“Only small secrets need to be protected. The large ones are kept secret by the public’s incredulity.”

 — Marshall McLuhan (HT @LionelMedia)

A time like no other in history

Having applied all of my integrity, intellect and insight to researching the matter, my belief is that we are witnessing right now one of the greatest communications events in history. Indeed, it is arguably the singularly greatest. So, what is this event, and why does it deserves this extraordinary description? The answers are to be found in how the (Western) mass media has been trapped by the most exquisitely constructed double bind.

If I am correct (and many share my view), then it portends the imminent collapse of trust in all mass media services and social media platforms. That is because they are implicated in systemic, widespread and longstanding organised crime — that also encompasses much of our political and financial system. If this is unequivocally demonstrated to be so, then the public will unite in disgust at the media’s treacherous betrayal of its journalistic duties.

On the other hand, if I/we are wrong, then the power of social media and propaganda to create and inflate bubbles of insanity — trapping intelligent people of goodwill — greatly exceeds anything we dared to imagine. The information age will be darkened by having divided society, destroying a consensus reality.

That’s one heck of a story too! For our culture shall inevitably further atomise, as our bonds of shared values and mutual understanding break apart. So too may the constitutional boundaries — and consequent rule of law — that help to keep the peace.

The stakes could not be higher

SNIP