Worried about the situation in Iran, but not sure who or what to believe? This is the new emerging reality of news. Everyone is struggling with it including the established media like CNN, FOX and NPR.
When the media consisted of a few people working for a few companies, it was a lot easier to verify a story and trust a source. A reporter’s and by extension the entire network’s reputation and value was based on the quality of the information and the reliability of the sources the information came from. In today’s twitter/facebook/blog world, there isn’t an obvious structure of trust to fall back on, but a new system is emerging.
Peer Source Verification is occurring in a really strong way for the first time with the Iran election situation driving the process. With Iranian citizens blogging and twittering about what is happening in Iran at the same time as Iran’s efforts to control, limit and often co-opt the information coming out of Iran people around the world are using their existing trust networks, their personal relationships, common sense and a sophisticated understanding of our modern tools to ferret out who is really presenting factual information and who is spewing spam or chaff. One such example is an effort going on at Twitspam to identify Fake Iran Election Tweeters.
This emerging model of trust has some existing models to draw ideas from, but its implementation and effectiveness are developing both organically and through the concerted efforts of several bloggers, tweeters and activists around the world. How are your altering the definition of trusted source and how are your perceptions of trusted sources changing as the new Peer Source Verification model develops?
If you know you are doing something or going to do something illegal, but don’t want to be caught, it is natural to try and cover your tracks. It appears that is exactly what Bush and his administration did in January and February of 2002 as they set up Guantanamo.
On the advice of then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, the Bush administration signed a memorandum that denied baseline protection for Al Queda and Taliban prisoners provided by the Third Geneva Convention in order to “substantially reduces the threat of domestic criminal prosecution under the War Crimes Act”.
Truthout has an informative article about this attempt to cover their asses…
t r u t h o u t | Gonzaless Advice to Bush on How to Avoid War Crimes.
The anti-abortion movement is a terrorist, fascist movement. They do not believe in the rule of law. They reject the rule of law. They’re not trying to change the law through violence. They reject the American Constitution. This is a very dangerous movement.
- Dr. Walter Hern
via The Well-Armed Lamb: “The Only Difference 8,000 Miles…“.
Well, Dick. Looks like you were at some secret briefing with congressional leaders back when you were the appointed VP in an attempt to build support for the torture program. Now with Feinstein’s investigation into the torture program, the question is whether Cheney will be the focus of the investigation or not.
So far the Obama administration has taken a very hands-off approach to getting to the bottom of the criminal activity conducted by Bush/Cheney and their band of criminals. Although I see a clear reason why the Obama regime shouldn’t be leading the process, I feel it is critical that the process is undertaken and by our own nation. The world is only going to give us a little while to prove that we can take care of our own mess before they start taking things into an international process. They are required to!
Let’s shine the full power of this nation’s moral light at Bush and Cheney and watch as the cockroaches whither.
Will Senate Torture Probe Target Cheney? | Mother Jones.
Ever wondered what you were putting in your hair, on your face slathering over your skin? Well. It will frighten you to know that it isn’t good! Cosmetics, hair and skin care products and the ingredients companies put in them are virtually unregulated and as a non-profit recently found out, are teeming with toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, cause organ system toxicity and many more horrible things.
Find out more and make sure you are making good decisions about what your put on your face or on you skin through this excellent and enlightening resource! Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews.
Sunscreen Hazards Table
