CTH has encountered criticism for our position on information. Perhaps it is important to step back and explain exactly why we should not be playing by rules established to control us while engaged in the battle of ideas. First, my position:
…”There is no such thing as “disinformation” or “misinformation”. There is only information you accept and information you do not accept. You were not born with a requirement to believe everything you are told; rather, you were born with a brain that allows you to process the information you receive and make independent decisions.”…
There are only two elements within the public discussion of information, truth and not truth.
In an era filled with “fact-checkers” and institutional guardians at the gates of Big Tech, let me explain exactly why it is important not to accept the speech rules of the guards.
When you accept the terms “disinformation”, “misinformation” or the newest lingo, “malinformation,” you are beginning to categorize truth and lies in various shades. You are merging black and white, right and wrong, into various shades of grey.
When your mind works in the grey zone, you are, by direct and factual consequence, saying there is a problem. You are correct; however, this is where people may make a mistake. That problem is supposed to be there.
It is not a solution to the problem to try and remove the grey simply because it takes too much work to separate the white pixels from the black ones. You were born with a gift, the greatest gift a loving God could provide. You were born with a brain and set of natural instincts that are tools to do this pixel separation, use them.
If you define the grey work as a problem you cannot solve on your own, you open the door for others to solve that problem for you. You begin to abdicate the work, and that’s when trouble can enter. The sliding scale of Pinocchios is one of the most familiar yet goofy outcomes.
Put more clearly, when you accept the terminology “disinformation”, you accept a problem. The problem is then the tool by which authorities will step in to make judgements. Speech, in its most consequential form, is then qualified by others to whom you have sub-contracted your thinking.
When you willingly sub-contract information filters to others, you have lost connection with the raw information. CTH was founded upon the belief that truth has no agenda, nor does it care about you, your feelings, or your opinion of it. It just sits there, empirically existing as evidence of information in its most pure form.
The search for truth, in all things, is the mission objective of this assembly. Often, we don’t like the truth; often, the truth is bitter, cold, challenging and even painful to accept. However, the truth doesn’t care. Information in its most raw form is ambivalent to your opinion. If you struggle to accept these things, that’s when you need grey. The New York Times is not called the “grey lady” accidentally.
Personally, I am an absorber of information – perhaps on a scale that is unusual. But I do not discount information from any form until I can put context to it and see if the information makes sense given all the variables present. When something doesn’t feel right, it’s almost always because it isn’t right.
Often, I find myself struggling in the grey and complex. It is not unusual to spend days researching, digging, clarifying a situation, only to discover the path to finding the truth is in another direction entirely. Erasing everything and starting over is frustrating, but it is genuinely the only approach that works; and often finding truth is supposed to be difficult, that’s why it is rewarding.
In the digital information age, we are bombarded with information. It is easy to be overwhelmed and need to find something or someone who has better skills at separating the black grains from the white ones. All opinions in this quest should be considered; thus, it is important to allow the free flow of information.
I am not necessarily a speech absolutist. There is some language that needs to be constrained if we are to participate in a respectful society, with grandma’s rules and knowing the audience. The CTH has guidelines for comments for this exact reason. However, those constraints need to be based on a set of inherent values. When it comes to information it is important to draw a distinction from speech.
There needs to be an open venue for all information. Unfortunately, when we begin to apply labels or categorization to information, there’s an opportunity for information to be manipulated – even weaponized. Saul Alinsky spent decades pondering the best techniques to weaponize information and speech. Alinsky’s intentions in the endeavor to change society by changing how language and information was used were not good. He devoted his completed rulebook book to Lucifer.
Be careful about anyone saying we need to label or categorize information in order to control or remove speech from the discussion.
You were not born with a requirement to believe everything you are told; rather, you were born with a God-given brain that allows you to process the information you receive and make independent decisions.
Common sense is a precious thing.
Guard it with your lives.
When the media, tech, and politicians are all in bed, they share one singular defining attribute … they all lie automatically. With common sense it’s easy to spot the lies.
Leon, common sense, as you know, is not so common.
Without Sundance’s expatiations, I’d still be ill-informed. At age 80, I still clearly recall that my default as a youngster was to believe what people said. Sadly, that’s about the one area my Dear Mom and Dad messed up. I was guileless.
I have paid for this naivete since I was 25, maybe younger. I’ve had wives that wouldn’t tell me the truth no matter what; and they have stolen (literally) my life; one even screwed an old friend of mine in my own bed.
I mean no misogyny here; but don’t believe anyone without your own independent thoughts.
Thank you, Sundance, for helping me to re-shape my way of thinking and my thoughts…and for your invaluable insight. You continue to amaze me.
Never quit learning! Never forget what you have learned.
This page is a wellspring of knowledge. Thank you Sundance and crew, and all posters of good will.
I totally agree learn all you can!
There are a few things I’d like to unlearn, such as learning that Zelenskyy enjoys dancing while wearing tight leather pants.
That’s the problem, Common Sense is not common anymore.
Exactly
Sadly, neither is critical thinking.
Yes, so very many seem to have lost it.
Let’s remember this about our generation versus the current generation. 50 years ago the owners manual for a vehicle showed us how to adjust the valves. Today they warn owners not to drink the contents of the battery.
Because first we are told no person is common. We are all special individuals with unique needs and should expect unique treatment. From that perspective only nonsense can be perceived.
Sense requires connection to reality. When so much of large city living is largely disassociated from a connection to the actual world, senseless fantasy becomes the basis for understanding reality.
Common sense requires hard work — when easy buttons are the prevailing mentality
Thank you, Sundance!
Logic and thinking for oneself –
when I hear things like “his truth” or “her truth” . . . my ears perk up because in my thinking, there is just truth – what is and what isn’t
and what I hear said about “climate change” . . . “settled science”? That is truly the most UN-scientific pronouncement, to say that something is “settled science” . . .
”There is no such thing as “disinformation” or “misinformation”. There is only information you accept and information you do not accept. You were not born with a requirement to believe everything you are told; rather, you were born with a brain that allows you to process the information you receive and make independent decisions.”…
Best definition of truth that I have heard was from Josh McDowell – “If something is true, then it remains true for all people, at all times, in all places. It does not change.”
When you apply that test to the facts that we are currently being told, about any number of subjects, it becomes very clear that what we are getting is NOT truth!
“If something is true, then it remains true for all people, at all times, in all places. It does not change.”
You cannot travel from Brussels to Antwerp
in less than twenty days, circa 1410.
You cannot travel from Brussels to Antwerp in less than two hours, circa 1910.
You cannot travel from Brussels to Antwerp in less than twenty minutes, circa 2010.
McDowell’s formulation is arguably applicable to human nature but not at all to technological development.
Whether 1410 or 2022, it is still the same number of miles.
So many miles in a day by oxcart . . .
so many miles in a day in an electrical vehicle that has to stop to be recharged . . .
but still the same distance between Brussels and Antwerp!
Re “If something is true, then it remains true for all people, at all times, in all places. It does not change.”
Being a Christian minister, Josh McDowell spoke about truth many times and while I have not been able to find that exact quote, I did find a couple of instances where he said something very similar. However, in both cases, he was speaking quite specifically of “absolute truth.”
Here (Josh McDowell’s Official Blog: February 2008), he said, “My purpose is to counter the postmodern view that asserts that external, absolute truth—that is, a truth that is true for all people, in all places, and at all times—cannot be known through reason or science because truth is either nonexistent or unknowable. To the contrary, truth is certain and founded on solid absolutes.”
Here (The Absolute Truth – Josh.org), he said, “Absolute truth is true for all people, for all places, and for all time.” There, he gives some interesting examples of the kind of truth you referred to and absolute truth.
The examples you posted are presumably true for the respective years given but are not absolute truths because, as you noted, they are dependent on technological development, which frequently changes over time. But that is not the kind of truth McDowell was referring to.
Methinks you know what Mr. McDowell meant. The time it takes to travel from Brussels to Antwerp is dependent on the technology. In 1910 the technology was quite different from what it was in 2010. Same could be said for communications, or even medicine for that matter. Advancement in technology is one thing. Absolute, universal truths are different things altogether.
Apply Mr. McDowell statement to an actual absolute truth. Men and women are created differently. THAT has never changed. It matters not how many men or women convince themselves otherwise. So when a young man convinces himself that he is a girl and then is allowed to participate in a sport that is meant for girls and he proceeds to “beat” girls at that sport (because men and women ARE different), THAT is a lie. Men cannot be women. Women cannot be men. No amount of inhibitors or enhancers can change that.
God created men and women, period. THAT remains true for all people, at all times, in all places.
Yes, when I hear “settled science”, I say to the person “oh, you believe in a flat earth at the center of the universe? That was ‘settled science’, and to dispute it was to be either executed, or if you were lucky like Galileo, excommunicated and held under house arrest”. Sometime I see a glimmer of thought and thus some hope, but all too often all I get is a blank stare.
The truth of science is always provisional and subject to revision.
You cannot “Trust the science” because scientific theorems are deliberately intended to be falsifiable.
Liberals can only connect with feelings. They aren’t very good at connecting dots…
Or when those jack-n-spur politicians use
” Full Stop.”
Blood boils.
Yes.
Thank you sundance!
Love President Trump in the apple!
my new rhetorical sarcastic question to libtards is “what did google tell you to think today” (while silently saying ‘you moron’)
Thanks! I totally missed the apple.
I got myself a fine edumacation, back when libraries had these old fashioned things, called card catalogues, along with musty repositories of books, called “stacks.” Back then, students had to find their own information and sort it all out for themselves. That was before AlGore invented the interwebs, and made everyone stupids as rocks.
You can get a tremendous education on the internet if you are willing to look at all sides and apply logic (no longer taught in most public schools)…I’ve learned, for example, that virtually all the history that was taught to me in secondary school was either flat out wrong or extremely biased in its slant…but when I point out the ridiculous factual errors to people, they become unhappy, because they love the propaganda version….
“You can get a tremendous education on the internet if you are willing to look at all sides”
Not any more, pyrrhuis. My various searches, for a year or more, reveal that a lot of information is hidden or removed. They leave primarily what they want you to know and/or believe.
Agree!
I see the scrubbing of sites, information changed on Wiki. All the time.
I agree about education. I spent 4 decades in the classroom. I never tried to tell my students what to think. I simply wanted them to learn HOW to think, reason through the information given and formulate a solution to any and all problems presented them. The only indoctrination I worked on with my students was to believe that they had the skills necessary to tackle any problem and to always believe that they were smart enough to solve the problem at hand and then to communicate the solution to someone else (not necessarily me).
my focus was the academic. Unfortunately, my profession has devolved into “feelings” rather than knowledge. I am proud to say that I TAUGHT thousands of students and never indoctrinated a single one. I tried to make my students feel good about themselves by being successful in their work, not bullying them into believing that they were “bad” for something over which they had NO CONTROL! For me, helping my students with personal responsibility was more important than changing them socially.
I must say that I don’t know how someone who believes in education can take a job in schools that require indoctrination and have any self-respect.
however, and this is non – trivial. the interwebs cannot teach you wisdom. It cannot teach you how to communicate AND RESPOND to the relationship you have with God, the Father.
The original “internet”…is PRAYER….Direct communications from you and God and visa versa does not required a cord.
Simply an open heart and mind.
The internet will never give you these gifts.
and that is precisely what they are.
supernatural…beautiful, never failing, unhackable…pure…unsalted….raw….communications with your creator.
does not require anything other than .
YOUR CHOICE!
that’s it.
some have traditional totems they observe….And if that is helpful and does not distract…so much the better. After all, we are human beings….we cannot snap our fingers and make everything right all by ourselves. We NEED HELP.
Some like to kneel, grasp the hands together, bow and pray…I do that. Other have other totems.
But it IS the nature and the authentism.
When you PRAY IN PRIVATE…It it just you….and God. This I believe is the most powerful setting for prayer.
God Bless America
For me as well, regitiger. In the dark, in the quiet, on my knees, head bowed, no distractions. I believe He hears me.
I kinda with billrla
“[A]ll the history that was taught to me in secondary school was either flat out wrong or extremely biased in its slant.”
The orthodox account of the War Between the States is especially bad in this regard.
To the winner go the spoils, and among those spoils is the power to write/rewrite history to make yourself or your side appear as you wish rather than as they really are.
For example, conditions in both Southern and Northern POW camps during Lincoln’s War were equally horrendous, but only the one in Andersonville, GA has been made notorious.
Do you remember when we were all expected to memorize the Dewey Decimal System so that we would know WHERE to look for the information that we wanted to find? Or was I just a nerd who did that on my own because I was always at the library?
nerd
Lol, yep, true , own it , be proud !
Nope, not just you. I had free periods in high school and helped the librarian. Always have been a book worm.
I volunteered as an aid, in my school library, during my senior year. I forget why, but it was to earn some sort of credit. I loved the library!
vikingmom: Nerd! But, seriously, yes, I do recall learning the Dewey Decimal System, possibly, as far back as elementary school, in the late 60s.
Proud to be a nerd.
The 700s, where I would find my precious encyclopedias Americana and Britannica. To a young mind it was all there. I could figure out everything.
Right!
Many, many hours spent in our local, small-town library . . . the card catalogue . . . and also looking up things in those big green books, guides to published articles in periodicals . . . oh, they even had the, what was it, the “Lives of the Saints”!
I sure wish I still had the encyclopedias my family had. I remember when my parents bought them it was a big deal.
You can still get encyclopedias, I just ordered some last year for homeschooling. Love books!
Remember: keep your books! All of them!
Priceless! Sundance, my Dad would always tell me we were created as “Free moral agents”. It wasn’t until I matured did I realize he was not only 100% correct, but by that simple acknowledgement, we find ourselves in the specific place of accountability. We own our thoughts and actions, to not grasp that truth, is to place us as nothing more than animals.
Don’t dis animals. Someone who sells out is worse than an honest, kind animal.
All of creation groans because of us… the poor animals lol
I agree with your sentiment.
“….we find ourselves in the specific place of accountability.”
Everyone finds him/herself there eventually. Now, however, avoiding responsibility has been taken to an art form. Especially by politicians who will do anything and everything to avoid it…especially if faced with damning evidence that no one else is responsible except them.
Accountability
Responsibility
Common Sense
All very important.
Each one the mark of a fully functioning adult, and all in very short supply it seems.
And unfortunately, all far too rare today
Your dog has thoughts and owns its actions. I don’t know how they think without much language, but I suspect God gave them a better feeling for what seems true and what seems to be untrue. I had a dog who always owned her own thoughts and was willing to stand by them if she needed to. The only difference I found is that dogs don’t understand a lie as any more than a game to play with their masters who always make incessant noises to try to confuse them.
God gave us dominion over many animals and he gave us the responsibility to treat them as well as we can in return for their captivity. The dog in your avatar is a beautiful animal and I am assuming it is yours. My dog gave me nothing but her trust and I can never forget that earnest truth. I had to put her down last Fall, and I still miss her every time I am in one of the places where she was happy.
This has not been a lecture for you. I just miss my dog. I understand your comment and I had a father who was also proud to have the responsibilities of being a free man.
Pokey I am sorry for your loss. It hurts. I know from losing dogs through out the years.
Unconditional love.
I know of family members who lost their dogs due to old age/illness and refuse to have another.
I have always found another dog. They are never the same as any of the previous ones in personality, etc. But the unconditional love and bond was a lays there.
I’m 54 and I have had at least 54 animals throughout my life. I think of many of them daily, especially the ones that have been lost in recent years. But there are also the ones from childhood and onward that occasionally visit my memories.
At this point today, I have four cats and four dogs.
That number has fluctuated to as many as six of each.
I understand that everybody doesn’t grow up able to have as many animals as I had.
Growing up in Florida, you have lots of choices to play with….box turtles, mud puppies, lizards, squirrels, birds, farm animals of all sorts, coons, possums, bats, deer, etc….
But they are all wonderful, and over the decades they have taught me more than any formal schooling I’ve ever had.
How we treat the least of those among us….
My dog, and my cats are smarter than most people I know.
My SO and dog are better people than anyone else I know.
A timely reminder from Sundance, for all of whom find ourselves amidst an information war for control of our minds.
You put into words what I practice. I just thought there was something wrong with the way I thought. I was starting to doubt myself. Thank you SD.
The Trusted News Initiative gives me the chills. Dystopic.
https://www.bbc.com/beyondfakenews/trusted-news-initiative/
critical thinking skills are required
Did you see this?
The Texas GOP’s declarative position against critical thinking in public schools, or any schools, for that matter, is now an official part of their political platform.It is public record in the Republican Party of Texas 2012 platform. With regard to critical thinking, the Republican Party of Texas document states: “Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.”(page 20, Republican Party of Texas, 2012)
Makes you wonder
it is an intentional banishing of critical thinking skills throughout America….it can find its roots in complacent parenting but gets its formal training in our “schools”….no more are the government indoctrination centers concerned with teaching their charges how to think and process information independently….I put it this way the easiest to those I broach the topic with, “They teach them WHAT to think now and not HOW to think.”
Any teachers on here? I’d like to get their point of view
They used to teach second graders the difference between facts and opinions. I remember those lessons, and my daughter, now 25, was taught the same. That was a great foundation for developing discernment.
The teachers knew this was the right age to teach this because they recognized 6 as the age of reason.
Also basic math skills.
This honestly happened in my office yesterday.
I’ve mentioned my two lovely SMART office assistants a couple times when posting before.
Some background info for context-
I’ll call them K & M, both are 25 years old, born and raised in Savannah, both are black, both went to an “urban” private school for most of their schooling years, and now have their medical assistant certifications.
They did not go to school with white kids until they were in 10th grade.
So a little bit of an atypical upbringing here.
K has been my assistant for nearly 5 years, I hired her best friend M a couple of years ago. They work great together.
K is in her last year of online college to get her bachelors in a medical management degree of some sort.
They are lovely young ladies and I am lucky to have them in my office. With that said…they are still products of today’s world…
Yesterday, K asked us, “what is 12 minus 4?”…M looked at her in shock…K was being serious & started counting on her fingers…M & I are literally laughing at her… K looks up and she says, “7”.
I promise you this was a real situation and she was serious. Unbelievable.
U-kraine, I-Kraine, we all Kraine for Ukraine.
Ukraine, The Ukraine, let’s call the whole thing off.
I laugh every time I see your handle! It fills my heart with joy! 😀
Ben was an extremely smart man, and one with a cynical view of human nature, as exemplified by the statement “a republic if you can keep it”….We didn’t keep it, and now we are flirting with tyranny…
I remember when I was about 3 and on occasion, I would find a penny or a nickel on the ground. One of my brothers would say let’s flip for it: Heads I win, tails you lose. I finally, without knowledge of the word parse, parsed it and discovered that that was not just bad odds, rather I got no odds at all. I then decided that thinking was a very useful tool.
Growing up with three older brothers definitely gave me an edge later in life.
One of my favorite questions in life is “How do you know what you think you know”.
Lately, I’ve realized a new understanding. That is “Change your perspective and change the interpretation of what you had thought you knew”.
Case in point is the Iraq war. Seeing today’s Liz Cheney gave me a far different view of her Father…. and that gave me a far different perspective on the Iraq war.
Same with Jeb Bush and the Bush’s treatment of President Trump. Rewrote everything I thought I knew.
Same!! I do remember being taken aback when I heard an interview with W, early on, regarding his rationale for invading Iraq and he made a remark about “Saddam Hussein tried to kill my Daddy”. That really bothered me but at the time, I let it go because I believed in the “mission” to stomp out “evil” people who would do us harm, if given the chance, with their “weapons of mass destruction”. I started having doubts when none were actually found, but it was several years before I really started putting together all of the “little” pieces that had never made sense. I think when Bush 41 teamed up with Clinton to oversee billions of dollars in Haiti “relief” money and Babs called Bill her “Son from another Mother” that my eyes were fully opened and I have never looked back!
Retired Magistrate here: That is why we come to the Treehouse; to exchange ideas and respectfully consider what another person’s opinion is. Government wants to do your thinking for you, once they have accomplished that, they own you.
GOD made you, and the best instruction book on how to live a rich and fulfilling life is HIS book, the Bible.
The very foundation of all Western civilization
My wife and I taught and practiced “critical thinking”. We had a spirited household with our kids and their lucky friends.
Harken back to mortal and venial sins.
The first are black and white – Thou shalt not or Thou shall.
The other is almost – Thou really shouldn’t.
I think grey is almost as old as Original Sin.
The truth is subjective as well. It all depends on your view or version of reality, or what you perceive to be reality. It is all a mind game, its resides between ones ears. We are in WW3 or 4 or 5 who knows, its a war of information and for the mind. Going back to Bernays, they have mastered propaganda and manipulation of the mind.
Another great post. Notice that BELIEF and BELIEVE are used a lot.
I think its important to remember that we make a DECISION,…on what to BELIEVE.
Just like we make a DECISION on what clothes to wear, or what to have for breakfast.
In fact, or brain is primarily a decision making organ,THATS what it does, all day long.
WE attach greater importance to some decisions that others, depending on a variety of factors.
We might ‘agonise’ over a decision to quit our job, or buy a house for days or weeks, while “hardly thinking about it” before deciding what we are going to eat.
Point is, these decisions are not actually made by our “conscious” brain, they are made by our ‘subconscious’ brain, and generally made within seconds of realising we need to make a decision.
All that ‘agonising’ over a ‘tough decision’ (ever make a list of “pro’s and con’s” either in your head or on paper?)
Thats actually just our conscious mind, reconciling and therefore accepting the decision the subconscious mind has already made.
Point is, we make a DECISION what to believe, the decision is actually made at the subconscious level, which is greatly influenced by factors we are unaware of,…WANTING to believe being a major factor.
We see that here, with “hope-porn”, as an example. Still people posting that they think Durham is going to perp walk Hillary, etc.
Because they WANT to believe,…
“Liberals” are not the only ones, who have to “pretend not to know things”; look how blatantly the Repub party leadership, especially in Congress, has been screwing the base, and yet some people continue to fall for the argument “hold your nose, and vote R, cause the D is worse!”
In order to accept that argument, you have to pretend not to know, all the ways the Republicons have screwed us.
Because you WANT to believe that, rather than basing your actions on knowing, BELIEVING the unpleasant truth, that we have a one-party system, that has been manipulating and fooling you, your whole life.
Denial is NOT a river in egypt.
Excellent post
Concur.
Excellent analysis. I personally am done voting for anyone just because they’re a Republican. I’ll vote for a specific person because of their values, but I won’t vote R just to keep a D out.
“Denial is NOT a river in egypt.”
Drat!!! Now you have ruined my weekend…
Real eyes
Realize
Real lies…
or else : Nazis and Not-sees.
In regard to Russia/Ukraine I just look who is supporting Ukraine; Soros, Clinton, Biden, Deep State, American politicians, Globalist, Anyone and anything crooked. That is enough for me. I don’t care how many interviews, videos, US Media, and “experts” whether they are on the ground or on the airwaves.
I have seen enough BS such as Baghdad Bobs daughter reporting on a peaceful protest with burning, looting, mayhem, chaos behind her.
I consider that to be an excellent Red-Flag signal – Know them by their friends.
I may not know much about a person, but if I see them with Soros – or Miss Lindsey – then I really don’t need to know anything more.
All these Conservatives jumping on the Ukraine bandwagon because they don’t like Putin. Reminds me of Libtatds supporting Biden because they don’t like Trump. …disappointing to say the least. I have said it before, too many CTH’ers are emotionally no different than Libtatds.
very much true. this is seen at all the right-leaning sites now, you are a Putin apologist if you say anything about the Soros/Kolomoisky/Zelenskyy/Khazaria connections. I am shocked at the true lack of critical thinking by 80% of the world’s population.
Don’t be shocked. 80% of the people are wrong 80% of the time. It has been this way since before Jesus.
These are the people who for years have told me unequivocally how much they hate my God. How much they hate me. How much they hate everything I believe in. How much they hate everything I stand for. How much they want to see me suffer and die. Only a couple of months ago they were bragging how much wanted to see me lose my livelihood.
When I see these people on a bus the absolute last thing I will do is get on that bus with them.
I think I wrote this a bit ago. The Treehouse is a community of critical thinkers. We are blessed to have Sundance gather us.
Thinking takes place in one place, and one place only: between the ears of the individual. The larger the group, the lower the IQ.
It’s nice to have a kickstart. Sundance is the brother/sister I never had.
Sundance promotes thoughtful thought. I’m calling troll on this Saturday night.
Buckwheat. Certainly I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Sundance is beyond brilliant. And so many of those who comment here have their brilliance as well. I wish there were a way to screen out the trolls, but I’m sure Sundance is doing his best.
Good rumination/self-reflection, Sundance. Espistemolgy, how-we-know-what-we-know inquires keeps us honest and sharp. Over time I/your readers have been schooled about really important things like the extent of the Deep State, D. C. Power/money dynamics, markets, commodities, influence, and political ramifications of the Russia Hoax, behind the scenes, etc. I can only thank you for your position, putting yourself out there; I don’t agree with everything you say, but am, again, thankful you are doing what you do. I can never look at CNN, New York Times, etc. the same way again. Donald Trump, whatever his shortcomings, has ripped off the scab of how modern American politics, finance, politics, media, and the Establishment work and have worked for decades. Your support and understanding of his and his people’s agenda has helped all of us to see the underlying structural corruption and powers that are arrayed against him. Keep it up.
Disinformation is a LIE. Misinformation is a LIE. Words of one syllable keep things clear.
“Personally, I am an absorber of information – perhaps on a scale that is
unusual. But I do not discount information from any form until I can
put context to it and see if the information makes sense given all the
variables present. When something doesn’t feel right, it’s almost
always because it isn’t right.”
I completely agree, and I appreciate this statement from Sundance. Information has to be evaluated in context. All information has a certain degree of bias. In and of itself, bias is not “bad”–it simply “is.” It is important to evaluate the bias of all information and, as Sundance said, use your God-given brain to evaluate and process information and make independent decisions. Whenever I see the terms “misinformation” and “disinformation” applied to information, I am immediately skeptical. Who is labeling the information that way, and why? (In a sense, the term “fake news” is another way of saying “misinformation,” but with the connotation of calling it intentionally fabricated. Again, why is it “fake” and in what context?)
I very much appreciate that CTH pulls from a variety of different sources in order to present the context. In my mind, having the depth of the context increases the credibility of the information.
[EDIT]: In my mind, having the depth of the context increases the credibility of the information that Sundance provides.
Context and history – space and time – both help to understand what’s going on.
With respect to your first graphic, love how Republicans are the “red” party, which everyone knows Democrats are the communists. Just another piece of commie misinformation laid on America by the Enemedia. Every time Democrats described as the blue, patriotic, pro-American party, want to dry retch …
Republicans used to be the blue ones, and then they switched. Dumbest thing ever.
“Student: Dr. Einstein, Aren’t these the same questions as last year’s [physics] final exam?
Dr. Einstein: Yes; But this year the answers are different.”
― Albert Einstein
This is a witty and powerful exposition on the vagaries of science.
The only constant seems to be the questions being asked!
Question everything.
Trust your gut.
That is the comment I have been scrolling for. There is a lot to be said for intuition, and what feels right or wrong, vs “feelings”.
May I quibble ? We are bombarded with words and data.
Very, very little of it is information.
There is so much dishonest sludge, I often wonder who, if any, reads it.
the control of information is to keep the illusion that “you are the only one” that there “is no one else upset like you”.
rallys were teaching people that illusion was fake
It’s like the gaslighting that public school adminstrators wheel out for complaining parents: “You are the only ones who ever raised an objection about . . . [whatever}” but when parents talk, they discover they are not alone in their concern at all. Privacy laws give administrators legal cover to exploit.
If TPTB want to ban something they should start with the word “expert”.
Wow!!!! Thanks for posting that!
Interesting. Wonder if Americans would poll the same way as these Canadians?
W/all the research that has been done on MKUltra it is really hard to not be curious what exactly have they put in those vaxxines for programming purposes. I find it terrifying. Some people I know that got the vaxx just aren’t the same, it is like they have been altered. Nothing really to pinpoint, other than they are just not the same.
Wow. Other than they are just not the same. That triggered a memory about a book or movie from years ago. Seriously, I remember something along those lines. Wish I could remember what that was. Dang. I hate getting old.
Being gluttons for information along with the desire to not be tricked or lied to has brought us together here at The Treehouse. It’s up to each of us to individually sort through as much data (or as little) as we choose to digest daily.
President Putin had a rally in a huge 80 thousand seat stadium yesterday un Moscow. All we hear from the usual suspects in the news is, “The Russian people have become disillusioned with Putin’s War“. But once again, reality does not match up with The Big Lie.
If you saw this on Newsmax, you were told that the crowd was “forced” to be there…
The vision of Putin at that rally made me think he was trying to reproduce a Trump rally. Perhaps Putin is jealous of PDJT.
The genocide in the Donbas region is completely ignored by the MSM.
A couple of thoughts, and hard learned lessons.
#1. The very thing the western regime censors is that which will one day be true. Few examples – Wuhan Lab, Hunter Biden Laptop and now Ukrainian Bio Labs.
“The regime only censors that which will be true”.
#2. America has been spewing much more propaganda from the events in Ukraine than Russia has. Just compare and contrast how much NOISE our western media has spun about Ukraine VS what Russia has. It’s incomparable. Fox News is wall to wall “Russia is going to lose” nonsense. Either that or Putin is evil. Our western communism may now be far worse than the Eastern version. It’s certainly more over the top and dramatic.
Let us say Russia had installed a pro-Putin government in Mexico and was running potentially illegal biolabs down that that threatened our nation. Let us say we invaded to remove the pro-Putin government and remove the dangerous biolabs. This is how we can check our own bias.
I would also add that Ukraine is Russia’s neighbor, not ours. The west carried out a coup (insurrection?) in Ukraine, and somehow we’re saints? It’s basically a civil war in Ukraine.
Then finally, Russia is not our abuser. The western regime is our abuser and has been for a very long time. From JFK, 9/11 onward – one masquerade after another, and I’ll be damned if I trust them on any major war or event going forward.
TPTB have been trying to put a stop to the USA since before the ink was dry on the Declaration of Independence.
Right on! I do not accept any platform that feels they needs to filter out “misinformation” for me. I also do not accept any platform that slants the information that they present by omission, failing to tell me the complete truth. Unfortunately this became common practice in the era of Trump-Russia Collusion, 4th branch of government deception operations, “no evidence of election fraud”, and questions on covid origin and restrictions of freedom. MSM and many so-called conservative outlets are not trustworthy in this regard and therefore I do not watch, listen, or read them, except to be aware of what lies and errors of omission they are selling that are accepted by half the population of the country.
Thank God for websites such as CTH that attach links to actual documents so that I can read them and interpret for myself what it means.
This is why public schools (and some others) are so bad. They teach what to think, not how to think. Much of the public supports the current thing. For 2 yrs it was covid and within a week around the time of Biden’s SOTU it shifted to Ukraine/Russia. Simplistic black and white thinking. It’s a game for me when I take in information – try to pick out what’s real/accurate, what’s opinion, what’s exaggerated etc. I may not always understand everything but I’ll take recognition of that any day over people who think they know everything.
Its much worse than that; a student gets berated for not subscribing to group think.
Steve Jobs also said…”Don’t settle”.
Speaking of processing data (info), I’ve been thinking about the Ukraine bioLab situation. Wouldn’t it be serendipitous to find that Putin had all the evidence on the Labs and the fact that the Biden family was chest deep using Seneca investment for ownership. How many hundreds of $Millions were they expecting to pocket. Burisma was chicken feed compared to what the Labs would get. Look at all the money Gates is making off of Moderna/patents/virus development. Staggering. What if Putin knew this and he’s using it. If he is his next step will be to connect the Bidens to the labs and viruses released from those labs.
I believe that there should be a deep dive into any investment vehicle connected directly or indirectly to this kind of thing. BUT not with the Bidens. That’s easy. With US politicians, high up bureaucrats like Clapper/Brennan/Comey/Fauci/Cheney/Kingzinger. Let’s see how far down the rabbit hole all this goes.
Truth always stands tall and is not to be confused with opinion and feelings.
They told you they were going to do it. They told you how they were going to do it. And then they did it.
LEAKED VIDEO: Google Leadership’s Dismayed Reaction to Trump Election
By Allum Bokhari
12 Sep 2018
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/09/12/leaked-video-google-leaderships-dismayed-reaction-to-trump-election
A video recorded by Google shortly after the 2016 presidential election reveals an atmosphere of panic and dismay amongst the tech giant’s leadership, coupled with a determination to thwart both the Trump agenda and the broader populist movement emerging around the globe.
CTH has always shared the
brutal truth. That’s why I am truly grateful for it. SD, staff and Treepers really helped sharpen my research and critical thinking skills. 🏆⭐️🏆⭐️
simplified.
I don’t subscribe to ANY other source of information, UNLESS IT SERVES A USEFUL PRACTICAL DIRECT POSITIVE IMPACT ON MY LIFE.
My “trust” in information never goes beyond the simple utility that it can provide.
I am a simple man. I am not a city dweller. Not a politico.
A father. A son. A brother to two.
What I hope to pass along is the same wisdom that was passed along to me.
the world changes. You do not need to change yourself. You follow what works best for you in your life. And it if you find success in doing so, repeat it. Share it…and embrace it and duplicate it.
Sundays are for creativity…the “rest” day. This is when “practical matters” are suspended to observed the other possibilites that the other 6 working days simply do not allow.
Just my own simple southern boy opinion.
God Bless America
My brain is telling me that Lia Thomas is not a woman, nor is Caitlyn Jenner.
Nor is Rachel Devine.
Having a hard time thinking of any “criticism” of CTH! Actually don’t think I could be as confidant about all this BS going on if I hadn’t found the Tree House. You take care Sundance! You and me and the rest of the Treepers are keeping up the Good Fight!! ALWAYS FORWARD!!
Do your research ( a never-ending task), use common sense, and always exercise critical thinking!
Thank you, Sundance. You open my eyes to the real world, not what the media portrays as real.
I also pay attention to the deliberate change in language. Remember, first it was “safe and effective” then it was “safe and free”. The truth was none of the above, but they wanted to drill home that it was safe.
No news is truly news anymore. I am struck by the powerful response toward the entire country of Russia. Leaders are not always elected without corrupted voting. Yet, the people suffer more from leaders’ decisions than the ones making them.
the word “safe” is now meaningless
This is one of the most significant, beautiful, and powerful posts SD has written in the time I’ve been privileged to patronize the Tree House! Thank you!
Group think is what is wrong with our government. I read that congresswoman Marjorie
Taylor Greene did not applaud Zelensky during his speech. Was she the only one?
Marjorie Tough Girl
Bravo Sundance. Bravo.
Principles, Facts, Values, Reality, Objectivity, they all matter. Consider:
Consensus. Equivocation. Middle Ground. My Own Truth.
Contrasted with:
Provable Facts. Unambiguous adherence to Principles. Middle Ground Fallacy. Objective Truth.
If a man stands in favor of everything, he stands for Nothing.
Sooner or later, everyone must take a stand or be destroyed. Liars and Thieves would have you believe everything is negotiable. But everything is Not negotiable to a person of conscience, true belief, disciplined logic, and resolute spirit.
And a person able to withstand loneliness. Excellent comment !
Brilliant Sundance, brilliant…..
Key point you make, the person who takes a stand will discover they didn’t die as a result. They’ll learn to don’t again and again; and loneliness becomes common.
I’ll add, I would rather stand alone than walk off the cliff as just one more lemming.