be very, very afraid

Thoughts on subjects like the following always remind me of that Michael Moore movie -- I wish I could remember which one exactly -- where he talks about submission of the public out of fear. I remember him walking around a border town in Canada and randomly opening doors to see if they were unlocked. He met the people inside the homes who seemed strangely nonchalant about his intrusion. It's always a good idea to remember that we are viewing this world from a very socio-centric, and I believe planned, perspective.

So I was hanging out with some out-of-town family the other day & I mentioned some natural health & nutrition info that they didn't know. My aunt asked me where I "read this stuff." I told her I read it online in several different places. The info was nothing spectacular....along the lines of low-fat diets keep you malnourished, raw milk isn't going to kill you, just basic facts. Her response: "Well, you can't believe everything you read on the internet," followed with, "I just saw a big news story on that the other night!"

Okay, whatever, so your news station in Virginia had nothing else to run that night, okay. But then, just a day later, I was out with my dad when I mentioned something I'd read online -- on Yahoo! news -- when he exclaimed, "You can't believe what you see on that internet. You know, people can put anything they want on there! There was just a big news story on about that the other night!"

Now, this got my interest piqued. My dad lives in Ohio. Sure enough, my uncle from Hawaii apparently saw the same "big news story." What's going on?

I think that there is an organized effort currently underway among those who own the network news stations to scare American Joe off the internet. The internet is the most accessible place where a journalist could report news that isn't approved by the powers-that-be behind the mainstream media. It's interesting that even if I say that I found the info on several different sites, some of which even have an printed version of their content, my fellow American Joes have already disregarded whatever I've said simply because it came from "the internet."

Even though I never saw any of the news stories they're referring to, I am sure I know the format they followed. First, there was the scary music against the frightening close-up of the computer screen just before the commercial break. Then, upon the return, a couple sites were visited that had ridiculously untrue information while Howard Ain talked about how easy it is to be sucked into the internet's guile, especially by children! The horror! Then, the story concluded with an interview with a woman who found what looked to be accurate medical information but it was posted by someone who (gasp!) wasn't a doctor and it ended up costing her lots of money & months of pain for her child. The pull quote, of course: "The site really looked legitimate!"

The difference in this "big news story" that I think makes it noteworthy is that they aren't reporting the big bad predator lurking about from which your police and government elected officials can protect you. Instead, you are being told to fear yourself -- your judgement, clarity & discretion.

But, you may not believe me. You are reading this online, after all. And if you think the internet is full of lies, blogs would have to be the lair of heretics. I can't say I blame you. Using your own discretion and common sense could be detrimental to your ignorant bliss. And difficult to acheive when your proudest accomplishment this week was skillful shopping.