Political Theatre category archive

At the Des Moines Register, Dr. Greg Ganske, a retired Republican congressman and physician, discusses the dangers posed by AI, deepfakes, and other lies to our polity; he goes on to suggest some strategies for defending against deception on the Disinformation Superhighway. I have a few quibbles with some of remarks he makes in passing, but I think his piece is timely and well worth a read.

Here’s a summary of his suggestions (emphasis in the original):

• Develop a critical mindset. Napoleon once said, “Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.” If you see a suspicious post like the one cited at the beginning of this piece, be skeptical and check the original source. . . .
• Find out if a source is reliable by asking some questions. “About us” pages are easy to fake. Make sure you know the source really exists; find out if the story really came from them. . . .
• Check the facts and quotes from the experts in the story and beware of statistics. The old saying goes, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Statistics can be manipulated to bolster both sides of an argument if taken out of context. . . .

I would add one suggestion:

Don’t rely on “social” media as a source of news (or, for that matter, information of any sort). If you see something on “social” media, verify it elsewhere, because “social” media isn’t.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gene Collier offers commentary.

Aside:

Many years ago, when I lived in northern Delaware and worked in Philly, we had some great Wildwood Days of our own during summer vacations.

PoliticalProf.

At the Kansas City Star, Tom Heehler argues forcefully that America’s democracy is in danger because media (I’m paraphrasing here) news media is sacrificing reporting on facts, actions, and behavior to reporting on “he said she said” under the guise of fairness.

He calls it “blue sky journalism, which he defines as follows:

Blue-sky journalism is more insidious and dangerous than yellow journalism because it’s subtle and slick and classy, in the same way that subtle and slick and classy racism is more effective than a mulleted screamer with a pointy white hood and a tiki torch he got on sale at a big box store. Blue-sky journalism is respectable because it’s perpetrated by respectable journalists who probably don’t shop there, folks who move with ease in the bluest of circles, like Anderson Cooper, Chris Licht, Carrie Budoff Brown and Lesley Stahl.

Inevitably, in today’s ratings-obsessed newsrooms, for every Jake Tapper or Margaret Brennan or Abby Phillip with the backbone to say no, there’s a Kaitlan Collins with the ambition to say yes, to platform a demagogue in the name of “fairness to both sides.” At least that’s what she tells herself — presumably — in makeup before going on air: “Mirror mirror on the wall, I do this not for ratings at all. I do this because I’m a good, objective, nonpartisan journalist, and doggone it, both sides deserve to be heard.”

Mangy comments at the Youtube page:

Mangy Fetlocks never ceases to be amazed at the depths to which Republican politicians will go to curry favor with a twice-impeached, pussy- grabbing multiply-indicted failed ex-president. For a party ostensibly waving the flag of “real men”, “honor”, “independence” and “patriotism”, they seem to display NONE of those traits.

Writing at the Charlotte Observer, law professor Gene Nichol is less than sanguine about the actions of our current Supreme Supremacist Court.

Via Balloon Juice.