Where to look for "truth"
This seems to be an interesting debate in itself. The small-minded, bigoted and biased will always believe their "sources" to be the truth and refuse to even consider that what they've been told is not the truth. These same people will claim that you're just as biased and that you read "leftwing" propaganda. Try to argue to the contrary and you get nowhere. Obviously anything that contradicts their belief is wrong. No argument, no consideration, no listening, no conciliation, no budging from their stubborn pigheadedness.
I came upon a friend arguing with another about the election results which made Bush president (well they didn't, but try telling a republican that). The friend, unfortunately, although educated and not stupid in the least, is a republican. He has degrees, can spout impressively on any topic, yet refuses to listen to people who try to point out that there may be some facts that he's not aware of. Naturally he doesn't accept they're "facts" but "conspiracies". Prove it, he says. And on giving some sources, he poo-poos them as leftist or conspiracy theorists. I asked him what sources he used for his information. Are you sitting down?
Newspapers and TV.
I couldn't believe it. How can a well-educated, otherwise intelligent person, believe the media on such important matters? He thinks they're not biased? Obviously his university courses taught him nothing about being open-minded, questioning, and being wary of accepting anything on face value. I was flabbergasted. It seemed he believed what he read in the newspapers and what he heard on TV had more authority than the writings of 'leftist' authors of books and articles in academic libraries that I've read over several years. Unbelievable. Is there any hope for the "uneducated" masses?
