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Comment by CodeGlitch | Hacker News Reader

Another Brit here:

I'm not aware of anyone in my circle seeing such agencies as being "nannying". I'm of the opinion that the Food Standards Agency improves life for everyone in the UK. I would rather put up with a little bit of nannying if it means I don't get food poisoning from restaurants.

I used to be all for freedom of speech and anti-censorship, but these days I've seen too many friends and family fall for miss-information. My university-educated brother-in-law believes in all the "5G causes COVID-19" nonsense. He even sent me a video on YouTube from a "Top American Doctor". Sigh.

ps. I think the solution here is to teach more critical thinking in schools.

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That 5G nonsense thing is very like what the news was saying when mobile phones were first starting to get popular, stuff like causes tumours, cancer etc; which didn't turn out to be much at all.

But as someone who has looked at a wide variety of stuff from mainstream to far from mainstream, all I can say is that you really can't trust much at all, especially if it involves human issues (societal, political, etc).

Also the people who push for censorship and end up running censorship systems are exactly who you wouldn't want to run them. Foxes guarding the hen house and all that.

Completely agree with teaching critical thinking in schools. Also teaching people self defence from con artists and other malicious people they may be dealing with in everyday life would be great, something that would make them more prepared to live in a world where these things are common.

> ps. I think the solution here is to teach more critical thinking in schools.

100% percent agreement. Specifically, as its own course. How this is not part of every democracy's required curriculum for at least 2 years (class in 5-8 grade range + class in 9-12 grade range) is mind-boggling.

Don't give me crap about "there's no objective critical thinking" or "such a class would be impossible."

Even a basic survey of logical fallacies, rhetoric, and source suspicion would be beneficial to society as a whole!

> I'm not aware of anyone in my circle seeing such agencies as being "nannying". I'm of the opinion that the Food Standards Agency improves life for everyone in the UK. I would rather put up with a little bit of nannying if it means I don't get food poisoning from restaurants.

Is food poisoning from restaurants currently a problem for you? How will mass surveillance help?

> I used to be all for freedom of speech and anti-censorship, but these days I've seen too many friends and family fall for miss-information. My university-educated brother-in-law believes in all the "5G causes COVID-19" nonsense. He even sent me a video on YouTube from a "Top American Doctor". Sigh.

What are you suggesting the state should do to/for your friends and family who’s opinions you dislike?

Do their views mean that they are undeserving of human rights?

> Is food poisoning from restaurants currently a problem for you? How will mass surveillance help?

Yes it is - if health & safety and food quality are not set to a high standard (this applies to everyone BTW). Organized criminals will break all sorts of rules to make a quick buck - including selling horse meat as beef. How do you suggest the Food Standards Agency tackle this problem in the absence of a functional police force?

> What are you suggesting the state should do to/for your friends and family who’s opinions you dislike?

> Do their views mean that they are undeserving of human rights?

I have little patients for people who ignore basic scientific facts and believe the utter nonsense of so-called conspiracy theorists. It's their choice to ignore reality, and bring it on themselves to loose human rights.

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