• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

For What Its Worth

Buzz62

Buzz62

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
6,805
Reaction score
1,069
Location
Canada
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Centrist
When I was a kid, my father used to like to tell my brother and I; "Boys, if it swims like a fish and stinks like a fish, don't let anyone convince you its a horse."

I watch CNN and FOX and CBC and BBC and others, and not only do none of them agree on the 'facts' or on what's important, but the stories change significantly. CNN is telecasting an ad series aimed at Trump's motto...'Fake News'. Yet as I said, I watch several different outlets and...I smell FISH!

I think the 24 hr news-cycle is a bad thing. This sort of business requires that 'news' become 'entertainment'.
If I want to be 'entertained', I'l watch a re-run of Star Trek...thank you very much.
All I want is raw news. I don't want Hannity screaming at me...nor do I want Don Lemon lecturing me.
News that's actually news...without all the political slant. Today's news casts are worth nothing unless one wants to hear someone pontify about one's favorite subject. And if that's all one wants from the news...then you been had...for what its worth...which is almost zero.
 
It's a good time to look for alternative media outlets. We live in an era when you can watch footage from active warzones on Liveleak, watch or even publish video essays about a subject or current event on YouTube, and fact check news stories across a dozen different websites that exist for the express purpose of fact checking news stories. Information has never been more available to the people willing to look for it in human history.

Of course, this also means that it's incredibly easy to lock yourself in an echo chamber. As we've seen from how polarized modern America has gotten, this is a problem that needs to be resolved, and it's a problem that I just don't know how to fix. I'm open to suggestions, though.
 
Buzz62 said:
When I was a kid, my father used to like to tell my brother and I; "Boys, if it swims like a fish and stinks like a fish, don't let anyone convince you its a horse."

I watch CNN and FOX and CBC and BBC and others, and not only do none of them agree on the 'facts' or on what's important, but the stories change significantly. CNN is telecasting an ad series aimed at Trump's motto...'Fake News'. Yet as I said, I watch several different outlets and...I smell FISH!

I think the 24 hr news-cycle is a bad thing. This sort of business requires that 'news' become 'entertainment'.
If I want to be 'entertained', I'l watch a re-run of Star Trek...thank you very much.
All I want is raw news. I don't want Hannity screaming at me...nor do I want Don Lemon lecturing me.
News that's actually news...without all the political slant. Today's news casts are worth nothing unless one wants to hear someone pontify about one's favorite subject. And if that's all one wants from the news...then you been had...for what its worth...which is almost zero.
Click to expand...

Times change. The yappers of fifteen years ago now have kids and are worrying about Cloe and Ashton spending too much time on the internet. Facebook is getting "uncool". The only thing constant in this world is change!

When you see AT&T advertising "Cell phone blocking" starring Mom at the dinner table, you know we have arrived at bitch slapping mom and dad for ceding control of the kids to AT&T.

I think if we haven't peaked, we can see it from here!
 
The funny thing is, if you really 'listen' to these fake news outlets, you can glean the truth.
Today Kershner is being investigated for his business dealings. A real estate guy being investigated. What a shocker!
Yet its all the rage on CNN today. That and Trump's failure to shoot the perp in Florida...
 
Buzz62 said:
When I was a kid, my father used to like to tell my brother and I; "Boys, if it swims like a fish and stinks like a fish, don't let anyone convince you its a horse."

I watch CNN and FOX and CBC and BBC and others, and not only do none of them agree on the 'facts' or on what's important, but the stories change significantly. CNN is telecasting an ad series aimed at Trump's motto...'Fake News'. Yet as I said, I watch several different outlets and...I smell FISH!

I think the 24 hr news-cycle is a bad thing. This sort of business requires that 'news' become 'entertainment'.
If I want to be 'entertained', I'l watch a re-run of Star Trek...thank you very much.
All I want is raw news. I don't want Hannity screaming at me...nor do I want Don Lemon lecturing me.
News that's actually news...without all the political slant. Today's news casts are worth nothing unless one wants to hear someone pontify about one's favorite subject. And if that's all one wants from the news...then you been had...for what its worth...which is almost zero.
Click to expand...

It's not that 24 hour "news" channels are a bad thing but if you choose to watch them you need to do so with the understanding that they are half entertainment and half political propaganda. They are to "news" what Wikipedia is to actual knowledge of a topic. They might be a good place to start your research but if watching the show is as far as you go you will be hopelessly under-informed.
 
Lutherf said:
It's not that 24 hour "news" channels are a bad thing but if you choose to watch them you need to do so with the understanding that they are half entertainment and half political propaganda. They are to "news" what Wikipedia is to actual knowledge of a topic. They might be a good place to start your research but if watching the show is as far as you go you will be hopelessly under-informed.
Click to expand...

My Czech wife likes to watch Czech news over the internet. I find their broadcasts interesting. Their opinions thought provoking. Their president amusing and their desire to keep refugees out...more important than what Kershner did with his property at 666.
 
chuckiechan said:
Times change. The yappers of fifteen years ago now have kids and are worrying about Cloe and Ashton spending too much time on the internet. Facebook is getting "uncool". The only thing constant in this world is change!

When you see AT&T advertising "Cell phone blocking" starring Mom at the dinner table, you know we have arrived at bitch slapping mom and dad for ceding control of the kids to AT&T.

I think if we haven't peaked, we can see it from here!
Click to expand...

Hey, I know that I can turn off the data for any phone under my account.
 
I turn on NPR when I'm in the car, but other than that I just stick to local news and outlets I trust online. MSM is a business, and I think more people should tune out of all of them.
 
chuckiechan said:
Good for you. But many parents are timid when it comes to social media.
Click to expand...

Very true. For instance the recent FL shooter, the foster parents on GMA acting like they had no idea about the pictures on his instragram. If someone is living in your house, shouldn't you make it a priority to go on their social media and see what's really going on there?? My daughter is begging for social media at 9 years old and the most I will do is a compromise with a SM that is specifically aimed for young children only with heavy parental control. She is not going to be chatting with weirdos if I can help it.
 
What OP is really looking for is a different organization to just tell him what he already believes.
 
americanwoman said:
Very true. For instance the recent FL shooter, the foster parents on GMA acting like they had no idea about the pictures on his instragram. If someone is living in your house, shouldn't you make it a priority to go on their social media and see what's really going on there?? My daughter is begging for social media at 9 years old and the most I will do is a compromise with a SM that is specifically aimed for young children only with heavy parental control. She is not going to be chatting with weirdos if I can help it.
Click to expand...

How many parents realize the significance of a 14 year old girl having a Facebook account with 1500 “friends”. 1475 of those are trolling perverts. How many parents have looked at the icons on kids smart phones lately? Why does Mary need a photo/chat account that deletes after a few minutes? I could go on, but what I learned in a technology presentation in my granddaughters high school freaked me out.

Can a parent who’s child’s phone is on their account demand a print out of all text and photo data on that account? I hope so.
 
americanwoman said:
Very true. For instance the recent FL shooter, the foster parents on GMA acting like they had no idea about the pictures on his instragram. If someone is living in your house, shouldn't you make it a priority to go on their social media and see what's really going on there?? My daughter is begging for social media at 9 years old and the most I will do is a compromise with a SM that is specifically aimed for young children only with heavy parental control. She is not going to be chatting with weirdos if I can help it.
Click to expand...
My kids are 16 and 21 now. We gave them cell phones when they started Jr. High. About 12 yrs old. I have refused to spy on them. Instead we talk. I know that's 'old fashioned' but that's me...'old fashioned'. They regularly tell me what's going on in their social circles, and my wife and I advise them. We've done our best to create an environment of respect, trust and love. The kids have always responded with levelheadedness...as much as teens can be levelheaded. I'm proud of my spawn, and they know it. Maybe that's why they respond well, when we give them enough rope to hang themselves?

Deuce said:
What OP is really looking for is a different organization to just tell him what he already believes.
Click to expand...
LOL...you can't be helped...
Yer wrong...but there's no sense trying to debate that with you.
Tunnel vision is...comfy...isn't it...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom