
Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression - bootload
http://www.dcdave.com/article3/991228.html
======
Zenst
I find today's news media has more than enough of these techniques in play
already and initially I was uncomfortable seeing something like this list with
so many upvotes without a single comment. I then read thru them again and see
it from a different perspective:

This list is in effect a partial rule set for fake news, a problem we should
all be worried about as we deserve the facts, the truth. So by defining a
problem, you'r better placed to fix a problem. So whilst not all upon the list
can immediately be translated into code. Some aspects can more easily
translate into some code; Like verifying sources.

One thing I do know, if all news media had the level of filtering that HN has,
then life would be so much better for all. Thank you Dang et all for that.

~~~
eon1
> fake news, a problem we should all be worried about as we deserve the facts,
> the truth.

I have concerns with this ("fake news") being presented as a recent issue, as
if the media told some pure truth until Trump came along.. really, it's a
catchphrase employed to dismiss something out of hand without any real reason
for doing so except that it goes against what the person claiming it believes.
Goes right along with #5 here.

~~~
Zenst
Oh it has been around for a while in many forms, call it disinformation,
propaganda, social engineering, clever humour, manipulative, it has many
names. Just many today know it as "Fake News" as a catch-all. In much the same
way as a selfie would be known as, well I'm not sure as always called them a
photo of myself without the need to mention I'd used the timer mode upon the
camera or held it at arms length.

Just that the term "fake news" became the Flavour Of The Month and stuck in
much the same was as selfie did. Do we credit Obama for the rise of the
selfie, nope. So in that your observation about the term itself being
something that can be categorised in that list does make you wonder.

Still facts and the truth are still that, and those ain't changed. But when
News media is more about reporting opinions more and more over the facts, then
the environment for social engineering becomes much more ripe for the picking.
More so when such control can be utilised for fiscal gains, due to the effect.
So share price or indeed currency manipulation being obvious examples and to
be able to do that indirectly as a side effect.

This and the rise and access to the internet and the growth and use of social
media has reached a stage in which it is easier than ever before to pull a
hoax on the news. Let alone something more sinister. All via manipulation, or
as it is referred to by the populus these days "fake news".

------
fivedogit
Honestly, I am coming around to the idea that there's one "golden" technique
with many riffs: "convince them they're under attack"

War on Christmas, foreigners pouring in, secilarism, socialism, sharia law,
"inner cities", "gun control", the gays, "nanny state", "liberal media" etc

Once the public feels sufficiently threatened, they'll do anything you want.

~~~
rangibaby
This reminded me of a great quote from Hermann Goering:

Göring: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it
is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don't
want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter
in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the
country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the
people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a
Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.

Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in
the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States
only Congress can declare wars.

Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to
do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any
country.

------
fireflies03
I thought I unsubscribed from r/politics...

------
tim333
Having read this just after the "Unsupervised sentiment neuron" thing
([https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14051851](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14051851))
it occurs that you could almost automate the 17 techniques.

------
tastythrowaway2
Is this in reference to anything in particular?

------
altcognito
Interesting another conspiracy driven website botted to the top

~~~
justonepost
Pointless criticism. It's like all the numbers. Rather than resorting to
boring ad hominem, why not express a reason why these do not hold? Especially
in a mostly post-fact society.

~~~
altcognito
There's nothing saying that these are not good tools for your critical
thinking toolbox.

I just find it unlikely that a random blog story about being skeptical gets
upvoted 18 times without a single comment in 20 minutes.

There was a similar website posted about 20 minutes ago with no attribution
similarly upvoted quickly with no comments.

~~~
eon1
18 times is.. not that many. But hey, I just upvoted it, here's a comment to
prove my authenticity.

~~~
altcognito
It's a lot for a random blog, that frankly doesn't say a whole lot of unique
or interesting things or come from a respected source, and it's not new. The
timing in the pushing of the narrative that the chemical bombing in Syria was
a false flag kind of went hand-in-hand in my assessment that this was not
"organic".

Meh, I'll adjust my tinfoil hat.

