Since I've been blocked from the thread that inspired this topic (for admittedly boorish behaviour, mea culpa) a new thread will have to do.
But first, an apology to everyone for being a dick. This is a forum that tries to inform if not educate, and I clearly let everyone down. I'm sorry.
However, in my perhaps meager defense we really should acknowledge that we are now fully in an era of pervasive weaponized misinformation, and that it really does not matter who believes who is wielding it. These are not the flame wars that arose during the Bush administrations: Whatever the utility to democracy those oftentimes heated exchanges had each side could be reasonably certain that the opinions expressed or derived from were those of a fellow citizen, or of a close ally. That reasonable certainty is gone, so the farther we refer from primary sources the greater the chance we are to literally picking up our enemies weapon and using it against our fellow countrymen and women.
This does not excuse my tone and delivery in the aforementioned thread, but I hope it goes some way to explaining my intent.
But first, an apology to everyone for being a dick. This is a forum that tries to inform if not educate, and I clearly let everyone down. I'm sorry.
However, in my perhaps meager defense we really should acknowledge that we are now fully in an era of pervasive weaponized misinformation, and that it really does not matter who believes who is wielding it. These are not the flame wars that arose during the Bush administrations: Whatever the utility to democracy those oftentimes heated exchanges had each side could be reasonably certain that the opinions expressed or derived from were those of a fellow citizen, or of a close ally. That reasonable certainty is gone, so the farther we refer from primary sources the greater the chance we are to literally picking up our enemies weapon and using it against our fellow countrymen and women.
This does not excuse my tone and delivery in the aforementioned thread, but I hope it goes some way to explaining my intent.