FreeAlabamistan writes about the cult of the media.

Why are we watching AP repeat the same basic mistake that CBS committed with Dan Rather's fake-but-accurate National Guard debacle?

Two words: "Everybody knows." Anyone who has studied anthropology, sociology or mass psychology understands how false beliefs can become conventional wisdom within groups if (a) high-status individuals within the group advocate the belief, and (b) there is no one inside the group to dispute the false belief.

That, in short, is the herd-mentality explanation of why liberal bias pervades the MSM. It's also the explanation of the Heaven's Gate cult (whose members acted on the belief that they must commit suicide in order to be taken aboard a cosmic mothership traveling behind the Hale-Bopp comet). Where group membership is dependent upon shared belief, where skepticism of key beliefs is viewed as disloyalty to the group, and where non-believers are stigmatized, marginalized and excluded, the truth or falsehood of group beliefs is moot. Logic and evidence, so far as they might undermine belief, are unwelcome. This is how it becomes possible for groups to act upon false beliefs.

It's one of those stories too good to fact check, because they want so badly to believe anything bad about Iraq (read: bad about Bush).

Simberg is happy when a mere 150 people die in
Baghdad that day. That 6 people are burned to
death, is misery, that 50 people are tortured to
death is joy.

Such is life in neo-con ville.

Simberg is happy when a mere 150 people die in
Baghdad that day.

This may be the stupidest, most baseless thing you've written yet. And that's saying something, Anonymous Moron.

"Where group membership is dependent upon shared belief, where skepticism of key beliefs is viewed as disloyalty to the group, and where non-believers are stigmatized, marginalized and excluded, the truth or falsehood of group beliefs is moot. Logic and evidence, so far as they might undermine belief, are unwelcome. This is how it becomes possible for groups to act upon false beliefs."

That's interesting. I'll also bet it's common for groups of people from two competeing belief camps to see the other camp as acting with "herd-mentality" as their own group clearly (to them) acts on logic and evidence.

Perhaps here we have one of the true strengths of western civilization. It seems to me to be a mainly western civilization idea to hold up a belief and say: "Does this belief contradict logic? Does it match up with the evidence?" and then discard the belief if it fails the test. And also we have the flip side--to look at someone else's beliefs without discarding them out-of-hand and either accept or reject those beliefs, if possible, based on the evidence.

Of course, what I and thee believe is logical and matches the evidence. As for what those other guys believe, clearly it's nonsense...

they want so badly to believe anything bad about Iraq

You could call that "the conventional wishdom" - a consenus that is sustained by the fact that so many members of the group want it to be true.

I know there's plenty of treasonous Kostards, but liberal bias in broadcast or print media?

Perhaps I'm reading different papers, but it was my understanding that until last week the MSM wouldn't even dare to report on the possibility that Iraq may be falling into Lauer Certified Civil War®.

When I saw the blurb from the troll it made me think of this. The terrorists Humphries interviews and anon have the same info portal, they are the true belivers.
http://radio.about.com/b/a/257813.htm

Simberg is happy when a mere 150 people die in
Baghdad that day. That 6 people are burned to
death, is misery, that 50 people are tortured to
death is joy.

Such is life in neo-con ville.

It's one of those stories too good to fact check, because anonymous wants so badly to believe anything bad about Rand.

Simberg

look at your record.

All sorts of outrage that maybe, just maybe the AP
got the story wrong on 6 people being burned to death
in Iraq.

That same week, hundreds of people were blown up,
shot, stabbed, tortured with power drills, acid

Was there one piece of outrage?
One element of sympathy that week?
One statement of Horror?

No, Simberg the neocon was happy
with that news and left it alone.

> Perhaps I'm reading different papers, but it was my understanding that until last week the MSM wouldn't even dare to report on the possibility that Iraq may be falling into Lauer Certified Civil War

MSM has been ranting about civil war since the invasion.

BTW - A newsreader isn't actually an authority, even if his hair is perfect.

The Heaven's Gate cult did get taken aboard a mothership following a comet. Unfortunately it was Shoemaker-Levy.

One statement of Horror?

So, a statement of horror is of more value to you than a discussion of what, now, to do about the situation?

What a liberal you are.

"but it was my understanding that until last week the MSM wouldn't even dare to report on the possibility that Iraq may be falling into Lauer Certified Civil War"

Which proves how out of touch the MSM is with the reality on the ground in Iraq. Michael Yon who interviewed actual Iraqi's living in Iraq asked one if he thought that civil war had started. This person responded by saying that as far back as he could remember Iraq has always been in Civil War. The fact of the matter is the MSM is going to continue to paint the picture that everything bad and evil in Iraq nowadays is somehow related to the invasion or to Bush's so called failed plan.