A government controls a population
By limiting sources of information.
Find out why by watching / reading our Truth in Two.
Don’t miss the links at the end!
#8 in our Summer 2024 series, “With What Will You Replace It When It’s Gone?”
Dr. Mark Eckel is Executive Director of the Center for Biblical Integration at Liberty University. Support MarkEckel.com (here). Find the MarkEckel.com YouTube Channel (here). Mark is President of The Comenius Institute (website) and interprets culture from a Christian vantage point (1 minute video).
Pictures: Josh Collingwood, Snappy Goat
FULL TEXT
Freddie Sayers, host of the popular podcast “Unherd,” has recently revealed his research into what he and others have called the “disinformation industry.” According to the meticulous study, Sayers reveals the troubling prospects of “ratings agencies” such as Newsguard or the Global Disinformation Index. Questions of who funds these agencies raises, what Sayers calls, “serious questions about the freedom of the press and the viability of a functioning democracy in the internet age.” You can find links to Sayer’s research and episodes at the end of this Truth in Two.
Throughout chapters 28 and 29 of Proverbs we discover numerous statements about authoritarian leaders who want to control their subjects according to their whim. The historic context of these chapters harkens back to sixteen years of wickedness under the rule of king Ahaz. A revival of righteousness under the rule of Hezekiah is the comparison, found in 2 Kings chapters sixteen through nineteen. One such contrast is discovered in Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Assessing the idea of the words “increase” and “rule” in Hebrew, the reader understands that whoever multiplies influence is crucial. Whoever oversees controlling the population will bring either joy or groaning.
The question of influence or information control has long been a staple of science fiction writing. Who controls the controllers has been a theme in graphic novels such as The Watchmen. Our summer series, “What will you replace it with when it’s gone?” speaks to the concern for free-flowing information. Key to the continuation of free inquiry is the need for open communication and research that can both confirm and question ideas. The last thing a free people need is a disinformation industry controlling what we hear and see. For the Comenius Institute, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, Executive Director of the Center for Biblical Integration at Liberty University, personally seeking truth wherever it’s found.
Links
https://www.newsguardtech.com/
https://unherd.com/2024/04/inside-the-disinformation-industry/
https://unherd.com/newsroom/global-disinformation-index-removes-funders-from-website/