Sometimes you find the oddest of intersections between subjects… today we have Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese and Theresa Hitchens arguing that some TV news segments sensationalist nature could very well be increasing the likelihood of a space war. A defense Op-Ed has now intersected with what I talk about here (which if you haven’t guessed is art / writing / media). Fun!
So let’s learn some stuff…
In the last two years, we’ve seen rising hysteria over a future war in space. Fanning the flames are not only dire assessments from the US military, but also breathless coverage from a cooperative and credulous press. This reporting doesn’t only muddy public debate over whether we really need expensive systems. It could also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The irony is that nothing makes the currently slim possibility of war in space more likely than fearmongering over the threat of war in space.
Two television programs in the past two years show how egregious this fearmongering can get. In April 2015, the CBS show 60 Minutes ran a segment called “The Battle Above.” In an interview with General John Hyten, the then-chief of U.S. Air Force Space Command, it came across loud and clear that the United States was being forced to prepare for a battle in space — specifically against China — that it really didn’t want.
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Source: http://breakingdefense.com/2016/12/stop-the-fearmongering-over-war-in-space-the-skys-not-falling-part-1/
Read the whole article, Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese and Theresa Hitchens really tickle the brain.
A Comment
From my perspective, all of the arrogance and sensationalism that the media companies of the world have displayed for the last decade + are finally catching up to them. People are finally calling them on their bullsquirt and trying to stop the damage that they cause (the article above being an example of that).
Recently, the dialogue at media companies has been about “fake news”. Instead of accepting that their own attitudes and behavior are part of the problem, news companies have foisted off responsibility to those upstart media companies of the world that threaten their margins. It’s almost like they’re affronted by the very thought that anybody with content can get people’s attention… it’s like they think they own everybody’s time and respect.
So I can’t help but feel that old media companies criticisms of fake news ring hollow. It’s like of one printer manufacturer saying that their printers are easier to use than the other’s… we all know that’s a lie and that all consumer printers suck ass… but we wish that weren’t true.