spurious - adjective - not being what it purports to be; false or fake
In these strange days, nothing is truly what it seems to be. Spurious information and those perpetuating it are seemingly ubiquitous. And as humans are deceptive creatures by nature, there are no signs that the situation will be abated in the future. Quite frankly, because of the continuous flow of spurious claims via multiple platforms, times are getting more and more unsettling and downright dangerous (in case you didn't already notice).
Cases in point: 1. Yesterday, I had lunch with my ninety-one-year-old aunt who has a propensity for dirty laundry, not the literal kind, the figurative kind: spurious or "fake" news. As a staunch conservative, she gets her "facts" from The Epoch Times and Fox News. She told me yesterday that she read that Biden himself will be breaking into her checking account in order to withdraw funds. When I told her that that sort of activity is blatantly illegal, not to mention against the Constitution, her eyes widened, her mouth contracted into a pout, and she mumbled something like, "I don't know." I went on to explain to her, a woman who has full control of her faculties, that we live in a democracy governed by the people, for the people, not one autocratic man who has limitless powers. At the end of my rant, which lasted for about five minutes, her mindset didn't seem to be altered in the least. I walked away wondering just how many members of her generation are being perpetually poisoned by what media they are tuned into on a daily basis.
2. A few weeks ago, I spoke to my daughter's friend, a handsome young meteorologist, whose eyes of crystal blue could land him easily on any network news show as a weatherman. When I asked him why he wasn't on his way to being the next Storm Field, he told me he had had a gig on a program, but when the management told him to alter a forecast to appease the masses, he declined and promptly quit. "I studied meteorology too hard to make up things just for the sake of money." Exactly. Thank Goodness there are people out there who still possess an ounce of ethics. What does this anecdote prove? What you hear on the nightly news could be seriously embellished or just spurious. And I am not just referring to the weather here.
In the late sixties, John Lennon wrote a song called, "Give Me Some Truth." Fifty plus years later, some of us are still humming that tune, hoping for some miraculous breakthrough resembling honesty. Why is it so hard to tell and/or accept the truth? If you know the answer, please tell me. I am in need of solid edification regarding this matter.
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Gwyn,
ReplyDeleteMy experience is that there is nothing you can do here....your Aunt is the same age as my dad. His entire view to the outside world is the same as your Aunt's - FOX News, OAM or NewsMax - to them, this propaganda is reality. Example - for the entire 8 years of the Obama administration I typically called my dad 3 times per week - that's more than 1000 calls! - most of which my dad's first comments would be, "I am really worried about your kids, this Obama guy is ruining the economy, the deficit will be so great, your kids will someday live in poverty'.... If I tried to engage in a debate with my dad (I do have a just a bit more education and experience with regard to economics) most conversations would devolve into him accusing me of being a liberal! To which I always replied 'well dad, you do know that Jesus Christ was also a liberal'. Since dad is very religious, devout Catholic, he would always immediately change the subject... It is of no value to engage in a dialog on any issues, just find some other subject to talk about, I recommend the weather, sports, grandchildren activities etc