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The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, located at 15900 Moose Lodge Lane in Clearlake Oaks.
The meeting will be available via Zoom. The meeting ID is 986 3245 2684, pass code is 666827.
Holly Harris will give updates on the EPA Superfund Site Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine cleanup plans, the Shoreline Area Plan, John T. Klaus Park, and the commercial cannabis report and Cannabis Ordinance Task Force.
Tony Morris will give an update on Spring Valley and Chief Mike Ciancio will report on the latest from the Northshore Fire Protection District Update.
Supervisor EJ Crandell also will give a report.
ERTH’s next meeting will take place on Feb. 7.
ERTH’s members are Denise Loustalot, Jim Burton, Tony Morris and Pamela Kicenski.
For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which the George W. Bush administration created in 2007 to encourage people to work for the government and nonprofits, has grown significantly during Joe Biden’s presidency. The Conversation asked economist William Chittenden to explain what this student loan program is, who is eligible and what has changed lately.
How does the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program work?
To qualify, borrowers must currently work for the government or a nonprofit.
Americans getting this debt relief include many nurses, teachers, first responders, Peace Corps volunteers and social workers.
Once enrolled, borrowers can have their remaining student loan balance forgiven if they remain employed in public service and make 10 years of monthly on-time payments.
The government can cancel only the balance of the direct loans the Department of Education makes through this program. Any student debt that borrowers owe private lenders remains outstanding.
Why are many more loans being forgiven now?
Borrowers began to apply in 2017, after the requisite decade of on-time payments, for their remaining balances to be forgiven. However, nearly all of these applications were rejected – about 98% of them.
The vast majority of these denials were due to technicalities. Many borrowers felt cheated after holding up their end of the deal but still finding themselves burdened with debts they didn’t believe they should have to repay. Some of them filed a class-action lawsuit, which the Biden administration settled in 2021.
Recognizing these concerns, the government streamlined and overhauled the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
The Department of Education announced several important changes in 2021. The federal government expanded the types of loans that are eligible for forgiveness and gave borrowers a way to get credit for past payments.
However, most student loan borrowers did not see the impact of this change until October 2023, when student loan payments resumed for other borrowers after being paused starting in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How much debt has been forgiven so far?
An estimated 750,000 Americans have gotten US$53.5 billion in student debt erased through this program. That’s more than one-third of the roughly $132 billion in student debt relief the Biden administration says it has approved through late 2023 for 3.6 million borrowers, through several programs.
But the deleted debt has chipped less than one-tenth of the total outstanding debt off the government’s ledgers. About 43.6 million Americans owe a total of $1.64 trillion in federal student loan debt. Some of the Biden administration’s efforts to cancel larger chunks of this debt have failed because of legal challenges that went all the way to the Supreme Court.
The total amount of student debt, including both the federal and private varieties, declined slightly in the second and third quarters of 2023 because the value of the student loans paid off or forgiven exceeded the value of new student loans being issued.
There is currently no expiration date for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, some borrowers have only until Dec. 31, 2023, to try to consolidate their student loans so they can qualify for this program and some other kinds of student loan forgiveness.
What about people in college now or going soon?
Current and future college students will also be able to apply to the program if they embark on public service careers.
There are also several income-driven repayment plans that student loan borrowers can apply for. The monthly student loan payment under these plans is typically between 5% and 20% of the borrower’s monthly discretionary income, depending on the specific plan.
Any remaining loan balances will be forgiven after 20 to 25 years of on-time monthly payments. People who participate in an income-driven repayment plan can also apply to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
An estimated 855,000 borrowers currently qualify to have $42 billion in loans forgiven based on making their student loan payments for the past 20 years.
What else is going on with student debt forgiveness?
Over the past few decades, many Americans took out student loans to attend a college or technical school that defrauded them. Others took out loans to enroll in schools that went out of business before those borrowers could complete their degrees. The Biden administration has made it easier for these people to have their loans canceled through the borrower defense to repayment program.
And the Biden administration has canceled $11.7 billion in debt owed by almost 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability.
In addition, many borrowers have loan balances that have grown to a sum that exceeds what they originally borrowed. And there are Americans who have been paying on their student loans for at least 25 years. The Department of Education is also considering making these former students eligible for loan forgiveness.
William Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance, Texas State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The sports and recreation center, to be built on 25 acres behind the Burns Valley Mall at 14885 Burns Valley Road, is proposed to include baseball and soccer fields, a 20,000 square foot recreation center with basketball and volleyball courts, a small amount of retail space, a new public works corporation yard, a picnic site, walking areas, an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible playground and a native plant demonstration area.
City leadership sees the project as key to the city’s future prospects.
“You believe as I do that this is a critical project for the future of the city and the larger region as well and we really need to figure this out,” City Manager Alan Flora told the council during its Dec. 7 meeting.
Flora said the city has been working on the Burns Valley sports complex project for several years.
The city purchased the property at the end of 2020 and immediately started working on the environmental review and design work, Flora said.
However, the project was stalled for about a year as the city attempted to reach an agreement with the Koi Nation tribe over mitigation measures. “That agreement was ultimately never reached,” Flora said.
The city planning commission went forward with approving the environmental documents. After the council refused to grant the Koi’s appeal of that decision, the tribe filed a lawsuit in July, four months after it had sued over the city’s 18th Avenue project, which went to a hearing in October. Last month, a judge ruled against the tribe on the 18th Avenue suit.
Flora said the Burns Valley litigation is still ongoing. Lake County Superior Court records show a case management conference is scheduled for February.
The problem the city is facing now with the continual delays, said Flora, is the increase in costs.
When the city started working on the grant, estimates are that the project would cost a little over $8 million. Flora said the city was able to put $9 million through grants from the state and federal governments, city funds, and contributions from Lake County Tribal Health and the Konocti Unified School District.
The city has continued working to complete the project’s construction documents. A few weeks before the meeting, Flora said they received the 60% design plans from their design team — the same firm that did the design of Lakeport’s Xabatin Park.
Along with those plans, the city received an updated cost estimate that put the construction at $18.7 million — over twice what the city has available — and a figure which doesn’t include the recreation center itself, expected to cost another $12 million to $15 million, Flora said.
On top of that, the city still has to deal with the litigation with the Koi Nation. In October, the council approved doubling the money set aside for the litigation to $500,000.
To overcome what Flora called the “very significant gap” between the earlier and recent cost estimates, the city will have to look both at cost reductions and additional funding opportunities.
The council could make the decision to abandon the whole project, but Flora cited the project’s role in the city’s future.
He wasn’t asking the council to try to solve all of the problems at that meeting, but he wanted council members to be aware of the need to come up with ideas about additional funding.
Flora noted that the council had established for the project an advisory committee composed of planning commissioners, council members and community group representatives. He suggested reconvening that group.
There are basic project components that can’t be eliminated, like the infrastructure for the electrical and lighting components, which Flora said totals $6 million. It’s a high-end system that eliminates glare for the neighborhood.
The soccer field proposes artificial turf, more expensive than sod. “Is that something we really want?” Flora asked.
He also asked council members to speak to state and federal representatives for possible additional funding.
Flora said the goal, as of a month before that point, was to complete the project design plans in January and to put it out to bid. They hoped the litigation would have been resolved by that time, but as it isn’t, there are going to be additional delays.
Councilman Dirk Slooten asked how confident Flora was in the recent estimate, noting it was so different from the first that one of them must be wrong.
Flora said he wished he didn't have very much confidence in the latest estimate, but that he’s gone through it, line by line, and compared it with recent projects the city has completed. He also noted that the design firm is the same one that did the Lakeport park, so they had the cost estimates for that project available.
Ultimately, he noted, “I don’t think it’s as far off as we would like it to be.”
Councilmember Joyce Overton asked if there was a way to do the project in phases while looking for more funds.
Flora said yes, but he said they may not like the alternatives. “A lot of the cost is really the basic infrastructure,” he said, explaining that it doesn’t make sense to cut infrastructure — like field lighting — that will be needed for key aspects of the project. Other items like park benches and trees could be cut out, but that won’t save much.
There are some potential grant opportunities coming up early in 2024, which Flora shared with the council.
While there are those opportunities out there, it will take time. “The more time it takes, the more it costs,” said Flora, and if the city has the $18.7 million at this time next year, it’s not going to be enough.
Councilman Russ Cremer said the project is extremely important for the community’s youth and he didn’t see the council walking away from it.
Councilman David Claffey said he saw it the opposite way. “This is devastating,” he said, adding that the city had a short window in which they had the money and the plans, and they missed it.
Claffey was concerned that the city would be chasing its tail for the next five years. “We’re in a tough spot here.”
Flora said during the discussion that the city needed to be really committed to making the project a world-class facility.
Overton agreed, and suggested they reconvene the advisory group as a first step.
Flora said city staff also is working on a sponsorship program that could help raise some funding, as it did for Austin Park. They want to roll that out after the start of the new year.
During public comment, when a community member suggested abandoning the project and choosing another site, Flora responded, “Unfortunately, the Koi Nation are threatening litigation on almost every development project in the city” so he didn’t think choosing another site would be helpful.
The council also heard support from community members involved with youth sports.
One of those was Helen Mitcham, a board member for South Shore Little League. She said 392 children played for the league last year, which doesn’t count volunteers. “This is a big deal for them.”
The league was chartered in 1959 and so is celebrating its 65th anniversary, Mitcham said. Cremer said he had played on the fields as a child.
“We have a lot of people who are excited about this,” Mitcham said, adding that she refuses to be negative and believes they will find the money somewhere.
Cremer said they have to do a full-court press to find more money and shave costs, because they absolutely need the project for the community and to boost tourism. “So it’s good all the way around. We’ve got to get it done.”
The council agreed to reconvene the advisory committee and to press forward.
Flora, in turn, asked the council to speak to their state representatives about financial help.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
The laws referenced below take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
Vehicles: Registration — AB 256 (Dixon)
Existing law requires current month and year tabs to be displayed on the registered vehicle’s rear license plate.
Beginning July 1, 2024, and until Jan. 1, 2030, a violation of vehicle registration shall not be the sole basis for any enforcement action before the second month after the month of expiration of a vehicle’s registration.
However, if a vehicle is stopped for any other Vehicle Code violation, enforcement action for a violation of vehicle registration may be taken before the second month following the month of expiration.
Late registration fees from the Department of Motor Vehicles will still apply.
Vehicle Removal: Expired Registration (AB 925, Ta)
Requires a peace officer or traffic enforcement official to verify the lack of current vehicle registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles before towing a vehicle for expired registration longer than six months and prohibits the vehicle from being towed if the officer or traffic enforcement official does not have immediate access to those records.
Vehicles: Speed Safety System Pilot Program — AB 645 (Friedman)
The cities of Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose, Glendale, Long Beach, and the City and County of San Francisco may install a limited number of cameras to enforce speed limits for a five-year pilot period in school zones and designated “safety corridors” — locations that have a high occurrence of fatal and injury crashes — and areas known for illegal street racing.
Recorded violations will be subject to a civil penalty.
Vehicles: Stopping, Standing, and Parking — AB 413 (Lee)
Designed to increase visibility at crosswalks, this law prohibits parking or stopping a vehicle along a curb at least 20 feet from a marked crosswalk or 15 feet of a crosswalk where a curb extension is present.
The regulation only applies to the side of the road of the vehicle’s approach to the crosswalk.
Local jurisdictions may establish different distances through local ordinances by marking areas with signs or paint.
Cruising — AB 436 (Alvarez)
The law removes city and county authority to regulate cruising via local ordinances.
Additionally, the law legalizes "lowrider" vehicles to cruise California's streets, by removing the height restriction on lowered vehicles.
Automobile Dismantlers: Catalytic Converters — AB 641 (Fong)
This law redefined an automobile dismantler to include individuals in possession of nine or more catalytic converters.
Additionally, the law creates penalties for individuals illegally acting as an automobile dismantler. Individuals and businesses who have a legitimate purpose for having catalytic converters, such as repair shops, will be excluded from penalty.
Vehicles: Catalytic Converters — AB 1519 (Bains)
This law makes it illegal to remove a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) marking from a catalytic converter.
It also makes it illegal to possess three or more catalytic converters that have had their VIN markings removed.
Vehicles: Catalytic Converters — SB 55 (Umberg)
This law requires a motor vehicle dealer or retailer to have the catalytic converter engraved or etched with the VIN before a new or used truck or car is sold.
The law does allow for the purchaser to decline having the VIN etched or engraved on the catalytic converter.
Emergency Notification: Ebony Alert: Missing Black Young — SB 673 (Bradford)
This legislation establishes the “Ebony Alert,” which allows law enforcement agencies to request the CHP to activate an alert for Black youth, including young women and girls between 12 to 25 years of age, who are reported missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, at risk, developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, or who have been abducted.
Emergency Services: Endangered Missing Advisory — AB 946 (Nguyen)
This new law will aid in the recovery of missing persons who do not meet the age restrictions associated with the AMBER and Silver Alerts.
The new law authorizes law enforcement agencies to request the CHP activate the “Endangered Missing Advisory” for public distribution of missing person information within appropriate geographical areas when specific criteria is met.
Vehicle Safety Regulations — SB 68 (McGuire)
This law authorizes the CHP to establish rules and regulations allowing commercial vehicles capable of carrying more than 500 gallons of fuel to exceed the standard
10 hours-of-service limit during Governor-declared State of Emergencies.
The exception only applies for the purpose of vehicles transporting fuel for refueling aircraft used in emergency-related activities, including fire suppression.
Pupil Transportation: Driver Qualifications — SB 88 (Skinner)
This law will require drivers and their vehicles which are used by a local educational agency to provide pupil transportation for compensation, to meet certain safety requirements.
Vehicles: Zero-Emission School Buses: Signage — SB 775 (Padilla)
This law authorizes a school district, county office of education, or charter school using a zero-emission school bus to transport pupils at or below the 12th-grade level to place signage on the rear of the zero-emission school bus that identifies the school bus as a clean air zero-emission bus.
It also authorizes the CHP to issue guidelines governing the size and placement of that signage.
The nation gained more than 1.6 million people this past year, growing by 0.5% to 334,914,895. More states experienced population growth in 2023 than in any year since the start of the pandemic.
This year’s national population growth is still historically low but is a slight uptick from the 0.4% increase in 2022 and the 0.2% increase in 2021.
“U.S. migration returning to pre-pandemic levels and a drop in deaths are driving the nation’s growth,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau. “Although births declined, this was tempered by the near 9% decrease in deaths. Ultimately, fewer deaths paired with rebounding immigration resulted in the nation experiencing its largest population gain since 2018.”
The South drives nation’s population growth
The expansion of the South — the nation’s most populous region — accounted for 87% of the nation’s growth in 2023, as the region added over 1.4 million residents for a total population of 130,125,290.
The South is the only region to have maintained population growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The growth in 2023 can largely be attributed to the region’s migration patterns as 706,266 people were added via net domestic migration, while net international migration contributed almost 500,000 to the total.
Population change by region
After two consecutive years of decline, the population in the Midwest had a moderate gain of 0.2%, or just over 126,000 residents.
The Midwest’s population rebounded due to a lower rate of outmigration to other regions, increased international migration, a slowdown in population loss in Illinois, and growth in Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio.
The West also expanded, with 137,299 people added to the region, slightly lower than the 157,480 people added in 2022. Somewhat higher international migration and slightly fewer deaths were offset by higher outmigration to other regions.
Fewer Western states experienced population loss in 2023, with Alaska and New Mexico gaining population again after losing population the prior year.
California, Oregon and Hawaii continued to lose population but at a more modest pace than the prior year.
The Northeast’s population declined in 2023, down 43,330, but the loss was considerably smaller than the 216,576 decline in 2022 or the 187,054 decline in 2021, reflecting substantially less outmigration to other regions. New York and Pennsylvania were the only Northeastern states to lose population in 2023 but the declines were considerably reduced from the prior year.
More states gaining population
In 2023, more states gained population than has been seen since the start of the pandemic. At the state level, 42 states and the District of Columbia had an increase in population, up from 31 states and the District of Columbia in 2022 and 34 states in 2021.
The increasing number of states with population growth reflects both the broad national trends of deaths and net international migration returning to pre-COVID levels as well as reduced net domestic outmigration for some of the states.
Percent change in state population
Eleven states that lost population in 2022 are now seeing gains: New Jersey (30,024), Ohio (26,238), Minnesota (23,615), Massachusetts (18,659), Maryland (16,272), Michigan (3,980), Kansas (3,830), Rhode Island (2,120), New Mexico (895), Mississippi (762), and Alaska (130).
Eight states saw their population fall in 2023: California (-75,423), Hawaii (-4,261), Illinois (-32,826), Louisiana (-14,274), New York (-101,984), Oregon (-6,021), Pennsylvania (-10,408), and West Virginia(-3,964).
Collectively, these states had a population loss of 249,161 in 2023, compared to a loss of 509,789 in 2022. While many of these states have lost population annually since 2020, their population declines have slowed.
As more states experience population growth, that growth is no longer concentrated in only a few states. For example, four southern states — Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia — accounted for 93% of the nation’s population growth in 2022, but only 67% in 2023.
Texas experienced the largest numeric change in the nation, adding 473,453 people, followed by Florida, which added 365,205 residents. South Carolina and Florida were the two fastest-growing states in the nation, growing by 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively, in 2023.
Georgia also reached a new population threshold as the state’s population exceeded 11 million people in 2023, increasing by 116,077 to a total population of 11,029,227.
Refer to the bottom of the release for tables on the Top 10 Most Populous States: 2023, Top 10 States by Numeric Growth: 2022 to 2023, and Top 10 States or State Equivalent by Percent Growth: 2022 to 2023.
Puerto Rico’s population decline slows
The population in Puerto Rico was 3,205,691 in 2023, continuing the trend of population decline for the U.S. territory. However, the rate of population decline has slowed, with a loss of 0.4%, or 14,422 people, in 2023 compared to a loss of 1.3%, or 42,580 people, in 2022.
Puerto Rico had its first year of positive net migration since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding 1,872 people via migration in 2023.
Meanwhile, births declined by 4.5% and deaths increased by 2.8%, resulting in a loss of 16,294 residents from natural decrease, curtailing Puerto Rico’s growth.
Information warfare abounds, and everyone online has been drafted whether they know it or not.
Disinformation is deliberately generated misleading content disseminated for selfish or malicious purposes. Unlike misinformation, which may be shared unwittingly or with good intentions, disinformation aims to foment distrust, destabilize institutions, discredit good intentions, defame opponents and delegitimize sources of knowledge such as science and journalism.
Many governments engage in disinformation campaigns. For instance, the Russian government has used images of celebrities to attract attention to anti-Ukraine propaganda. Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, warned on Nov. 30, 2023, that China has stepped up its disinformation operations.
Disinformation is nothing new, and information warfare has been practiced by many countries, including the U.S. But the internet gives disinformation campaigns unprecedented reach. Foreign governments, internet trolls, domestic and international extremists, opportunistic profiteers and even paid disinformation agencies exploit the internet to spread questionable content. Periods of civil unrest, natural disasters, health crises and wars trigger anxiety and the hunt for information, which disinformation agents take advantage of.
Certainly it’s worth watching for the warning signs for misinformation and dangerous speech, but there are additional tactics disinformation agents employ.
It’s just a joke
Hahaganda is a tactic in which disinformation agents use memes, political comedy from state-run outlets, or speeches to make light of serious matters, attack others, minimize violence or dehumanize, and deflect blame.
This approach provides an easy defense: If challenged, the disinformation agents can say, “Can’t you take a joke?” often followed by accusations of being too politically correct.
Shhh … tell everyone
Rumor-milling is a tactic in which the disinformation agents claim to have exclusive access to secrets they allege are being purposefully concealed. They indicate that you will “only hear this here” and will imply that others are unwilling to share the alleged truth – for example, “The media won’t report this” or “The government doesn’t want you to know” and “I shouldn’t be telling you this … .”
But they do not insist that the information be kept secret, and will instead include encouragement to share it – for example, “Make this go viral” or “Most people won’t have the courage to share this.” It’s important to question how an author or speaker could have come by such “secret” information and what their motive is to prompt you to share it.
People are saying
Often disinformation has no real evidence, so instead disinformation agents will find or make up people to support their assertions. This impersonation can take multiple forms. Disinformation agents will use anecdotes as evidence, especially sympathetic stories from vulnerable groups such as women or children.
Similarly, they may disseminate “concerned citizens’” perspectives. These layperson experts present their social identity as providing the authority to speak on a matter; “As a mother …,” “As a veteran …,” “As a police officer ….” Convert communicators, or people who allegedly change from the “wrong” position to the “right” one, can be especially persuasive, such as the woman who got an abortion but regretted it. These people often don’t actually exist or may be coerced or paid.
If ordinary people don’t suffice, fake experts may be used. Some are fabricated, and you can watch out for “inauthentic user” behavior, for example, by checking X – formerly Twitter – accounts using the Botometer. But fake experts can come in different varieties.
- A faux expert is someone used for their title but doesn’t have actual relevant expertise.
- A pseudoexpert is someone who claims relevant expertise but has no actual training.
- A junk expert is a sellout. They may have had expertise once but now say whatever is profitable. You can often find these people have supported other dubious claims – for example, that smoking doesn’t cause cancer – or work for institutes that regularly produce questionable “scholarship.”
- An echo expert is when disinformation sources cite each other to provide credence for their claims. China and Russia routinely cite one another’s newspapers.
- A stolen expert is someone who exists, but they weren’t actually contacted and their research is misinterpreted. Likewise, disinformation agents also steal credibility from known news sources, such as by typosquatting, the practice of setting up a domain name that closely resembles a legitimate organization’s.
You can check whether accounts, anecdotal or scientific, have been verified by other reliable sources. Google the name. Check expertise status, source validity and interpretation of research. Remember, one story or interpretation is not necessarily representative.
It’s all a conspiracy
Conspiratorial narratives involve some malevolent force – for example, “the deep state” – engaged in covert actions with the aim to cause harm to society. That certain conspiracies such as MK-Ultra and Watergate have been confirmed is often offered as evidence for the validity of new unfounded conspiracies.
Nonetheless, disinformation agents find that constructing a conspiracy is an effective means to remind people of past reasons to distrust governments, scientists or other trustworthy sources.
But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Remember, the conspiracies that were ultimately unveiled had evidence – often from sources like investigative journalists, scientists and government investigations. Be particularly wary of conspiracies that try to delegitimize knowledge-producing institutions like universities, research labs, government agencies and news outlets by claiming that they are in on a cover-up.
Good vs. evil
Disinformation often serves the dual purpose of making the originator look good and their opponents look bad. Disinformation takes this further by painting issues as a battle between good and evil, using accusations of evilness to legitimize violence. Russia is particularly fond of accusing others of being secret Nazis, pedophiles or Satanists. Meanwhile, they often depict their soldiers as helping children and the elderly.
Be especially wary of accusations of atrocities like genocide, especially under the attention-grabbing “breaking news” headline. Accusations abound. Verify the facts and how the information was obtained.
Are you with us or against us?
A false dichotomy narrative sets up the reader to believe that they have one of two mutually exclusive options; a good or a bad one, a right or a wrong one, a red pill or a blue pill. You can accept their version of reality or be an idiot or “sheeple.”
There are always more options than those being presented, and issues are rarely so black and white. This is just one of the tactics in brigading, where disinformation agents seek to silence dissenting viewpoints by casting them as the wrong choice.
Turning the tables
Whataboutism is a classic Russian disinformation technique they use to deflect attention from their own wrongdoings by alleging the wrongdoings of others. These allegations about the actions of others may be true or false but are nonetheless irrelevant to the matter at hand. The potential past wrongs of one group does not mean you should ignore the current wrongs of another.
Disinformation agents also often cast their group as the wronged party. They only engage in disinformation because their “enemy” engages in disinformation against them; they only attack to defend; and their reaction was appropriate, while that of others was an overreaction. This type of competitive victimhood is particularly pervasive when groups have been embedded in a long-lasting conflict.
In all of these cases, the disinformation agent is aware that they are deflecting, misleading, trolling or outright fabricating. If you don’t believe them, they at least want to make you question what, if anything, you can believe.
You often look into the things you buy rather than taking the advertising at face value before you hand over your money. This should also go for what information you buy into.
H. Colleen Sinclair, Associate Research Professor of Social Psychology, Louisiana State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.