Sun News, and many others in Canada are also very guilty of using these techniques. In considering these tactics and their possible effects on American public discourse, it is important to note that historically, those whove genuinely accessed truth have never berated those who did not. You dont get honored by history when you beat up your opponent: look at Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln. These men did not find the need to engage in othering, ad homeinum attacks, guilt by association or bullying. This is because when a person has accessed a truth, they are not threatened by the opposing views of others. This reality reveals the righteous indignation of people like Glenn Beck, Bill OReilly and Sean Hannity as a symptom of untruth. These individuals are hostile and angry precisely because they dont feel confident in their own veracity. And in general, the more someone is losing their temper in a debate and the more intolerant they are of listening to others, the more you can be certain they do not know what theyre talking about. One final observation. Fox audiences, birthers and Tea Partiers often defend their arguments by pointing to the fact that a lot of people share the same perceptions. This is a reasonable point to the extent that Murdochs News Corporation reaches a far larger audience than any other single media outlet. But, the fact that a lot of people believe something is not necessarily a sign that its true; its just a sign that its been effectively marketed. Oh, and just because an idea/argument is UNpopular, doesnt make it true either.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 17:31:59 +0000
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