Chaos

[seafoid]

France is on the verge of a vote to take down the Government
South Korea had a short lived military coup. That was just yesterday
Trump is around the corner.

[APM]

Chaos emerging at a macro and micro level.

Take a wee look at some of the threads on here. Covid 19, Many Face of US Politics, conspiracy Theories.

A small but significant number of people, regardless of political affiliation, are having their minds poisoned. AND we are just here to talk GAA. Look a bit broader and you see it with people you know in real life. And they're just the ones far enough gone to talk about it.  It's a form of brainwashing, and it feels like a cult, but it's feckin everywhere.

[thewobbler]

Chaos emerging at a macro and micro level.

Take a wee look at some of the threads on here. Covid 19, Many Face of US Politics, conspiracy Theories.

A small but significant number of people, regardless of political affiliation, are having their minds poisoned. AND we are just here to talk GAA. Look a bit broader and you see it with people you know in real life. And they're just the ones far enough gone to talk about it.  It's a form of brainwashing, and it feels like a cult, but it's feckin everywhere.

It's all the direct result of the destruction of the written word, the worst of the many evil byproducts of the internet/information age.

The dissemination of information was never a perfect process, but not so long ago, it took time, knowledge and diligence to become published in any sphere. The overseers of the written word were (largely) aware that they had a duty in accuracy. Hence when they held someone accountable, it was trusted, and it would destroy a career. So people innately had to be more careful in their actions.

Whereas nowadays the majority of published content (including this post) is absolute nonsense. Sources cannot be trusted. Expertise is challenged by all and any. The churn is too fast for anyone to process. And a result the written word no longer matters, and nobody can ever be held accountable.

[armaghniac]

It's all the direct result of the destruction of the written word, the worst of the many evil byproducts of the internet/information age.

The dissemination of information was never a perfect process, but not so long ago, it took time, knowledge and diligence to become published in any sphere. The overseers of the written word were (largely) aware that they had a duty in accuracy. Hence when they held someone accountable, it was trusted, and it would destroy a career. So people innately had to be more careful in their actions.

Whereas nowadays the majority of published content (including this post) is absolute nonsense. Sources cannot be trusted. Expertise is challenged by all and any. The churn is too fast for anyone to process. And a result the written word no longer matters, and nobody can ever be held accountable.

Well said, and of course this particular post is not nonsense. The point is though that we can as anonymous posters type in something in 3 minutes and this is altogether a more ephemeral process than publishing in the traditional sense. Some people do not seem to see the difference.

[whitey]

Chaos emerging at a macro and micro level.

Take a wee look at some of the threads on here. Covid 19, Many Face of US Politics, conspiracy Theories.

A small but significant number of people, regardless of political affiliation, are having their minds poisoned. AND we are just here to talk GAA. Look a bit broader and you see it with people you know in real life. And they're just the ones far enough gone to talk about it.  It's a form of brainwashing, and it feels like a cult, but it's feckin everywhere.

It's all the direct result of the destruction of the written word, the worst of the many evil byproducts of the internet/information age.

The dissemination of information was never a perfect process, but not so long ago, it took time, knowledge and diligence to become published in any sphere. The overseers of the written word were (largely) aware that they had a duty in accuracy. Hence when they held someone accountable, it was trusted, and it would destroy a career. So people innately had to be more careful in their actions.

Whereas nowadays the majority of published content (including this post) is absolute nonsense. Sources cannot be trusted. Expertise is challenged by all and any. The churn is too fast for anyone to process. And a result the written word no longer matters, and nobody can ever be held accountable.

So when we look at recent elections here in the States, the most "respected" newspapers in the country put their thumb on the scale in favor of one political party

We were told that the Fake Dossier was real and that the Hunter Biden laptop was false.  They even won Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting

People are no longer relying on traditional media for their information....and they only have themselves to blame

[Puckoon]

CEO of United Healthcare, one of the largest and most miserly health insurance companies in the US executed today outside a hotel before a meeting with investors.

[APM]

Chaos emerging at a macro and micro level.

Take a wee look at some of the threads on here. Covid 19, Many Face of US Politics, conspiracy Theories.

A small but significant number of people, regardless of political affiliation, are having their minds poisoned. AND we are just here to talk GAA. Look a bit broader and you see it with people you know in real life. And they're just the ones far enough gone to talk about it.  It's a form of brainwashing, and it feels like a cult, but it's feckin everywhere.

It's all the direct result of the destruction of the written word, the worst of the many evil byproducts of the internet/information age.

The dissemination of information was never a perfect process, but not so long ago, it took time, knowledge and diligence to become published in any sphere. The overseers of the written word were (largely) aware that they had a duty in accuracy. Hence when they held someone accountable, it was trusted, and it would destroy a career. So people innately had to be more careful in their actions.

Whereas nowadays the majority of published content (including this post) is absolute nonsense. Sources cannot be trusted. Expertise is challenged by all and any. The churn is too fast for anyone to process. And a result the written word no longer matters, and nobody can ever be held accountable.

So when we look at recent elections here in the States, the most "respected" newspapers in the country put their thumb on the scale in favor of one political party

We were told that the Fake Dossier was real and that the Hunter Biden laptop was false.  They even won Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting

People are no longer relying on traditional media for their information....and they only have themselves to blame

Are you going to pollute another thread?

You need your head examined given the amount of time you spend posting on a GAA Board about American politics. In what world is that rational?  And the same goes for your sparring partners who are the opposite side of the same coin! 1,700 pages on that thread FFS.  "Rethuglicans" / "Genocide Joe" - pathetic childish rubbish!

This fanatic style political engagement is the problem and much of it is down to echo bubbles. This is not responsible citizenship - it's dumbed down nonsense.

[J70]

Chaos emerging at a macro and micro level.

Take a wee look at some of the threads on here. Covid 19, Many Face of US Politics, conspiracy Theories.

A small but significant number of people, regardless of political affiliation, are having their minds poisoned. AND we are just here to talk GAA. Look a bit broader and you see it with people you know in real life. And they're just the ones far enough gone to talk about it.  It's a form of brainwashing, and it feels like a cult, but it's feckin everywhere.

It's all the direct result of the destruction of the written word, the worst of the many evil byproducts of the internet/information age.

The dissemination of information was never a perfect process, but not so long ago, it took time, knowledge and diligence to become published in any sphere. The overseers of the written word were (largely) aware that they had a duty in accuracy. Hence when they held someone accountable, it was trusted, and it would destroy a career. So people innately had to be more careful in their actions.

Whereas nowadays the majority of published content (including this post) is absolute nonsense. Sources cannot be trusted. Expertise is challenged by all and any. The churn is too fast for anyone to process. And a result the written word no longer matters, and nobody can ever be held accountable.

That's a very insightful comment.

[whitey]

Chaos emerging at a macro and micro level.

Take a wee look at some of the threads on here. Covid 19, Many Face of US Politics, conspiracy Theories.

A small but significant number of people, regardless of political affiliation, are having their minds poisoned. AND we are just here to talk GAA. Look a bit broader and you see it with people you know in real life. And they're just the ones far enough gone to talk about it.  It's a form of brainwashing, and it feels like a cult, but it's feckin everywhere.

It's all the direct result of the destruction of the written word, the worst of the many evil byproducts of the internet/information age.

The dissemination of information was never a perfect process, but not so long ago, it took time, knowledge and diligence to become published in any sphere. The overseers of the written word were (largely) aware that they had a duty in accuracy. Hence when they held someone accountable, it was trusted, and it would destroy a career. So people innately had to be more careful in their actions.

Whereas nowadays the majority of published content (including this post) is absolute nonsense. Sources cannot be trusted. Expertise is challenged by all and any. The churn is too fast for anyone to process. And a result the written word no longer matters, and nobody can ever be held accountable.

So when we look at recent elections here in the States, the most "respected" newspapers in the country put their thumb on the scale in favor of one political party

We were told that the Fake Dossier was real and that the Hunter Biden laptop was false.  They even won Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting

People are no longer relying on traditional media for their information....and they only have themselves to blame

Are you going to pollute another thread?

You need your head examined given the amount of time you spend posting on a GAA Board about American politics. In what world is that rational?  And the same goes for your sparring partners who are the opposite side of the same coin! 1,700 pages on that thread FFS.  "Rethuglicans" / "Genocide Joe" - pathetic childish rubbish!

This fanatic style political engagement is the problem and much of it is down to echo bubbles. This is not responsible citizenship - it's dumbed down nonsense.

You're right

I sit in boring meetings half the day looking for ways to entertain myself and annoying some people on here gives me great joy

I definitely need to take a break from all  social media

[Substandard]

The world seems to be very difficult to navigate anymore- it's hard not to be at least a little suspicious of anything you see or read in the news, and the amount of white noise or static from a myriad of online voices or sources, it's awful debilitating if you think about it too much.
I agree in principle with the idea that the written word carried weight.  I was in college when the Internet was taking off, and pretty much every assignment meant sourcing books, reading chapters, compiling notes and references, and then handwriting the text.  In the early years teaching,  I envied people in college that the Internet would make that whole process so much easier and efficient.  Now, with Chat GPT and AI in its infancy, I can tell with a fair degree of accuracy when a student hands in an assignment,  but that's because I already know their own style anyway.  I don't think I'll be able to do that in the not too distant future.

On the other hand, I wonder is it all just because I'm aging, and I can't keep up, or if I try, it just wears me down and burns me out.  But doesn't every generation experience that- the whole 'What's the world coming to?' phase?  As an English teacher, I often get caught up in the lamenting that kids no longer read, or that too much social media will turn their brains into mush.  Yet the vast majority of kids that sit in front of me daily seem perfectly relaxed and well-adjusted, in spite of all the doomsday prognoses.

I don't know, I suppose the best thing to do is keep yourself as informed as you need to be and keep an open mind, but try not to over-think things.  Easier said than done, but the world has managed OK in the grand scheme of things up to now, so there's no reason it won't continue to do so.
I'm just too tired to handle much more chaos...

Final thought: can't remember which of the Dan Brown books featured as part of the plot a Latin phrase meaning 'Who will guard the guards?'  I'm not sure about the likes of Elon Musk as a gatekeeper.

[theskull1]

To me it feels like destabilization of populations in the west is all part of the plan. I don't see one western country trying to calm 'the chaos' down or look as if they are doing the bidding of their electorate. Uniparties in every country now. A hidden hand has got our politicians and main stream journalism by the balls. Its modern day communism we're lurching toward.   

[thewobbler]

To me it feels like destabilization of populations in the west is all part of the plan. I don't see one western country trying to calm 'the chaos' down or look as if they are doing the bidding of their electorate. Uniparties in every country now. A hidden hand has got our politicians and main stream journalism by the balls. Its modern day communism we're lurching toward.   

Honestly this is batshit crazy.

There is no "plan". There is no "hidden hand". It's just a common understanding among experienced politicians an understanding / acceptance that if your country has an election every 5 years, then you spend 4 years milking it dry for you and your friends, then 1 year saying whatever the f**k it takes, an attempt to go again.

It's just neoliberalism fulfilling itself. Nobody owns it. Nobody directs it.

[APM]

To me it feels like destabilization of populations in the west is all part of the plan. I don't see one western country trying to calm 'the chaos' down or look as if they are doing the bidding of their electorate. Uniparties in every country now. A hidden hand has got our politicians and main stream journalism by the balls. Its modern day communism we're lurching toward. 

It's hard to have a sensible conversation about the dangers of conspiracy theories when the conspiracy theorists join in.

[armaghniac]

I don't know, I suppose the best thing to do is keep yourself as informed as you need to be and keep an open mind, but try not to over-think things.  Easier said than done, but the world has managed OK in the grand scheme of things up to now, so there's no reason it won't continue to do so.
I'm just too tired to handle much more chaos...

The point is that modern technology also allow you be informed. In Brexit there were things said that could have been debunked on Google in 20 seconds, but voters either wanted to believe something that suited their prejudices or else they were too lazy to bother checking, not least because Brexit wasn't that important to a lot of people. I think that democracies need some regulation of this, you are entitled to your opinion but facts should be stated clearly.

[HiMucker]

News as entertainment has a lot to answer for. Also as unbelievable as this sounds, there is loads of people who watch fake documentary shows like Ancient Aliens and a host of others that appear on discovery channel or national geographic, and believe they are real critical shows, not realising that its an entertainment show. Some of them are your friends and family. Mental.