Episode 228: My Eight-Legged Monkey Dance

August 10, 2023

Central Thesis

Ad-supported media, like the official narratives during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and ongoing restrictions on scientific research, stifle truth and limit free expression, creating a dangerous environment where crucial information is suppressed for the sake of powerful interests. Jim argues this is an authoritarian trend mirroring the constraints of the "eight-legged monkey dance" where one must avoid touching the "legal pillars of society" to be heard.

Key Arguments

• Suppression of Dissent Through "Terms and Conditions" Jim recounts KMO's experience of having his video feed suspended for violating terms and conditions, illustrating how platforms arbitrarily police speech and stifle dissent, creating a chilling effect where independent voices are silenced.
• Historical Parallels to 1918 Censorship The host draws a parallel between the media's suppression of the truth during the Spanish Flu pandemic due to the Espionage Act and modern media's self-censorship due to corporate interests and platform regulations. Fear of consequences results in skewed or incomplete reporting, as illustrated by the misattribution of the origin of the Spanish Flu.
• The Danger of Ignoring Scientific Data Jim highlights the CDC investigator's dismissal of data contradicting the prevailing narrative about children being super-spreaders of influenza. This illustrates how institutional bureaucracy can prioritize pre-conceived notions over objective science, potentially leading to flawed policies.
• Gain-of-Function Research Risks By referencing the 2008 swine flu incident, and the research of Professor Gibbs, the host raises concerns about the potential dangers of gain-of-function research, arguing that lab leaks and sloppy handling can create existential risks to humanity. He criticizes media figures who downplay these risks.
• Advertising Shapes Discourse Paid persuasion distorts information and manipulates audiences, often without their awareness. He sees this as a fundamental aspect of ad-supported media, where the need to attract and retain advertisers can override the pursuit of truth.

Notable Passages

• "The media are owned by big money, and the concentration of that ownership is becoming significantly more severe. What we're looking at is these huge corporations swallowing the book publishing firms, the movie houses, the magazines. Who is going to be presenting? An independent voice that is free of big money."
• "A population being led toward a goal with carrots is more likely being warned away from not following the goal with a stick. Often with many, many sticks."
• "Doing this kind of work is itself a big risk to humanity's health. And yeah, that's prevented a lot of really important research from happening."
• "As long as you never touch the legal pillars of society as represented by the legs of the table. You can get under that and you can get under that and you can get under that you can get under that table and dance as much and as fast and as loose as you like."

Rhetorical Approach

The episode relies heavily on analogy and historical example. Jim uses the "eight-legged monkey dance" as a central metaphor to illustrate the constraints placed on free speech in modern society. Personal anecdote (his experience with the swine flu) adds an emotional dimension to his criticism of gain-of-function research. Jim freely uses sarcasm, especially when quoting media personalities he disagrees with.

References

• Episode 124 "I Want You"
• Episode 125 "I Want You Too"
• John M. Barry's The Great Influenza
• The KMO Show
• On the Media
• Professor Adrian Gibbs & The Naked Scientists (BBC)
• Abraham Lincoln
• Confucius
• Bernie Sanders
• Nature article on gain-of-function research
• Eugene Debs