Lies, damn lies and 'counterknowledge'

[WoodrowFan]

A good article from the Daily Telegraph (UK)

Lies, damn lies and 'counterknowledge' By Damian Thompson
George Bush planned the September 11 attacks. The MMR injection triggers autism in children. The ancient Greeks stole their ideas from Africa. "Creation science" disproves evolution. Homeopathy can defeat the Aids virus.

Do any of these theories sound familiar? Has someone bored you rigid at a dinner party by unveiling one of these "secrets"? If so, it is hardly surprising. In recent years, thousands of bizarre conjectures have been endorsed by leading publishers, taught in universities, plugged in newspapers, quoted by politicians and circulated in cyberspace.

This is counterknowledge: misinformation packaged to look like fact. We are facing a pandemic of credulous thinking. Ideas that once flourished only on the fringes are now taken seriously by educated people in the West, and are wreaking havoc in the developing world.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/12/nrfact112.xml

(I didn't remember if the Telegraph was RW or LW or neither, but I liked this column...)

[TZ]

1. Excellent article.

I have to say honestly, if somebody wants to study the use and generation of conspiracy theories, GD is a good place to start.
Newest fad:NH primary was rigged because you know the polls were so wrong. No poll is EVER wrong....:banghead:
Good to see you WF, its been awhile.
:)

[Warpy]

2. There was some funny business in New Hampshire

but mostly because they caught one precinct red handed suppressing 100% of the idiot vote for Ron Paul. That's the reason the whole thing is being recounted.

As for the conspiracists and their fantasies of polls proving an election was rigged, I have only three words, "Dewey Beats Truman!"

[LeftishBrit]

3. Very good article

The Daily Telegraph is RW (sometimes called the 'Torygraph') and Thompson is pretty RW and also the editor of the Catholic Herald, which doesn't imply a secular approach to life! However, this particular article is good.

[varkam]

4. Excellent. Thanks for posting.

:hi: