Fake News

  • During the Second World War, the battle for the Atlantic was fought not only with torpedoes, depth charges, and convoy tactics, but also with microphones, turntables, and carefully scripted lies. One of the most sophisticated weapons in Britain’s psychological warfare arsenal was a clandestine radio station with an impressively official-sounding name: Deutscher Kurzwellensender Atlantik (“German…

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  • Optics and perception

    I noticed something this morning which I hadn’t noticed before. While I was driving towards the direction of city centre, I noticed 2 cranes in the distance. They appeared to be standing near Thomond Park stadium.However, there are no cranes near Thomond park. As I drove on a bit more , I noticed the position…

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  • Blood Libel

    Blood libel—the false accusation that Jews kidnapped and murdered Christian children to use their blood for ritual purposes—was a centuries-old anti-Semitic myth. Though it originated in medieval Europe, this pernicious belief persisted into modern times. It was revived during the Third Reich by the Nazi regime. Medieval Origins of Blood Libel The blood libel first…

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  • You have to give it to the Brits, they don’t give up. Regardless how dire the outlook they will come up with daring stuff to overcome their struggle. As it was the case in June 1941. They appear to be fighting the Germans on their own, Heavily outnumbered they had to come up with innovative…

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  • Reporting the news accurately is crucial at all times. Reporting it accurately during wartime when tensions are high is vital; if you fail to do so, it can create false expectations and potentially cost lives. On Tuesday, September 5th, 1944, the Dutch  Prime Minister Gerbrandy announced via Radio Oranje that the Allied army had crossed…

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  • Fake news WWII style

    Between 1941 and 1943, an exceedingly peculiar series of transmissions reached radio sets in Germany. The broadcaster called himself Der Chef, or the chief, and his Berliner accent and prodigious knowledge of military affairs suggested he was a high-ranking German of the old guard, probably an army officer. A patriot and Hitler loyalist, Der Chef bemoaned…

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