Manjoo - Intro & Ch 1

As I began reading True Enough, I immediately thought of this as the follow up to Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman’s main idea was that the dominant medium determines all aspects of the society. My analysis of Postman, much like my take on Manjoo, is that as we move into the digital age the Internet is becoming the way to communicate and get most information. With the Internet, much like Postman said of television and Manjoo alluded to, people will be able to select the news they want to read, or watch, thus creating a less informed public, which can only amount to a biased, uneducated society.

In regards to the question Manjoo asked at the end of the introduction, “How can so many people who live in the same place see the world so differently?” my answer is a compilation of various things. I believe people think that the Internet is published work; researched, fact checked, and written by experts. I think people are suspicious of government and big business corruption, allowing them to second guess government and the press, and assume conspiracy in the case of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. My final theory is that background and education determine which side of each of these one believes. Most people follow their parents’ political association. Therefore, if one’s parents are suspicious of conspiracy, he is likely to also be suspicious.

Addressing the Swift Boat Veterans choosing which road to take, something that is not in question, or something that has no solid facts, they chose a middle ground which could neither be dispelled nor confirmed. What baffles me is that the American people have an overly abundant amount of resources available at their fingertips, but believe something that is not verifiable, and is only built on the words and stories of this group of men.