Friday 31 July 2020

We’ve lost our Truths



Richard Halloway
The facts are no longer presented by the journalists – but rather on social media platforms. 
I heard an interesting journalist from the Philippines on Hard talk  BBC – Maria Ressa

She claims the role of technology and social media that many spend so much time on, produces a manufactured consensus and manipulation of the public on a massive scale and are buoyed by a propaganda machine. Democracy is dead and social media killed it. 
  
In his book Stories we tell ourselves – Richard Halloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh, writer, broadcaster and cleric, writes that we should use self examination of ourselves and our structures, and challenge ourselves. 
There should be power to artists: artist interpret rather than force ideas. 

For instance Tony Blair’s belief and decisions tell us about a person’s psychological state rather than the external world around us. We are very hypnotisable by false prophets, look at how cultured Germany was led astray. He advises that we be compassionate to others stories.
Maria Resso
Ressa claims that these media platforms are behaviour modification platforms. This eco system allows lies and hate to spread faster than facts. Then there isn’t integrity of facts or elections. We are seeing a return to fascism because liberal democracy hasn’t delivered. People were angry. The trickle down effect hasn’t worked and caused a perfect storm. 

It used to be the journalists were the gatekeepers and agreed on the facts. Now instead of the journalists as the gatekeepers, we have the tech companies.  

Ressa states there has now been the growth of a kind of fascism - its okay to kill and when we see our human rights being pushed back. She feels she must do the right thing for democracy and truth. Has democracy failed us and if so, what can we do about it? Ignore social media ads (!), ignore tabloids news, ignore the debt marketed at us. 

Rather we must listen to the artists!

I see the only answer as small indy nations who have any chance of fighting back to all this. Hope I’m not deluded! To protect us from global threats and global companies.