EP 731 Don’t Confuse Misinformation with Disinformation and Beware of the Latter

Last time we spoke to our guest on this podcast he was trying to help us talk to science deniers.  What ever happened to the America that thought better living(and longer life)could be achieved by following the science?  He told us not to be argumentative and try to understand those who might still be smitten with the notion that the earth is flat or that the moon landing never happened.  I never have been terribly good at doing that and I’m even less sympathetic to those who tell bald face lives repeatedly in our public discourse(like #stop the steal)and those who sheepishly follow them.  However, public philosopher Lee McIntyre, author of the new book, “On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy” does his best, at least, to try to explain how otherwise rational people get caught up in following truth killers. He also describes the creators, the believers and the amplifiers in this process and vividly explores the techniques used and motivations behind it all.  There’s no one antidote for all of this, but we better do our best to quell the phenomenon before the next presidential election or we have examples aplenty, in this age as to what can happen here.  Been to Hungary lately?

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