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Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

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Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#171

Post by NumberCruncher »

cel1ne wrote: post #9

We live in the age of fear because the hose of information that floods us is constantly opened further: Letters → Telegram → Telephone → Radio → TV → Internet → Mobile Internet. Human beings need time to manage their emotions. Time spent waiting. Time being bored. Time when NO new information, not even positive, is arriving. We are constantly distracted and thus increasingly unable to sort out our feelings. That is t…

I helped myself and abandoned FB. You can change your own world even if others ruin theirs.

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#172

Post by NumberCruncher »

dbingham wrote: post #35

I think some of the fear is justified. Climate change is a very real threat and it's justifiably scary. Our government, in the last 8 years, used remotely operated drones to carry out extrajudicial killings of American citizens -- including a teenage boy. Our security state now engages in mass surveillance of us in a time when our government is engaging in extraordinary rendition of suspected "terrorists" in secret w…

>> I think some of the fear is justified.

Just imagine for a second how it would be living in a world without penicillin. You will realise that your fear is caused by the pigbearman.

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#173

Post by AnimalMuppet »

kefka wrote: post #106
tossaway1 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One reason it matters is because our Constitution explicitly grants citizens (not foreigners) certain rights. Our government is not allowed to violate those rights and if they do, they can technically be held accountable. The government can do shady things to outsiders within the constraints of the Constitution. As long as our government is honoring the Constitution, we have some hope of fixing its problems/flaws. If…

Hmmm... https://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bil... I'm not seeing "citizens" or "non-citizens" in any of these contexts. What I do see is: "Congress shall make no law", "right of the people", "consent of owner", and likewise. It's an unpopular view of the Bill of Rights, but shouldn't these rights be extended to everyone, and not merely "citizens"? Cause I'm certainly not seeing that word anywher…

"Congress shall make no law" meant the laws that Congress gets to pass, which are laws that apply within the United States. Congress doesn't get to pass laws that apply to foreign countries. ("Laws" here are distinct from "treaties".)

"People" meant citizens, not foreigners, even though I cannot think of any place where that is explicitly stated. It's pretty clearly implied, though, when you say "right of the people". What people does the Constitution give rights to? The people of the US, not the people of any other country.

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#174

Post by toss1 »

losteverything wrote: post #116
malz wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over 100 million of us watched The Day After when it aired, a TV movie about nuclear war. So not only was it top of mind, the range of media alternatives was so much smaller. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After

But.... Imo. Top Of Mind did not last at all. Sure for 2 weeks we talked about it. But "it" was the movie. Not the fact destruction is coming.

It actually did have an effect on policy and was cited in Ronald Reagan's own memoirs. This is mentioned in the Wikipedia article.

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#176

Post by tomjen3 »

Gruselbauer wrote: post #25
cel1ne wrote: post #9

We live in the age of fear because the hose of information that floods us is constantly opened further: Letters → Telegram → Telephone → Radio → TV → Internet → Mobile Internet. Human beings need time to manage their emotions. Time spent waiting. Time being bored. Time when NO new information, not even positive, is arriving. We are constantly distracted and thus increasingly unable to sort out our feelings. That is t…

There is no feasible way for me to agree more with this. I very much belong to those negatively affected by this phenomenon. I'd wager many a HN commenter is. My RSS feeds are a carefully crafted web of information, as much of a not-echo chamber I can create. From stuff I don't agree with on almost anything - Breitbart and its national counterparts, neocon blogs, libertarian thinktanks - to sources I think of as pret…

All news have to emphazise fear. It doesn't really matter what part of the spectrum they are on, what they fear is different, sure, but it is the same emotion. Thus you read only the bad thing in the world, and while it is commendable that you want to see all sides, shouldn't that include the good news too? For example how many of your blogs included the fact that the world reduced the number of people living in poverty, a feat that seemed impossible, 3 years ahead of the deadline? That, based on this, we are actively planing to remove the last half, BEFORE 2030?

Let me guess, nobody? It is arguably one of the top 3 best humanitarian news ever, but almost nobody knows, because it isn't fear and so doesn't sell.

That and also consider getting yourself checked for depression.

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#177

Post by grillvogel »

oarsinsync wrote: post #85
kazagistar wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I came to the conclusion that the impact I can have on the world is dwarfed by the suffering that keeping up with news causes me; thus, I crafted the opposite type of echo chamber, excluding most news sources. I am much happier now, and can focus on where I feel I can have real positive impact, like our industry.

Can you also share the sources you use, to share that alternative approach?

sounds like his alternative approach is not having sources at all

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#178

Post by T-hawk »

wu-ikkyu wrote: post #52
Gruselbauer wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no feasible way for me to agree more with this. I very much belong to those negatively affected by this phenomenon. I'd wager many a HN commenter is. My RSS feeds are a carefully crafted web of information, as much of a not-echo chamber I can create. From stuff I don't agree with on almost anything - Breitbart and its national counterparts, neocon blogs, libertarian thinktanks - to sources I think of as pret…

What practical use do you get out of reading "news" such as: >Breitbart and its national counterparts, neocon blogs, libertarian thinktanks - to sources I think of as pretty neutral - like the simple feeds of press conglomerates just feeding headlines... If you are feeling such crippling despair from consuming this information, why are you consuming it (Assuming you're not a sadist.)? Especially when you said yoursel…

> "News" is often like fast food

And don't forget, engineered for addictiveness, not for utility.

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#179

Post by ArkyBeagle »

cel1ne wrote: post #9

We live in the age of fear because the hose of information that floods us is constantly opened further: Letters → Telegram → Telephone → Radio → TV → Internet → Mobile Internet. Human beings need time to manage their emotions. Time spent waiting. Time being bored. Time when NO new information, not even positive, is arriving. We are constantly distracted and thus increasingly unable to sort out our feelings. That is t…

Beautifully put. Now notice how I sent this message to you. We're doomed! DOOOMED! :)

Re: Why We're Living in the Age of Fear

#180

Post by ArkyBeagle »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #145
Gruselbauer wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no feasible way for me to agree more with this. I very much belong to those negatively affected by this phenomenon. I'd wager many a HN commenter is. My RSS feeds are a carefully crafted web of information, as much of a not-echo chamber I can create. From stuff I don't agree with on almost anything - Breitbart and its national counterparts, neocon blogs, libertarian thinktanks - to sources I think of as pret…

My RSS feeds are a carefully crafted web of information Well there's your problem. My suggestion would be to tune out . Get in to some life threatening sport like parachuting or rock climbing or dirt bike riding. We (men especially?) love fear, especially overcoming the real kind. Helps put the pathetic "news" in to perspective, I find anyway. Running and sweating in general help to. Also, don't worry. Our generation…

I'd be hard-pressed to find one that didn't live in fear. Perhaps we can except the ( us - I are a late, nearly cusp) Baby Boomers and the only fear then ( nuclear war ) wasn't a fear any more , once you'd read enough game theory.

My folks were silent generation, and images of Detroit and Watts burning, campus unrest and cops bustin' heads at the Chicago convention unnerved them. Not even growing up in WWII prepared them for that.

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