Virtual world of half truths.
The virtual world of half-truths - the spoiler.
No matter how apocryphal, half-truths have a life of their own. Many inhabit this virtual world of half-truths. Their beliefs, ideology, societal values and political activism derive sustenance from this terra Apocrypha.
Thanks to the 24x7 hissing of the hydra-headed 3D-media, the head count of the denizens of this world has seen an exponential swell.
It is a groundswell minus the ground. And like all manipulated ground swells in democracy, it is a potential agent of change invariably for the worse. A spoiler for the efforts of those at the helm of nation’s affairs grappling with real issues of growth, equity and probity in public life.
The risk to our one-man-one-vote democracy becomes even more palpable when hitherto honest academicians, politicians and opinion leaders start leveraging this constituency of ‘half-truth believers’ to enhance their clout and bargaining power.
Half truths have played their part from times immemorial – recall the famous ‘Ashwathama Hatahath, naro va Kunjaro va’ from Mahabharat. Even as late as the second world war – Goebbels used it with deadly effect to brainwash the German populace. And remember Dr Goebbels had only the Nazi-press and the emergent Radio media to drive home his extremist agenda so effectively, though his mission was accomplished sooner aided by the Nazi authoritarian regime
Today you do not need a dictatorial dispensation to achieve what the Nazi’s did. The reason being the multiple media bouquet on offer with instant global reach- Press, TV Channels, Radio, Internet- mail, social media, Cell phones with 4 G capability et al. High time the prime enablers namely ‘media’ evolved some effective self regulation mechanism lest they unwittingly assist puny rabble-rousers to grow into Frankestinian destabilizers of our democratic system.
No matter how apocryphal, half-truths have a life of their own. Many inhabit this virtual world of half-truths. Their beliefs, ideology, societal values and political activism derive sustenance from this terra Apocrypha.
Thanks to the 24x7 hissing of the hydra-headed 3D-media, the head count of the denizens of this world has seen an exponential swell.
It is a groundswell minus the ground. And like all manipulated ground swells in democracy, it is a potential agent of change invariably for the worse. A spoiler for the efforts of those at the helm of nation’s affairs grappling with real issues of growth, equity and probity in public life.
The risk to our one-man-one-vote democracy becomes even more palpable when hitherto honest academicians, politicians and opinion leaders start leveraging this constituency of ‘half-truth believers’ to enhance their clout and bargaining power.
Half truths have played their part from times immemorial – recall the famous ‘Ashwathama Hatahath, naro va Kunjaro va’ from Mahabharat. Even as late as the second world war – Goebbels used it with deadly effect to brainwash the German populace. And remember Dr Goebbels had only the Nazi-press and the emergent Radio media to drive home his extremist agenda so effectively, though his mission was accomplished sooner aided by the Nazi authoritarian regime
Today you do not need a dictatorial dispensation to achieve what the Nazi’s did. The reason being the multiple media bouquet on offer with instant global reach- Press, TV Channels, Radio, Internet- mail, social media, Cell phones with 4 G capability et al. High time the prime enablers namely ‘media’ evolved some effective self regulation mechanism lest they unwittingly assist puny rabble-rousers to grow into Frankestinian destabilizers of our democratic system.
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