Another excellent piece Linda! It's a really important issue and without thinkers like yourself bringing it to the fore we'd be travelling blind. Great to be reminded of Ursula Franklin, if only someone with that level of wisdom had the same level of influence over the direction that powers that be wished to move society. But then again that would entail that the powers that be actually had our best interests in mind, which, sadly, doesn't seem to be the case.
In the 1953 book by Bertrand Russell, "The Impact of Science on Society,'' he wrote: "the social psychologists of the future will have a number of classes of school children on whom they will try different methods of producing an unshakable conviction that snow is black. Various results will soon be arrived at. First, that the influence of home is obstructive. Second, that not much can be done unless indoctrination begins before the age of ten. Third, that verses set to music and repeatedly intoned are very effective. Fourth, that the opinion that snow is white must be held to show a morbid taste for eccentricity. . . . It is for future scientists to make these maxims precise and discover exactly how much it costs per head to make children believe that snow is black, and how much less it would cost to make them believe it is dark gray.''
Fortunately, there are some fantastic journalists out there: Taibbi, Greenwald, Hersh, Thacker, Demasi, Mate, Blumenthal, just to name a few. They are the ones that seem to be trying to suss out what's really going on. Many of the great journalists at the CBC are now retired, but there are still some left there as well. I think there are more good journalists than bad ones -- but the system they're working in is dysfunctional and in some cases corrupted. I think seeking out the truth is part of the human condition -- unless the powers that be are successful at conditioning that out of us too! That NATO report I linked to in the piece is one of the most frightening things I've ever read. Everyone should read it, so they know what we're actually dealing with.
Another excellent piece Linda! It's a really important issue and without thinkers like yourself bringing it to the fore we'd be travelling blind. Great to be reminded of Ursula Franklin, if only someone with that level of wisdom had the same level of influence over the direction that powers that be wished to move society. But then again that would entail that the powers that be actually had our best interests in mind, which, sadly, doesn't seem to be the case.
In the 1953 book by Bertrand Russell, "The Impact of Science on Society,'' he wrote: "the social psychologists of the future will have a number of classes of school children on whom they will try different methods of producing an unshakable conviction that snow is black. Various results will soon be arrived at. First, that the influence of home is obstructive. Second, that not much can be done unless indoctrination begins before the age of ten. Third, that verses set to music and repeatedly intoned are very effective. Fourth, that the opinion that snow is white must be held to show a morbid taste for eccentricity. . . . It is for future scientists to make these maxims precise and discover exactly how much it costs per head to make children believe that snow is black, and how much less it would cost to make them believe it is dark gray.''
Or just hire the mainstream media to do the job and they can convince a majority of the adult population as well.
Fortunately, there are some fantastic journalists out there: Taibbi, Greenwald, Hersh, Thacker, Demasi, Mate, Blumenthal, just to name a few. They are the ones that seem to be trying to suss out what's really going on. Many of the great journalists at the CBC are now retired, but there are still some left there as well. I think there are more good journalists than bad ones -- but the system they're working in is dysfunctional and in some cases corrupted. I think seeking out the truth is part of the human condition -- unless the powers that be are successful at conditioning that out of us too! That NATO report I linked to in the piece is one of the most frightening things I've ever read. Everyone should read it, so they know what we're actually dealing with.