On Bias

Bias is the common term used to describe opinions that run counter to our own. A person with whom we agree is called “unbiased”. This phenomenon came from early ego-centricism. People thought our world was the center of the universe, then assumed that their country (or culture) was the center of the world.

Common knowledge tells us that Fox News presents Republican Bias, while MSNBC gives us the opposite. While the MSNBC crew presents “accepted” left-wing bias, this perspective comes from its position in the spectrum of broadcasting. These are no left-wing radicals! NBC is owned and operated by conservative, Republican tycoons; their advertisers are large corporations; how “left” can they be? Immediately following Olbermann's scathing commentary on insurance companies last month, came an ad for an insurance company! From my “biased” perspective, Olbermann, Maddow and Moyers are right on. They frequently lead their programs with negative, sometimes scathing, reviews on President Obama. Last month on his program, Moyers stated: "Let's face it, 2 political parties, equal opportunity hypocrites." We invite anyone to send us a comparable quote from Fox.

In a discussion, it’s natural to assume that disagreement comes from the other side’s ignorance. This phenomenon is advanced by the notion that “truth” can be known. Certainly “facts” are available, but “truth” is very slippery. “Opinions” lead to “facts” (which can easily be tailored), then “truth”. People arrive at opposing philosophies because they see the world from differing perspective; their truths are different. Some people, obviously, are more inclined than others to assume their opinions represent reality. Religious people are in the regular practice of connecting their opinions with “truth”, and are probably inclined to allow that connection to extend beyond the spiritual. (Or, people who think this way are more inclined to be religious. You choose.) See Belief, the Choice.

A significant factor in the (perhaps accidental) genius of Ronald Reagan was cultivation of the religious [right] for the GOP. Republican opposition tends to be much "noisier" than what comes from the left because these people come from the assumption that they know “the truth."

The operation of government, on the other hand, is not cut and dried. This is messy business, and we can never expect things to come out the way we want. There are too many competing interests and opinions. One of the many impediments to the smooth operation of political affairs is the amount of “disinformation” floating around. To paraphrase Churchill, “We must make the best of what is left among the ruins.”