Al Gore and the search for reason
I never thought I'd link to an article written by a nutcase like Al Gore, but it's worth the read actually. I disagree with many of his factual points, especially his naive assumption that "hardly anyone now disagrees that the choice to invade Iraq was a grievous mistake." Keep dreaming Al, that will probably go down in history as the greatest thing America has done in decades, even at the hands of this bumbling idiotic president we managed to elect twice. However, I do agree with his points about the decay of reason and logic in the American discourse...if only he were himself as open to it as he proposes to be.
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1622015,00.html
A few comments on his "excerpts":In the world of television, the massive flows of information are largely in only one direction, which makes it virtually impossible for individuals to take part in what passes for a national conversation. Individuals receive, but they cannot send. They hear, but they do not speak. The "well-informed citizenry" is in danger of becoming the "well-amused audience."
I totally agree, what's more they are usually not watching the news but some idiotic sit-com with the same tired jokes and plots done for the past 20-30 years. These dumb down the public, and are not even funny enough for a real audience so they throw that annoying laugh-track over them to make you THINK it's something other people are enjoying also.As a result, our democracy is in danger of being hollowed out. In order to reclaim our birthright, we Americans must resolve to repair the systemic decay of the public forum. We must create new ways to engage in a genuine and not manipulative conversation about our future. We must stop tolerating the rejection and distortion of science. We must insist on an end to the cynical use of pseudo-studies known to be false for the purpose of intentionally clouding the public's ability to discern the truth. Americans in both parties should insist on the re-establishment of respect for the rule of reason.
IF ONLY AL GORE FOLLOWED THIS! He is leading one of the most manipulative movements in modern science! It's funny that he tells us that rejection of science is bad, but he won't even consider an objective, opposing view of why the earth's temperature fluctuates naturally from other notable scientists.To understand the final reason why the news marketplace of ideas dominated by television is so different from the one that emerged in the world dominated by the printing press, it is important to distinguish the quality of vividness experienced by television viewers from the "vividness" experienced by readers. Marshall McLuhan's description of television as a "cool" medium—as opposed to the "hot" medium of print—was hard for me to understand when I read it 40 years ago, because the source of "heat" in his metaphor is the mental work required in the alchemy of reading.
I agree with this observation that reading something engages your mind in ways that TV doesn't, however that's why the internet is becoming the primary source of news and debate in the country (as he later points out in the article). The newspapers were too one-sided in their viewpoints, and thus they lended themselves easily to the propaganda that Mr. Gore is decrying.Many young Americans now seem to feel that the jury is out on whether American democracy actually works or not.
Take them to Baghdad circa 1995, they'll see the light then!The same ferocity that our Founders devoted to protect the freedom and independence of the press is now appropriate for our defense of the freedom of the Internet.
I hope he truly believe those words. And I'll expect him to fight just as hard to keep Townhall.com, WorldNetDaily.com, Redstate.com and the Drudgereport up and running right next to MoveOn.org. I'm sure his past flirtations with censorship are well behind him now.
Brad
