Political spam

I enjoy reading the political forwards. But I also enjoy talking politics sometimes but mainly with just my family. My sister is a staunch Democrat and my father and I are staunch republicans. So the emails mainly go between us 3 and sometimes to a couple of friends of mine who know my standings on cetain issues. But I useally research the ones I get from my friend and father due to the fact that they sometimes just forward things without finding out the truth where as my Sister and Brother in law enjoy researching the ones they receive. So I research and if it's true I pass it on to my siblings, and friends that I know their standings. But the ones that are just bs I delete and don't worry about passing on with the truth.

If there's one thing I hate, it's political propaganda forwarded to me via electronic mail. Mind, I don't write back to the senders telling them I'm not interested--and that's because past experience has shown such reproofs only encourage an increase in the flow of malarkey already clogging up my in-box.

One fellow who thus transmits shiploads of political mendacity to me is the father-in-law of a guy who served with my squadron in Viet Nam. I'm not going to tell him to stop, because his son-in-law never made it home from the combat zone; and hence he's entitled to send me such stuff if it makes him feel better.

I never read any of those types of messages, of course, since the subject lines (no matter how disguised) always give them away; but you'd think a person would eventually, by reflecting upon a dearth of responses, figure out it's a waste of time sending such drivel to someone who obviously doesn't care and isn't likely to give a rip anytime soon.

But no, their brains apparently can't conceive of such a thing. They're the sort who think an electrical fire can be extinguished if one simply pours more water on it. "Oh, I guess Joe needs more of these simple-minded tracts before he sees how right [literally] we are and how wrong he is!" Usually, however, they don't bother asking me my views on political matters prior to beginning their various and sundry zealous e-mail sieges--so for them, "communication" means they talk and everyone else listens.

For decades now, I've believed schoolchildren should be given courses in how to recognize and deal with propaganda; but that would never happen, as we all know, since advertisers and politicians alike would fear losing their grip on young minds which--when older--will cling to such long-since ingrained memes as "Spend, spend, spend!" and "Might makes right!" As yet another over-paid executive said in the years following the Second World War, "What's good for General Motors is good for the U.S.A."



=^..^=

The amount of e-mails such as this don't even get opened up to read, their deleted straight away!.

I hate politics. I don't know if any of you have ever seen Parliament on t.v. with our PM and the opposition. But when they start to make what is supposed to be funny, sarcastic remarks about each others decisions when talking about serious issues, it gripes me and the t.v. gets switched over quicker than i could blink!.

Susan

I once watched BBC Parliament via the Internet, when the House of Commons debated the war in Iraq, and Blair got the support thanks to the tories.

They spent 12 hours talking, insulting each other and going aroung and around the same subject until they voted in favor of the war at 11:30 PM GMT! And once the votes were casted they started arguing another matter! At that point I said "I'm sick and tired of this!" and shut the connection.

Honestly, it depends on who I get it from. I read the ones from my father, as he is very intelligent and informed and generally he doesn't send me sheer propoganda. OK, maybe a little. He sends me things that support his way of thinking, and generally my way of thinking as well. Most of the time what he sends is factual, albeit slanted.

One thing I have found is that I will research the heck out of anything I think about posting here. If there is a discrepancy, I KNOW it will be pointed out and called on here, which is a good thing! Keeps both sides honest.

As a teacher (secondary education), I couldn't agree more. I don't think the situation is quite as bad in Germany, because a lot of people make sure their kids aren't all that susceptible to propaganda, based on their parents' and grandparents' reactions to and experiences with Nazi propaganda.
Actually, I get very little in the way of political propaganda spam. Family, friends and colleagues often email links to newspaper or magazine articles on political issues, since they know I'm interested, and I send them links. We discuss the articles, but I've never gotten any party p.r. from any of them.

I delete it

Any junk mail that I get...what I mean is any addresses that I don't recognize, I don't even bother opening the email. I just automatically delete it.

This isn't any different from the political mass mail outs that are done during an election year. Like the USA, Australia is in an election year, and like the USA, this one is expected to be a close one. However, unlike the USA, voting in Australia is compulsory so voter turn out will be 90+% as some people are excused due to their profession or illness.

The only political spam that I have received is from my university. It is disappointing since the student groups are the usually the first to complain about propoganda but yet they also help spread it too.