. I fully understand that many people in red states grow up under authoritarian indoctrination, reinforced by their communities. But why do many, who are raised in that environment, end up rejecting it? There is personal responsibility to consider.
I see what you’re saying and I agree with your point. I’ve even defended that at times. But I’m growing increasingly frustrated with the way the media allows misinformation to be blasted out on major platforms all the time. I’ve had the privilege of a good education. Not everybody has, and those people aren’t as equipped to see the flaws as I am (and even I miss them sometimes). Valid comment, thank you!
Hmm… who owns the people who own the media? Don’t they all depend in one way or another-as I do as I read and write this-on that array of satellites overhead?
Walter, I hear you and I’ve been where you are now on this issue. But now I have lost all empathy for white privileged people who think they have the worst lot in this country.
And who think that oppressing other people is the way to lift themselves up.
Sorry, but this is where I’m at today.
https://substack.com/@chrisberrie/note/p-151386982?r=ap54k&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Sorry, but this is where I’m at today.
https://substack.com/@chrisberrie/note/p-151386982?r=ap54k&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
This is not a new thing- the history of the United States has shown that it has hardly always been "united" on anything. And, specifically, the media has usually been at fault for that. Newspapers in America from the 18th century to the early 20th century were heavily slanted to partisan politics and used heated rhetoric regularly to condemn opponents (Mark Twain parodied this in some of his stories, particularly in "How I Edited An Agricultural Paper"). The idea of a truly objective approach to media journalism is a relatively recent invention, and it can only work if the media sector has ownership and management independent of corporate forces- which is does not have at this moment.
There should always be a place for independent journalism, but, increasingly, it has been something journalists have had to create from scratch online. And put behind paywalls here....
David Perlmutter, what a remarkably fine and fitting comment.
Having lived in the mountains for the vast majority of my life, I am a rural American clean down to my bones. As you might expect, I am continually alienated by urban, suburban, and exurban Americans ignorant and hateful stereotyping of rural Americans. This stereotyping has made it difficult for me to cast my votes based on reason, knowledge and experience, rather than the childish pleasure of kicking them in the face, the same way they kick us.
Mark Twain's story made your point perfectly. Its a short story and I too, recommend people read it (link below). For now, a quick summary.
The editor of a small farming community's newspaper is taking a vacation and asks Mark Twain to fill in while he is gone. Mark Twain agrees and writes articles and editorials for the newspaper. Unexpectedly, the editor returns from vacation early and proceeds to have the following 'conversation' with Mark Twain.
“The editor was looking sad and perplexed and dejected.
He surveyed the wreck which that old rioter and these two young farmers had made, and then said: "This is a sad business—a very sad business. There is the mucilage-bottle broken, and six panes of glass, and a spittoon, and two candlesticks. But that is not the worst. The reputation of the paper is injured—and permanently, I fear. True, there never was such a call for the paper before, and it never sold such a large edition or soared to such celebrity; but does one want to be famous for lunacy, and prosper upon the infirmities of his mind? My friend, as I am an honest man, the street out here is full of people, and others are roosting on the fences, waiting to get a glimpse of you, because they think you are crazy. And well they might after reading your editorials. They are a disgrace to journalism. Why, what put it into your head that you could edit a paper of this nature? You do not seem to know the first rudiments of agriculture. You speak of a furrow and a harrow as being the same thing; you talk of the moulting season for cows; and you recommend the domestication of the polecat on account of its playfulness and its excellence as a ratter! Your remark that clams will lie quiet if music be played to them was superfluous—entirely superfluous. Nothing disturbs clams. Clams always lie quiet. Clams care nothing whatever about music. Ah, heavens and earth, friend! if you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could to-day. I never saw anything like it. Your observation that the horse-chestnut as an article of commerce is steadily gaining in favor, is simply calculated to destroy this journal. I want you to throw up your situation and go. I want no more holiday—I could not enjoy it if I had it. Certainly not with you in my chair. I would always stand in dread of what you might be going to recommend next. It makes me lose all patience every time I think of your discussing oyster-beds under the head of 'Landscape Gardening.' I want you to go. Nothing on earth could persuade me to take another holiday. Oh! why didn't you tell me you didn't know anything about agriculture?"
Mark Twain replies to the editor, saying…
"Tell you, you cornstalk, you cabbage, you son of a cauliflower? It's the first time I ever heard such an unfeeling remark. I tell you I have been in the editorial business going on fourteen years, and it is the first time I ever heard of a man's having to know anything in order to edit a newspaper. You turnip! Who write the dramatic critiques for the second-rate papers? Why, a parcel of promoted shoemakers and apprentice apothecaries, who know just as much about good acting as I do about good farming and no more. Who review the books? People who never wrote one. Who do up the heavy leaders on finance? Parties who have had the largest opportunities for knowing nothing about it. Who criticise the Indian campaigns? Gentlemen who do not know a warwhoop from a wigwam, and who never have had to run a foot-race with a tomahawk, or pluck arrows out of the several members of their families to build the evening campfire with. Who write the temperance appeals, and clamor about the flowing bowl? Folks who will never draw another sober breath till they do it in the grave. Who edit the agricultural papers, you—yam? Men, as a general thing, who fail in the poetry line, yellow-colored novel line, sensation-drama line, city-editor line, and finally fall back on agriculture as a temporary reprieve from the poor-house. You try to tell me anything about the newspaper business! Sir, I have been through it from Alpha to Omaha, and I tell you that the less a man knows the bigger the noise he makes and the higher the salary he commands. Heaven knows if I had but been ignorant instead of cultivated, and impudent instead of diffident, I could have made a name for myself in this cold selfish world. I take my leave, sir. Since I have been treated as you have treated me, I am perfectly willing to go. But I have done my duty. I have fulfilled my contract as far as I was permitted to do it. I said I could make your paper of interest to all classes—and I have. I said I could run your circulation up to twenty thousand copies, and if I had had two more weeks I'd have done it. And I'd have given you the best class of readers that ever an agricultural paper had—not a farmer in it, nor a solitary individual who could tell a watermelon-tree from a peach-vine to save his life. You are the loser by this rupture, not me, Pie-plant. Adios.
I then left.”
https://americanliterature.com/author/mark-twain/short-story/how-i-edited-an-agricultural-paper/
Are you the same Raffey from medium?
yes, its me
Great piece, except for what I feel is minimizing bigotry/sexism. Gender isn't the problem, misogyny (and racism) are. A LOT of men going to the polls said they would not vote for a woman, ever. And half of wyt women voted against their best interests. That's not from Russia.
But every day I am shocked that we allow the non-stop lying to continue. This country is letting it go on as if it's not capable of destroying minds and countries, as well as relationships (unity), which make up the fabric of the country. I watch as nothing is done about any of it, and it's hardly even talked about ... as if this onslaught of mind bombs isn't the most dangerous enemy we have right now.
The other issue here is brainwashing. You said you pushed back with someone about the economy -- I can guess, but what was their response? NOT ONE person I have spoken with, particularly my indoctrinated, hateful mother, is open to even the slightest amount of real information if it goes against what they want to believe. She gets something out of hating "liberals" and mentally depending on The Five on Fox. This has become her identity, and she believes a truckload of shocking things that are objectively false (also, no college education). It seems to me, we're past any point of normal communication, as their beliefs are like stone now. I am at the point where, after this election, I don't know that I can ever speak to her again. She chose a r*pist liar democracy-killer over her own daughter and well-being.
So far, Putin has won. And the ignorant among us have zero clue about it.
As a vulnerable citizen as well as deeply empathetic, I personally right now am in total despair. I'm glad you started by mentioning your crying, because that helped indicate how much this all hurts for you too before I read the rest.
I have spoken with people who have looked surprised when I've provided a counter argument that they haven't heard in the media. I think if the Democrats were more mindful of how much they lag behind in messaging, they'd greatly improve their chances. Instead, they're too quick to leverage gender and race to limit who they select as candidates in the future. My argument isn't to minimize misogyny or racism, but to ensure the DNC doesn't disqualify those candidates out of hand.
Oh, my mother literally has not one fact in her head. Not one. And she's narcissistically grandiose about her uninformed opinions. It's awful, so I can't engage mostly. And the other people I have tried to engage with are deep down the rabbit hole and seem to love it there. Ugh. Sometimes on media I'll see someone engage someone who gets an eye-opener for real, but when it happens with my mother, she'll seem to agree then walks right back into her BS bubble.
I really hadn't thought about this thing you speak of regarding limiting who they select. You're kind of implying the DEI trope, in a way, no? Can you say more about this? Everyone deserves representation, and I don't see their choices being usually anything but the same level of qualifications as any other person.
I am with you completely that Democrats have failed in certain ways regarding information. I just feel like more could be done and can't understand why it's not.
I agree with you but literally no one in the media seems to care. My last 3 notes were about misinformation in the media here on Substack which got zero traction. The first 2 notes are about the Health and Wellness category promoting stories about the Covid 19 vaccines being responsible for 17 million deaths in the Southern Hemisphere. It took me 5 minutes to uncover that a number of the author’s sources, including his own and those of the doctor who runs the stack, have been withdrawn or retracted because they haven’t been proven. I’m talking about the number one story in the category here on Substack and no one cares because of First Amendment free speech. My 3rd note was about current legislation the restricts social media from posting any content that might be construed as prostitution. The effect is a ban on all the major platforms of even the word sex. So no sex education content, anything showing women’s bodies unrelated to birth or nursing which disproportionately impacts women and other marginalized groups. I don’t agree with these laws, but just showing how a moral agenda is governing censorship, limiting First Amendment rights which most people don’t seem to care about either. This is a bipartisan issue as Democrats and Republicans have sponsored laws limiting free speech based on their moral beliefs about sex, but can’t be bothered to confront stories with faulty data driven by a desire to manipulate the public for money and power.
I find myself not caring anymore if America eats itself. I'm just trying to figure out where the new underground railroad would lead. When they come to round up my students and their families, where do they look for help and hope? If I wanted to help them escape danger here in the US, where can they dream of?
Been following, reading and listening to you for a while and I can just hear the hurt in your voice in your last couple of voice overs 😔
I'm having a hard time. But we will get through this. Thank you!
I feel we all need comfort and inner strength to face our current inner fears. Let's be present in the moment and embrace our humanity with empathy and respect for all people.
I love these quotations from Frank Herbert in 'Dune', which seems so very appropriate at this time in our lives.
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little- death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
What terrible things we do to those we love!
"How would you like to live billions upon billions of lives?" Paul asked. "There's a fabric of legends for you! Think of all those experiences, the wisdom they'd bring. But wisdom tempers love, doesn't it? And it puts a new shape on hate. How can you tell what's ruthless unless you've plumbed the depths of both cruelty and kindness?"