Sunday 7 January 2024

how to counter propaganda/paranoia/conspiracy theories... 1: enjoy culture and the arts

Peter Pomerantsev, Professor at the Institute of Global Affairs at the London School of Economics, says the best way to challenge and counter the stream of lies and hate online is to read and listen to and watch any writing/books and movies/culture which is about humanity, openness and making choices:

Russian propaganda. How does it work and how can it be combated? - YouTube

For young people he would recommend Tolkien and Harry Potter.

Harry Potter is a humanist and thus J.K Rowling is one too | by Jessica Cote | Diary Of Fantastic Discoveries | Medium

Tolkien’s optimism about human nature: A lesson for our society today - World Youth Alliance

For adults there are always Ukrainian writers:

Serhiy Zhadan - Wikipedia

And his book of stories:

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia | Serhiy Zhadan | London Review Bookshop

Also:

Vasyl Stus - Wikipedia

Thriving in Isolation and Beyond: The Empowering Poetry of Vasyl Stus | Los Angeles Review of Books

Here are a couple of TED Talks:

Lisa Bu: How books can open your mind | TED Talk

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story | TED Talk

Books are dangerous, are revolutionary:

The Power of Literature: How it Shapes Society and Culture | by Arda Π| ILLUMINATION | Medium

7 Books That Will Change How You See the World

Does reading fiction make us better people? - BBC Future

Umberto Eco had something to say about this:

Umberto Eco: 'People are tired of simple things. They want to be challenged' | Umberto Eco | The Guardian

Umberto Eco Taught the World How to Think About Conspiracies and Fascism

Conspiracy Theories and Literary Ethics: Umberto Eco, Danilo Kiš and The Protocols of Zion on JSTOR

Real literature is always about losers
... going on to ask Eco why he chose to tell the story from the point of view of a thwarted character.
“Because that’s literature,” said Eco. “Dostoevsky was writing about losers. The main character of The Iliad, Hector, is a loser. It’s very boring to talk about winners. The real literature always talks about losers. Madame Bovary is a loser. Julien Sorel is a loser. I am doing only the same job. Losers are more fascinating.
“Winners are stupid … because usually they win by chance.”

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