Microcosm or thereabouts
I was told a story by a colleague of mine today, and it really brought into focus what is wrong with the media and social networking (in my mind at least).
The U.S. has armed forces in the Middle East. These are not always popular people with the locals they are there to ... deal with? protect? Whatever the story might be this year, either way, there they are. These men and women are risking their lives to protect freedom and the American way, again, whatever that is this year. In general, they have done no wrong, but as representatives of what many in the region hate - westernism, Christianity, the U.S., NATO, the U.N., white privilege, etc. - they are at risk day and night.
A convoy rolls into a village and it is nearly sunset. Suddenly, they see a woman in a hijab run into the road directly in front of the convoy in a narrow street where there are two choices: come to a full stop, or just go right over her and continue on to their destination as needed. There are also multiple ways of viewing this story. The convoy comes to a full stop, they realize the woman has a device strapped to her chest and takes out herself, the convoy, and half the block which is suspiciously empty. The convoy comes to a full stop, the woman wasn't paying attention and continues across the street and the convoy moves on without issue. The convoy comes to a full stop, and RPG's and machine guns open fire on the convoy killing everyone inside and the woman who acted as a distraction. The convoy comes to a full stop and the woman triggers an IED badly damaging and injuring those in the convoy, and killing herself. The convoy plows her over figuring the odds of her randomly being in the street as a LOUD AND HUGE convoy comes through, are pretty damn low compared to the odds she is there to do harm directly or indirectly to the soldiers.
A video of the convoy running over a woman makes it to YouTube. Without doing any research of the region where this occurred, why this might have happened, or if this woman meant to do harm, it is shared 2,000,000 times and Americans are the scourge of the earth. A video of a convoy being destroyed is shared 20,000 times by a terrorist group as means of recruitment, but never goes "viral" or makes it outside the inner reaches of the circle for which it was meant to be seen.
For the men and women in the convoy, this is a Catch-22. Stop, and risk being killed, run her over, and risk being villains... no hero option, no pause button to consider the surroundings in the moment. Now, honestly, this is all dependent on this occurring within a known hostile area. If this is a regular city street, or peaceful neighborhood, then the odds of this woman intending to do harm are minuscule and the soldiers involved should be charged with vehicular homicide. However, a YouTube clip of :15 doesn't allow for that kind of investigation. The internet acts as judge, jury, and executioner of these soldiers or whomever might be involved.
This brings me back to social media / the media / social networks / etc.
Someone sees a story or headline they agree with, so they immediately share it on Facebook, Twitter, Dipshit Express, whatever they use. This story is 100% fabricated by someone or something with an agenda. However, after 48 hours this has been seen 10,000,000 times and now an actual reporter that uses actual sources and does their job properly, isn't sure what to believe. It is difficult to go back to the source when the story goes "well I saw it from so & so." Even if there's no evidence whatsoever that what the story is stating is true, people still believe it. "Well of course there's no evidence, ___ covered it up!" Why would they say something so outlandish? Because in 2017, people choose to believe whatever fits their personal beliefs and narratives. Facts are diminished. Investigative reporting, thinking before we share/speak/act is a thing of the past. I'm fearful for this world. If there isn't another "Great War" or "Civil War" in my lifetime, I'll be impressed, but for now I remain vigilant as much as one can. Before I believe anything - whether it is from my point of view and supports what I want to believe, or makes something I believe look tarnished or evil - I spend a minute or two googling or researching it. Personally, I prefer not to look like a crazy redneck, racist, snowflake, or douche canoe. But maybe that's just me... so it goes...
The U.S. has armed forces in the Middle East. These are not always popular people with the locals they are there to ... deal with? protect? Whatever the story might be this year, either way, there they are. These men and women are risking their lives to protect freedom and the American way, again, whatever that is this year. In general, they have done no wrong, but as representatives of what many in the region hate - westernism, Christianity, the U.S., NATO, the U.N., white privilege, etc. - they are at risk day and night.
A convoy rolls into a village and it is nearly sunset. Suddenly, they see a woman in a hijab run into the road directly in front of the convoy in a narrow street where there are two choices: come to a full stop, or just go right over her and continue on to their destination as needed. There are also multiple ways of viewing this story. The convoy comes to a full stop, they realize the woman has a device strapped to her chest and takes out herself, the convoy, and half the block which is suspiciously empty. The convoy comes to a full stop, the woman wasn't paying attention and continues across the street and the convoy moves on without issue. The convoy comes to a full stop, and RPG's and machine guns open fire on the convoy killing everyone inside and the woman who acted as a distraction. The convoy comes to a full stop and the woman triggers an IED badly damaging and injuring those in the convoy, and killing herself. The convoy plows her over figuring the odds of her randomly being in the street as a LOUD AND HUGE convoy comes through, are pretty damn low compared to the odds she is there to do harm directly or indirectly to the soldiers.
A video of the convoy running over a woman makes it to YouTube. Without doing any research of the region where this occurred, why this might have happened, or if this woman meant to do harm, it is shared 2,000,000 times and Americans are the scourge of the earth. A video of a convoy being destroyed is shared 20,000 times by a terrorist group as means of recruitment, but never goes "viral" or makes it outside the inner reaches of the circle for which it was meant to be seen.
For the men and women in the convoy, this is a Catch-22. Stop, and risk being killed, run her over, and risk being villains... no hero option, no pause button to consider the surroundings in the moment. Now, honestly, this is all dependent on this occurring within a known hostile area. If this is a regular city street, or peaceful neighborhood, then the odds of this woman intending to do harm are minuscule and the soldiers involved should be charged with vehicular homicide. However, a YouTube clip of :15 doesn't allow for that kind of investigation. The internet acts as judge, jury, and executioner of these soldiers or whomever might be involved.
This brings me back to social media / the media / social networks / etc.
Someone sees a story or headline they agree with, so they immediately share it on Facebook, Twitter, Dipshit Express, whatever they use. This story is 100% fabricated by someone or something with an agenda. However, after 48 hours this has been seen 10,000,000 times and now an actual reporter that uses actual sources and does their job properly, isn't sure what to believe. It is difficult to go back to the source when the story goes "well I saw it from so & so." Even if there's no evidence whatsoever that what the story is stating is true, people still believe it. "Well of course there's no evidence, ___ covered it up!" Why would they say something so outlandish? Because in 2017, people choose to believe whatever fits their personal beliefs and narratives. Facts are diminished. Investigative reporting, thinking before we share/speak/act is a thing of the past. I'm fearful for this world. If there isn't another "Great War" or "Civil War" in my lifetime, I'll be impressed, but for now I remain vigilant as much as one can. Before I believe anything - whether it is from my point of view and supports what I want to believe, or makes something I believe look tarnished or evil - I spend a minute or two googling or researching it. Personally, I prefer not to look like a crazy redneck, racist, snowflake, or douche canoe. But maybe that's just me... so it goes...
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