Real consequences of fake news

There is a Ton of trash on the Internet....especially on the social media sites. A sensible person would do a search...looking for reports from the mainstream media, before believing something like a family pizza parlor being a front for a sex slave trade. However, the "key" word is "sensible"...and we all know that that trait is sorely lacking in a vast number of our populations.
 
Warri, the most frightening thing to me in that article is our National Security Advisor (to-be) Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn's involvement in spreading that fake news.

The National Security Advisor is the person who is supposed to be an honest broker in summarizing "facts" concerning national security, and briefing the President (elect). Can it get any more bizarre? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

That is really worrying. The Russians will run rings around these people because they are so willing to believe falsehoods that align with their mindset. They don't seem to have any caution that tells them to wait for verification/clarification.

Let's hope the real professionals keep them on a short lead and guide them firmly towards the finer art of international game playing.
 
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
I.E. closed down my previous response and I can't remember how to find auto save, so I'll have to begin again.

I feel sorry for this young man duped into thinking that he could rescue some children from sexual abuse. I have no idea what was going on in his head but chances are that he, or someone dear to him has been the victim of such crimes. This in my mind makes the original lie all the more heinous having been deliberately concocted out of nothing substantial in Podesta's leaked emails for base political advantage. People could have been killed, a business has been slandered and probably suffered financial damage and a young man's emotions have been exploited without regard to the emotional and reputational damage to him and his family.

But the damage goes further. It extends beyond Washington and the US borders. This story has been featured on Australian news this evening and discussion centred on what can be done to prevent false news from being widely disseminated via social media. General consensus? Not much, end of story, let's move on.

However, in the ME America's enemies and detractors will feast on this story for years to come. In Turkey, a US ally, there is a lot of damage being caused because people are all too keen to believe that the US is corrupt to the core. It doesn't matter that the story is false, it confirms suspicions and fuels hatred.

“PizzaGate” is more than an alt-right conspiracy theory for the Turkish people—it is a thoroughly covered satanism and pedophilia scandal that supposedly involves Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and a pizza place.

In the last week, all Turkish pro-government papers, including mainstream publications like Sabah, A Haber, Yeni Şafak, Akşam and Star, ran similar stories about the PizzaGate, using the very same images and claims from a (now banned) subreddit to convince their readers on how serious and deep-rooted the scandal was. Columnists penned articles that the PizzaGate is a part of the globalist conspiracy against Turkey, and one article even remarked that the “Teenage” in pizza-eating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles now makes sense as a pedophilia reference after PizzaGate.

And all of this is very, very popular on Turkish Twitter. A video that claimed to show Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C., purportedly delivering children to politicians and business people (which is not true) went viral in Turkey, just like the video of Vice President Biden on the swearing-in ceremony of Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del) was re-narrated in Turkey to claim that Biden was abusing Coons’ daughter in public (which, also, is not true).

After a pile of news stories on the PizzaGate conspiracy, Snopes featured a detailed debunk of the claims this week, alongside with the New York Times on November 21; Washington City Paper began reporting on it on Nov. 6 and again on Nov. 15, detailing the real-life consequences of the online conspiracy.

But the viral nature of conspiracies and fake news follow the same patterns among alt-right circles and Turkish pro-government troll network alike: In the Turkish case, the PizzaGate story appeared on Turkey’s Reddit-like forum/dictionary EkşiSözlük and on a self-claimed viral news network HaberSelf, where anyone can post content. Then, pro-government Twitter accounts spread it further, using the same anti-establishment rhetoric used by Trump supporters, even though Turkey’s mainstream media is almost entirely controlled by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s establishment.

There is even a bilingual Facebook page and a popular Twitter account (@pizza_gate) for the whole conspiracy, echoing the Biden stories run on the Turkish pro-government media.

The PizzaGate case is unique in the sense that it appeals not only to the white nationalists in the U.S. but also to the Islamist nationalists in Turkey, and the latter is the result of ‘decades old’ anti-Americanism in Turkey, crystallized after the July 15 coup attempt against Erdoğan sparked a flood of fake news, as the Daily Dot previously reported.
But new documents found in the leaked emails of Berat Albayrak, Turkey’s Energy Minister and Erdoğan’s son-in-law, suggest that the effect of recent disparagement of the United States has important consequences for domestic Turkish politics.

According to a confidential survey conducted by A&G Research for the governing party in August, about 90 percent of Turks believe that the United States is behind ISIS, the PKK—a Kurdish armed group fighting for autonomy in Southeast Turkey—and the Gülen Movement —a religious sect that the government blames for the coup.

The nationwide survey found that the 83 percent of Turkish people disagree with the U.S. being Turkey's friend and ally, and 60 percent says their opinion about the U.S. will not change even if the administration extradites Fethullah Gülen, a powerful Turkish preacher blamed for the coup attempt, who lives in a self-imposed exiled in Pennsylvania.

While the results of this opinion research are rightfully concerning for the Turkey–U.S. relations, a more concerning part is in the survey report’s concluding remarks, which state that “the majority of Turks believe that the U.S. is behind the terror attacks in the country regardless of whichever group commits it.”

Such vilification allows Erdoğan to be saved from criticism regarding the country’s security failures, and it covers up other issues beneath sensational news. This is where the PizzaGate serves its purpose.

http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/pizzagate-alt-right-turkey-trolls-child-abuse/
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One of the current challenges for the U.S.... How to keep those who have been led like sheep to believe anything and everything having to do with the "government" and the "main stream media" is evil. They get their "news" from off-the-wall antagonists... and believe every word of it.

Just posted on this site in another thread is the conspiracy theory that Osama Bin Laden's capture and death is a made up story by the "gubmint". And, it sounds like the poster believes the conspiracy as he/she believes the conspiracy that millions have voted illegally. How often have we read, "And not reported by the main stream media"?? Well, if it wasn't reported, did it actually happen as told or was it another "pizza restaurant sex ring"?

A shame we have been so brainwashed that we believe nothing from reputable sources. Of course, someone will answer back that "reputable" sources are those akin to Breitbart, etc.
 
I'm an ex teacher Grumpy so rather naturally I believe the answer lies with the education of children and young adults.

Media was a topic within the English curriculum when I was teaching and the aim was to encourage students to analyse different styles of writing in different media of the time (no social media or online news around then) learning to recognise slanted reporting and reader manipulation. I thought this an advance on my English lessons that seemed to concentrate almost entirely on the history of English literature, and by 'English', I mean 'from England'.

Analysis is one of the higher order thinking skills and not everyone develops to this level. However, it is imperative that as many people as possible learn to think for themselves and giving students the necessary tools to do this in a modern context is vital. This skill is an objective of every subject from English to History and from science to mathematics, or at least it was some decades ago. Has the back to basics movement killed it off?
 
Some of the consequences of "fake news" is the core issues will be ignored or dismissed. Pedophilia, child labor and/or sex slaves is 'an' issue. Forget who, those are the issues that should be addressed.

It is not that hard to speculate or make a leap there is indeed a pedophile ring or cult in DC. Is it on the scale of pizza gate, probably not but when the ex speaker of house is convicted of child sex offenses, a congressman resigns for sexting to under age girls in front of their kid, a big political donor/party facilitator is convicted sex offender and previous DC sex/underage scandal like the Franklin scandal one must wonder about child prostitution in DC and/or professional politician world. Are they connected-probably not. Is that criminal behavior ignored, tolerated or enabled too often, probably.
 
Yes there probably most certainly a sex ring or two or three in DC. So you are saying that publishing and promoting out and out lies is acceptable? I do know that many of the Trump supporters believe so.

WhatInThe just proved the point. There is no "PIZZAGATE", but instaed of soundly and definitively denouncing lies and unsubstantiated rumor, you jumped up and deflected to another angle. Hence president trump!
 
Robusta said:
Yes there probably most certainly a sex ring or two or three in DC. So you are saying that publishing and promoting out and out lies is acceptable? I do know that many of the Trump supporters believe so.

WhatInThe just proved the point. There is no "PIZZAGATE", but instaed of soundly and definitively denouncing lies and unsubstantiated rumor, you jumped up and deflected to another angle. Hence president trump!
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The thread is the consequences of 'fake news'. NOT "Those denouncing fake news post here". One of the consequences will be that the actual topic of the 'fake news' will be ignored.

Should add that the topic in the article linked in the op's post is involves the conspiracy theory pizzagate which is about pedophiles in the political ranks.
 
[h=1]Trump cuts ties with Flynn Jr.[/h]BY KATIE BO WILLIAMS at the Hill

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/309086-trump-cuts-ties-with-flynn-jr

"SNIP...............


Donald Trump's transition team on Tuesday severed ties with the son of the president-elect’s pick for national security adviser amidst scrutiny of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s habitual promotion of conspiracy theories.

The break, reportedly a direct order from Trump himself, came after Michael Flynn Jr. in a Twitter post on Sunday suggested a made-up story about a child sex ring at a Washington pizzeria was true.


Earlier that day, a gunman who believed the hoax had gone to the popular neighborhood restaurant and fired shots.
The incident put a violent twist on the long-simmering debate over the power of fake news — and raised concerns about the man about to take on one of the most powerful positions in the country’s national security apparatus.

Both Flynn and his son have pushed unsubstantiated stories linking Hillary Clinton to underage sex rings, providing no evidence to support their claims.
 
“When you get a government position — whether it's a U.S. congressman, whether it's national security adviser or anything — you now have a different level of commitment to the truth that you have to hold onto because people are going to take your words and take them literally,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told CNN on Tuesday
 
WhatInThe said:
The thread is the consequences of 'fake news'. NOT "Those denouncing fake news post here". One of the consequences will be that the actual topic of the 'fake news' will be ignored.

Should add that the topic in the article linked in the op's post is involves the conspiracy theory pizzagate which is about pedophiles in the political ranks.
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I see it a little differently, Whattie.

For 45 minutes, police said, Edgar Maddison Welch, cradling an AR-15 assault-style rifle, roamed the Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant looking to prove an Internet conspiracy theory that the popular D.C. restaurant harbored juvenile sex slaves.
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I see a 28 year old man, very upset by the idea that children were being held as sex slaves behind the scenes of a pizza parlour. So upset indeed that he travelled some distance, armed with a serious firearm, in an attempt to rescue them. There were no children and no sex slaves and the pizza parlour is not and never has been involved in any such crimes. The whole thing could have turned tragic and the staff are probably still traumatised.

And it was a lie that someone invented for political purposes.

Sometimes false news reports make it to air due to lack of diligence on the part of the reporters but this is an example of something much more insidious - but I'm not sure how to name it. Slander or libel come to mind but I'm not sure that this is what it really is. Conspiracy theory? In part that label fits but I see it a lot differently to stories of concealed alien visitations or faked lunar landings. This story had the potential to damage people's reputations and their business and for what?

Who started it? Cui bono? Who benefits? Even if no charges can be laid I would not like to see the culprits get off lightly in the court of public opinion. IMO this is a dastardly deed conducted by one or more unprincipled people and at the very least they should be publicly shamed. Waffling on about politicians with deplorable moral standards should not be allowed to deflect attention from the originators of this chicanery. That is a whole other can of worms that needs to be examined for its own sake.

People need to be made aware that fake news exists and resist the urge to immediately forward/retweet some juicy rumour/scandal etc without first asking the question "How reliable is this report?" The more serious the charge, the more important it is not to allow ourselves to be used as pawns by others.

You can be sure that I will be visiting the biblical commandment against bearing false witness in my Sunday School class with emphasis on social media scenarios as well as the more traditional interpretations. Truth mattered in ancient times and matters still today.

Sorry about the rant, but this issue is something that I care passionately about.
 
Robusta said:
“When you get a government position — whether it's a U.S. congressman, whether it's national security adviser or anything — you now have a different level of commitment to the truth that you have to hold onto because people are going to take your words and take them literally,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told CNN on Tuesday
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Without truth there is no honour.
 
The New Yorker on Pizzagate

The charge at the center of Pizzagate is this: Comet Ping Pong is where high-ranking Democrats go when they want pizza. But “pizza” is not pizza. It is a code word for sexually exploitable young girls, or maybe for young boys, or for infants trafficked from Haiti and killed for their organs, which are then trafficked further.

And John Podesta talked about pizza in his e-mails, which were released by Wikileaks. He talked about pizza more than once. Again, it’s hard to know where to start—by asking what the proof is or by asking why anyone would ever posit these notions as something that needed proving or disproving.

Often, conspiracy theories are grafted onto something that seems like a mystery, even if it’s not, such as the suicide of Vince Foster, who had worked with Hillary Clinton in Arkansas and joined her husband’s Administration. That human tragedy was exploited by the Clintons’ political opponents and spun into strange stories involving murder.

Pizzagate lacks even that nub. There is nothing to explain—no missing children, no accusers, no break-ins involving intelligence agents, no odd incidents, no inexplicable phone calls from powerful people, no baseless firing of someone asking questions, no hit-and-run death of someone who knew too much. But if you find it odd that any given person in America would, now and again, want to eat pizza; if you think that it is suspicious that people getting together to watch something on TV would do so at a pizza place; if you think that the phrase “I could bring a pizza home” is so bizarre that it must mean something else; or if hearing that something is baked in “a pizza oven” causes you to envision Hansel-and-Gretel-like images of child murder with the possible involvement of international terrorists and money launderers (and that is one of the charges), then this is the conspiracy theory for you.

Here is why Pizzagaters say that all this matters, though it’s not clear why any of it would: Comet Ping Pong is owned by a man named James Alefantis. He was once involved with David Brock, a former right-wing journalist who became a Hillary Clinton supporter and worked to get her elected. Alefantis has e-mailed with Podesta, including once to tell him about an Obama fund-raiser taking place at the restaurant, and to ask if he might want to stop by and maybe have dinner.

Comet Ping Pong has a haute-hipsterish decor, and a certain number of its clients are journalists or work in politics. It has Ping-Pong tables and displays an image of two Ping-Pong paddles on its menu; if you squint, they look like a butterfly, and a butterfly may or may not be an international symbol beckoning people who sexually abuse children.

There may be a subterranean network of rooms and tunnels beneath the restaurant that are used for imprisonment, trafficking, and other unspeakable things. (Alefantis told the BBC, “We don’t even have a basement.”) There is also an e-mail thread in which it is strongly suggested that Podesta may have once had a map that showed where to find pizza on Martha’s Vineyard. (So not only in Washington!) The authorities are, allegedly, covering it all up.

These suppositions have been embroidered on and combined with other fabrications in long threads on Reddit, 4Chan, and elsewhere. (BuzzFeed has mapped out how the theory spread.) There is no real search for “truth,” only what amounts to conspiracy fan-fiction.

The only actual threat to children seems to have come from Pizzagaters who, according to press reports, have collected pictures of children on the Instagram and Facebook pages of people who “liked” Comet Ping Pong’s pages, then republished them as identifying putative victims. The threats to families—to Alefantis and his staff, and to people in businesses nearby (who have been accused of, among other things, being linked to the ring via the tunnel network)—have become frequent and, as the events of this weekend indicate, have moved beyond the realm of fantasy.

More here: http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/the-age-of-donald-trump-and-pizzagate
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When all of the elements are mapped out like this the absurdity becomes more apparent but in a single post or a single tweet just one allegation is enough to cause people to react by sharing or retweeting. I suspect the creators of this set of lies know this and drip feed the nonsense a bit at a time. I would like to see some of the early tweets/posts to see how it all played out.
 
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I agree, its a problem

Grumpy Ol' Man said:
One of the current challenges for the U.S.... How to keep those who have been led like sheep to believe anything and everything having to do with the "government" and the "main stream media" is evil. They get their "news" from off-the-wall antagonists... and believe every word of it.

Just posted on this site in another thread is the conspiracy theory that Osama Bin Laden's capture and death is a made up story by the "gubmint". And, it sounds like the poster believes the conspiracy as he/she believes the conspiracy that millions have voted illegally. How often have we read, "And not reported by the main stream media"?? Well, if it wasn't reported, did it actually happen as told or was it another "pizza restaurant sex ring"?

A shame we have been so brainwashed that we believe nothing from reputable sources. Of course, someone will answer back that "reputable" sources are those akin to Breitbart, etc.
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I could do with you on another forum for over fifties I use (if you have the patience), but luckily one or two people over there make similar replies to yours, when essentially fake news comes up.

BTW I absolutely loved this tag line or whatever its called (by W.....), and just wanted to share how much it made me laugh, quote:
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or an idiot from any direction."
 
How typical of the Washington Post. In an item in their Style section, Scottie Nell Hughes, described as a frequent surrogate for Donald Trump and CNN commentator, stated a reality of the world in which we live - the lack of facts. The Post writer, Margaret Sullivan then went on to distort the story to make it seem like the Trump campaign created the problem.

It seems like the Washington Post has demonstrated the reality of the problem they supposedly were reporting on.
 

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