Quote:
Originally Posted by Osem
What we do know categorically, though, is that commercial reasons do affect their output in various ways and they have a vested interest in sensationalising whatever they can in order to fill their airtime/pages. Those outlets with a definite and deliberate political bias such as RT will of course be highly selective in what they do/don't cover and IMHO it's the gradual drift in that direction coupled with the power of the internet to distort matters which means we're either going to wind up running around in circles not knowing what to do or working ourselves up into a frenzy of rabid outrage every time a decision, election or whatever goes the wrong way and we feel we have to overturn it. Who'll be the winners from that state of affairs? Maybe the resulting paralysis and disquiet will be the reason for someone to come along who's authoritarian enough to effectively seize control and thereafter dictate what we're told and how we're allowed to react.  |
I think you're right. Good journalism is crucial to democracy and I think one of the things that is currently undermining it is both people's distrust of the media causing them to seek even
more partisan reporting and the fact that an absolute truth doesn't seem to exist anymore. When nothing is true anymore and the answer to any story, any evidence, is that 'well, that's one side of it' then we'll never agree on anything. How can we agree when there is no common ground?
This suits some people's agenda though and you've nailed it when you say it causes disquiet and paralysis:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/wo...formation.html
Quote:
|
The fundamental purpose of dezinformatsiya, or Russian disinformation, experts said, is to undermine the official version of events — even the very idea that there is a true version of events — and foster a kind of policy paralysis.
|
I only disagree with you on the last line:
Quote:
|
I don't like the way the world's heading. Freedom is a wonderful thing but too much freedom exercised the wrong way can be a very dangerous thing and they could be on the verge of that situation in the states.
|
I am not sure what the alternative is and I think any clamp down will be exactly the reaction the enemies of the West, and there are enemies of the West, want. Look at how much of a PR coup for Russia Natwest closing their accounts was. RT/Sputnik are constantly on the lookout for examples of Western hypocrisy to justify Russia's lack of a free press.
We are in dangerous times though and I do worry.
---------- Post added at 21:29 ---------- Previous post was at 21:11 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by adzii_nufc
I am starting to think Trump is actually going to pull this off now though. I have that feeling it just became all too possible again for him to take the White House.
|
You need to find which state (or states) would flip. Let's give Florida to Trump, Ohio, North Carolina, and Nevada to Trump (the last two have Clinton ahead in average polling). We assume all the states learning towards Trump he wins. You still fall short. You need one of the following to flip as well: Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania or New Hampshire.
This is why the betting markets are more bullish on Clinton than the atmosphere would suggest. It's harder for Trump to get to 270.
Of course he still could. In that map Pennsylvania or Colorado are probably the more likely to flip. He might get a surprise win in Michigan (Clinton +7). However at the same time we're assuming Clinton doesn't win North Carolina or Florida. She does either of those and it's hard to see where Trump wins without something going completely mad.
Quote:
|
People are circulating an 'update or something' from the FBI tomorrow. No actual source, seems like chinese whispers to me. Even if it was true it wouldn't be anything significant. Can't see it actually being true though given the media coverage since
|
This stuff always happens. For weeks I have heard of the existence of two Trump tapes which never materialised. This time in 2008 Republicans on the Internet were going crazy about a supposed video where Obama said he hated white people - they were
convinced it was coming - and it never happened.
24 million people have voted. In Nevada it's 35% of the entire electorate already. In Florida the current early voting is tied and with that state going to be so close why would you wait?
Something might come out but I don't think either campaign is sitting on something. Thursday night would be the time to drop it though. (night before election is far too late, too many voters will miss it).
---------- Post added at 21:31 ---------- Previous post was at 21:29 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by adzii_nufc
Of course there is the possibility Wikileaks follow up this:
By Podesta, with proof, which would signal intent.
'
|
Dump in that context means 'drop'. The context of the rest of the e-mail shows they mean get them out:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...hinks-it-does/