A binary world
I'm beginning to think that the underlying problem with this increasingly dysfunctional, dangerous, inhumane world is not right-wing politics, not the internet, not political tribalism, not social media, not anonymity, not sewerpress tabloids, not even lack of education ... although all of those things have toxic effects, they are symptoms of a deeper malaise, one that is embedding itself deeply in our culture and behaviour.
The problem is lies.
We think the 'real war' is between right-wing culture (greed, callousness, selfishness, massive incompetence: its worst defect a kind of unprincipled ruthlessness) and the left (compassion, decency, humanity, frequent incompetence: its major defect a lack of principled ruthlessness); or simply between Haves and Have-Nots; the stronger vs the weaker ...
But when you scrape away all the political verbiage and excuses and justifications and sophistries, you get to the core, fundamental conflict: Truth vs Lies.
This story about FCC statistics is just one more data point about deceit, misleading information, political spin, propaganda and all the other shit that pollutes our brains.
The world is becoming a binary place where a literate and aware, rational adult—a member of the 'evidence-based community'—often knows what to expect from someone simply by knowing what they do for a living. For a brief subset—
Scientist. Teacher. Doctor. Soldier. Researcher. Engineer. Their job is honesty. Accuracy. Facts. Objective realities. Truth.
Politician. Marketer. Political appointee. Advertiser. Salesperson. Their jobs is deceit. Spin. Diversion. Excuses. Propaganda. Misinformation. Lies.
The problem with the second group is that they actually think this is ok. They really are that mediocre, as human beings.
The problem with the first group is we are not stomping all over the second group's f**king dishonesty and holding them accountable. We tolerate this mediocrity. We're letting the lunatics and the children take over.
Perhaps we should wake up and stop being tolerant—before it's too late, before we allow our kids to drown in a swamp of pollution on an over-heated planet?
Failing which, I say again: humans are unfit to govern themselves.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
