Want to see a finely crafted piece of propaganda? Pick this up. Many apparently logical chapters explain how bad information spreads, but if you are used to examining primary sources, thinking critically, and considering omissions and causations, this book may frustrate you.
First, note the authors are logic and philosophy professors at the University of California, Irvine. Since an overwhelming majority of humanities professors are oppressively liberal (how ‘bout that for an oxymoron, and yes, “oppressive” is the correct word when conservative faculty hide their views for fear of professional repercussions) and UC schools characteristically so, the book’s contents are as expected.
Contradicting examples
The authors categorize views outside of the mainstream as conspiracy theories, outliers, and wrong:
- Negative effects following MMR vaccinations
- Concerns about water fluoridation
- Unknown long-term effects of GMO food
- Hilary Clinton involved in child prostitution ring (This might be my favorite because the involuntarily deceased Harvey Weinstein did traffic underage girls to powerful individuals, Bill Clinton among them. With Hilary known for intimidating and silencing her husband’s conquests, doesn’t that correctly involve her in a child prostitution ring?)
Yet, the examples of misinformation smothering good information were also once mainstream:
- Surgical instruments and gowns don’t need to be sterile
- Doctors don’t need to wash their hands between autopsying diseased corpes and delivering babies
- Cigarette smoking is harmless
The ideas continue to contradict throughout this interminable 186-page book (only 186 pages of the 266-page book is content, the rest are references, notes, and index). But I would have missed the disguised conclusion if I’d quit the book earlier.
Communist agenda reveal
On the very last page:
“…proposing our own form of government is, of course, beyond the scope of this book. But we want to emphasize that that is the logical conclusion of the ideas we have discussed. And the first step in that process is to abandon the notion of a popular vote as the proper way to adjudicate issues that require expert knowledge.
The challenge is to find new mechanisms for aggregating values that capture the ideals of democracy without holding us all hostage to ignorance and manipulation.”
-C. O’Connor and J. O. Weatherall in The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread
The real message:
- Letting people decide for themselves is bad.
- People are too stupid.
- Let others decide what information you see, and what you should think.
This book advocates AGAINST freedom of information, speech, and thought. You might think the wrong thing. You might influence others with your wrong thinking.
This is communist ideology! Prettied up with study references, diagrams, and reputable faculty credentials, this “informative” little book is an argument for communism. No wonder I have over 20 pages of comments, arguments, and notes (library book, or I would have scribbled all over this sucker)! Finishing the book was exhausting but worth it for the hidden agenda.
The book’s purpose is to convince readers the government should be overhauled to completely control the flow of information, science, education, and ideas. Because we’re not capable of muddling through. We could make mistakes; therefore, a government collective is better.
Admirers of this work have not studied history.
Thought Ripples by Wendi 