[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Vice Provost Chancellors and Chief Executive Directors all across the Seychelles have been hosting faculty luncheons to explain the phenomenon to our bosses' bosses.

“As an individual, if my distrust in others’ competence and sincerity reaches critical levels, I will stop trusting them to be capable of making joint decisions that fundamentally shape and determine my life”

“Major democratic institutions, such as the UK’s House of Commons and the European Commission, have correctly identified fake news as a threat to their values and processes"

Mutual distrust has grave consequences for democracy, as citizens may come to view laws, processes or even the democratic system itself as no longer worthy of respect

In a follow up communication, CEO Vishal Garg of Better.com added “WAKE UP BETTER TEAM. You are TOO DAMN SLOW. You are a bunch of DUMB DOLPHINS and…DUMB DOLPHINS get caught in nets and eaten by sharks. SO STOP IT. STOP IT. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME.”

There will be new administrative appointments at the Cxx and honorary level to oversee dolphin duties. Thank you for your attention - now back to work (if I forgot to say that). Don't forget to Love Our Values™ - Be Love Be Best™ Happy Work Happy™ - wash your hands and try being fast instead of slow. And not dumb. Your welcome

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Showcasing the value of our venerable institutions, Supreme Court Justice Alito has mocked Prince Harry at the United Nations over comments about "the decision whose name may not be spoken". Alito‘s comments were met with laughter from the wise and honorable decision-makers, religious-leaders and celebrities heading our institutions - possibly including Ivanka Trump, Emma Watson and Ricky Martin.

[Johny Joe Hold]

We've had such a series of events that involved embarrassment for great institutions. The Office of Vice President in one. VP Pence could have raised the profile and prestige of that office by merely firing the Electoral College nobodies and replacing them with Trump supporters. He could have made himself a hero and not be unemployed as he is right now.

The U.S. Senate is another. Minority Chair Mitch McConnell could have increased the prestige of that august body by merely agreeing Trump, not Biden, was the 2020 winner. Now McConnell is not on speaking terms with Trump and people are laughing at the feckless U.S. Senate.

[Dennis Lukes]

Hey, fake news IS an existential threat to everything we hold dear. Fake news like the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden beating Trump in the 2020 election, Russia being the bad guy in the War of Ukrainian Aggression, climate change being real, and so on have done immense damage.

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Originally Posted by Dennis Lukes

Hey, fake news IS an existential threat to everything we hold dear. Fake news like the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden beating Trump in the 2020 election, Russia being the bad guy in the War of Ukrainian Aggression, climate change being real, and so on have done immense damage.

Absolutely true, Brother Lukes. It calls for an absolute dictator to restore absolute values. Relativism has failed.

[Dennis Lukes]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony J. Toole

Absolutely true, Brother Lukes. It calls for an absolute dictator to restore absolute values. Relativism has failed.

A-freaking-men Dr. Toole. My shortlist of possible candidates would include Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Enrique Tarrio, Richard Spencer, or David Duke.

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Fine choices, Brother. About time we had some leadership that was strong on law and order, especially with the hardware police have available nowadays.

I should point out to readers of this forum there is no place for violence in a healthy democracy. Except of course when watering the tree of liberty. To continue quoting Jefferson, what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take up arms.

Polls show an increasing number of Americans are comfortable with political violence. An apparent increase in threats against public servants has sparked concerns about the health of American democracy. Acts of political violence carried out in the US are unevenly distributed across the ideological spectrum. According to a study conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, rightwing extremists have committed about 75% of the 450 political murders that occurred in the US over the past decade. In comparison, Islamic extremists were responsible for about 20% of the murders, while dangerous leftwing extremists were blamed for 4% of the killings.

The message is unambiguous and clear. Progressive congresswomen like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez need to call off their "Squad" and stop provoking regular Americans like Margorie Taylor Greene into violence. As she herself says: "I never mean anything for violence. All of my words never, ever, mean anything for violence."

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Speaking of violence, nuclear Armageddon is closer than ever before. The Doomsday Clock, which started at 2 minutes to midnight in 1947 (99.72% chance of Armageddon), is presently at 1:40 minutes to midnight (99.77% chance of Armageddon).

Personally I do not care for prophecy (Matthew 24:36) but 99.77% seems like good odds. I don't think even Harold Camping was that confident about his stuff nor the Prophet Hen of Leeds, which in 1806 laid eggs inscribed with the message “Christ is coming".

I hope the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists take good care of their future-predicting fowl (or whatever method they use). I will be counting down the final seconds until they next update the cuckoo clock.

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Disgusting opinion piece in the fake "Fake News" today.

Trump’s worst toadies hold degrees from Harvard and Yale.

The core of a good liberal arts education is ethics. The central question is the meaning of a good society. This has been the case since the 18th century, when most of America’s prestigious institutions of higher education were founded.

This new crop of Republican pretenders ... are practitioners of a much earlier and more cynical set of ideas: that might makes right, that the purpose of human endeavor is to gain power, and that ambition and treachery trump (excuse the verb) all other values.

While I respect education as much as the next highly educated board appointee, I disagree with the author's premise that it serves some kind of noble pursuit. No, the point is to win. You do whatever it takes to win - even if that means starting on 3rd base with a silver spoon in your mouth and sucking up to power. That's what decent institutions instill in our young men, because it works!

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Tik tok... Scientists warn of ‘unprecedented danger’.

Rachel Bronson, the president and CEO of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, said the [Doomsday] clock had been moved forward from 100 seconds [to 90 seconds]

So there we have it - a sign - the clock has moved.

As I may have mentioned before, we PhD scientists have various tools for knowing the future. My personal divining rod is a television set tuned to Fox News, which tells me we are living in the greatest country in history at the greatest moment in time, although on occasion I will double check on local stories with the Prophet Hen.

[MitzaLizalor]

From source cited in OP - https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/20...emocracy-study

The study notes that before Internet use became widespread, citizens had a relatively limited range of information sources such as newspapers and TV stations - creating greater information overlap, more ‘shared experiences’ and, in turn, less reason to worry about the beliefs of others.

The "less reason to worry about the beliefs of others" bit was puzzling. Surely if such concerns were not widespread, Jesus would never have been crucified? It was precisely those concerns among Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and Romans that got everyone so worked up in the first place! And more generally (as recorded in Acts) without worrying about the beliefs of others, would Christianity exist at all? The bird referred to later on, in Post #8, has the same problem.

the Prophet Hen of Leeds, which in 1806 laid eggs inscribed with the message "Christ is coming"

Although the creature was put upon by Mary Bateman in 1806, by 1811 the events leading to her execution in 1809 were documented, published and available for anyone to read. And let's be clear here: nineteenth century publishers were not charities: if among the illiterate there were no eager listeners, “Oi, read us that one about the Yorkshire witch; remember to include the earliest thefts of her infancy and her most awful course of crimes and murders!” this would never have flown.

TAP OR CLICK ANY GRAPHIC FOR THE ORIGINAL FILE AT HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

Sources such as newspapers and TV are comparatively recent. I would dispute that news publication itself is modern though, citing Egyptian bas-relief carvings on walls as early and well-known examples. What actually poses an existential threat to institutions, I'd suggest, is the institutions themselves. Challenges do not spontaneously generate. They're hatched by individuals who can anticipate——and who know how to use——current and emerging technologies to their own advantage. Institutions are run by individuals. If they're incapable of doing the same, should they even be institutions at all?

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

Originally Posted by MitzaLizalor

What actually poses an existential threat to institutions, I'd suggest, is the institutions themselves. Challenges do not spontaneously generate. They're hatched by individuals who can anticipate——and who know how to use——current and emerging technologies to their own advantage. Institutions are run by individuals. If they're incapable of doing the same, should they even be institutions at all?

Certainly it is important to keep the wrong sort of individuals away from terribly important matters. Anyone who, for instance, does not pay respect to the ceremonies and traditions. Of course, one mustn't take it too seriously, it's just a bit of panto to keep them in line on the outside. But certainly one mustn't dirty one's hands handling the technology (we have people for that), rather dictate instructions and read aloud in an appropriate voice - you know it when you hear it.

[MitzaLizalor]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony J. Toole

panto . . . you know it when you hear it.

Like Aladdin's mother's stage voice, do you mean? Its intent and its urgency of communication is unmistakeable. OTOH genies are problematic. When pantomime was an innocent entertainment, the genie was an abstract concept, a vehicle for plot development (such as it is an a panto.) the audience could react to, perhaps even a metaphor – the enquiring mind? the inherent menace of foreign pottery? who knows: these plots are very ad hoc affairs and nobody ascribes much depth to them.

The Bible does not mention genies. As a dramatic device I can see the point of having one but in today's brave new world, post-reality is the new GUI with elements from the genies-are-real delusion peppered throughout. We know sources portraying genies as real are fake news (other than for drama professors) because we have a standard such sources fall short of. For others, lacking that standard, could they start thinking genies, pixies, elves and goblins were real? Even if only as psychological projections of one's unfulfilled potential? And thereby get manipulated by spiritual forces whether they thought "spiritual" meant "foundational impetus" or not? Such as the spirit of the law?

YES.

Since we've see everywhere books equating pixies, elves and goblins with aliens from divers planets hitherto describing themselves as "coming from a land far away" but now we know lands far away have no such populations (because we've been there) so they have to call themselves something else, the fake news industry has gone into overdrive. Christian institutions are safe, of course -

II Samuel 23:3-4 [God speaking] He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

but fake news is a threat to all others. Distinguishing truth from falsehood is something Aladdin's mother helps us to understand. Sadly, the post-reality world is also post-understanding. An alternative to genies is available, an alternative that's real and can be demonstrated to be real because they're described by God as real. Giants. Jack Beanstalk understood the dangers of giants (once he'd met one) and his mother, Mrs Beanstalk, demonstrates a closed mind as well as anything Aladdin had to deal with. Even self-referential institutions know that! But can they see it in themselves?

NO.

When people hear God's voice they should know exactly what it is they're hearing. He is not a genie. He is not a goblin, elf or pixie. His guidance springs as tender grass from the earth but grows into a mighty tree, helping us to be secure. Post-reality institutions: less so: much less. God explains it like this -

II Samuel 23:6-7 The sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

I found your example of pantomime helpful, especially with so much falsehood and so little ability to verify claims, engendered by our enemies years ago and now bearing fruit, sprouting everywhere like weeds with great big thorns, embraced by rudderless institutions _____ hmm, perhaps I should have used Sinbad the Sailor. Satan knows all about rudders.

[Johny Joe Hold]

A good example of fake news hurting institutions is climate change. Today's Des Moines Register tells of reinsurance companies, big firms that lift some of the risk from small local ones, refusing to reinsure coverage by small local insurance firms. The big firms say this is because of climate change, bigger damage payouts from an increase in tornadoes, drought and hail damage.

Yes, insurers have had to pay for damage from some storms. But it is fake news to say it is because of climate change. The damage is due to sin. It is God's punishment, not climate change. When behavior of people here in Iowa improves God will stop the punishment. This will put reinsurers back in the black. Fake news about our climate is one of our country's most serious problems.

Iowa rural insurers threatened by recent derechos as big firms leave (desmoinesregister.com)

[Dr. Anthony J. Toole]

It's so difficult to know which institutions to trust. Reinsurance companies would seemingly have a lot to lose from banking on fake news. But on the other hand, reinsurance companies do not retain professors, diversity consultants and academic leadership teams to guide them.

Personally, I've found it helpful to see what's coming out of the Bull. ASS (Bulletin of Atomic ScientistS) who maintain a handy clock that predicts Armageddon with unwavering certainty (presently >99.77% chance). After consulting the clock today, it would be almost as foolish to purchase reinsurance contracts as AAA-rated CDOs in 2008.