The bullies are back

with renewed force and vigor. 
Columnist Andrew Bolt has an interesting article on them in this morning's paper. He has pointed out the problems surrounding attempts by certain sides of debates to find evidence for their own claims of bullying and more. Bolt is a very divisive columnist so I will be interested to see how much support that particular column gets.  
Yes, I have noticed a definite - and sometimes not too subtle - demand that we all vote "yes" in the same-sex marriage plebiscite. I have also noted that we are all supposed to support the demand to change the date of Australia Day. We are all supposed to be  pro-renewable energy, anti-nuclear, anti-coal. We are supposed to accept that all those claiming to be refugees are actually refugees. We are supposed to accept that some women not only can but should wear certain articles of clothing and that certain other cultural practices should be retained "because we are a multi-cultural society" - and we are told to accept that too. We even have some doctors who are, apparently, anti-vaccination. Really?
Now I am not saying I am for or against any of these things. What bothers me is something rather different. What bothers me is that there is a distinct lack of genuine debate  around these issues. People are being told things but they are not being informed. They are being given "facts" but they are not actually facts at all. There is often no research to back up these facts. There are "opinion polls".
I know someone who conducts opinion polls for a living. He and his company set about it in what they believe to be the closest they can actually get to a fair and unbiased view from those they survey. (It might be the General Public or it might be a Special Interest group or something else.) He also knows that there is always the possibility that they won't get it right. People give the answers they believe they are expected to give. Some deliberately lie in an attempt to skew the results so as to boost their own side. Others simply don't know or don't have an opinion. The way the question is put can affect the results...and much more. It isn't an exact science.
And it is all wonderful material for the bullies. They can carefully conduct a "survey" or an "opinion poll" and do it in such a way that it supports  "their" side. 
These attempts at political engineering are dangerous - and so much easier than they once were. You can get something "out there" on social and then mainstream media in a matter of minutes. I was looking for some information yesterday. When I did an internet search I came across hundreds of "articles" on the topic when I put in the base terms. It was not until I added more terms that I came to articles that I felt might be of some real value. I think it is fair to say most people will only put in the base terms. They wouldn't know to do more than that. So, even they get their "information" from unreliable sources that look as if they might be trustworthy but aren't.They will be informed by a media with an agenda and by bullies who are providing the media with that agenda. 
I think it may be too late to do anything about it as well.
That frightens me.