Are any of you in favor of fake news? You know, the news about COVID, or climate change? The news about autism and vaccines. Or the fake news about Tyler Robinson? Or would you all like to get rid of the fake news? Never let it rear its ugly head and lying lips again? I don’t believe I’ve ever met anyone in favor of fake news. Except perhaps for various parody purveyors whose stock in trade is intentionally fake news.
So if virtually everyone is against fake news, why do we have so much fake news? There’s the rub, wouldn’t you say? Notice in my list in the above paragraph I said nothing about the effectiveness of vaccines. I wrote not a word about the accuracy of climate change theories, nothing about what causes autism. I expressed no view on whether Tyler Robinson is a conservative or a liberal.
I have my own thoughts on each of these issues and scores more. Some I’m more confident of than others. But this I know. There are plenty of people of reasonably good will who are on the opposite side of me on every one of them. Which is not an argument in favor of relativism. It is instead an argument in favor of all of us coming to grasp that it is always our bias to assume it’s the other guy with a bias. And we are all the other guy to someone.
Did you know that there are people who believe that climate change denial is as absurd as denying the earth is not flat? Do you not remember that the we were enjoined a few years ago to “Follow the science” while virtually all the scientists were lying to us? How are we supposed to know what is true when virtually no one is trustworthy?
Some argue that it is social media that has made us so distrustful. We, on opposite sides of the political spectrum, live in an echo chamber powered by social media AI and algorithms designed not to inform us but ensnare us. I recently re-watched The Social Dilemma, a Netflix documentary on these issues. There is something to be said for this danger and its debilitating effects.
What struck me, however, was that the movie makers’ solution was more regulation. Private businesses are messing with our minds for their own purposes. Therefore let’s give the government more power. What could go wrong? No one seemed to consider that maybe one reason no one believes anyone anymore is because no one tells the truth anymore. Might that have something to do with it?
Not only is the world overrun by lies, but no one seems to admit it when the lies are exposed. For pity’s sake, the government is still pushing COVID vaccines, and no one has even begun to face punishment for lying to the world. How is it that Americans have not demanded the resignation of everyone who told us President Biden was of sound mind?
The loss of Christian foundation in a culture swiftly leads to cultural decay and from there cultural implosion. Truth is slain in the streets. Maybe, just maybe we believers might have an impact here. Maybe being salt and light begins with telling the truth.
Very useful grist for the mill.
Thanks Mike.