I saw this quote floating around social media today and thought, this hits the nail very much on the head. Misinformation from bad actors for example anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, religious maniacs who believe they are fighting Lucifer from their keyboards and those on the political extremes of either side is something that needs to be challenged. However it needs to be challenged by way of debate and not by silencing.
This quote, the original of which is said to be on Instagram which is a platform I don’t have access to so I can’t check it for provenance, seems to sum up a lot of what I perceive is going on. We do have a problem where stuff that the Liberal/Left doesn’t like is increasingly being classed as ‘misinformation’ when it may well not be and may well be just a challenge to the various orthodoxies of the Left.
I agree with the author that we need to challenge mad conspiracy theories whether they come from either the Left or the Right but the Left seem to want to bring in censorship under the guise of ‘controlling misinformation’. It is probably correct to point out at this juncture that in the past there have been very obvious instances of ‘heretics’ being silenced by those who follow the orthodoxy being proven to be correct whilst those who followed the orthodoxy have been shown to be wrong. The most notable of these cases would be the story of Dr John Snow who whilst researching a London Cholera outbreak in the mid 19th century showed extreme scepticism for the then current ‘miasma’ theory of disease which was popular in the medical establishment of the time. Snow showed that Cholera was a water bourne disease and not as the other doctors of the time thought, spread by ‘bad air’.
The argument in favour of free speech was seemingly won by people like Tom Paine, JS mill and John Locke. How sad that we have to learn the lessons of the past all over again. As recently as the mid twentieth century it was obvious that the enemies of free speech, the book burners, were the baddies. Take that on board woke lefties, you are the baddies.
In every generation there seem to be book burners, today’s book burners are digital ones and can have worldwide impact, w3hich is something to worry about.
What needs to be done is have someone who is respected doing a documentary presenting both sides of an argument and interviewing those with hard, concrete facts against those that rely on suspicion and heresy.
I’ve always thought someone like Stephen Fry (to name but one) can convince people through rational discussion. Mr Fry knows a lot about a lot, is intelligent, engaging and well educated. If not him then someone with a similar educated demeanor and is well respected who would present facts and interest the public.
It’s just an idea.
That’s not a bad idea. A contest between the facts over feelings and the feelings over facts lot would be very interesting. Stephen Fry would be interesting in that role but not only is he a bit polarising, he’s also seen by many to be in the Left camp. The late John Freeman who did the BBC’s Face To Face in the late 50’s would have been good. Out those who are still alive it would have to be someone who could not be tempted to impose their own views on the discussion and also someone who is self confident enough to stand up for themselves and ensure that everyone had their say. Paxman comes to mind for this job.
Paxman is an idea. I am just wondering whether he can muster enough interest. I suppose with good advertising beforehand he would be ideal.
One to think about.
Or even Andrew Neil?
I think Andrew Neil would not appeal to a wider audience. I think only the middle age/class white people would pay any interest in him.
If it was out of the two, I think Paxman would appeal to a wider range.
Have a sleep on it and see if you can think of some more people.
Trevor Phillips would be good as well. He was one of those who helped to build the ideology of top down multiculturalism but he’s clever enough to admit where he and MC went wrong. I disagree on AN as he does a damned good job of hiding his own personal politics when in work mode. Sophy Ridge of Sky might work in his role as well if we are looking for a moderator rather than a participant.
Some more good ideas FH although I have to admit I had to Google those last two people. Keep the suggestions coming, you could be getting somewhere.
Ps. What about Ross Kemp?
Sophy Ridge? Are you joking? She frequently proudly displays her Left bias
As for Paxman and Fry: they’re too up their arses with their own self importance as is JHB
Neil is unsurpassed with Nick Ferrari second, but a long way behind
She’s not as bad as Rigby or Kay Burley. She’s good at interviewing politicians but not a patch on the greats like Sir Robin Day.
Agree that both Fry and Paxman love themselves but Paxman would be better than Fry
Yeah Andrew Neil would be very good.
Related: A lone voice speaks out
When migrants come, culture migrates too
Politicians and the mainstream media in Europe have done their best to downplay the post-2015 wave of harassment or assault
https://spectator.us/topic/immigration-ayaan-hirsi-ali-prey/
If paywalled, tell me
OT – Sunday Humour:
mRNA by Media Bear
PS I guessed correctly which music they’d use, it was obvious choice
I have thought about it FH and I now agree that Andrew Neil would be the ideal person for a documentary.
I just had to mull things over.
Sophy Ridge
First, she’s not ‘brilliant’ and she openly displays her Left bias
Case in point: No disagreement with Labour
Starmer DOESN’T Think Crooked Hancock Should Be Sacked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vuUNTFoFL4
You have a point about her bias but I still think that she’d be good at putting people at their ease. Whether she’d be as good as Freeman with the intellectual billiard ball in a sock is another matter.