Micah asks if we should reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. The conversation evolves into creating an entire town to rehab those that have been addicted to extreme partisan news and social media.

 

Show notes:

Fairness Doctrine

 

K Sera's after thoughts:

This was an interesting thought experiment. Unrealistic, but kind of fun to consider how it might work (or not work).

    It was also interesting to listen to our different assumptions about what would happen in this experimental rehab town. (Which sounds more like a concentration camp the more I reflect on this episode, but let’s pretend we are able to provide truly comfortable if modest dwellings for these fictional people who are definitely volunteering for this experience.)    Our perspectives and judgements about humanity as a whole was a brief look into our own psychology. For example, in this experimental town, I suggested that no music or books from the world outside be allowed. The folks in the town could create their own works, potentially, but no influences from outside the bubble, and nothing written down on paper or in permanence. This reflects how I view present and past media and pop-culture, and how strongly I believe these things are reflected in human behavior, including my own. It also reflects that I value creativity and believe that creative pursuits can heal a mind. Lastly, it reflects my views on permanence. I am not someone that highly values legacy or immortality in the memory of human existence.   This was fairly divergent from both Phil’s and Micah’s contributions on how this town could exist. I think both Phil and Micah value legacy and historical precedents more than I do. Not to say I think these things are unimportant. I do believe history is important and we should absolutely remember and learn from our mistakes. But in a town designed as an isolated rehab from political media radicalization, I think the absence of these pop-culture reminders of the world outside would do better to heal and separate a radicalized mind from triggering thoughts.   While I believe it is sometimes good to reflect on the past, clinging desperately to past hurts and refusing to let go will only stand in the way of healing.   All that said, I think listening to this thought experiment was more enlightening about the three of us as people rather than anything meaningful about how to correct radical indoctrination.     Phil's after thoughts (in response to K Sera's): I would like to elaborate my point a little bit more (and by the way, i did the majority of the talking in this episode and the fact that I need EVEN MORE TIME to discuss is a bit "extra" of me (facepalm)).   First, I love your take on the thought-exercise. I didn't realize that by removing existing books and music that the volunteers will have to develop and create their own culture. I like this viewpoint because (in my belief) the reason why we have so many problems is because the philosophy that is inserted (via social media and traditional news) is toxic AND ingrained in their past mindset. For the residents of this fictional town, the incentive to create their own works of culture may be the effort needed to break from the old mentality.   As for Micah's view, I think he is drawing from his collegiate education and his experiences from living in a very small town. To him, I can see how the culture will start to become tribal very quickly (and perhaps suffocatingly so). The future in this simulation would be very dark if his predictions were to come true, and I do believe that he has more of a balance in this thinking (both academically and personally) to reach this conclusion. The authoritarianism makes me very uncomfortable, even in the premise of a town-size premise of a rehab center.   My thinking: I realize just how flawed my thinking is now after reading your afterthoughts and understanding the premise of this question. For example, originally I was thinking how cool would it be to spend all this time doing arts and crafts and hobbies. Now, in order to do those things, I expect that a fully functioning library (with an interloan system) will be required. There will need to be a limit on "no new entries" for books (during Test Town) but in order to make new things, we need to look at the current wealth of knowledge. And, in pursuit of creation, note-taking is needed for me. I would love to make a crude calculator, for example (by using and-not-or gates) but without the ability to document and write things down, this would be incredibly hard. My desire to introduce books/music/technology is because without these, it severely hampers the future of learning new hobbies (and in some ways, the potential for innovating on those new hobbies). I want these things not just because of a desire to respect old traditions, but to gain the collective technical knowledge of generations before us.    And so here is my flawed thinking: I realized that it is near impossible to have both. Where does one draw the line between "learning and growth" and "banned books" for example? Florida and Texas are currently leading in book banning for supposedly "keeping our children safe" (much like our premise of detoxification; just obviously completely and transparently wrong as the politicians are using it to suppress the public's knowledge of the US history sordid past). Having a government CENSOR knowledge (or inflammatory points of view) is an age old question. I have not reached the widom level to unravel this at the current moment in my life. I may never will.   Finally, I like to think all of our assumptions are correct. It is very possible that running this experiment will yield very different results every time due to the nature of the chaotic systems involved. Originally I kept saying that people will mellow out once they are removed from the stresses of late bills and struggling to pay their rents and debts. The people of Test Town would still have employment and a basic economy (perhaps producing a chief superior good that is needed for the U.S Government); but that their new found free time would be used to pursue arts, crafts, education, and hobbies.   I think after some time of reflection (and a year later after we recorded this episode) that the results will be greatly varied every time the Test is run because people are not rational. I like to think that all our assumptions would be fairly true given how many times the experiment is run. I also (crudely) think that this experiment has been run since the beginning of the first humans; and that this explains how different originally isolated cultures and traditions have spawned to this day.   One other thing before I sign off: while wealth creation is a net-positive game; the same cannot be said about status and power. If humans are a bunch of jerks, the problem with rehab isn't that the toxins are from social media (or hyperbolic news in general), but because the problem is us. We are the problem. Humans are the problem. Humans are the toxins! I think deep down inside our monkey brains know this. And that is why we flock to lizards to save us all.