An official media 'today you must BE AFRAID because' thread?
An official media 'today you must BE AFRAID because' thread?
Author
Discussion

Northern Munkee

Original Poster:

5,354 posts

230 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all
I am so sick of been told one scare story after another, apart from the standard staple of global warming, a paedo under every bed and hanging about outside every school and nursery, an ever imminent spectacular from Al Qaeda, more bird flu pandemics in the autumn no doubt, so tonight on Newsnight, I learn we are 50 years overdue on the "100 year massive solar flare" which will fry the entire digital infastructure, power grid, end electronic financial transactions, destroy the internet, satellite communication, send GPS, compasses useless and send us back to the stone age. And that something must be done... Almost certainly requiring some fat funding for some crackpot study or research...

I don't know how we've managed to survive so long, pure luck, (dons his tin foil hat) so I can't help thinking that there must be a deliberate conspiracy to try and keep us constantly in fear of a catastrophy, perhaps the media in on it, or maybe they are just unwitting stooges, in some kind of 'clever' mind control of the public, by having us worrying over something, or perhaps it's a way finding a clever excuse for a new tax... To keep us safe.

Anyway, it got me thinking perhaps we should a thread to out the latest fear mongering...

Bring your own tin foil....

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 20th September 23:28

Pesty

42,655 posts

286 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all
This was on radio 4 this morning about the sun spots.

we're doomed.

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all

Hedders

24,460 posts

277 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all
We are wll overdue a Killer earthquake..

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100916/tsc-killer-ea...

grumbledoak

32,571 posts

263 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
H. L. Mencken

Hedders

24,460 posts

277 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all
Blue Meanie said:
Is that a serious news article???

Keep your kids away from people in costumes? Kind of takes the fun out of amusement parks!

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 20th September 2010
quotequote all
Hedders said:
Blue Meanie said:
Is that a serious news article???

Keep your kids away from people in costumes? Kind of takes the fun out of amusement parks!
It is indeed...

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
...and as a slight update, the guy who was a registered sex offender turns out to be nothing of the sort. So big scaremongering panic, keep-the-kids-locked-up-moment was in fact for nought! Hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpHMcAEJhWE

b2hbm

1,301 posts

252 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
Earthquakes ? sunspots ? E/M pulses ? nah, that's just twiddling about at the edges. Wait until next year when they wake up about the Mayan calender and the prediction that the current great cycle will end on 23rd Dec 2012 with global destruction. (memo to self; don't bother with Christmas cards that year)

That'll be good for selling lots of papers throughout 2011, no doubt "more research is needed" to divert the apocalypse and perhaps a "Human Race Survival Ark Tax" along the way.

Ever since I read Nick Davies's book "Flat Earth news" I find it very hard to believe any newspaper story.

Hedders

24,460 posts

277 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
b2hbm said:
Ever since I read Nick Davies's book "Flat Earth news" I find it very hard to believe any newspaper story.
Myabe that is my problem too, good read though .

nelly1

5,666 posts

261 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
b2hbm said:
Earthquakes ? sunspots ? E/M pulses ? nah, that's just twiddling about at the edges. Wait until next year when they wake up about the Mayan calender and the prediction that the current great cycle will end on 23rd Dec 2012 with global destruction. (memo to self; don't bother with Christmas cards that year)
"Ah, well. Last orders please!"


toast boy

1,242 posts

256 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
Every time I hear stuff like this it makes me think of how the media and the general populace works - no-one wants to hear good news! You wouldn't buy the paper to hear a story that there will be nothing going wrong today. I don't think it's a big conspiracy for the media to make everyone scared, I think it's just that that is what sells news.

Also, Naomi Klein wrote a book called the Shock Doctrine which details how shock news events can be used to push through legislation that would be otherwise difficult or controversial. Again, I doubt the media are in on this but it doesn't stop politicians or people with an interest in using it.

CommanderJameson

22,096 posts

256 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
Blue Meanie said:
Pedophiles... aaaarrrggghh!
I'm 37. Am I still at risk from paedophiles?

youngsyr

14,742 posts

222 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
It's not a surprise though is it, really? Everyday, no matter what occurs, newspapers have to be sold and the 10 o'clock news has to last 30 minutes.

Media outlets learned long ago that if it's a slow news day, you simply make up the news and nothing piques people's interest more than sensational, dramatic stories.

NoNeed

15,137 posts

230 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
b2hbm said:
Earthquakes ? sunspots ? E/M pulses ? nah, that's just twiddling about at the edges. Wait until next year when they wake up about the Mayan calender and the prediction that the current great cycle will end on 23rd Dec 2012 with global destruction. (memo to self; don't bother with Christmas cards that year)

That'll be good for selling lots of papers throughout 2011, no doubt "more research is needed" to divert the apocalypse and perhaps a "Human Race Survival Ark Tax" along the way.

Ever since I read Nick Davies's book "Flat Earth news" I find it very hard to believe any newspaper story.
Oh fking charming, my birthday is on the 24th of december, so another year of fk all.

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
CommanderJameson said:
Blue Meanie said:
Pedophiles... aaaarrrggghh!
I'm 37. Am I still at risk from paedophiles?
yes... Yes you are.

CommanderJameson

22,096 posts

256 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
Blue Meanie said:
CommanderJameson said:
Blue Meanie said:
Pedophiles... aaaarrrggghh!
I'm 37. Am I still at risk from paedophiles?
yes... Yes you are.
You're grooming me, aren't you?

Blue Meanie

73,668 posts

285 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
CommanderJameson said:
Blue Meanie said:
CommanderJameson said:
Blue Meanie said:
Pedophiles... aaaarrrggghh!
I'm 37. Am I still at risk from paedophiles?
yes... Yes you are.
You're grooming me, aren't you?
This is my cat, Mo... Would you like to stroke her?



P1050114 by 350GT, on Flickr

sidicks

25,218 posts

251 months

Tuesday 21st September 2010
quotequote all
Northern Munkee said:
I am so sick of been told one scare story after another, apart from the standard staple of global warming, a paedo under every bed and hanging about outside every school and nursery, an ever imminent spectacular from Al Qaeda, more bird flu pandemics in the autumn no doubt, so tonight on Newsnight, I learn we are 50 years overdue on the "100 year massive solar flare" which will fry the entire digital infastructure, power grid, end electronic financial transactions, destroy the internet, satellite communication, send GPS, compasses useless and send us back to the stone age. And that something must be done... Almost certainly requiring some fat funding for some crackpot study or research...

I don't know how we've managed to survive so long, pure luck, (dons his tin foil hat) so I can't help thinking that there must be a deliberate conspiracy to try and keep us constantly in fear of a catastrophy, perhaps the media in on it, or maybe they are just unwitting stooges, in some kind of 'clever' mind control of the public, by having us worrying over something, or perhaps it's a way finding a clever excuse for a new tax... To keep us safe.

Anyway, it got me thinking perhaps we should a thread to out the latest fear mongering...

Bring your own tin foil....

Edited by Northern Munkee on Monday 20th September 23:28
Worth a read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scared-Death-Global-Warmin...