censorship

[2009]

:rolleyes: i recently been thinking about how the government works, the one thing i came across is freedom. i started thinking just about how much freedom do we have? if we looks at stuff like the matrix, equilibrium, ghost in the shell, metal gear solid 2 and 1984, it makes u really wonder. i think that the idea of "democracy" is all a big cover up for a monarchy. i think that we do not have much freedom at all, with the advance technology we have, how can we be free? the government is indeed in control of us, everything from tracking our every move to directly effecting our mind, how far will it go?

whats you guys take on this?

[poind]

Start worrying when folk are implanted with an ID chip at birth or people aren't able to be removed from office on a regular natural basis, even if it's just term limits. Also worry when media is directly, formally, government controlled with limited options (like in Iraq under Saddam).

Computerized voting machines do freak me out a bit though. Can be more readily hacked/corrupted without ready ability for a manual recount should need occur (though I think some places are requiring paper printouts).

[2009]

i think the government already have control of the media. think about how much stuff they told us thats true. take iraq situation for example, at least 90% of it on the news are genuin bs. look at how the government is controling us, in the begining, they discredit iraqis as a whole population so ignorant american wil say "lets bomb them all", when they have no idea of whats going on. we now know that months before the invasion, the government know that there wasn't any WMD to be found, but they go ahead anyways. they make the whole story so believable that it fool so much people.

[Aaron Veteran]

i think the government already have control of the media. think about how much stuff they told us thats true. take iraq situation for example, at least 90% of it on the news are genuin bs. look at how the government is controling us, in the begining, they discredit iraqis as a whole population so ignorant american wil say "lets bomb them all", when they have no idea of whats going on. we now know that months before the invasion, the government know that there wasn't any WMD to be found, but they go ahead anyways. they make the whole story so believable that it fool so much people.

You are pretty misinformed, you should back away from the bong every now and then and actually read a newspaper. Nobody is actually claiming anyone KNEW there were no WMD, only admitting now that they had bad information about them. Basically, they were told something that has ended up not being accurate. Even so, the searching continues and you never know what tomorrow may find.

[LiLViEtDuDe917]

I think that censorship in America has grown to the point that everything the media feeds us is what I call hypnosis. It controls what we think. Big Brother in 1984 is a form of censorship. There is no laws, but punishment and restrictions on what we think and see. The restrictions is what we see as limited media. We see half the truth. Also in 1984 there is what they call the Ministry of Truth which controls things such as the media and such. The media is what we call as fake and bs, but why is it they call it the Ministry of Truth? I think its because the truth cannot live without the media and the media cannot live without the truth.

[HellBender]

Uh-oh. I hope they aren't monitoring my anal cavities for what I ate.

[PseudoRandomDragon]

They aren't monitoring it for what is going out :whistle:

[Schmoove]

I don't think we are free at all.

Take a look at Russia, Putin controls the media. A president candidate suddenly disappears.... people in Russia are not free at all.

The USA isn't much better. What's up with all those damn patriotic movies like Pearl Harbor, the Patriot... etc, etc, etc. The Bush government controls Hollywood. There was an interview with Paul Verhoeven on the dutch television a couple of weeks ago. He explained that when you want to make a war movie you have to send the script to the Pentagon first. If they approve your script you can borrow their army vehicles, if they don't approve it they will alter your script to make the USA look good. Then if you don't accept that you just can't make use of their equipment (which doesn't belong to the government or the army, but is property of the whole country).

That's just the media....

Think about the way we live. Where are we living for? Apparently the only reason we live is to keep a damn economy running, which only makes the rich richer and neglects the poor. I go to work 8 hours per day and 5 days per week.... but most of the time I'm longer at my work. I have 2 free days a week.

Our way of living is seriously screwed up. We work most of the time and don't get enough time to enjoy our life.

[Flasher]

I think that we have enough freedom, do you need more? ;)

[akaladis Veteran]

why who said we have democracy? actually... when did *any* country on this planet have democracy?

[kaptain chump]

i need more freedom.

[2009]

I don't think we are free at all.

Take a look at Russia, Putin controls the media. A president candidate suddenly disappears.... people in Russia are not free at all.

The USA isn't much better. What's up with all those damn patriotic movies like Pearl Harbor, the Patriot... etc, etc, etc. The Bush government controls Hollywood. There was an interview with Paul Verhoeven on the dutch television a couple of weeks ago. He explained that when you want to make a war movie you have to send the script to the Pentagon first. If they approve your script you can borrow their army vehicles, if they don't approve it they will alter your script to make the USA look good. Then if you don't accept that you just can't make use of their equipment (which doesn't belong to the government or the army, but is property of the whole country).

That's just the media....

Think about the way we live. Where are we living for? Apparently the only reason we live is to keep a damn economy running, which only makes the rich richer and neglects the poor. I go to work 8 hours per day and 5 days per week.... but most of the time I'm longer at my work. I have 2 free days a week.

Our way of living is seriously screwed up. We work most of the time and don't get enough time to enjoy our life.

damn right

[xRKx]

when did *any* country on this planet have democracy?

We (the U.S.) certainly don't. We never have been, we're a Republic and have been since day one. It's not my fault our own leaders and populace are too uneducated to realize that the two words AREN'T synonyms.

Edit: Or even more specifically, we're a Republic of States - and not a 'republic of people' - but... heh...

/me thinks of looking for a place to hide now.

[theyarecomingforyou]

The media is inherently biased toward a particular view point; you just need to understand where it's coming from. If you don't understand the bias of an outlet then you won't get a full picture. For instance, in the UK we have SkyNews and BBCNews (amongst others) - SkyNews is usually the simple story and focuses on grabbing your attention with catchy headlines, while BBCNews is slower and more detailed (it's a much more conservative viewpoint but in general is a lot less biased) - the answer is to watch both and build up the picture from several sources. The problem is that many people don't know or don't understand how the media works and how it is biased towards the corporations, and then the CEO's, behind them - this is where the average person is fed information and they take it at face value.

In terms of the western world, the US is far more censored than most European countries - in Europe Germany stands out as being heavily censored, mainly in regards to violence and Nazism, whereas America is less censored in terms of violence but far more censored when it comes to sex [the Janet Jackson thing recently is a good example - it was deemed an outrage to show a breast/nipple on TV, yet when it was reported here in the UK it was shown uncensored throughout the day on the news; i noticed it at about 1pm].

Also... why do you ever wonder why we have news the way we currently do? Do we need to know about an earthquake in Iran? Do we need to know that there is a drought in Africa? Do we need to know that an old lady was mugged 1000 miles from where you live? I think freedom of information is necessary, but I really wonder what the effect of having such trivial and unnecessary news is. It is surely only going to make people more paranoid and increase social tension (particularly in the UK where we have crap loads of seditious articles regarding immigrants that are PURELY designed to panic people rather than to report the facts :angry: - the news tries to shape your opinion, as opposed to trying to convey the facts).

[Suddenly_Dead]

It's my opinion (and if it's wrong, prove me it's wrong please... I like being proven wrong, it's always enlightening) that the American media is quite slanted towards their government's opinion, and the more patriotic stance. I've heard tales from Canadian journalists who were in America of how the American press may simply ask a few basic questions in a press conference or whatnot, and then leave it, whereas they wanted to press the questions more but had to hold back because of this. I've watched American news too, and it all seems a bit more conserved (even when pointing out flaws of their own gov't they do it quickly and then forget it), and much more fancy and flashy. When I watch news from other countries, including Canada, however, it seems they are consistantly questioning their own governments and others. Of course, I don't believe even most of our country even gets to hear the full story on many matters, and the questioning could be better.

Governments can be very secretive and dark however, and seemingly always will be. Example such as that prison (Gauntonemo bay or something?) the US has where it has kept prisoners for months with no contact to anyone, even a lawyer; or the recent exposing of Canada's tests of mustard gas on soldiers.

(Anyone want to blow all my points out of the water? :))

[PseudoRandomDragon]

We need more people like you Suddenly. You might be right, you might be wrong, but we do need people who will question their own government. Just be sure to support those opinions with facts.

[threetonesun]

For all of you asking this question, when, outside of taxes, has the government ever done anything directly to you? Most of everything that's important to me is decided by my local government, which is elected by the people. The only thing that even concerns me with the government is taxes and the draft, one of which concerns me very little. It's not like their knocking on my door every day asking what I'm doing. In fact, I could chose any job I wanted, live in any state, buy an piece of property, and raise my family pretty much anyway I want. I think we have enough freedom.

[+virtorio MVC]

The idea that anyone is free is nothing more that a joke.

I better no go into how I feel about this as I might find myself in trouble.

[Red Dragon]

i think that we do not have much freedom at all, with the advance technology we have, how can we be free? the government is indeed in control of us, everything from tracking our every move to directly effecting our mind, how far will it go?

whats you guys take on this?

Put the conspiracy books down, turn off Coast to Coast AM, and step outside. Walk around and actually look at people. If you keep believing like that, you'll miss the point of life and living in america.

[2009]

Put the conspiracy books down, turn off Coast to Coast AM, and step outside. Walk around and actually look at people. If you keep believing like that, you'll miss the point of life and living in america.

maybe. but its a really interesting discussion. and when people respond with maybe we should juss stop asking all these question and go and be happy, this led me to think about the books i read. books where people just stop caring because all they want is fake "happiness"

[idkfa]

Think about the way we live. Where are we living for? Apparently the only reason we live is to keep a damn economy running, which only makes the rich richer and neglects the poor. I go to work 8 hours per day and 5 days per week.... but most of the time I'm longer at my work. I have 2 free days a week.

Our way of living is seriously screwed up. We work most of the time and don't get enough time to enjoy our life.

Why speak for me and other people? Maybe you're living to keep the economy running. You most likely chose to work 8 hours a day 5 days per week. You chose to have 2 days a week free. Maybe your way of living is screwed up. Maybe you don't get enough time to enjoy your life.

I'm not having a go at you, all I'm pointing out is that that's your reaction to being put in that situation of having to work an 8 hour day 5 times a week.

I understand that there are sacrifices you would have to make if you only chose to get a job which allowed you to work 3 days a week and have 4 days off. For example you wouldn't have as much money and you wouldn't be in as good a job. But if you want to only work 3 days a week, you can, no one is stopping you. You could travel your whole life if you wanted to. But you can't expect to work in a professional job and also have a 4 day weekend.

[Schmoove]

Why speak for me and other people? Maybe you're living to keep the economy running. You most likely chose to work 8 hours a day 5 days per week. You chose to have 2 days a week free. Maybe your way of living is screwed up. Maybe you don't get enough time to enjoy your life.

I'm not having a go at you, all I'm pointing out is that that's your reaction to being put in that situation of having to work an 8 hour day 5 times a week.

I understand that there are sacrifices you would have to make if you only chose to get a job which allowed you to work 3 days a week and have 4 days off. For example you wouldn't have as much money and you wouldn't be in as good a job. But if you want to only work 3 days a week, you can, no one is stopping you. You could travel your whole life if you wanted to. But you can't expect to work in a professional job and also have a 4 day weekend.

That is true.

But that is exactly my point. If you want to have enough money to spend you need to have a good job. Sadly money is what makes the world go round. I don't choose to have a 5 day and 8 hour a day job. I'm practically forced to... at least it feels that way.

Commerce has such a immense influence on (most) peoples lifes that we have to work that much to make life pleasant. In the end most people end up working 5 days (or more) a week and only have 1 or 2 days off. I sometimes think about it and frankly I think it is pretty much screwed up.

I have a good job and make enough money, so I can afford myself enough luxury. Now suppose I was going to work 4 days a week... I will work less and have a worse job, which probably wouldn't make me enough money to allow me the luxury I have now.

I would probably have to move to a cheaper place, would have to buy a cheaper car.... etc, etc..... I don't think I can life with that.

In other words.... I am forced to do what I do now. It's not that bad, but sometimes I just wonder if this is what we are living for, isn't there another more pleasant way of living.

[PseudoRandomDragon]

A society where we wouldn't have to work. Gee, that would be nice. It won't happen though, human society cannot function without some form of currency. A very small society has a system where people trade their stuff, but in a large society where there are many items of different value and where people are assigned to a specific task in their society (a job), trading just won't work, so currency replaces it. One who does not work does not gain anything to trade. Either you have to work, or you need to figure out a way to cheat and get money without contributing to the society.

[poind]

Sadly money is what makes the world go round.

It's not money, it's human interaction, growth, and social development, of which money can be but one symptom.

If someone wants, depending somewhat on location, it can actually be possible to live with an ongoing "barter" system of trade of various services, info, skills, items, etc., without actual monetary transactions occurring.

For many people, however, the flexible currency of money that can act separately from individual "accounts" is simply a tool able to be developed via regular interaction with / contribution to other people in general.

Again, it's not "money", it's one's recognized contribution to others that drives the world. Money can be but one consequence in addition to "trusted" social networks, info exchange, resource exchange, etc.... The "world", for practical purposes, is a "world" of human interactions and exchanges of many forms.