The Russians are Coming!!!!!

It seems as if almost every type of media from the CBC, to the Globe and Mail to the Walrus are talking/writing about the Russian attempts to influence public opinion in Western countries, specifically through social media. All of the articles suggest that we, as Canadians, need to be particularly concerned in part because there is a federal election this fall and therefore there is an increased opportunity to manipulate our opinions. As well, our governments have done so very little to ensure that we are protected from this type of attack. While there are a variety of reports that indicate differing levels of involvement, it seems likely that some foreign power has consciously attempted to manipulate public opinion in the USA, in Europe and in Canada. I have no doubt that other countries such as China are/have been engaged in a process of subtlety manipulating and circulating information that is designed to influence our decisions. Canadians should be well used to this sort of distorted and biased information. After all, we have lived next door to an extraordinarily powerful and arrogant neighbour for the past couple of centuries. A country that has never been shy about using the media to influence the hearts and minds of its citizenry and anyone else who lives within their media umbrella. I have no doubt that other countries may have tried to influence us. For all I know - New Zealand or Patagonia could have some nefarious designs upon us.

If one looks at the various levels of propaganda for the last century or so, it is clear that countries (including Canada) have used the media to manipulate/influence its own citizens and anyone else close to them. Such manipulations have been singularly successful. Take for example the governments insistence that residential schools and adoption was the best way to deal with the "Indian problem", of the incarceration of Japanese Canadians, or unemployed men into work camps or the dangers of marijuana, or the need to sterilize women who had a disability. The singular difference between then and now is that rather than using newspapers, radio and conversations in bars, meeting halls or boardrooms, various groups are now using social media to share/disseminate information. Because millions of people have instant access to anything that is posted regardless of whether or not it is false or at the very least, highly biased information, social media has become a powerful weapon. A weapon that is hard to catch or notice. A weapon that is effective because it is impossible to determine where the information comes from. In 1943, if the German High Command had penned a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star, most Canadians readers would have been instantly aware that the information contained in that letter would be false or misleading; when information is contributed anonymously and then re-posted on Facebook (quite frequently by computer programs) thousands of times - it is virtually impossible to determine who the original was posted by, or what was their purpose.

The obvious solutions suggested by the pundits is that social media giants such as Facebook need to be more vigilant about screening what gets posted. It has been argued that it is their responsibility to ensure that the information that is being circulated is accurate. One gets the sense that if these companies which are private, for-profit corporations whose platforms are completely voluntary would only do their job better, there would be no problem. And that may be correct. If some huge corporation, influenced primarily by how much money they could make, were to censor what information was available, then the problem (or at least one problem) would go away.

There is, however, a less draconian solution. Individuals could start to think critically. Just because it appears as if thousands of people apparently have read and re-post an article or a picture, does not make it true. Just because it appears as if the person who wrote it was an expert, does not make it true. Just because the article sounds factual, does not make it true.

Facebook is not, cannot be held responsible for my inability to think critically. That is my job. I should never re-post anything unless I know it to be true or at least have some value. I should never re-post anything unless I am prepared to defend it. While I wish there was a way for someone to stop the Russian, the Chinese or even the Patagonia governments from filling social media with their propaganda - there isn't. The best that we can do is to stop reading it - to stop believing it because we have checked the facts.

If the government of Canada wants to fix the problem - maybe they could start to fund public schools so that there would be sufficient funds to teach children how to think for themselves.