Even mainstream media can latch onto false headlines, such as Hillsborough, etc,
Everything written has some kind of perspective. Media are out to sell newspapers and advertising space.
One of my lecturers gave good advice many years ago. It is possible to obtain facts from most newspapers/news outlets, whilst swerving opinionated language..
"Learn how to read"

I disengage, I turn the page.

I thought the West stood back for far too long, watching a large Russian military build-up on the border without any diplomatic intervention.
From my perspective the West is still unsure how to proceed, except to use new western military hardware in a live-test scenario.
And Russians aren't excluded from world communities. pakistan, India, China are all reaping benefits. And Africa (as a continent) is also experiencing food shortages as a result of a ban on Russian exports.

Lets not get too carried away. Russia still holds a lot of aces.

I disengage, I turn the page.

Certainly, there can be skewed and polarised perspectives in mainstream news (see the contrast in MSNBC and Fox News statewide for instance) and as you say, learning 'how to read' is vitally important. Sinking into online echo chambers often goes hand in hand with not being able to do so though. A place where people have often already given in to check box identity based prejudices so more and more heavily lean into dark breadcrumbs trails, 'pop up' sites, 'communities', and pitifully one eyed echo chambers.

There is simply no quality control and so emotionally revved up 'alt media scholars' can easily become more and more warped and 'out there' in perspective while simultaneously scoffing at the 'normies'. It's perfectly possible for the principled to gain insights online, but some just end up taking in massively filtered fringe 'sources' that nudge their own biases further and further due to fast tracked group polarision of concerning magnitude. For these types the online world is like a maladjusted adult version of 'Build Your Own Bear'. A comfort blanket for shut-ins and the socially inept.

The real world impact? Damaging, zero contrition, 'politics over people' behaviour that leads to these them being managed and nagivated by those around them as much as cared for. Ironic that their own intolerance necessitates extreme tolerance in others.

Edited by BlueJay (05 Jun 2022 2.05pm)

The situation at Severodonetsk is a good analogy in the use of propaganda in this war....well in all wars.

We have contradicting stories coming from both sides on events there, who has done what and what the current state of battleground possession is.

If you're looking for the truth of the matter you firstly have to accept a limit upon what is knowable. A willingness to judge the previous accuracy of a source amid how much they are willing to allow their bias to affect how they cover events...and then wait to see for ultimately what can't be lied about...which is who controls what on the ground.

[Link]

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Let's start with the observation that this guy has stated a few times that he didn't want to post at me. He himself expressed relief at the idea. He stated in fact that he wouldn't post at me....at least twice.

I approve of that position and haven't posted at him.

Did he stick to his word. You can see the answer here, he directly posts at me despite what he said.

He wasn't happy whining and smearing about my positions in posts and goes back on what he said.

I'm not going to directly post at someone with such malicious intent towards me. I'm bored with it.

What I will do is indirectly reflect upon a couple of points which I think deserve some pushback.

This guy, along with his mate Wisbech, believe that the central point of invasion justifies all the events that have and will occur after this.

I don't.

The consequences are much much larger than the original wrongs. In that way my contentions here are a little similar to the consequences of western approaches to covid.

This is the problem when emotion is given as justification for responses. The outcomes for the majority are rarely better....you would think that would be the bigger concern....but those people will always point towards an emotional justification for their rather dim calculations regardless of the actual outcomes of them.

They will contend that the rather obvious outcomes were apparently hard to predict.....the number of times I've heard that now. It's like as if Chess itself couldn't be analysed and childish emotions are justifications for the moves on the board.

If I want to know what their opinions are I only have to watch the mainstream news. That and selective cherry picked pieces from foreign press. They just seem to repeat whatever it says as if it's a balanced position.

Edited by Stirlingsays (05 Jun 2022 2.55pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Here's Jimmy Dore's take on the war and its current situation.

[Link]

Edited by Stirlingsays (05 Jun 2022 6.16pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)