Friday, April 18, 2008

#25. The Information Age

Do you catch the news on CNN? Do you search the World Wide Web for info? Are you a Talk-Radio listener? Are you an avid reader of the daily news- paper? Do you correspond by Email? Have you memorized your favorite TV commercials? If so, then you have entered the "Information Age".

It is also called the "Communication Age". One source suggests several other titles: "The Age of Lies; the Age of Disinformation; the Age of Indoctrination and Propaganda; the age of molding, shaping, corrupting, and perverting the masses ... "

The Information Age began in the mid-80's and became a global phenomenon with the invention of the World Wide Web in 1989. The name is a reference to the global economy's shift in focus away from the production of physical goods (as exemplified by the industrial age) and toward the manipulation of information. Although tons of information now orbit the earth in any and all directions within a matter of seconds -- is it accurate? I mean, is it true, valid, authentic? Or is there a mis-speak (whatever that is!)? And how do you determine which?

Are you concerned that commercials costing Corporate America millions of dollars are quite affective in influencing the masses to spend billions? How do you regard the propaganda tactics of our government ... upon us? Are you impressed with what celebrities say? what politicians say? Do you believe the information because you heard it on TV? Because it was in the newspaper?

Talk to me -- I'm addicted to information, and inquiring minds want to know! Oh, and one more thing, do you believe Oswald acted alone?

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#25. The Information Age