Sublime
An inspiration engine for ideas
we have less to fear from government restraints than from television glut; that, in fact, we have no way of protecting ourselves from information disseminated by corporate America; and that, therefore, the battles for liberty must be fought on different terrains from where they once were.
Neil Postman • Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Most unforgivable was that a nation founded on Madisonian principles allowed secret police powers to accrue over forty years, until real and imagined heresies alike could be punished by methods less open to correction than the Salem witch trials. The hidden spectacle was the more grotesque because King and Levison both in fact were the rarest heroe
... See moreTaylor Branch • Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63
Cramer, like most television and many print reporters, gives an uncritical forum to the powerful. At the same time, they pretend they have vetted and investigated the claims made by those in power. They play the role on television of journalists. It is a dirty quid pro quo. The media get access to the elite as long as the media faithfully report wh
... See moreChris Hedges • Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
Following Andrew’s death at age forty-three in March 2012, Steve Bannon became executive chairman. Under Bannon’s reign Breitbart became a haven for what the corporate press indiscriminately describes as “alt-right,” “far-right,” “populist,” or “white supremacist” views. Conservative wunderkind—and purported ghostwriter of Andrew’s book—Ben Shapiro
... See moreMichael Malice • The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics
The news coverage given to Brock’s fake news focus provides fresh evidence of how he’s truly set himself apart in the smear industry. As a political operative, he seems able to pick up the phone or send an email and get his message covered in outlets ranging from Politico to the New York Times. There are no other liberals or conservative counterpar
... See moreSharyl Attkisson • The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote
Think of the story of the death of truth as the story of two pernicious algorithms. One, unleashed by Section 230, allowed the social media platforms to recommend the content, however divisive or false, most likely to attract attention. The second set of algorithms are operated by what have become multibillion-dollar businesses you probably have ne
... See moreSteven Brill • The Death of Truth
