When doing research, be wary of the sources you believe. Web searches (via Google, Yahoo, etc.) are a BIG business--advertisers pay to position themselves at the beginning of a search, and these advertisers have one thing in mind--to make money. Many organizations with deep pockets have also created websites & bought for web positioning to promote their own agenda / propaganda. I just watched a movie yesterday (The International) and one of the actor's lines was something like "there's what we hear, what we want to believe, and then there's the truth." People find it hard to look for the truth. (Good movie, btw.)
So, do you really want to look for the truth? Or, do you believe what you want to believe and no website on the planet with a contradictory message will convince you otherwise? Assuming you are open-minded and open to the challenge, when you research, look carefully at the credentials of the website--the "who we are" or "about us" links usually at the bottom of the website's Home page. Look at the credentials of those listed. If the key players are talk show hosts, back out and search again (these folks make a living off entertainment, which is what a talk show is all about). What they talk about may or may not have any relevance to the truth (even where you find an exception to the rule, like Thom Hartmann, you still need to validate the sources).
If the key player is a religious organization, back out (they have an agenda too). If the site claims to be fair and unbiased, hmmm. Check the credentials even more carefully (& then chuck it as well). If it's a Blog, unless it includes valid citations, chuck it. Unfortunately, there's a lot of money pouring into biased sites for one reason or another--to sell a product, to sell an idea (whether true or false), to influence an election.
On the far lower right of this blog, I list many of my major sources. Given the recent economic climante, I've pulled together key Economic / Financial sites where you can sift for information. Yes, some of this is very dry reading; but it allows you to form your own opinion based on facts--not on some big mouthed fool with a pointer stick wearing a $5000 Armani suit. Feel free to send me others you think are valid and, after I research them, I'll add them to the list.
- Economywatch.com
- The Bureau of Economic Analysis, http://www.bea.gov/
- Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=711
- The Financial Times, http://www.ft.com/home/uk
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