Of course the word “fascism” is a loaded term. Let alone that the term was invented by some short pudgy Italian only about a century ago. What does it mean? He might have known, but in the meantime (now, a century later) the term has been applied so often in so many contexts that it… Continue reading Fascism & Regulated Media
Tag: literacy
Knowing Ignorance
Knowledge and ignorance are closely related concepts. One thing I’ve found puzzling for many years already is to what degree awareness is also involved. In my opinion, it seems unfathomable how anyone could know something and at the same time pretend to not know it. Yet followers of Freud apparently consider this to be so… Continue reading Knowing Ignorance
Does Google Own the Internet?
For the faithful [1], the answer is almost certainly a resounding “YES!” Yet before jumping to conclusions, let me take a step back in time. A long time ago, messages (i.e., “dialog boxes”) like this were quite widespread. I think they were seen as confusing, and gradually gave way to other question-and-answer combinations. What I… Continue reading Does Google Own the Internet?
Whose Language?
Let me start with a little English lesson. English has many homonyms, other languages also have many homonyms. Sometimes I try to wake people up to the fact that there are many words in their own language that sound just like something completely different in other languages. I often have to think twice about the… Continue reading Whose Language?
Who is Free to Choose?
I distinctly remember my father telling me to watch TV once — or rather: strongly recommending me to sit down and watch it together with him (and whoever else in the family happened to be around). It was a very special event: PBS was doing a series with Milton Friedman, called “Free to Choose“. We… Continue reading Who is Free to Choose?
X did Y, and I don’t care
I am reflecting on my recent posts over the past couple weeks. Two weeks ago, I described how mainstream media uses “bait and switch” tactics to get suckers to look at advertising. [1] This is usually done with a headline that claims something sensationalist along the lines of “X did Y”. Last week, I went… Continue reading X did Y, and I don’t care
Do Not Read This
This image of Putin and Tillerson toasting a deal between Exxon-Mobil and Rosneft to collaborate on their engagement to develop oil drilling in arctic regions is a still from the movie “Merchants of Doubt” (2014). You have probably never seen it before — I don’t imagine it was a blockbuster at any local cinema. The… Continue reading Do Not Read This
Consumer Culture Technology, Cancel Culture Technology & Other Cultural Technologies (?)
It is now approaching two decades since the company now known as Alphabet started its attack against rational media [1], and at the same time started promoting its own brand names (such as Google). Other companies in the irrational media space have likewise fed mainstream consumers with similar myths regarding their own algorithms. All of… Continue reading Consumer Culture Technology, Cancel Culture Technology & Other Cultural Technologies (?)
Order + Dis-Order
My thinking about the complexity of the world was significantly influenced by a book recommendation I followed up on about a decade ago. It was summer, so one of my friends asked about influential books … and a friend of hers mentioned “The Social Construction of Reality” (by Berger & Luckmann). I decided to read… Continue reading Order + Dis-Order
Free Speech & Market Speech
I have been mulling over one of my long-held beliefs a lot lately … and the big puzzle for me is: why do so few people get it? I think the answer is a combination of several things — and that is a big part of why it seems to be complex, not simple, not… Continue reading Free Speech & Market Speech
Socio Business blog 