In a 2001 paper, Cass Sunstein, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, described the "echo chamber" effect of blogs and message boards. Rather than fostering debate, moderation and common understanding, he argued, these sites have contributed to the polarization of our political clture. People gravitate toward sites that reflect their established point of view, and once comfortably ensconced in their political echo chamber, the perticipants take turns preaching to the assembled choir, reinforcing each other's ideas and biases, and denoncing anyone who might disagree
Rather than promoting open discussion and greater understanding, the Net has fed the cynical perception that every form of traditional authority is based on lies and corrpution. The much-hyped free market of ideas is a world in which the loudest and most outrageous assertion dominates the discussion
posted
I think Cass Sunstein is right, but there's nothing new about that phenomenon!
-------------------- Another lifetime I'd have fallen in love with you Swept away by my feelings, ashamed and confused But just now it's enough to be walking with you Let the mystery play as it will! -Lui Collins Posts: 2669 | From: Jouy en Josas, France | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Letter to AFA: Conservatives to the best of my knowledge, want a smaller government that will leave us alone. You're conservative in what way? YOu're as bad as the people you criticize. Oh, I forgot, God is on your side, so you're special.
Dawn--and my mother wonders why I'm no longer a Republican --Storm
-------------------- Leashes?! We don't need no stinking leashes!! Posts: 4771 | From: The Berkeley of the East Coast: Montgomery County MD | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Ramblin' Dave, quietly making noise: I think Cass Sunstein is right, but there's nothing new about that phenomenon!
Which brings to mind these comments off The O'Reilly Factor on Faux News on the 18th October (as Hansarded by Think Progress):
quote: LARRY SABATO: It’s very personal. And you’ve mentioned the blogs earlier.
O’REILLY: Oh, it was off the chart.
SABATO: Well, we both have experienced this. The blogs on left and right, and I mean way left and way right, the things they come up with daily, the vitriol, the vile nature of the comments. And then they have hundreds and hundreds of people e-mailing.
O’REILLY: I know for a fact that President Bush doesn’t know what’s going on in the Internet. I know that for a fact because I did ask around.
SABATO: Well, he’s lucky.
O’REILLY: But.
SABATO: He’s lucky.
O’REILLY: He is lucky, because these are hired guns. These are people hired — being paid very well to smear and try to destroy people. And that’s the difference, Dr. Schiller. That had never happened before. I’ll give you the last word.
BROWN POLITICAL SCIENTIST WENDY SCHILLER: Well, I think that one thing is for sure. The millions of voters that go to the polls in 2006 aren’t spending most of their working hours during the day reading blogs on the Internet. They’re working for a living. They’re taking those kids to school. They’re going on with their lives. So yes, there’s a lot of vitriol out there. It’s a marketplace of ideas. It’s a free country last time we all checked. And it still is. It’s a great country.
O’REILLY: All right.
SABATO: It’s free for that reason.
O’REILLY: I think - I have to say President Bush has a much healthier attitude toward this than I do. Because if I can get away with it, boy, I’d go in with a hand grenade.
No wonder Faux News has this loathing and contempt for free exchange of ideas....
-------------------- "Nie lees die hoofopskrifte--lees die daagliks phosdex in plaas ..." Posts: 1316 | From: Winona, MN | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Have you ever noticed that most of the "evil things" conservatives talk about mostly just involve giving certain groups more rights or letting people make their own decisions?
The scary thing is they truly believe they are right.
Posts: 835 | From: Massachusetts | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Glowy Chloe: We will withdraw from Iraq, sending the message to the terrorists that if they will just be patient they can win and bring their terrorist acts to the U.S.
Oooh,so what's what the terrorists plan was!Destroy 2 american buildings and then have the middle east suffer over 6 years of war until liberals come back to power so they can strike again!Those damned terrorists got us real good didn't they?
Seriously,I cannot respect anyone who thinks the war in the middle east is a good thing.
-------------------- "I love God,he's so deliciously evil!" -Stewie,Family Guy
The fun thing about standards is that they come in so many varieties. Posts: 510 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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Would it be wrong for me to vote liberal just to NFBSK off the holier-than-thou conservatives who peddle this nonsense via chain letters?
I normally vote straight Democratic anyway, but....
- Pseudo "early and often" Croat
-------------------- "At all events, people who deny the influence of smaller nations should remember that the Croats have the rest of us by the throats." - Norman Davies, Europe: A History
God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. Posts: 4578 | From: Sunrise, FL | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by beaver_slayer: In a 2001 paper, Cass Sunstein, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, described the "echo chamber" effect of blogs and message boards. Rather than fostering debate, moderation and common understanding, he argued, these sites have contributed to the polarization of our political clture. People gravitate toward sites that reflect their established point of view, and once comfortably ensconced in their political echo chamber, the perticipants take turns preaching to the assembled choir, reinforcing each other's ideas and biases, and denoncing anyone who might disagree.
Well, speaking as a blogger, he's got that right. I sure do preach to the choir, and woe be the damned who try to come on my website and disagree with me!
That almost makes me try to get the citizenship before November 7th just to vote democratic. Are you sure the AFA is a conservative group? It sounds more like a good advertisement for the democrats. You know, making the good things sound like they where bad. Almost like the reverse version of the conversation between Prince John and the Sheriff of Rottingham in Mel Brooks "Robin Hood - Men in tights".
-------------------- ~Reality, the refuge of those who fail in RPGs~ aka Darkfist Dragon -==(UDIC)==- Posts: 334 | From: Lancaster, Ohio | Registered: Dec 2005
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quote: A return to the "Fairness Doctrine" in broadcasting where opposing views must be given equal time. Every conservative talk show host will be forced to give a liberal equal time on every issue. The purpose of this rule will be to shut down conservative talk shows.
Oddly enough, this "doctrine" is part of the Howard Government's push to "compensate" for a claimed left-wing bias on the ABC. It's said that this would hamper or nobble shows such as Media Watch or Four Corners... and I'm concerned that such might be the case.
-------------------- You fool! That's not a warrior, that's a banana! - a surreal moment in a role-playing game Posts: 2480 | From: Australia | Registered: Feb 2003
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