Fear related Propaganda.

[FuzzyDunlop]

The other day while watching the news a random thought popped into my head. I havent heard peep about H1N1 for about 3 monthes now. What happened? Is it no longer news worthy? Or better yet, 'was it ever news worthy?'
Then I think about all the other little scares we have had over the past few years.

Edit: New #1) Fear of Ban from Techs! eeeks! I feel the feeear!!!
1)H1N1: The Swine Flu
2)Bird Flu: what happened? Did all those chickens in africa get burned properly?
3)Sars: Out break in china where what 50 people died? There are 2 Billion and somehow 50 becomes world news. somehow manages to leap over to Toronto, then disappears.
4)Mad Cow Disease / Creutzfeld-Jakobs: Havent heard anything about it recently: is it no longer considered a major threat?
5)Anthrax: what a joke.
EDIT: 6)African Killer bees
7)Y2K Threat: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/
8) 2012 threat; The Azteks are coming!

Other ongoing/seemingly never-ending events-
Global Warming: 20-30 odd years.
Terrorists: since the beginging of time
Nuclear war: since the 1950's.

I am sure there are tonnes of things I am missing. Like how margarine causes cancer (remember hearing this 1999 approx.?).

Does anyone know of an existing list which includes approx dates that the media covered these events?
If not, I want to make one.

 

[techs]

:biggrinost another thread like this, and I'll ban you.



How'd that work? Feeling the fear yet?

 

[sandorski]

:biggrinost another thread like this, and I'll ban you.



How'd that work? Feeling the fear yet?

Bannageddon 2010!

 

[InflatableBuddha]

http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Fear-A...6864945&sr=8-2

This book covers most of the major "fears". I read the previous version (1999), so I don't know which new "fears" are in the updated version, but the underlying principles are the same.

 

[ccblazer44]

Ever read 1984? If the people are afraid of something they're much easier for the government to control. There will always be something to fear.

 

[bob4432]

every prescription i get filled (and i get a decent amount monthly) has info about H1N1 in large, bold black letters on it, so it is still going around. was never worried myself, lived through the anthrax (even though i was a postal employee at that time) so not too worried about swine flu...or avian flu, or any of the other bullshit.

reality = extremely small percentage actually effected
hopeful outcome = company making the "fix" stocks go up...

 

[Train]

You forgot African Killer bees that were supposed to have swept across the USA by now.

Also, the summer of 2001 (just before 9/11) the media was so bored that had us all scared of killer sharks that were "angry" at humans. But in reality there were actually less shark attacks in 2001 than an avg year. It's just that more of them made national news.

 

[Train]

I would say though that Mad Cow is probably the one legitimate threat on your list.

It severely messed up several countries meat supply. It is only "contained" because strict agricultural regulations about mixing herds, as well as animal imports/exports. It could easily break out again, and wipe out a huge amount of food supply. It's not so much a danger to humans as it is a danger to food costs/jobs, etc.

 

[brblx]

the last three are all legitimate threats, they're just too twisted by political agendas. nuclear war, notsomuch anymore, but countries like north korea or iran with nukes is certainly not a comforting thought. and i'm still surprised we've never had some scenario with someone stealing a nuke from a dilapidated russian base or something.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Fear-A...6864945&sr=8-2

This book covers most of the major "fears". I read the previous version (1999), so I don't know which new "fears" are in the updated version, but the underlying principles are the same.

cool, just ordered a copy for myself.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Ever read 1984? If the people are afraid of something they're much easier for the government to control. There will always be something to fear.

Weird how this is required reading in most highschool curriculums and yet our society still falls for these control tactics.
Is that because of mass reading comprehension/retention fail? Or because ignorance is bliss?

 

[DivideBYZero]

I would say though that Mad Cow is probably the one legitimate threat on your list.

It severely messed up several countries meat supply. It is only "contained" because strict agricultural regulations about mixing herds, as well as animal imports/exports. It could easily break out again, and wipe out a huge amount of food supply. It's not so much a danger to humans as it is a danger to food costs/jobs, etc.

Incorrect. It was caused by spinal tissue getting into the food supply chain, originally by infected cattle being used in cattle feed, then you eat the cattle that ate the infected...cattle. Nice. Anyhow, that then infected cow's spinal tissue has to get into the food supply somehow, you chow it down and are suseptable and voila, brain sponge.

 

[nageov3t]

calling it propaganda seems to give it more credence than it's worth.

the media machine is always looking for a new story and if they can find something that grabs public attention, they'll report on it breathlessly until it stops generating ratings.

there's no conspiracy at work.

 

[destrekor]

I'll never understand why the public despises sensational journalism.
Yes, it gets irritating like a motherfucker.
But what else are they going to report? If there is no news, might as well give something. And to me, that kind of stuff is far and away better than a squirrel on jetskis. Don't get me wrong, squirrels are badass. And on skis?! Oh shit I must see.
On the internet. Not on televised news.

The media wants to grab your attention.
And guess what, those things listed? They were threats.
Blown out of proportion? In some cases, yes. But come on, hindsight is 20/20. A threat is a threat is a threat, until it ain't no more.
Real scientists were doing real science, and 9 times out of 10, it isn't some bullshit report. With the right circumstances, most of those threats could have turned out far worse. You don't know until it happens, so might as well get peoples attention.

Do y'all honestly think that the total infected with H1N1 would be the same if the media hadn't shoved the story down our throats? Hell no, people would have treated it like the regular flu, or ignored it as if it wasn't influenza and rather something else, and gone out and infected others. All kinds of people were treating any ol' infection as if it were H1N1, and who knows how many infections those actions alone prevented.

It's awesome to absolutely hate the media like y'all do. I'd love to see how much you'd hate the media if they didn't report anything about these things, when they had the power to.
Because like I said, they have to fill time, what else are they going to report? Most days there is jack shit to report unless enjoy the days where ever little petty crime gets media attention. Oh that's the material of a great newscast, definitely.

 

[The Stig]

Michael Moore called he said he covered this in Bowling for Columbine a decade ago.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Michael Moore called he said he covered this in Bowling for Columbine a decade ago.

didnt you know, I AM Michael Moore.

 

[DangerAardvark]

didnt you know, I AM Michael Moore.

You're fat.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Michael Moore called he said he covered this in Bowling for Columbine a decade ago.

Yes he did. There was a scene in the movie where he walked around South Central LA while interviewing Barry Glassner, the author of the book Culture of Fear (which I linked to earlier).

I found that scene intriguing, and it inspired me to pick up the book.

 

[Tristicus]

FEAR related propaganda you say?


(For anyone that doesn't know...)

 

[El Guaraguao]

you forgot Y2K and 2012.

 

[The Stig]

Incorrect. It was caused by spinal tissue getting into the food supply chain, originally by infected cattle being used in cattle feed, then you eat the cattle that ate the infected...cattle. Nice. Anyhow, that then infected cow's spinal tissue has to get into the food supply somehow, you chow it down and are suseptable and voila, brain sponge.

How was his post incorrect? He didn't even mention what it was caused by and you jumped all over him. Your post is INCORRECT though; the misfolded prions are in spinal tissue AND the brain. Infection is spread when other cattle are fed meat and bone meal comprised of infected animals. The spinal tissue alone, as you assert, doesn't have to "somehow" get into the food chain. Offal may not be on your menu but it is very common, and calf brain is a common dish abroad, hence human infections. Plus with a unusually high resistance to heat and an incubation period of multiple years it is not something that has just disappeared.

Than you can get into Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is passed on genetically and may take 30-50 years to really appear. There are a lot more cases that will come to light.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

you forgot Y2K and 2012.

oooh, your right! editted.

 

[IronWing]

Killer bees are quite real, they just haven't gotten very far. Here in southern Arizona most hives of are africanized. People die every year from killer bee attacks, not many, but it looks like a pretty crappy way to go.

You forget commies under every bed and super-duper-worse-than-the-last-bunch-ultra-violent-the-cops-are-powerless israeli/russian/italian/irish/mexican/puertorican/columbian/philipino/vietnamese/taiwanese drug gangs that are invading America.

 

[pyonir]

Weird how this is required reading in most highschool curriculums and yet our society still falls for these control tactics.
Is that because of mass reading comprehension/retention fail? Or because ignorance is bliss?

It's because most high schoolers don't give a shit about a book they are required to read. They read it, do the paper (or test or whatever it is) and forget about it. Most are too young to get the bigger picture and significance of the book anyway.

 

[AdamK47]

You can make a lot of money making and selling products geared towards fear.

Just think of something current people fear such as unintended acceleration on Toyotas. It's a well known scientific facts that all Toyota owners are boring American Idol watching blobs of fear prone pansies. Buy a pack of resistors at Radio Shack and sell each on eBay for $20 and call them "Unintended Acceleration Engine Cut-Off Chips". You don't even need to tell them to connect it to anything. Just tell them to plop it in the glove box and leave it there. They buy into perceived quality, why not have them buy into a perceived fix. The calming effects of a placebo can be worth the $20 to them.

Bam! Instant money train!