ITT We disclose our political biases

Started by zarus tathra, August 13, 2014, 02:38:23 AM

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zarus tathra

I was thinking the other day that it's impossible for any news source to be "unbiased," that there will always be some intention that motivates the reporting of this or that fact. Because of this, I have decided (probably fallaciously) that the only news sources that I should trust are the sources that are very open about their political slants.

My political slant is amoral/technocratic. Basically, if I could press a button that magically killed a thousand people I don't give a fuck about that also magically made the space program awesome, I would press the button.

How about you guys? Who else will let fall the veneer of "reason" and "universal love" and expose to the critical eyes of the Internet their true motives?
?"Belief is always most desired, most pressingly needed, when there is a lack of will." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Ideals are imperfect. Morals are self-serving.

Moralnihilist

Science doesn't give a damn about religions, because "damns" are not measurable units and therefore have no place in research. As soon as it's possible to detect damns, we'll quantize perdition and number all the levels of hell. Until then, science doesn't care.

SGOS

No, I don't like politically biased TV news.  Left wing or right wing, I consider it all rubbish.  It's a form of entertainment that plays to some kind of cathartic needs.  Yes, there is probably always a degree of bias in any reporting, but good journalism strives to put it aside.  Yellow journalism glorifies it and is not in any way helpful.  I do not rationalize the use of biased journalism.  It's as bad as religious propaganda, although it has the same foundation:  Some people just don't like the truth.  They need to have their personal beliefs verified, or they get pissed off.  I hate people who try to manipulate me.  I think they are assholes, and I don't want them interpreting reality for me.  It's one thing I don't  miss about getting rid of TV.  I'm not going to pay for a service that manipulates me, be it toothpaste ads or political propaganda.

josephpalazzo

I don't know about the media, but responding to the title of this thread as far as I'm concerned, I don't have one particular label for my positions. For instance, on domestic policies, I tend to agree with Obama and the Democratic party, but on foreign policies, I tend to agree with the Republicans. On financial matters, I'm a conservative, but on social issues, I'm a liberal. In economics, I believe that capitalism is the best instrument to create wealth, but I don't believe in unfettered capitalism, that is, I believe that the government has an important role to play on oversight, that is as a referee, but in times of economic crisis, it must take an important role as a player. So, I'm basically a mixed bag.  :biggrin:

GSOgymrat

There is no such thing as unbiased news. A news agency can make the articles as neutral as possible but just deciding which stories to report creates a bias. I don't think bias is always bad as long as it is acknowledged. One problem I have with Fox News is their "fair and balanced" tagline, because any reasonable person knows that Fox News is conservative, just like saying Huffington Post is "fair and balanced" would be wrong.

Hijiri Byakuren

Depends on the issue, but I tend to err on the liberal side of libertarian.
Speak when you have something to say, not when you have to say something.

Sargon The Grape - My Youtube Channel

stromboli

Mixed bag, probably cloes to what JP said. The news:

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6

Read for yourself. 6 companies own 90% of the news media. There is no way you can call that unbiased. I doubt that News Corp or Time Warner are ever going to publish anything critical about themselves, so there you go.

josephpalazzo

Thanks for the link. It real drives the point.

zarus tathra

I was looking for something more... fundamental? than this. What is your final goal? Your ur-symbol? A family man might have the nuclear family, for example.
?"Belief is always most desired, most pressingly needed, when there is a lack of will." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Ideals are imperfect. Morals are self-serving.

Jason Harvestdancer

My ur-symbol?

Individual liberty.  It is my starting premise and all my ideas derive from that.

Some people have "fairness" or "morality" or "security".  I don't agree with those.
White privilege is being a lifelong racist, then being sent to the White House twice because your running mate is a minority.<br /><br />No Biden, no KKK, no Fascist USA!

zarus tathra

#10
When people say "fairness" or "morality" what they really mean is that the strong should serve the weak, however these last two ideas are defined.

I think I've just hit upon the ur-symbol of left-wing politics in all its forms.
?"Belief is always most desired, most pressingly needed, when there is a lack of will." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Ideals are imperfect. Morals are self-serving.

Shiranu

QuoteWhen people say "fairness" or "morality" what they really mean is that the strong should serve the weak, however these last two ideas are defined.

Or the "strong", who became so on the back of the "weak", on the revenue brought to them by the "weak", using services provided to them by "the weak" to establish and protect their business have a social obligation to not abuse their power and to contribute something back to the kettle that made them "strong" in the first place.

And that the services provided by "the weak" should go to providing for everyone and not just helping "the strong" as is unfortunately what too much of the kettle goes towards.

But nah, I'm sure you're right... "weaks" hate "strongs" and want freebies.

And the reason you aren't getting the answers you are looking for is normal people aren't locked into a rigid ideology.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

aitm

A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

stromboli


Mermaid

A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR