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Terrify people for what end? What is their agenda? What does someone have to gain from say, warming people of the documented dangers of ingesting fluoride, something that has been put in the water supply?
How is warning people of the dangers of fluoride different from warning parents of the dangers of guns?
Why would one group be considered to have a (negative) agenda and one not?
Both are attempting to alert the public to what they perceive to be dangers to the greater populace and yet one appears to be described as "astroturfing" and one not.
What are the criteria for determining which is which? Are they completely objective or is there inherent bias in the definition to begin with?
How is warning people of the dangers of fluoride different from warning parents of the dangers of guns?
One involves trying to convince the city to take fluoride out of the water supply. The other involves trying to take away or erode a constitutional right.
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Why would one group be considered to have a (negative) agenda and one not? Both are attempting to alert the public to what they perceive to be dangers to the greater populace and yet one appears to be described as "astroturfing" and one not. What are the criteria for determining which is which? Are they completely objective or is there inherent bias in the definition to begin with?
I would say the end goal. Who is funding it. What do they have to gain?
Your posts have seemed hostile, mainly blaming me for caring about this. If you'd like to discuss this without the hostility and actually consider the points without trying to make it personal, I'd be more then happy to do that. As of now, I really have no desire to talk to you.
I don't care that you care. We all have many things we care about. Is your position one of simply being mad that we do not have a unbiased media?
If so, O.K. but that isn't news. It's been that way for a long time. Ignore them or counter them.
I don't care that you care. We all have many things we care about. Is your position one of simply being mad that we do not have a unbiased media? If so, O.K. but that isn't news. It's been that way for a long time. Ignore them or counter them.
How is warning people of the dangers of fluoride different from warning parents of the dangers of guns?
Why would one group be considered to have a (negative) agenda and one not?
Both are attempting to alert the public to what they perceive to be dangers to the greater populace and yet one appears to be described as "astroturfing" and one not.
What are the criteria for determining which is which? Are they completely objective or is there inherent bias in the definition to begin with?
I have to believe that the anti-gun groups comprise of far more moms than the anti-flouride groups.
Same reason as you I suppose. Well, not really. You seem to have some sort of bone to pick. I'm trying to figure out what it is.
Are you actively trying to derail this conversation and show us how the type of tactics that were mentioned in the op are used. Thanks for showing us it in action.
Are you actively trying to derail this conversation and show us how the type of tactics that were mentioned in the op are used. Thanks for showing us it in action.
Derail? I've tried to expand it. The media is biased is a two post thread that has been started many times.
This is a great talk given by Sharyl Attkisson, former investigative correspondent for CBS News, Washington DC, about how the manipulation of media messages via means such as social media.
Whenever the media is cued by Obama to promote a particular 'issue' (for example, the whole Redskins controversy that manufactured the right amount of media outrage and then just as suddenly disappeared) you know it's the usual Politics of Distraction at work.
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