In a information overload era, its easy to forget that important information may not be on any big parties radar . The public or media majority may not even see the issue , let alone hear about how to address it . This phenomena is increasingly common in the West with complex reasons why ,
Those wonderful realists Orwell and Waugh should be taken more seriously by those who claim to follow them as reporters because the ideas of " Scoop" ( missing the real source of news) 1984 ( the PC ) are more relevant than when they talked about a brave new word that is NOW neither brave nor new - just more fearful ,
Reporters need to report others not speculate themselves on "how" questions when , as any real scientist knows, how on a complex topic takes time to answer .
The smoke in Sydney last December from extensive bush fires ( 2018 ) got everyone talking when unclear air should make us think more. Even our once more unemotional ABC got sensationalist.
Question 1
Smoke indicates unburnt fuel, so was the claim of the most catastrophic blazes at that time really true ?Answer. Of course not , The unburnt crowns and low velocity winds are signs of much less than catastrophic bush fire conditions. Yet even our own , "you are supposed to stay calm in a crisis" ABCTV had fire leaping from its news desks
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to risk, but wannabes are getting desperate and fanatical ( Reality is they are losing power to the net) That's the news folks , but you won' t hear it from them
Until the advent of the net these wannabes were the most vocal and their loud voices were the ones we heard . The emergency agents, as clones of the worry warriors now want us to worry about air quality; unsustainable and unbelievable in the long term;
Question 2
Should anyone trust them to know anything about real world risks? . The boy who cried wolf story reminds us that even someone close to the situation can create smoke with mirrors --- especially if they are immature inexperienced and wanting to be noticed .Sometimes, you can even have a Richard 111 playing ; just remember if you play Richard , subtle and sly only works for a time or until an adult speaks to you honestly .
More on the madness surrounding reporting of our unbounded fires , crisis' and catastrophes here
Question 3
Is there something wrong with the preoccupation of progressives with creating new and more effective solutions to what are quite old problems . Ask people who have suffered Change Everything Often CEO's . The preoccupation of progressives with the idea of automatic progress is a false faith ,
Answer Yes
Read Jacques Ellul's work on the technological fix in the "The Technological Society"
Is it smoke or mirrors ?
