Wikipedia is the most popular “go to” encyclopedia that pops up most often when doing online searches – especially from left-favoring search engines like Google and Yahoo.
But be careful. It is also the most left-biased encyclopedia out there. It is the equivalent of Snopes and Southern Poverty Law Center in its progressive/socialist content, omissions, and leanings.
To demonstrate Wikipedia bias, the introductory comments of Wikipedia and three other online encyclopedia are compared using several controversial topics, organizations, and personalities.
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BONUS: Five ways Wikipedia editors supported Biden campaign HERE _________________________________________________
The encyclopedia I’ll compare include Britannica, Conservapedia, and Infogalactica. The introductory paragraphs of each are quoted verbatim to provide an apples to apples context.
The terms, organization, and personalities used to make this comparison include:
- Cancel culture
- Black Lives Matter
- Progressivism
- Snopes
- Southern Poverty Law Center
- National Rifle Association
- Islam
- Rush Limbaugh
- Kamala Harris
- Ann Coulter
- George Floyd
Here goes…
Cancel culture:
Wikipedia - Cancel culture (or call-out culture) describes a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles—either online on social media, in the real world, or both. Those who are subject to this ostracism are said to be "canceled."[1] Merriam-Webster defines cancel as "to stop giving support to that person,"[2] and Dictionary.com defines it as "calling out the bad behavior, boycotting their work (such as by not watching their movies or listening to their music), and trying to take away their public platform and power."[3]
Britannica – No entry
Conservapedia - Cancel culture is a term used to describe a phenomenon related to political correctness wherein one is "cancelled" (I.e., censored, boycotted, cyber-bullied, etc.) for saying or doing something immoral/amoral, bigoted, insensitive or purposefully offensive, or simply politically incorrect. Arguably, some of the "victims" of cancel culture have deserved these consequences, but the vast majority are good people who received a disproportionate response.
Infogalactica - The act of canceling, also referred to as cancel culture (a variant on the term "callout culture") describes a type of left-wing boycott in which an individual (usually a celebrity) who has shared a right-wing opinion, or has had behavior in their past that is perceived to be politically incorrect, is "canceled"; they are ostracized and shunned by former friends, followers and supporters alike, leading to declines in any careers and fan-base the individual may have at any given time.[1][2]
Black Lives Matter:
Wikipedia - Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people.[2][3][4][5][6] The broader movement and its related organizations typically advocate against police violence towards black people as well as for various other policy changes considered to be related to black liberation.[7]
Britannica - Black Lives Matter (BLM), international social movement, formed in the United States in 2013, dedicated to fighting racism and anti-Black violence, especially in the form of police brutality. The name Black Lives Matter signals condemnation of the unjust killings of Black people by police (Black people are far more likely to be killed by police in the United States than white people) and the demand that society value the lives and humanity of Black people as much as it values the lives and humanity of white people. BLM activists have held large and influential protests in cities across the United …(100 of 692 words)
Conservapedia - Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a fundraising arm for the DNC[2][3] and a Fifth Column organization that is promoting social radicalism. As of July 4th, 2020 Black Lives Matter protesters murdered at least 4 Blacks, including two children, and shot at least 3 other Blacks.[4]
The movement is a highly organized Marxist/Leftist organization and has formed a united front with other far left extremist groups which call for Communist revolution, seeking to uproot the American constitutional form of government and install a Marxist dictatorship of the proletariat.
Infogalactica - Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized left-wing[1] and nominally African-American activist movement that campaigns against certain types of violence toward black people and seeks to increase blacks' social and political power. It was founded in 2013 by three black lesbians: the daughter of illegal immigrants and legalization proponent Opal Tometi,[2] Patrisse Cullors, and Alicia Garza.[3] Under the BLM banner, protests and propaganda are organized against police killings of black people, and against racial profiling, police brutality, and alleged anti-black discrimination in the justice systems of the USA and other white-majority countries.
Progressivism:
Wikipedia - Progressivism is a political philosophy in support of social reform.[1] Based on the idea of progress in which advancements in science, technology, economic development and social organization are vital to the improvement of the human condition, progressivism became highly significant during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe, out of the belief that Europe was demonstrating that societies could progress in civility from uncivilized conditions to civilization through strengthening the basis of empirical knowledge as the foundation of society.[2] Figures of the Enlightenment believed that progress had universal application to all societies and that these ideas would spread across the world from Europe.[2]
Britannica - Progressivism, in the United States, political and social-reform movement that brought major changes to American politics and government during the first two decades of the 20th century.
Conservapedia - Progressivism (or Progressive Ideology) is a narrow ideology born in America that puts a heavy emphasis on administrative state, separated from the political process, engages in centralized economic planning, promotes Social Control, and has the power and expertise to make quick decisions.[1] Progressives are quick to point to their label and proclaim that they stand for "progress",[2] but do everything they can to hide the fact that where they want to make progress to is a big government that is in control of every aspect of Americans' lives.
Infogalactica - Progressivism is a broad philosophy based on the Idea of Progress, which asserts that advancement in science, technology, economic development, and social organization are vital to improve the human condition. Progressivism became highly significant during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe, out of the belief that Europe was demonstrating that societies could progress in civility from barbaric conditions to civilization through strengthening the basis of empirical knowledge as the foundation of society.[1] Figures of the Enlightenment believed that progress had universal application to all societies and that these ideas would spread across the world from Europe.[1] Sociologist Robert Nisbet defines five "crucial premises" of the Idea of Progress as being: value of the past; nobility of Western civilization; worth of economic/technological growth; reason over faith (scientific/scholarly knowledge obtained through reason and learning must supersede faith); the intrinsic importance and worth of life on Earth.[2] Beyond this, the meanings of progressivism have varied over time and from different perspectives.
Snopes:
Wikipedia - Snopes /ˈsnoʊps/, formerly known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a fact-checking website.[4] It has been described as a "well-regarded reference for sorting out myths and rumors" on the Internet.[5][6] It has also been seen as a source for validating and debunking urban legends and similar stories in American popular culture.[7]
Britannica – No entry
Conservapedia - Snopes.com is a liberal website that was originally devoted to collecting and debunking urban legends. It was started in 1997 by husband and wife team Barbara and David Mikkelson. Because the Mikkelson's have no formal background or experience in investigative research, it is filled with numerous, intentionally inaccurate information. The site is popular with liberals,[1] and it tends to explain away all criticism toward liberal politicians and public figures while giving conservatives the hatchet job. In 2016, Snopes spent the entire year unsuccessfully trying to defend Hillary Clinton.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] At the same time, Snopes has defended some conservatives, such as its refutation that Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke wears "fake medals,"[9] the claim that the Polish first lady did not shake U.S. President Donald Trump's hand.[10] and even admitted that Trump is a victim of mainstream media fake news.[11] Snopes has attempted to "fact-check" intentionally satirical articles from The Babylon Bee.[12][13]
Infogalactica - Snopes.com /ˈsnoʊps/, also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a politically and culturally progressive website covering urban legends, Internet rumors, e-mail forwards, and other stories of unknown or questionable origin.[2] It is a well-known website that claims to validate and debunk such stories in American popular culture,[3] receiving 300,000 visits a day.[4]
Southern Poverty Law Center:
Wikipedia - The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white supremacist groups, its classification of hate groups and other extremist organizations, and for promoting tolerance education programs.[3][4]:1500 The SPLC was founded by Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin Jr., and Julian Bond in 1971 as a civil rights law firm in Montgomery, Alabama.[5] Bond served as president of the board between 1971 and 1979.[6]
Britannica - Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a nonprofit organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, that is committed to advocacy for civil rights and racial equality. Formally incorporated in 1971 by Alabama lawyers Morris Dees and Joe Levin, the Southern Poverty Law Center was founded as a small law firm dedicated to handling antidiscrimination cases in the United States. Supported by contributions from committed activists all over the country, the center is known for its tolerance programs, its legal victories against discrimination and white supremacist groups, and its investigations of alleged hate groups.
Conservapedia - The Southern Poverty Law Center is a far-Left legal and anti-American activist organization created in 1971 in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded by trial lawyers Morris Dees and Joe Levin, and its first president was civil rights leader Julian Bond, who would later take control of the NAACP. SPLC supports a wide variety of extreme-liberal positions; it is anti-conservative Christianity, pro-immigration (both legal and illegal), advocates multiculturalism and the homosexual agenda, supports Muslims and racial preferences and defendants' rights, and advocates against what it considers "hate groups." Ironically, SPLC co-founder Dees had, in 1961, originally done legal work for the Ku Klux Klan, which by itself raises doubts about the legitimacy of the SPLC as the "civil rights" organization its founders claimed it to be.[1]
Infogalactica - The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a far-left extremist political organization backed by the money of George Soros. Its main function is to smear, slander and denounce all conservative, Christian, pro-family, pro-white, and pro-life groups and politicians.
National Rifle Association:
Wikipedia - The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States.[4][5][b] Founded to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA continues to teach firearm safety and competency. The organization also publishes several magazines, and sponsors competitive marksmanship events.[6] According to the NRA, it had nearly 5 million members as of December 2018, though that figure has not been independently confirmed.[7][8][9]
Britannica - National Rifle Association of America (NRA), leading gun rights organization in the United States. The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) was founded in 1871 as a governing body for the sport of shooting with rifles and pistols. By the early 21st century it claimed a membership of nearly five million target shooters, hunters, gun collectors, gunsmiths, police, and other gun enthusiasts.
Conservapedia - The National Rifle Association (or NRA) is a human rights advocacy group which promotes the right to bear arms as well as promoting interest in shooting sports. It runs training classes in gun use and safety, and publishes magazines of interest to gun owners. It is also dedicated to protecting Americans' Second Amendment rights.
Infogalactica -The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is an American nonprofit organization which advocates for gun rights.[3][5][6] Founded in 1871, the group has informed its members about firearm-related bills since 1934, and it has directly lobbied for and against legislation since 1975.[7] It is also the oldest continuously operating civil rights organization in the United States.[8]
Islam:
Wikipedia - Islam (/ˈɪslɑːm/;[A] Arabic: اَلْإِسْلَامُ, romanized: al-’Islām, [ɪsˈlaːm] (
listen) "submission [to God]")[1] is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that Muhammad is a messenger of God.[2][3] It is the world's second-largest religion with 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the world's population,[4][5] known as Muslims.[6] Muslims make up a majority of the population in 49 countries.[7] Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful, and unique,[8] and has guided mankind through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs.[3][9] The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran, believed to be the verbatim word of God, as well as the teachings and normative examples (called the sunnah, composed of accounts called hadith) of Muhammad (c. 570 – 632 CE).[10]
Britannica - Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century CE. The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God). Allah is viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world. The will of Allah, to which human beings must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures, the Qurʾān (often spelled Koran in English), which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad. In Islam Muhammad is considered …(100 of 27715 words)
Conservapedia - Islam is a major world socio-political system[1] based on the teachings of Muhammad (sometimes Mohammed), a seventh-century Arab. Muhammad claimed descent from Ishmael, the son of Abraham. Muhammad claimed to have received revelations from Allah, the entity which adherents of Islam claim to resemble the God of Judaism and Christianity, via the archangel Gabriel, which were written in the Koran – thus forming the core teachings of Islam. Adherents of Islam, along with their liberal allies (including in academia and the mainstream media), claim it to be pure religion untarnished by any political agenda. However, unlike Christianity, Judaism and other religions, Islam is presented and acts in ways opposite to the teachings of legitimate religions, and it is more akin to the totalitarian ideologies of Nazism and Communism, based on the history of Islam and its followers.
Infogalactica - Islam (/ˈɪslɑːm/;[note 1] Arabic: الإسلام, IPA: [alʔisˈlaːm] (
listen)) is the second largest world religion as of 2020, after Christianity.
It is a spiritually demanding and sometimes militant Abrahamic monotheistic faith, which professes that there is only one and incomparable God (Allah)[1] and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God.[2][3][4][5][6] It has a claimed 1.7 billion followers (though their level of adherence may vary),[7] and is the fastest-growing major religion in the world.[8][9][10][11] Currently over 23% of the global population[7] is known as Muslim.[12] With millions of Muslims currently emigrating from the Third World into all Western countries and spreading their faith, this percentage may increase in what is feared to be an upcoming clash of civilizations. Islam has a complex and evolving relationship with Western civilization, where the boundary lines are often unclear. For example, in the late 2010s the popular meme "Islam is right about women" was used by right-wing activists to illustrate the alleged hypocrisy of left-wing and anti-white activists in supporting Islamic immigration and partial population replacement, while also espousing feminist beliefs, most of which are anathema to Islam.
Rush Limbaugh:
Wikipedia - Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (/ˈlɪmbɔː/ LIM-baw; born January 12, 1951) is an American radio personality, conservative political commentator, author and former television show host. He is best known as the host of his radio show The Rush Limbaugh Show, which has been in national syndication on AM and FM radio stations since 1988.
Britannica - Rush Limbaugh, in full Rush Hudson Limbaugh III, (born January 12, 1951, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, U.S.), American radio personality and author known for his ultraconservative and often controversial views.
Conservapedia - Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951) is an American radio talk show host popular with an older, largely male, audience. Married and divorced three times—and now married for the fourth time—Limbaugh participated in the media bullying of Todd Akin in August 2012, along with other RINO Backers.[2][3] He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Infogalactica - Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (/ˈlɪmbɔː/, lim-baw; born January 12, 1951) is an American radio talk show host and conservative political commentator. He currently resides in Palm Beach, Florida, where he broadcasts The Rush Limbaugh Show. According to December 2015 estimates by Talkers Magazine, Rush Limbaugh has a cume (cumulative weekly audience) of around 13.25 million unique listeners (listening for at least five minutes), making his show the most listened-to talk-radio program in the US.[2][3]
Kamala Harris:
Wikipedia - Kamala Devi Harris (/ˈkɑːmələ/ KAH-mə-lə,[2][3] born October 20, 1964)[4] is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from California since 2017. She is the Democratic vice presidential nominee for the 2020 election.
Britannica - Kamala Harris, in full Kamala Devi Harris, (born October 20, 1964, Oakland, California, U.S.), American politician who was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 2016 and began her first term representing California in that body the following year. She was the first Indian American to serve as a U.S. senator as well as the second African American woman. Harris previously was the state’s attorney general (2011–17).
Conservapedia - Kamala Devi Harris ( pron. commie-la, Spanish Que mala[1]) is a racist Democrat Senator from California who publicly ridiculed Jamaicans as pleasure-seeking pot smokers and was openly rebuked by her own father. Harris is one-quarter black Jamaican, one-quarter white descendant of slave owners, and half India South Asian.[2] Harris is an outspoken advocate of defunding the police,[3] which she euphemistically refers to as "re-imagining".[4] 81% of Blacks oppose defunding police, and in fact want more police according to the Gallup Poll.[5] Former Vice President Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate for the 2020 presidential election on August 11, 2020.[6] The Biden/Harris ticket lost 10% support among "people of color" in a nationwide CNN poll of registered voters conducted in the following days after the announcement.[7]
Infogalactica – Kamala Devi Harris (/ˈkɑːmələ/ comma-lə;[1] born October 20, 1964)[2] is an American politician and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from California since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Harris is the presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee for the 2020 election, running alongside former vice president Joe Biden. She is the first African American and the first Asian American to be chosen as the running mate of a major party's presidential candidate.[3]
Ann Coulter:
Wikipedia - Ann Hart Coulter (/ˈkoʊltər/; born December 8, 1961 or 1963)[2] is an American media pundit, best-selling author, syndicated columnist, and lawyer.
She became known as a media pundit in the late 1990s, appearing in print and on cable news as an outspoken critic of the Clinton administration. Her first book concerned the Bill Clinton impeachment, and sprang from her experience writing legal briefs for Paula Jones's attorneys, as well as columns she wrote about the cases.[3]
Britannica - Ann Coulter, in full Ann Hart Coulter, (born December 8, 1961, New York City, New York, U.S.), American conservative political commentator and author who frequently courted controversy with brash statements about her ideological opponents, often Democrats and liberals.
Conservapedia - Ann Hart Coulter (born December 8, 1961) is a leading conservative commentator who often criticizes liberals by cleverly using their own point-of-view to ridicule them. Feminists are particularly intolerant of her incisive analysis, and many other Leftists consider her their greatest adversary. They forced a cancellation of her scheduled talk at the University of California, Berkeley on April 27, 2017. Coulter was an early conservative endorser of Donald Trump; and early critic of the liberal push for immigration; and an early supporter of the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. She became critical of President Trump as he appeared to retreat from his campaign promises on immigration.[1]
Infogalactica - Ann Hart Coulter (/ˈkoʊltər/; born December 8, 1961) is an American right-wing social and political commentator, writer, syndicated columnist, and lawyer. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public and private events.
Born in New York City to a conservative family, Coulter was raised in New Canaan, Connecticut. She deepened her conservative interests while studying history at Cornell University, where she helped found The Cornell Review. She subsequently embarked on a career as a law clerk before rising to prominence in the 1990s as an outspoken critic of the Clinton administration. Her first book concerned the Bill Clinton impeachment, and sprang from her experience writing legal briefs for Paula Jones's attorneys, as well as columns she wrote about the cases.[4][5]
George Floyd:
Wikipedia - George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was an African American man killed during an arrest after a store clerk alleged he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis. A white police officer named Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for a period initially reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds.[note 1][4][8] After his death, protests against police brutality, especially toward black people, quickly spread across the United States and internationally.
Britannica – No entry
Conservapedia - George Floyd was an African American former security guard who very likely died of a Fentanyl overdose[2] shortly after being taken into custody by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The arrest procedures were approved by the city's Democrat administration.[3] Peaceful protests over the decades-long Democrat run city government were infiltrated by progressives and terrorists who ignited a riot.[4] Antifa, the Democratic Socialists of America, and other like-minded groups ignited riots nationwide.[5]
Infogalactica – (No entry for “George Floyd”, only for “George Floyd riots”) The George Floyd riots[1] were a series of pro-black, left-wing, and anti-white protest and civil disturbance actions that started in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, before spreading across the USA. The protests began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, after black man George Floyd died shortly after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest the prior night. Chauvin served with the Minneapolis Police Department.
My take:
Wikipedia: Bias is shown by relying on the historic understanding of terms and organizations rather than what they have become in the current culture. If there is a motive in doing this, it is to maintain an aura of favor toward what have become liberal/socialist organizations (see Black Lives Matter, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Progressivism). Wikipedia’s is a “bias of omission.”
Britannica: Britannica is clearly the most academic of the bunch. It also focuses on the historic nature of organizations and ignores their more current political implications. Note the absence of discussion about “cancel culture”, “George Floyd”, and “Snopes.” While an abbreviated version is free, the complete online version requires a monthly or annual fee. All other reviewed sites are free.
Conservapedia: This site has not chosen its name for nothing. It has an unmistakable conservative slant. It is run by Andrew Schlafly, husband of Phyllis, a conservative Christian commentator. It shows its own bias in its bashing of Rush Limbaugh, probably due to its emphasis on Christian morality. Note that Rush has often professed his trust in Jesus Christ on air. This site doesn’t hold back on opinion on many other controversial titles.
Infogalactica: This appears to be the more even handed site compared to Conservapedia. Its treatment of Kamala Harris expresses some strong opinion. The site has a bit looser algorithm than Wikipedia which allow more conservative thought.
Both Conservapedia and Infogalactica provide a more accurate and complete description of movements, organizations and individuals from a conservative perspective than either Wikipedia or Britannica.
1 comment:
Great job.
Thank you.
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