Fanatics

The problem with fanatics, the Listhaugs, the Wilders, the ISs and the Al Qaedas of this world is that you, as a reasonable person will never be able to win a reasoned argument with them. Fanatics are always more dedicated to their causes than reasonable people ever can be, that being the whole point to fanaticism. Fanatics will be out at the crack of dawn, promoting their “alternative facts” while the rest of us are still waiting for our eggs to boil, our coffee to percolate and our toast to pop up cheerfully from the toaster.

Then one day, as we are enjoying a particularly good boiled egg, the perfect cup of coffee and some crisp fresh toast we turn around and notice that all the newspapers that used to practice proper journalism are gone. That the radio and TV documentaries that look past the sound bites and check the facts and sources against each other are no longer regarded as relevant by the vast majority of the population. That all the humanist voices suggesting that people who are not like us should be treated with dignity and respect will have disappeared into the margins of the internet, the margins currently occupied by today’s fanatics.

What will we do then?

For my part I have decided that after twenty years of “free” news on the internet it is high time for me to start paying money to quality news outlets for the work they do before they are driven out of business. It is an easy thing to do and a small price to pay for my children’s future.

I hope it is not a case of too little too late…

4 thoughts on “Fanatics

  1. I completely agree with you, except I don’t want the toxicity of any of today’s news reporting to infect my mood, which is exactly what it does… Infiltrating my mind with doom, gloom, panic and anxiety. Right now my focus is on keeping myself happy and enjoying life, so I can be a good mother…And this means limited attention on the news. I don’t really know what the long term solution is. Maybe that, for me, is it. xx

    • I can understand that wanting to focus on being a good mother, although, in a random look back at history it does make me wonder what Frau Goebbels might have said to her Joseph on their wedding night ;)

      The point is to start by finding news sources that make you feel empowered. It might be a weekly newspaper that focuses on more in depth articles. Or a monthly magazine with a lively and interesting website. Or it could be TED. Look for news outlets that you have the time to read and invite you in.

      • Haha, that is a somewhat cheeky comment!

        I understand your point, and I guess I didn’t think about alternatives, which I do use. I don’t think of them as news. To me ‘news’ means the traditional papers and websites and TV programmes and is basically a synonym for ‘untrustworthy’. I love the Good News sites and shows. TED I watch from time to time, a lot less than pre kids, but I do enjoy it.

        At the moment I have little brain power left over in the evenings, but I am sure it will return in a year or two. :-)

        xx

    • I totally agree with you, Stanislav and Ninoslava. So I support the Croatian newspaper, a Croatian Internet and two more Croatian links that I can trust. The ‘world’ press has gone unprofessional so I do not want to read it. There are too many opinions and not enough facts. Me, xx :o)

Comments are closed.