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Investigative journalist James Ball is no stranger to b******t. In his 2017 book, Post Truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World, he explains how the political left and right tend to exist in an ecosystem of b******t.



James is also author of The Other Pandemic: How Q-Anon Contaminated the World, which explores the pervasive nature of misinformation and conspiracy theories (aka "b******t") in contemporary society. In his work, James argues that both political left and right are susceptible to such falsehoods, highlighting that intelligence and prior success in uncovering actual conspiracies can make individuals more prone to believing in new ones. He emphasizes that societal distrust in mainstream media and institutions fuels the spread of misinformation. Currently, James is working on a new book while also covering UK politics and pursuing a law degree, doing a thesis on AI and human rights. He engages in discussions on various platforms, including the right here on the Plutopia podcast, where he discusses his views on the media, conspiracies, and the influence of digital platforms like 4chan and YouTube on public perception and behavior.







James Ball:

I think people have a tendency to think that only their political opponents get into conspiracies and only stupid people get into conspiracies. And my experience, and I've checked and there's some quite good research supporting this, is peer reviewed, but hey, there's a million replication crises right now. Clever people are the people who get pulled into conspiracies, especially clever people who have been right when the world has suggested they're wrong. People who've had a breakthrough theory or people who have exposed an actual conspiracy. Lots of investigative journalists become conspiracy theorists because being right is dangerous. When people stop trusting or stop buying mainstream media, we say we must change the people. The people are wrong, our product is just as good as it ever was. And that manifested all sorts of strange ways, because I think there is a habit of confusing, this is how we've always done it, with this is good and how it should be done. You know, I think especially the US media confuses traditions with values or with quality.



Relevant Links

Wendy Grossman's review of Post Truth: How B******t Conquered the World: https://www.zdnet.com/article/post-truth-book-review-the-facts-about-alternative-facts/



Wendy's review of The Other Pandemic: How Q-Anon Contaminated the World:

https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2023/10/26/review-the-other-pandemic/



net.wars on Naomi Klein's Doppelganger:

https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2023/09/29/the-two-of-us/



Workshop on the Economics of Information Security:

https://weis.utdallas.edu/



Wendy's review of Culture Warlords, by Talia Lavin is an exploration of the online far right.

Here's my review: a href="https://www.zdnet.

On this episode of the Plutopia Podcast, Jon and Scoop discuss current politics, the charm of vintage sci-fi movies, and the importance of reducing social media usage. They reflect on the shift in political conventions from dynamic debates to predictable events and lament the loss of genuine political discourse. The conversation also touches on the influence of the Heritage Foundation, the cultural implications of Trump’s presidency, and the current state of media. The podcast concludes with a nostalgic discussion about classic sci-fi films and the therapeutic value of stepping away from constant digital engagement.

Nate Wilcox has many opinions and he is not afraid to use them all. Nate joins the Plutopia podcast this time as we discuss politics, politicians, and other dangerous predators.



Nate is a former political consultant turned MMA blogger (noting the similarity of politics to mixed martial arts). He's publisher of "The MMA Draw Newsletter" and "Let It Roll" podcast (the latter is currently on hiatus). Nate joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss various political topics, highlighting how Trump’s unexpected rise to presidency was initially a strategy to gain leverage in reality TV negotiations. Wilcox provides an in-depth analysis of American politics, criticizing both major parties and their handling of power, policy, and military strategy. He draws parallels between contemporary political figures and historical events, questioning the effectiveness and motivations behind current leadership. The conversation covers Biden’s cognitive state, the influence of corporate interests, and the long-term implications of foreign policy decisions, painting a picture of a deeply flawed and corrupt political system.





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Nate Wilcox (on Trump):

If you look at the details of how he got into this situation, it's Shakespearean! I mean, basically the guy wanted to show the producers at NBC that, hey, assholes, you should be paying me more money to star on whatever reality show it was because look at how good my polling numbers are gonna be. And he never thought he would win. He didn't even really intend to get the nomination. And there are accurate accounts of election night 2016 where he's just as shocked and horrified as anybody else that he's getting elected. And now he's in this position where if he doesn't run for office, he goes to prison. So his interests are pretty easy to see through. I mean, the guy wants to eat cheeseburgers, talk about himself, and not go to prison and get money out of people.

Ian Forrester, a member of the BBC’s R&D Advisory Team, focuses on open innovation and disruptive opportunities, working with startups and early adopters. With a history at the BBC World Service, Ian’s role evolved from traditional news development to anticipating future broadcasting and Internet challenges. His team addresses core issues relevant to public service broadcasters, emphasizing the importance of forward-thinking and exploring new technologies. Known in the digital scene, Ian’s innovative approach and his involvement in projects like BBC’s Micro and Webwise initiatives highlight his commitment to public education and digital advancement.







I spent a lot of time, well, I first started the BBC in the World Service, which is a news outlet side of the BBC. And it was always a cycle where you go into work, you work on stuff, and I was in the development team. But when it came to four o'clock, there was a massive rush, getting the stories out, getting them out to the right places, is it done, is the editor happy, all that stuff. And I have worked at newspapers as well, so I know that cycle. You don't have time to sit there and think about, what does this mean in like two, three, four, five years time? That's what R&D, so that's what R&D department does. And the advisory team focuses on some of the kind of core issues that are relevant to the future of broadcasting, the future of the BBC and the future of all public entities when it comes to the internet.



Relevant Links

The BBC's Webwise



Indieweb



Chaos Computer Club



FOSDEM



iPlayer



GPL-3



Apache 2.0 license

In this episode of the Plutopia Podcast, the hosts revisit an interview with the late Stanton Friedman, a prominent nuclear physicist and UFO investigator who lectured extensively on his research into UFOs. Friedman argued that governments conceal information about UFOs to maintain nationalistic divisions and prevent public unification as earthlings. He emphasized the significant evidence supporting UFO reality, including his own investigations and the Project Blue Book Special Report 14, which documented numerous unexplained sightings. Despite skepticism and ridicule, Friedman’s work contributed to a broader acceptance of UFO phenomena and highlighted the inadequacies of official investigations.

In this episode of the Plutopia Podcast, Jon and Scoop discuss the origin of the name "Plutopia" as well as the organization, and its connection to digital convergence. We also discuss the importance of democratic principles. Jon delves into the history of the Plutopia News Network, while Scoop shares his passion for analog technology. They touch on political issues, including conservative attacks on democracy, and the nostalgic allure of the 1950s for some people. The conversation also covers their experiences with high-tech events in Austin and the broader implications of technological advancements on society.



(Thanks to ChatGPT for the image, especially the flattering representations of "Jon" and "Scoop"... looks nothing like us, but we like it!)