Social media, propaganda and no intelligent debate - the lynch-mob of the 21st century?

[MovingIn07]

Anyone who has been following the Kony 2012 debacle may have a view on this - but I find this whole social phenomenon fascinating. Like the hysterical parents following Chinese tabloids re phantom kid-snatching, this also highlights the power of the media, this time social media, to manipulate large numbers of people.

Stop them before they kill - The Drum Opinion - We must stop Invisible Children before they do more harm.  And I'm going to tell you how to do it. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

When are children going to be taught in school how to critically evaluate what they read in the newspaper or what they watch on TV or on u-tube? A scary future when anyone can make a video and get the world to respond.

[pepe77]

This is a big subject - and super current.
I totally agree that it is a problem that mass hysteria/propaganda has a much easier and efficient way into peoples lifes than before. Maniacs and extremists now have a very easy way to publish their absurd views.
But....you can turn it around. There is nothing stopping anyone from telling the other side of the story ! Everyone has a chance to speak out - thats a good thing. You can chose to read/watch/hear it or not - thats a good thing
Also, these days there are simply too many channels of news - therefore dirty tricks needs to be used in order to attract readers. The key is - as you say - to be better at staying critical to source of information and take up the responsibility to dig into the material available and base your opinion on that.

All in all I think the develepment is for the better. At least we have the posibility to double check all source of information and get opinions from a wide spread point of view.

I am more upset about the whole "no intelligent debate" thing. In good old days you could watch a 2 hour debate program in TV - a simple program where 2 people would discuss politinal issues etc. This is no longer possible. It has all gotten too commercial. And sadly gossip and easy-to-read stuff has a better commercial value than a serious well documentated story. We prefer to prefer to read headlines instead of articles in the same way as our general communication has moved into headlines and statements. Hopefully this will change, but i doubt it.

[MovingIn07]

I think that "critical thought" and "debating" should be back on the agenda of all schools personally. And probably classes in "how to spot when you are being manipulated".

[dear giant]

A huge red flag for me w/regards to that abc.net article is that the author condemns the ICC's chief prosecutor for issuing an arrest warrant for Sudan's criminal, murderous leader Omar Hassan al-Bashir (see: Darfur). Incidentally, Kony and the LRA were supported by Sudan (under al-Bashir) until 2005, when an ICC warrant was issued for Kony. Birds of a feather and all that.

There's a lot to criticize about "Invisible Children" (most of the money is spent on administrative costs and "raising awareness", for example) but one of the author's major gripes about "Invisible Children" seems to be that it is an organization run by *gasp* white people that is trying to *gasp* bring a non-white person to account and colonialism *grumble grumble* colonialism.

The author also repeats the line about Kony not being a big threat since he only has a few hundred fighters. Three hundred people with guns, roaming around, constitutes a large enough force to cause trouble and kill people. If he isn't as huge a threat as he used to be, that's great, but he's still operating (see Kony resumes attacks in DRC):

The Lord’s Resistance Army rebels have resumed attacks against civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving thousands displaced.

The new wave of attacks came after a lull of six months in DR Congo and Central African Republic where the rebels are currently operating.

At least 10 people have been abducted and 3,000 displaced in 20 attacks in Orientale Province, north-eastern DR Congo this year, said the UN refugee agency UNHCR

The overall commander of UPDF operations in Central African Republic and South Sudan, Col. Joseph Balikudembe, confirmed the attacks, saying they are occurring regularly.

[MovingIn07]

I won't dispute (and I've never seen anyone dispute, including the article I linked) that Kony is a bad man who should be brought to justice.

Mostly I abhore the way those people chose to do it and the way they manipulate millions with their video. I have reasonably intelligent facebook friends who shared this thing with me - it's just sad that people would do that without checking and finding some facts.

Conversely, an African facebook friend shared this video too - which is just as compelling if less slick and manipulative:My response to KONY2012. - YouTube

[dear giant]

Moving, I am watching the video that you just linked.

The woman first says that she had trouble understanding what the video was about and then says that the video and initiatives like it make it seem as though people in Africa cannot solve their own problems and that the continent is hopeless.

Again, I am not a supporter of "Invisible Children" but that woman seems to have the same sort of attitude as a lot of fenqing types from across the border: "Yes, I have poop on my face and I am fine with it until someone who is not from my country points it out and offers me a moistened towlette. Then, I feel ashamed about the poop on my face and angry with the foreigner for pointing it out and trying to help me."

Kony is still running free and still attacking/abducting people in central Africa.

The main objection that anti-Invisible-Children Africans (the lady in the video and sources cited in articles that I've read) seem to have is that it makes their country/region look bad.

Well, the problems that their region/country has, it has. Foreigners talking about those problems doesn't magically make them worse.

[MovingIn07]

Well, the problems that their region/country has, it has. Foreigners talking about those problems doesn't magically make them worse.

It does if those foreigners turn up with guns and tanks to "solve" the problems by force. That works so well in the Middle East, doesn't it?

The ONLY people who can solve these problems are the people themselves. Africans need to stand up and demand democracy, freedom and the rule of law and not stop until they achieve it. She says they have started that. What - not fast enough for you? None of this can be imposed from outside or it'll be as big a mess as Afghanistan.

[pepe77]

Mostly I abhore the way those people chose to do it and the way they manipulate millions with their video. I have reasonably intelligent facebook friends who shared this thing with me - it's just sad that people would do that without checking and finding some facts.

I completely agree with you on this - it is sad and worrying
I recently had some experiences with a media propaganda called something like "Stop the Danes from killing dolphins for fun" - came in different variations.
The "article" was so full of false statements and accusations that it was easier to point out what was correct then what was wrong/false. Many FB "friends" shared and liked this without having any idea whatsoever the case was about.....or what is actually going on in Fareo Islands (no Denmark) when they do the whale (not doplhin) killings.
I used time to comment on the first 2 or 3 I saw....then stopped, thinking "nevermind!"

[dear giant]

It does if those foreigners turn up with guns and tanks to "solve" the problems by force. That works so well in the Middle East, doesn't it?

Sometimes, it works and sometimes it doesn't. If the problem is "Warlord X needs to be caught or executed.", then it is possible to catch him or kill him with or without the help of the locals. See OBL as an example.

Nation-building is a different matter.

The ONLY people who can solve these problems are the people themselves. Africans need to stand up and demand democracy, freedom and the rule of law and not stop until they achieve it. She says they have started that. What - not fast enough for you? None of this can be imposed from outside or it'll be as big a mess as Afghanistan.

The thrust of the "Invisible Children" group is catching Kony, isn't it? If/when they branch out into attempting to actually administer countries in the region, your criticism and that of the woman in the video will be more relevant.

I do feel obligated to point out that foreign intervention and nation-(re)building has worked sometimes, as in Japan (hint: who wrote what became, with some changes, the current Japanese constitution?) and Germany post-WW2, the ROK post-Korean-War, and some other places. No, it hasn't worked everywhere and seems not to be working in Afghanistan. The general populace do need to be receptive to the idea of building something out of their country, but that in itself isn't always enough.

Finally, has it occurred to you that the woman in the video might be aligned with corrupt elements of the elites within her country who do not want Western aid groups (of any stripe) poking around and exposing the rot?

[MovingIn07]

Finally, has it occurred to you that the woman in the video might be aligned with corrupt elements of the elites within her country who do not want Western aid groups (of any stripe) poking around and exposing the rot?

Whether she is or not, it came to me via a (black African) friend who said in his comment something to the effect of "this video represents what I and other africans" think. The woman I don't know - the friend I do. And he's a very sensible bloke.