On 8/16/2011 10:16 AM, andrel wrote:
> On 16-8-2011 0:04, Patrick Elliott wrote:
>> On 8/15/2011 10:29 AM, andrel wrote:
>>> I don't doubt these examples exist, and indeed I know a couple myself.
>>> Yet there are also examples of fabricated stories and rushing to
>>> conclusions by right wing politicians and columnists. I don't deny your
>>> right to be angry about things, just pointing out that you have to be
>>> very careful to avoid selective anger. You are more likely to
>>> disseminate a story where left wing people (say) make mistakes to your
>>> friends then mistakes by the other side. They will be similarly biased
>>> in what the send you and when the group is large enough, for all of you
>>> the counter examples will be drowned out completely by those that are in
>>> favour of what you already think. It is a general group bonding thing
>>> that has always worked this way. The new element might be that google
>>> and facebook are actively promoting such bonding. That is not what it is
>>> meant to do, but it may be the effect.
>
> I do appreciate your contribution, but the situation in Europe and the
> US are rather different. In a weirdness competition the US will probably
> win hands down. OTOH we have discussed that extensively in the past. I
> think that every now and then there should also be a place to discuss
> the myriad subtleties of European politics and practices without having
> to take sides in intra-US discussions. Just a though.

Sorry, didn't notice this being a Euro-centric discussion. But the same 
rules apply. We tend to either see things as everyone being inclusive, 
and misjudging how much they disagree with us, which is a better path, 
even if it ends up causing surprises, or we assume that our "in group" 
has all the right answers, and everyone else is wrong, and get *really* 
shocked, to the point of anger and hate, when they don't conform. Which 
is not terribly healthy. Yeah, there is a lot of weirdness in the US, 
but its panic weirdness. The crazies are finally realizing that they 
either need to be running the asylum, or be rendered into the same sort 
of kooks you have, instead of being elevated, by people looking for 
money and ratings, more often than not, into celebrity status. Its the 
reason why a few years back a study showed that 99% of AM radio had been 
taken over purely by right wing radio. Their ranting brought in money 
that AM was losing to every other form of media, and the centrists/left 
where not crazy enough.

Unfortunately, we have started importing some of this crazy into Europe 
too, and they function the same way, "If we don't start running the 
clinic, they will keep treating us like mental patients!" No shit. Maybe 
that should tell you something... lol

So, yeah, I may be referencing just the nuts here, as examples, but its 
hardly a non-universal phenomena. The same circular feed back exists in 
both cases, and the more circular it gets... :( I mean, you seriously 
think these kooks are not listening to some of the stuff over here and 
agreeing with them too?

Post a reply to this message