Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder2.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: AMuzi Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech Subject: Re: Facebook Account Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2024 07:31:55 -0600 Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd. Lines: 170 Message-ID: References: <9q4vcjhaj0nti7j1p7boasakb4q86vh6qr@4ax.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:31:56 +0100 (CET) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="65c23c3099f3ecdcaff26709731efa04"; logging-data="2255428"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/61qoLuqMtnHamDoQepXN6" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:EpCWuogslWcobPUBQfxGfNGgwao= In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 7834 On 11/6/2024 6:09 AM, Zen Cycle wrote: > On 11/5/2024 8:31 PM, AMuzi wrote: >> On 11/5/2024 6:33 PM, Shadow wrote: >>> On Mon, 04 Nov 2024 20:17:32 -0800, Jeff Liebermann >>> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> On Mon, 04 Nov 2024 20:15:44 -0300, Shadow >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Our biggest threat to democracy  is the media/social >>>>> media's >>>>> #FAKE_NEWS. That with a very poor public education. The >>>>> people will >>>>> believe anything... >>>> >>>> Maybe this will explain how it works.  I don't recall >>>> who told me this >>>> story.  Most likely my parents, aunts or uncles. >>>> >>>> My ancestors were mostly from Poland and Russia.  Up to >>>> the early 19th >>>> century, they didn't travel more than about 80km (50 >>>> miles) from home >>>> for their entire lives.  As is common in rural >>>> environments, strange >>>> people and strange ideas are treated with suspicion. >>>> That created a >>>> problem when they didn't know whom or what to believe. >>>> Communications >>>> and transportation was sufficiently lacking that "seeing >>>> is believing" >>>> was ineffective.  Nobody believed what someone else >>>> claimed to have >>>> seen.  Instead, it was replaced by "hearing is >>>> believing", which meant >>>> that people believed and trusted the local authority >>>> figure.  It could >>>> be a village elder, rabbi, priest, teacher or other >>>> recognized >>>> authority.  None of these had personally seen anything, >>>> but the weight >>>> of their authority was sufficient to make people listen >>>> and believe >>>> their version of reality. >>>> >>>> It's not so different today.  Instead of a choice >>>> between believing >>>> what one sees and hears, it's now a choice between what >>>> we have read >>>> on social media or viewed on YouTube.  The problem of >>>> "who to trust" >>>> is also the same.  However, instead of 2 choices, we now >>>> have hundreds >>>> of "influencers" bombarding us with their view of >>>> reality, which is >>>> typically just propaganda.  The problem isn't that >>>> people will believe >>>> "anything" but rather that they'll believe "everything" >>>> without any >>>> guidelines, education, reference, sources, authorities, >>>> etc that they >>>> can trust to help separate the truth from the >>>> propaganda.  Most >>>> politicians have given up on trying to appear honest and >>>> simply adjust >>>> their advocacy and promises to conform what their >>>> audience considers >>>> acceptable.  The mob no longer follows the leader. >>>> Instead, the >>>> leader follows whatever the mob might want. >>>> >>>> Social media and such are not threats to democracy. >>>> They are threats >>>> to the republican form of government, where we elect >>>> representatives >>>> to represent our opinions to the government.  The >>>> problem is the >>>> representatives don't use the same criteria for judgment >>>> that is used >>>> by those who elected them to office.  Politicians favor >>>> anything that >>>> will enrich them and their friends through contributions >>>> and favors. >>>> I've been involved in meetings with elected officials >>>> that make me >>>> suspect that they are very badly informed about the >>>> issues that put >>>> them in office and very well informed on the sources of >>>> cash and >>>> influence that keep them in office. >>> >>>     I sort of disagree with you. Psychopaths behind >>> companies like >>> X (ex-twitter), Meta, Google, Amakon and others more or >>> less define >>> who/what people vote for. Old fashioned media like >>> newspapers and TV >>> have some influence, but less, because they announce news >>> for >>> everyone. Social media carefully tailors news for each >>> individual. >>>     An example? Brekshit....Facebook and Cambridge >>> Analytica made >>> people vote for something they didn't even understand. >>> Note the people >>> behind the scandal were all right-wing. I'm not sure if I >>> should laugh >>> at or feel sorry for people that think that Zukerberg and >>> Bezos are >>> "communists". Sure, they want the State to confiscate >>> Meta and Amakon >>> >>>     They say that Musk might even destroy the US as you >>> know it >>> now. Depends on how much he influenced the vote. Musk is >>> a right-wing >>> fascist, and privately  - sometime publicly - defends >>> dictatorships. >>>     Enough gullible idiots, and those psychopaths could >>> vote a >>> pumpkin into office. >>>     Your  problem is that people in your social circle are >>> probably more intelligent than the national average. >>> Harder to con. >>> Usually think before giving an opinion. In my line of >>> work I had >>> contact with all sorts. >>>     Believe me, the average human is very stupid...and >>> trusting(did I just plagiarize Zukerberg?) >>>     []'s >>>> >>>> Hint:  I can fix anything if I know how it works.  I >>>> really believe >>>> that and study how things really work before I try to >>>> fix them.  That >>>> also applies to government and the economy.  We're not >>>> going to be >>>> able to fix the government or economy until we have a good >>>> understanding of how they work.  The schools are trying, >>>> but the >>>> problem has grown faster than the curriculum can keep up. >> >> Words matter.  Or ought to, anyway. >> >> Fascist are of the left.  The National Socialist Party was >> indeed socialist, and they would know. The original was >> created by Mussolini after the Great War as an extension >> of The Futurists, all of a piece with socialist theory. >> Franco, supported by Germany and Italy, was also a fascist >> of the left. His opponents were of the right- the Crown >> and the Church. >> >> Oh, and Mr Musk is not among them. > > He is now - soon to be the head of trumps newest cabinet > position: Secretary of Oligarchy. > > > I was just plain wrong in the post cited above. I apologize. I deleted it after my ride this morning but not before you replied, making my mistake immortal. -- Andrew Muzi am@yellowjersey.org ========== REMAINDER OF ARTICLE TRUNCATED ==========