Conspiracy theories are spreading rapidly on the Internet. And they find an audience that believes them. Scientists are studying why people have a tendency to believe nonsense is true. The Internet has profoundly changed our thinking in less than two decades. No other medium has manipulated human behavior to such an extent. The Internet can… Continue reading Cognitive Bias and Conspiracy Theories on the Internet (Deutsche Welle, 2 Jul 2020)
Tag: democracy
The Time When 193 ‘Local New’ Stations Across the Country Were Given a Script to Read
Here’s a story about “The Time When 193 ‘Local New’ Stations Across the Country Were Given a Script to Read.” Viewers assumed the message was local. It wasn’t. It was centrally distributed propaganda. No. It didn’t happen in Soviet Russia or Mao’s China, it happened in the United States — recently. This is what happens… Continue reading The Time When 193 ‘Local New’ Stations Across the Country Were Given a Script to Read
“Dark Money” – A PBS Documentary about Buying Controlling Interest in America and Democracy
Democracy is supposed to function as a distributed form of collective self-governance with equal collaborative input and influence from all citizens. Just as an individual with self-control is free, a people who are self-governed through a democratic process are free. However, if a small number of people gain controlling interest in the political system, it… Continue reading “Dark Money” – A PBS Documentary about Buying Controlling Interest in America and Democracy
Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Five Levels of Race Awareness in America
U.S. Election Turns to Race This past week, the U.S. presidential election brought the issue of race to the forefront of our national public dialog. This was ignited by a heated exchange between the presidential frontrunners who were each trying to prove they weren’t as racist as their opponent. Struggling for the Black vote, each candidate… Continue reading Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Five Levels of Race Awareness in America
A Government of the People
According to many historic accounts, the United States was established with the intension that it would be a country of self-governance and democracy. In other words, “A government of the people.” At the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln described our government in this statement: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish… Continue reading A Government of the People
The Urgency of Youth Representation, Action, and Activism in World Democracy
Activism | Relationships Summary. Imagine a person who’s brain is only partially operational. Their thoughts, words, decisions, and behavior would likely be impeded. So it is also true when a society does not have an open balanced democratic dialog and political system which includes all people of the society regardless of age or gender. If a… Continue reading The Urgency of Youth Representation, Action, and Activism in World Democracy