...and TV, radio, the Internet, libraries, and comparing the different versions of news stories in different papers. Only reading the Daily Mail will certainly give a very questionable world-view.
It's just a thought, but I was once advised by my Dad not to get involved in conversations about sex, religion or politics, with people I didn't know really well. My politics are fairly vibrant wink so I'm a bit nervous of sharing them. Is there a chance we could ostracise each other over some sort of political thing? Just a fort.
Surely that comes down to us as individuals believing that no one has the right to think differently to the way that we do. I will uphold the right of people to interpret things in a different way to me, even when they are wrong.
Can't agree here, I understand there are some delusioned people about 15 miles up the M1 who believe they live in a town with a football team, these poor souls need to be guided to sanity and realise how wrong they are, how they were duped by a comedian and kerb crawler into believing they had some superiority over the greater hornet. Its taking time but I'm sure they'll come around to the human race soon with a few more leaflet drops.............
Well the dawn of liberalism was the invention of the printing press! The bedt thing to do is buy two opposed papers ( sun and mirror, times and guardian) and take a mid view. However i do feel such institutions are doomed comoared to blogging etco
aberdeen, I find that the locals are sure that Scotland is just another English county. They are of course wrong, but I do not get into arguments about it.
I thought that it had more of the wild men from across the water, whereas the French have more of the latin lover in them.
SLB - that is a fairly old fashioned but widely spread view not to discuss politics, religion etc. I would always be careful how I discuss it as it can get heated but in a written forum it is possible to have a reasonable chat - and from experience the posters here are all well mannered - there are some other clubs' boards where I would steer well clear of such discussions.
Theo - if you go back to 1982 and read the papaers then you may ahve found one dissenting voice - all the tabloids, the Telegraph, Mail and Express (not tabloid then) were unanimous and came in with outrageous stories and headlines. Who can forget when the Belgrano was sunk the awful "Gotcha" headline in the Sun. By the time of Iraq I agree the press were slightly - but not very much - more divided
It is the duty of the media to report news ,but not to be a threat to National security! and therein lies the heavy government censorship and manipulation!! I have to be careful here or we might get Aber back on to conspiricies! We do not know until decades after the event how heavy this has been and after so long not many people care ,thus the system wins!!
Trouble is Norway that a lot of the press are not really newspapers but just regs - like the Sun and Mail. They peddle their own agenda and have no interest in presenting a fair or unbiased viewpoint. I guess the Beeb are slightly better but given they are government controlled albeit with a Charter to be independent they will often be somewhat influenced. Hey ho - at least we do have a free press - whatever its faults
An interesting dicussion which prompts a few more thoughts: 1. A free press is such a valuable thing, as is my right to say I disagree with anything said in it. 2. Does anyone believe what they read in the Sun and, if they do, whose fault is it? 3. Even the most intelligent, well educated, well read among us approach world issues with a range of established prejudices in our heads. 4. Are we living in the age of the pundit where random opinions based on little evidence carry weight for no other reason than the name of the pundit or the limited attention span of the reader?
Theo 1 Agree with that 2 Unfortunately many do - or they would not buy it - theirs 3 Of course - we are who we are 4 Agree in general although believe that I am sceptical enough not to be hoodwinked by them all the time
1) as long as the reader has the intelligence to separate the wheat from the chaff! Mis informed idiots can do a lot of damage! 2) No unless.... see point 1 3) Its taken me years to gain my prejudices,and I`m happy with them! 4) to destroy point 4 I give you Robbie Savage!
Ooooh look - having softened us up what a surprise - "advisors" are being sent in (probably just happen to be memebers of the SAS )
