Selective censorship is becoming more and more prevalent in our society.  It’s frightening to see the systematic stripping of freedoms, under the guise of what’s “healthy” or “good for us”.  

The problem isn’t whether they’re on the right or wrong side of the issue.  It’s that government, scientists, etc, are dictating what we CAN and CANNOT do, not just what we “should” do.

Great post

Technology has made it possible for “information” to spread around the world almost instantaneously – where 300 hundred years ago most false-hoods and half-truths didn’t spread much farther than the next village.  And if it did go further, it was a slow process, allowing for more examination and natural filtering before it became “common knowledge” or “generally accepted” in the society.

Great example – a few days ago I received a link to a video created by someone 2,500 miles away purporting to debunk global warming.  In my limited understanding of the topic this video did not disprove anything, its science was incomplete.  But already hundreds or thousands of people have forwarded this link on, giving it distribution and credibility that in MHO it doesn’t deserve.

You take this spread of “information” and add some level of active response – ranging from court challenges to picketers to bombers – things spiral out of control.  With each side of an issue marshalling their resources to stifle, whack or censor the other guy.

Whatever the action or event, the “information” again spreads instantaneously – getting more people involved, influencing more opinions and decision-making, PACS, political parties, etc. – and the next wave of reaction starts, all based on incomplete data.

A feedback loop with no volume control, a mental kline bottle.

The resulting polarization has probably led to the migration of left/liberal leaning persons to gather with others of similar beliefs, a fairly ‘human’ tendency, at many public institutes of higher-learning. And on the flip-side, the creation of many conservative private universities, Christian and secular. And PACs, think-tanks, etc.

I don’t yet have great fear for the loss of the freedom to follow the religious belief of my choice but it’s wide open where the increasing polarization will lead.

More immediately we are seeing the dehumanizing of the ‘other guy’ (insert your choice of enemy here).  Shout them down, lock them out, scan’em, jail’em, deport’em, blow them up.

Phil, I don’t know what the answer is – but I totally agree with you that the apparent move away from public discussion, freedom of speech, is kinda scary.