I'd like to try to keep this thread alive. I'm surprised that my posting
of Vaclav Havel's speech didn't generate a peep from FWers. He had some
important things to say about the mass media(among other things). He
suggested that it may be more influential than politicians on the general
state of mind. I agree. Marshall McLuhan did as well:
"Any understanding of cultural change is impossible without a knowledge of
the way media work as environments"
Herbert Schiller isn't quite as cryptic:
"It is not necessary to construct a theory of intentional cultural control.
In truth, the strength of the control process rests in its apparent
absence. The desired systemic result is achieved ordinarily by a loose
though effective institutional process. It utilizes the education of
journalists and other media professionals, built-in penalties and rewards
for doing what is expected, norms presented as objective rules, and the
occasional but telling direct intrusion from above. The main lever is the
internalization of values."
[P.8, Herbert I. Schiller, CULTURE INC;
Oxford, 1989. ISBN 0-19-506783-5]
Perhaps we can work this into our simulation. Do you think you can learn
to play poker(really play poker) by simulating money with match sticks?
Brian McAndrews
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McAndrews wrote on Nov. 27th:
> Marshall McLuhan said that the third world war would not be miltary war;
>it would be an information war. I think it has started; who do you think is
>winning.
> Orwell called it the Ministry of Truth.
>
> Brian McAndrews
>
