A few weeks ago in response to a situation I was frustrated with, a friend replied “DIY”. It took me a few days to figure out that acronym: Do It Yourself. Since then, it's stuck in my head and I've put it to good use in various situations. DIY comes to mind now as the alternative news playground offers up yet another series of recess scuffles; this time between alternative celebrities Jeff Rense and Henry Makow.
It all started when Rense informed Makow that he would no longer link to articles on Makow's site that were not written by Makow himself. Makow had printed a piece by Jim Stone which posited that Fukushima was not a natural earthquake. Rense contends that it was a natural occurrence and therefore had no interest in linking to Stone's analysis. Makow took offense to Jeff's editorial policy and geared up for battle. Rense accepted the challenge.
This foolishness devolved further into madness. A new blogger dubbed Anonymous stepped in to defend Rense, as did online metals dealer Paul Drockton. Name-calling ensued. Then the blindside punch: Rense's recent ex-wife contacted Makow with her tale of woe. She claimed to be down and out on her butt with no resources and proceeded to detail – in a three-part series on Makow's site – her perceived injuries at the hands of Rense. Next thing we read, medical diagnoses are being hurled. According to the ex-wife, Rense exhibits NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). According to Drockton, and in an odd twist of communications, Makow, the ex-wife's behavior raises suspicions of DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) and/or SRA (Satanic Ritual Abuse).
As far as can be determined from online research, of the four of them – Rense, Makow, Drockton and the former Mrs. Rense – not one holds a medical license or an advanced degree in psychology. This means that their respective insinuations, accusations and diagnoses are worthless.
What's an inquisitive, striving-to-be-informed, run-of-the-mill alternative news seeker to do when faced with these ugly, petty sensationalist arguments between personalities who purport to be defenders of "truth"?
DIY.
A calculated examination of alternative news sites reveals that most of them simply comb the major news services for their links. Each has a preferred list of independent bloggers and mainstream journalists (such as Pepe Escobar and John Pilger) to whom they link. Sometimes, as in the case of Prison Planet and Global Research, there are reporters on staff. After a while, one can anticipate which mainstream news services and bloggers specific alternative news sites prefer. As for independent bloggers such as Drockton and Makow, they write opinions on issues of their choosing and can be accessed without link from an alternative news site. Once one has established which subjects and philosophies are of interest and worthy of pursuit, a dependency on alternative providers is unnecessary.
I'd like to thank these feuding fellows for demonstrating once and for all that playground battles are a waste of precious time. Also, as I bid them a fond farewell, I'd like to thank many of the alternative news sites for introducing me to valuable sources of information and methods of news gathering.
From now on when it comes to news and reading material, DIM is the acronym. Choosing sides is a ticket to a rat's maze and remaining aloof while on location of a playground fight is impossible with all the shouting and background mumblings.
