*remember*: truth has very little to do with how well a meme spreads.
> generally not led to the demise of tobacco. At what point is the public
> responsible for informing, and indeed acting upon that information for
> themselves?
<rant>
"Responsible Freedom"
I beleive that *responsibility* should *always* be tied to *freedom*.
That is, where ever freedom abounds, responsibility should be present.
The failure to do this, I contend, is at the heart of many of societies'
problems.
In learning, this responsibility shows up as *conscious* memetic
variation. Research *all* sides, expose yourself to *all* "truths"
involved.
So, you see, in advertising (where only the *positive* side is
presented, of course) people *should* (note normative definition) act
responsibly and seek out the *dissadvantages* as well. The freedom
that has been granted to the tobacco companies necessitates this.
Failure to involve responsibility results in "brain washing":
"...the opinions and belief of men depend not on their own will, but
follow involuntarily the evidence proposed to their minds..."
--Thomas Jefferson
(and so if only *positive* evidence is proposed, belief in the meme is
natural)
</rant>
I am thankful that here in Canada we have those "Surgon's General
Warning" deals... to bad it's not enough!
> Minimal courses in memetics as a requirement for schooling,
> perhaps?
Most definatly. (start campaining now: apocalypse meme, danger meme) I
think about grade 6. And again in grade 7. And again in grade 8. And
again... 9, 10, 11, 12.
And then advertising campains. <repetition>. Let's use the science of
memetics to *spread* the science of memetics!
ERiC