Weekly Technetic #20: Disinformation
Knowledge is a necessary component of eudaemonia. It is, for the technetic, a currency far more valuable than any form of material wealth. The value of knowledge comes from the fact that it can only increase, that it cannot be destroyed if even one record survives. To truly destroy knowledge requires total annihilation, total eradication. Otherwise, the knowledge will remain, ready to be discovered anew by those who seek it, and thus prove themselves worthy.
Facts, of course, are the most important kind of knowledge. They are immutable, incontrovertible. They exist in a way no other knowledge can. Indeed, one may say that a fact is a part of the world, or a part of how it works. For example, a water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single atom of oxygen. This is a fact. It cannot change; adding, say, a second oxygen atom leaves you not with water, but with hydrogen peroxide. Similarly, those atoms have specific properties that define, and are defined by, their very nature.
Scientific theories are another category of knowledge with high intrinsic value. This is due to the way in which they are constructed. A theory is a set of inferences, based on observed facts, that attempts to explain a deeper truth of the world. They aren't always right, because humans have imperfect knowledge. Some are outright wrong—think of phlogiston theory—but most simply fail to account for later discoveries.
We can continue down the line as far as you like, but the pattern should be clear enough. Knowledge is valuable in proportion to the understanding of the world it allows. And that goes not only for the physical, material world, but also the spiritual world humans, alone of life on earth, can touch. Philosophical and religious works aid us in seeking this sort of knowledge, and we may share what we learn with others, though we must bear in mind that nature makes spiritual knowledge as unique as those who pursue it.
Throughout history, there have been attempts to deceive, to hide knowledge from those deemed unfit, unworthy, or simply undesirable. Followers of the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) know this well, as it appears early in their mythos—by the Genesis account, it is actually God who commits the first technetic sin, by tempting Adam and Eve with knowledge he intended all along to deny them. Since all three of these major religions share the belief that we are created in God's image, it is no wonder that generation upon generation of humanity has been cursed with those who hold back rather than give freely of something that, by right, belongs to all of us.
With the advent of mass media in the previous century, however, and its evolution in modern times, we now see large-scale attempts at not only denying knowledge, but deception through its perversion. Social media does this through its algorithms and politically motivated moderation. Government typically uses state-run publications, shadowy "intelligence" operations, and the occasional bureau of propaganda. Whatever the means, the intent is always to debase the currency of knowledge through counterfeiting.
Some call it disinformation. Others refer to it as misinformation. Either way, it is nothing less than an attack on humanity.
On the micro scale, intentional disinformation can ruin a person's life in many ways. Obviously, those who are predisposed to anxiety, stress, and depression will only suffer worse when they are told falsehoods about the state of the world or their place in it. Incorrect medical advice can lead to death, as we have seen with the rushed and botched mRNA experiments of the past year, as well as the demonization of safe treatments.
The macro scale is similar, but made far worse by its sheer scope. The entire Russia-Ukraine war currently ongoing has seen no end of lies, and these have led to the deaths of tens of thousands already. The myth of global warming has caused millions, or maybe even billions, to suffer from poor living conditions and the problems created by them. Again, this is a list that could continue _ad infinitum_, but the pattern is clear.
So is the lesson. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is wealth. Knowledge is the key to being better, and that goes as much for a society as for a single human. Disinformation, the attempt to subvert the sharing of knowledge, is anti-human. Avoid it at all costs. Do your own research, because the experts have shown that they are not to be trusted. Find those who are, and learn from them. Let them teach you what they know, then spread their knowledge far and wide.
When those who peddle lies are the same ones who control the channels of communication, we cannot defeat them on a battlefield they have chosen. We can, however, shout them down, overrun them with our sheer numbers. Because there are more of us out there. It's human nature to want to know the truth, and we all feel, even if we don't always understand, that we are not being told the truth. So it's up to us to find it.