You're right, qatarlson will definitely attempt to blame Israel for this. He's become so predictably ridiculous at this point. I suppose he can't help himself as a paid shill for the enemies of western civilization.
I was at a friend's yesterday and heard about the kidnapping. I already had notion of it, someone mentioned it on Substack. What a blessing NOT to have TV. I read all the points you mentioned, on Substack and in some 'alternative' media. I feel sorry for the old kidnapped lady, but consider it the price of being rich and famous.
I appreciate you reading, but I think you might have missed the main point here. I'm not saying the kidnapping victim had it coming or doesn't deserve sympathy. This is a genuinely traumatic event for real people. I feel deeply for the victim and their family during what must be an agonizing ordeal. Every kidnapping is a tragedy for the families involved.
But that's actually part of what makes this such an effective example of media manipulation. The human tragedy is real, which is exactly why the story captures our attention so completely. What I'm talking about is how news media operates as a manipulative force that exploits our natural empathy and concern. This kidnapping is just one example of the pattern. One tragic story affecting a handful of people gets wall-to-wall coverage while biological weapons labs in American neighborhoods, the collapse of nuclear treaties, and being on the verge of a literal military invasion (Iran) barely register. That's not an accident.
The essay is about recognizing when our attention is being deliberately managed. We only have so much mental bandwidth, and when it gets filled with one emotionally gripping story, everything else gets pushed out. Even when that "everything else" includes things that actually threaten our survival.
The throttling effect isn't about the victim or their suffering. It's about how news as a manipulative force affects all of humanity, and this is just one clear example of how it works.
Oh, I completely understand - that happens all the time in comment threads! It can get confusing keeping track of who's replying to whom, especially when conversations branch off in different directions. No worries at all!
compared to the thousands of children that get kidnapped and abused and sold for sex... I thought of them. They very seldom come in the news. This old lady has been all over I guess.
I think you've misunderstood the article's argument. The piece isn't about whether the kidnapping victim "deserved" this because of their wealth or fame. That would be a deeply troubling position.
The point is about attention allocation. The article examines how a single kidnapping story, tragic as it is, consumed the entire national cognitive bandwidth while biological weapons labs, military occupations, nuclear treaty collapse, and multiple constitutional crises received minimal coverage.
The "price" being discussed isn't the victim's price. It's our price. It's the collective cost we pay when limited cognitive capacity gets filled with one emotionally satisfying narrative while existential threats affecting millions receive no sustained attention.
The throttling effect isn't about blaming victims of crime. It's about recognizing how strategic distraction works and why we should be concerned when that pattern emerges so clearly.
I'm waiting for qatarlson to blame the kidnapping on Israel.
You're right, qatarlson will definitely attempt to blame Israel for this. He's become so predictably ridiculous at this point. I suppose he can't help himself as a paid shill for the enemies of western civilization.
Superb post. Thank you for taking the time to write it. Sharing widely.
I was at a friend's yesterday and heard about the kidnapping. I already had notion of it, someone mentioned it on Substack. What a blessing NOT to have TV. I read all the points you mentioned, on Substack and in some 'alternative' media. I feel sorry for the old kidnapped lady, but consider it the price of being rich and famous.
That's cold. It shouldn't have to be the price of being rich and famous.
I appreciate you reading, but I think you might have missed the main point here. I'm not saying the kidnapping victim had it coming or doesn't deserve sympathy. This is a genuinely traumatic event for real people. I feel deeply for the victim and their family during what must be an agonizing ordeal. Every kidnapping is a tragedy for the families involved.
But that's actually part of what makes this such an effective example of media manipulation. The human tragedy is real, which is exactly why the story captures our attention so completely. What I'm talking about is how news media operates as a manipulative force that exploits our natural empathy and concern. This kidnapping is just one example of the pattern. One tragic story affecting a handful of people gets wall-to-wall coverage while biological weapons labs in American neighborhoods, the collapse of nuclear treaties, and being on the verge of a literal military invasion (Iran) barely register. That's not an accident.
The essay is about recognizing when our attention is being deliberately managed. We only have so much mental bandwidth, and when it gets filled with one emotionally gripping story, everything else gets pushed out. Even when that "everything else" includes things that actually threaten our survival.
The throttling effect isn't about the victim or their suffering. It's about how news as a manipulative force affects all of humanity, and this is just one clear example of how it works.
I agree with you. I was actually responding to another commenter.
Oh, I completely understand - that happens all the time in comment threads! It can get confusing keeping track of who's replying to whom, especially when conversations branch off in different directions. No worries at all!
compared to the thousands of children that get kidnapped and abused and sold for sex... I thought of them. They very seldom come in the news. This old lady has been all over I guess.
The price of having a daughter who became "rich and famous" is being kidnapped and possibly killed?
I think you've misunderstood the article's argument. The piece isn't about whether the kidnapping victim "deserved" this because of their wealth or fame. That would be a deeply troubling position.
The point is about attention allocation. The article examines how a single kidnapping story, tragic as it is, consumed the entire national cognitive bandwidth while biological weapons labs, military occupations, nuclear treaty collapse, and multiple constitutional crises received minimal coverage.
The "price" being discussed isn't the victim's price. It's our price. It's the collective cost we pay when limited cognitive capacity gets filled with one emotionally satisfying narrative while existential threats affecting millions receive no sustained attention.
The throttling effect isn't about blaming victims of crime. It's about recognizing how strategic distraction works and why we should be concerned when that pattern emerges so clearly.