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by khuey 4406 days ago
One key difference is that anyone in America can get on a computer and read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots, or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings, or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_American....

In fact, I wonder if there's some sort of perverse lesson here in the fact that this information is freely available in the US and yet still few people know about it.

2 comments

I suppose that would be the 'Huxley argument' (http://cdn.visualnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/orwell-...).

I try to be hopeful and positive about the fact that we have unprecedented access to information. But both the behavior of those around me and, sadly, that of myself, indicates that more information does not make us more informed.

I try to counter my tendency to consume news from sources that I already agree with, for example, but it's a constant battle, because most of my news sources either use technology to filter for me (Zite, etc.), or rely on group processes where the group is very similar to myself (Hacker News, to a degree).

Can you provide a source for your assertion that few people knew about these? These are ingrained in the popular culture.

"Can't we all get along?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sONfxPCTU0 "four dead in Ohio": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvg4n8Txgdc Perhaps Japanese internment is less well known, but I feel like I see it referenced at least once every 8 months or so. Also, have a rap song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BJjo0BCbGo&feature=kp