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How can the quality of political information be improved?

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How can the quality of political information be improved?

#1

Post by iheartblocks »

In my mind, the single greatest threat humanity faces is that truth has become relative, polarized, and ambiguous.

Most of the people storming the Capitol weren't lunatics, or anarchists, but regular folks who are terrified. They're terrified because they really believe that their favored candidate was illegally robbed of office.

It's easy to dismiss their concerns, but for those people this is their reality. What they see on Facebook, Youtube, TV, and radio reinforces and invigorates their fear and anger.

The people who run those platforms, or create that content, aren't necessarily evil, they just exist in an ecosystem where engagement is king and tepid, informative content is forgotten.

Unless this balkanization of the truth can be stopped, I don't see how our republic, or any republic, could possibly survive.

What can be done to fix this problem?

Re: How can the quality of political information be improved?

#2

Post by zepto »

I generally agree with your overall thesis here.

There are of course psychopaths, and people with psychosis in all groups, but you simply don’t get mobs or organized groups of such people en masse for fairly obvious reasons.

But when you say this: “They're terrified because they really believe that their favored candidate was illegally robbed of office.”

You leave out that a significant part of the group of non lunatics think that the cause is a cabal of globalist canibalistic pedophiles.

When we talk about not dismissing concerns, it seems comparatively easy not to dismiss concerns about election integrity. It also seems comparatively easy not to dismiss concerns about how trade policy has invested in other nations to the neglect of many everyday Americans (to cite some examples).

What is not so easy not to dismiss is the concern about the conspiracy of cannibalistic pedophiles.

I say this not to say we should dismiss anyone’s concerns, but to elaborate on what the challenge seems to have become.

Re: How can the quality of political information be improved?

#5

Post by iheartblocks »

One possibility would be to have a government body fine media outlets and social media platforms that leave people misinformed, or more likely to become extremized.

The largest risk that I see with that plan is that it implies a level of government censorship, something that is an undeniably risky proposition. On one hand, a malevolent political party could wield that power to their own advantage, and on the other hand political gridlock could neuter any real progress being made.

To address this, I'm imagining a new branch of government run via sortition. In this system, qualifying citizens would be selected by lottery, and would serve on a committee to oversee it's proper execution.

This way, companies would have a vested interest in giving their users access to the truth, and an incentive to puncture the knowledge bubble that fosters extremism.

Re: How can the quality of political information be improved?

#6

Post by zepto »

logicslave wrote: post #4

People like you keep thinking its wrong information thats causing people to act this way. Ever consider that theres fundamental problems in American society that extend beyond the media? That make rushing the capital rational?

A third possibility is that there it’s both fundamental problems in American society and wrong information, that make rushing the capital an irrational response to real problems.

Re: How can the quality of political information be improved?

#7

Post by logicslave »

zepto wrote: post #6
logicslave wrote: post #4

People like you keep thinking its wrong information thats causing people to act this way. Ever consider that theres fundamental problems in American society that extend beyond the media? That make rushing the capital rational?

A third possibility is that there it’s both fundamental problems in American society and wrong information, that make rushing the capital an irrational response to real problems.

Thats a fair assertion. But this whole idea that its all fake news causing people to act this way is itself fake news, most people dont have great lives and then one day just decide to riot because of a news article.

Re: How can the quality of political information be improved?

#8

Post by zepto »

logicslave wrote: post #7
zepto wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A third possibility is that there it’s both fundamental problems in American society and wrong information, that make rushing the capital an irrational response to real problems.

Thats a fair assertion. But this whole idea that its all fake news causing people to act this way is itself fake news, most people dont have great lives and then one day just decide to riot because of a news article.

You say my point is fair but then seem to just dismiss it, and throw in a straw man.

Obviously no single news article causes a riot.

But a series of fake news articles cause people to hold false beliefs.

False beliefs lead to bad decisions.

However I agree with you that fake news alone is not the problem.

It’s fake news combined people with shitty lives combined with no sense that the system cares.

Re: How can the quality of political information be improved?

#9

Post by logicslave »

zepto wrote: post #8
logicslave wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats a fair assertion. But this whole idea that its all fake news causing people to act this way is itself fake news, most people dont have great lives and then one day just decide to riot because of a news article.

You say my point is fair but then seem to just dismiss it, and throw in a straw man. Obviously no single news article causes a riot. But a series of fake news articles cause people to hold false beliefs. False beliefs lead to bad decisions. However I agree with you that fake news alone is not the problem. It’s fake news combined people with shitty lives combined with no sense that the system cares.

"Its the media!! There is nothing wrong with America!!" Please. Thats brainwashing
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