Hate Sells category archive
A Notion of Immigrants 0
A false notion, spread, natch, on “social” media.
The Disinformation Industrial Complex 0
At the Las Vegas Sun, Mary Blankenship looks at how our polity has become flooded with lies and falsehoods; she points out that
Follow the link for her reasoning.
And, in a similar vein, Robert Jay Lifton looks at a recent book about Timothy McVeigh and explores the influences that led him to violence.
Given the state of dis coarse discourse, both pieces are worth your while.
None Dare Call It Terrorism . . . 0
. . . because, as the Rude One points out, they are terrified. He cites an article from The Atlantic (warning: language):
Still Rising Again After All These Years 0
At the Idaho State Journal, Leonard Hitchcock looks at the current threat of the New Secesh. His summary gives one pause:
Nevertheless, he finds some straws at which to grasp. He outlines them at the link.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Mike and Farron point out that the “crazy right’s” (to use their term) hate exacts a price.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Methinks that Emma Lazarus’s The New Collosus is in sore need of being brought up to date (the edit is italicized).
Herewith I offer an updated version:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
And I will assault them in the street.”
If you look carefully, you can find why I recommend the revision.
Twits on Twitter X Offenders
0
At the Bangor Daily News, Susan Young discusses Elon Musk’s sinister scapegoating. A snippet:
According to Musk, the company’s loss of ad revenue isn’t due to his mismanagement of the company. Or to the foolish renaming of one of the world’s best known companies or the firing of many of its competent employees. Or the platform’s alarming rise in hate speech.
No, it’s because Jews . . . .
I commend her entire article to your attention.
(Misplaced tag placed.)
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Field wonders why so may Trumpettes are willing to life in a fantasy world, believing that Donald Trump won the election and the Deep State is plotting against him, then decides, well, the answer is simple, really.
Twits on Twitter X Offenders
0
Snopes unpacks (yet another) lie about vaccines.
In related news, self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk is making noises about suing the Anti-Defamation League for ” (wait for it) exercising free speech.
And we have another example that “social” media isn’t.
More Mean for the Sake of Mean 0
Apparently, there’s nothing more satisfying than kicking people when they are down.
Base Desires 0
Michel in Norfolk argues that Hillary Clinton was right about the deplorables. A snippet:
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Francis Wilkinson considers Donald Trump’s slogan and asks, “‘Make America great again’ for just whom, exactly?”
Follow the link for her answer.
Decoding de Code 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Ravi Chandra offers some guidelines for recognizing mis- and disinformation is dis coarse discourse. Here’s a couple that seem particularly pertinent; follow the link for the complete list.
7. Are they primarily out to benefit themselves?
8. If you think they are trying to primarily benefit themselves or a particular demographic or socioeconomic group or faction, what risk do they pose to those outside their group or faction?
What’s in a Word? 0
At the Bangor Daily News, Ellen Dohmen tries to make sense of the fuss over “woke.” A bit of her article:
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Howard J. Rankin suggests that we need to be wary of AI. He makes three main points (emphasis added); follow the link for a detailed exploration of each one.
- The biggest risk of AI comes from the potential manipulation of people: brainwashing.
- Fake news is a tool for divisiveness and brainwashing.
- Humans are using AI to create and spread fake news, not the other way around.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Nigel Barber takes a look at mounting evidence that “social” media isn’t. A snippet (emphasis in the original):
The Hateful Algorithm: Do Lots of Evil and Get Richly Rewarded
Contrary to the “do no evil” motto, social media companies can, at times, amplify political divisions and hatred. Their algorithms promote content that grabs attention, and the most effective way of doing this is often by boosting hateful speech that garners outrage and engagement. So, social media platforms are not just giving a megaphone to paranoid conspiracies but generally profiting from such dangerous rants because greater engagement translates into more advertising dollars.
I commend his piece to your attention.
The Transmogrification 0
Dick Polman marvels at the state of today’s Republican Cult of Trump Party. A snippet; follow the link for the rest.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
A reference in a Philo Vance mystery led me to pull out my old copy of The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology* the other day.
As I was idly thumbing through it, it occurred to me that there are many similarities in the events it recounts and the current Republican-fed hysteria over “grooming,” trans kids, and LGBTQ+ in general. Both are based on fiction, feed on ignorance and fear, and persecute the innocent and faultless, while empowering the despotic and tyrannical, who cynically exploit them.
I’m sure more parallels will come to me over time.
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*I’ve had the book for years. I got it in connection with a research paper I was doing back in the olden days, when I was a young ‘un.