Code Red Fallacies

The title of this post is a mode of thinking in which there is a risk of making some serious mistakes.  I used that term in reviewing Thomas Friedman's book.  If you're interested, the link to that review is on the sidebar, near the bottom of the page.

Anyway, the fallacy that I want to write about now is the fallacy of the media as information providers.  This would seem to be an implausible fallacy in that this is their business, that is, to provide information.  But if the information is not truthful nor accurate, it is as if there was no information at all.  Secondly, a business exists in order to make a profit.  If making a profit and providing truthful and accurate information is in conflict with each other, which do you think will suffer first?  Finally, if the business profits from false information, it will provide that false information, because that is where the money is.  In sum, you can't count on a business model to provide information unless that business's reputation exists solely upon its ability to provide truthful and accurate information.  It may exist to do the exact opposite, in which you must have some way to determine its reliability.

It doesn't have to be left wing nor right wing information sources.  I am thinking of an example at the moment, which is Michael Savage.  I think Savage may be more interested in making a profit upon providing information, but not necessarily truthful nor accurate information.  The second example would be Glenn Beck.  I am not to sure about a guy who said he would support a third party candidate in any case, when he must know that a third party always fails, and if that third party splits the Republican vote, Obama must win by default.  His information is therefore suspect, because how could he possibly be sincere about Obama, yet act in a manner that is completely in accordance to what Obama needs to win?

People may feel that they need a guide, for they are busy.  But guys like this are not helpful.  In such cases as that, some real harm may come from having their followers being duped into being influenced by their words and acts.  That's real code red stuff.   As for this blog, I will try my level best to be accurate and truthful and I won't sell out for popularity, nor money.  I will call them like I see them, even if it hurts.  For if you don't have the truth, you really don't have anything.