Undergroundnetwork

Having just finished an internship at the New Zealand Herald, I can safely say I’m working my way into the right career. I enjoyed every minute of the two-week stint, from the despair when the deadline was approaching and the story had stalled (why won’t you pick up the phone/call me back!), to the elation when at the last minute it all fell into place. Maybe that is a feeling that seasoned journalists lose after some time on the job, but that was a real thrill for me. Thankfully the chief reporter gave me heaps to do and I got more published than I expected. The Herald has been running a series on “Unsung heroes”, asking for the public to nominate an exceptional volunteer they know and awarding the winners a cruise. The other intern and I had the privilege to meeting and talking to many of these people and telling their stories. Many of these people are truly inspiring. These are the sorts of people we should admire and aspire to be like, not celebrities or socialites. Not all of us can put in the hours that most of these volunteers do, but we should either give a small amount of time or donate some of the money needed to support their work. I know I am guilty of not always handing over loose change (that I will only spend on beer or burgers) to fundraisers on the street and outside shops, even being somewhat annoyed by having to try avoid them (it depends on my mood, I am usually nice, but sometimes I can be really shitty!). Now I know how important those funds are to these volunteers and their organisations, and the difference their hard work makes to society and those in need. The least we can give such dedicated people is our support.

Well-publicised recent murders have again re-ignited the public calls for greater punishment for perpetrators of violent offences. The usual cries come out, life without parole, harsher prison conditions and zero tolerance for offenders. The Sensible Sentencing Trust are, like usual, at the forefront of these calls, as are Bob McCoskrie’s Family First lobby group. Typically, such calls are emotive, usually from someone who has been directly affected by violent crime. Although we should not dismiss their opinions because often they are emotive and vengeful, their opinions usually do not focus on the root of the problem. All too often people’s ideas are not solutions to the problem at all, merely ambulances at the bottom of the hill. This is a complex problem, not one that is going to be solved by a simple answer. There are many factors and solutions to these factors are being all too often dismissed as “PC bullshit” as people lean towards discredited hardnosed solutions. The reactionaries always get their head above the crowd and scream the loudest, calling for blood. (more…)

War, Propaganda and the Media

How can the media be used to peddle propaganda in a liberal democracy?

The notorious Nazi Party Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, once said, “it is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion” (1948). He also likened the press to a “great keyboard on which the government can play.” Goebbels was a master of manipulation and is largely credited with selling the Nazi cause to the German populace.

In her 2007 book A Russian Diary, Anna Politkovskaya wrote of the overwhelming influence President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin had over all aspects of Russian society, from business, to individual lives, to the media. A journalist writing for the Russian newspaper Novaya gazeta, Politkovskaya described the pro-Putin stance of the media: “As election day approaches, the television news bulletins increasingly resemble heartening dispatches on Putin’s achievements”(2007, p. 67). She recalls occasions of press censorship, threats from political leaders and an occasion where journalists were even detained for filming an anti-Putin demonstration. Those in the media that do not apply self-censorship and question the Kremlin risk losing their jobs. “Where freedom is, there is low pay, irregularly paid. The big time is the mass media that play ball with the Kremlin”(2007 p.154). Politkovskaya made a name for herself as a journalist who would tell the truth no matter what, reporting on the situation in Chechnya and the Caucasus, and the truth behind scandals such as the Dubrovka theatre siege in 2002 and the Beslan school siege in 2005 (2007, p. 44-45). Refusing to be silenced ultimately took her life; Politkovskaya was murdered outside her Moscow apartment in October 2006.

However, in liberal democracies the overt propaganda of the sort Goebbels used to great effect in Germany, or the political pressure placed on journalists like Politkovskaya in Russia would not be possible. But it would naïve to believe democratic governments are unable to use the media to sell their policies to the voting masses. And as we have seen in recent years with the “War on Terror” and the Iraq War, the media can be as complicit as their governments in deceiving the public. (more…)

When something is as ridiculous as Expelled, it deserves only ridicule. The absurd claims that film makes can be countered with rational and reasoned arguments till the cows come home, but if people are going to opt for faith over facts, there is no reasoning to be made. Having dealt with ID proponents sufficiently in The God Delusion, and other essays and interviews, and considering the ID peoples complete inability to engage in the debate, Richard Dawkins knows how futile it is to take them on with science. Turning his hand to satire, Dawkins shows in this brief clip how the ID position can be adopted by other creation myths, illustrating how the scientific community has completely shut out the theory that babies are not created through sexual intercourse, but are delivered by a stalk.

Here is the great synopsis that was included with the clip on the Richard Dawkins website: (more…)

Garth George’s columns often get me fired up, and not in a good way. To put it simply, almost everything he has to say runs completely contrary to my own view. Often I find myself wondering why the Herald would even print his rants, as I find them either misinformed or needlessly offensive. It seems to me many commentators revel in causing offense, as if to them it is confirmation they are telling the cold hard truth. Garth and I likely sit on the poles of most issues, from religion to politics. If he were to read my blog I assume he may feel similar to the way I feel about his column, although he may note I do try not to cause offense.

So imagine my initial shock when I read a column that I actually agreed with. (more…)

I’ve long thought that in order for democracy to work effectively, it is not enough only to have a free press functioning as a fourth estate “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable”. In order for democracy to not be corrupted by an uninformed majority, the voting public must be educated and aware of the intricate details of the issues at hand. Or else a marauding tyrannical mob will pervert the system into a populist “idol-style” sound bite driven circus devoid of intellectual debate, serious discussion and a detailed analyse of the issues that we face as a nation. Unfortunately, the way I see it, public debate is already hindered by the ignorance of many and the misinformation that plagues the opinions of even the most well-meaning people. Of course this sounds arrogant, and I may even be guilty of holding my own misconceptions about things, but I still maintain that it is vital for politics not to be clouded by misinformation. The question that remains is, whose duty is it to ensure that the public is correctly informed? (more…)

To accompany my blog on statistics used to support arguments, I thought I’d post a few thoughts on the repealing of section 59 of the Crimes Act, and on lobby groups in general. These thoughts are no doubt unpopular, but it’s good to disclose ones opinion! It is somewhat simplistic, there are a few generalisations and even an admission of ignorance. However this is far more honesty and sincerity than you would ever get from the deceitful lobby groups in this country. I’m not finished with them on this blog! (more…)

Every week I like to post quotes I have come across that I find thought provoking or sum up my opinion on something succinctly, and with wit. Instead, for a change, I’m going to occasionally select half a dozen songs that reflect my views on some particular issue. I’m going to start with my favourite band, on a topic of interest to me.

Here is Bad Religion on faith, God and atheism.

Bad Religion, as the name might suggest, are fairly critical of religion in their songs. That is perhaps an understatement! But instead of the mindless anti-religious abuse some bands have popularised, Bad Religion’s objections are considered and reasoned. This may have something to do with the bands front man Greg Graffin having a doctorate in evolutionary biology, but even before he obtained his degree the band has made intelligent philosophical statements in their music. Song writing duties are split between vocalist Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz, and both musicians are equally capable of writing thought provoking intelligent lyrics.

So perhaps in the way the religious people reaffirm their beliefs through song, Bad Religion has written the perfect hymns for non-believers. However, Greg says in the song “No direction”, “no Bad Religion song can make your life complete”. They can make you stop and think though.

I’ve decided to be quite selective and only choose half a dozen Bad Religion songs, although there are of course many more to choose from. I’ve chosen no more than one from any one album, and added my interpretation of what I feel the song conveys. Enjoy. (more…)

Having had many respectful discussions with all sorts of people about religion and politics, I feel as though George Orwell was right when he said:

“As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents”.

The same of course could be said for any other political opinion or religious faith.

And in order to be balanced:

“He was an embittered atheist, the sort of atheist who does not so much disbelieve in God as personally dislike Him”.

I must admit though, I have not ever met one of the atheists Orwell describes, as this person would not even be an atheist! I would have expected someone with the interest in language that Orwell had to have understood the definition of atheism. Perhaps he would appreciate even a fan such as myself challenging him on an error such as that!

To complement my Monopoly of morality post, this post looks at where atheists get their morals. That post argued that atheists are as ethical as theists and therefore Christianity’s claim to all things moral is unsubstantiated. That argument was brief, and could certainly be added to. This post will look at how evolution is said to have provided us with the morals that we value.

For atheists to justify themselves, it almost takes more than a “but it says so in the bible” style argument. Hence in blog debates, atheist comments tend to be longer and cite more sources, than their Christian counterparts. That is why I’m taking this rant to my blog, instead of posting it as a comment to a debate I’m currently engaged in. (more…)