May 02 2009
QT On Agree To Disagree With Bob & Lee (And Elvis makes 3!)
This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of calling in to the Bob and Lee internet radio show “Agree to Disagree, with Bob and Lee”. As an added bonus, they had a special guest, Elvis Dingeldein, who was also on hand when I called. The topic I asked about is one I’ve been pondering quite a bit – namely the continued polarization along political lines of our information. I want to expand upon the problem (as I see it) here, and share the segment of the podcast in which I was involved, and where the gentlemen addressed themselves to my question. I’ll come back later with a follow-up post of what I think could be a solution.
The problem is that with the increasingly expanded availability to accrue like-minded opinions, we are growing more and more entrenched in our own “echo-chambers.” While segregation between the races has been held to be a bad thing, segregation by ideology, which have lately been conflated with racial and religious tribalisms, has become the mode du jour. We are so enamoured with our like-minded-seeking that we often miss how much information we actively reject when it doesn’t fit our preconceived notions – and we have become comfortable allowing a gradual drift – such that knowledge is being segmented into our ideological spheres.
To say this is unacceptable is putting too fine a point on the matter. This is something that needs to be hit with a blunt edge. Our energetic, vitriolic disputes, clever wit and sarcasm need to be better employed in the arena of ideas, rather than in the clannish protectionism of one camp over another.
(audio under the fold)
QT
2 Responses to “QT On Agree To Disagree With Bob & Lee (And Elvis makes 3!)”
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“We are so enamoured with our like-minded-seeking that we often miss how much information we actively reject when it doesn’t fit our preconceived notions – and we have become comfortable allowing a gradual drift – such that knowledge is being segmented into our ideological spheres.”
Well said, QT!
You know, I often think in those same terms when we come upon a topic such as Global warming, and a host of other issues that divide us. Here we are with two sides entrenched against each other, unwilling to bend, while the vastness of the ignorance of “us” rules the day. I see people on each side calling their opponents “idiot” and “uneducated”, and I laugh, QT! I laugh! It’s so sad that it ends up actually being funny.
I’ve yet to meet the layperson who can explain why global warming is or is not occurring; mostly they can’t even cite a single scientist on either side and yet frequently, we hear such words as, “The science is done! Global Warming (or not) is a fact!”
This, to me, is the height of ignorance; when we make claims “scientifically” that we in no way could ever back up with any credibility of our own. I call it “Repeatability”, as in, we seem to have this insane drive to repeat whatever we hear that supports our cause, whether it is true, provable, or not.
Your call to help people educate themselves is important, QT. I use and link to a site called ClimateDebateDaily.com for climate change news or stories that give both sides of the issue. Maybe it’s a start? Here’s the link:
http://www.climatedebatedaily.com/
Anyway, I think we might hit some snags on helping people see both sides. Maybe it’s because many people only want to see one side? Is that possible?
PPP, I’m one of those people who is certain that the science is “done” on this subject. What’s not clear at all is whether there’s anything we can actually do about it at this late date. It isn’t clear at all if green energy and the like will in any way alleviate the problem to the point of either reversing the damage. It may be that “green” jobs need to be in the direction of creating floatable housing for our coastal cities – as is being done in the Netherlands. Which is not to say that the more we do to slow down our contribution to the problem – but it is to say that I think that Al Gore et al are not quite telling the truth about the problem.
That said – I DO appreciate the link you provided, and will peruse it from time to time. It’s a great site, and it automatically goes into my blog roll!
Thank you!
No – the problem isn’t that people want to see one side- people have a natural desire for truth, I believe. It’s that we’ve become untrustworthy – truth telling in a combative way only leads to fights. I’m working on my follow-up post and hope to have it up today.
QT