... from Matthew O'Brien of The Atlantic, quoting from David Roberts at Grist: we are living in a "post-fact world."
Yes, exactly. And I am a naif who happens to be very, very bothered by that. It's not that there have not been lies in politics before, it's simply that they are so much more prevalent the past few years. It is though, as people such as O'Brien have observed, repeating something loud enough and often enough will make it true.
And over it all lies the pall of crude tribalism, in which concern for the nation as a whole evaporates in the face of dog-whistles and a determined "bipartisanship" -- which is merely one party holding firm and objecting to anything, no matter how "moderate," (really center-right, usually) the other wants to do, and the other unwilling or unable to counter or call them out on it.
It is ridiculous to expect honor from our politicians. I know this. But given that they hold so much power over policies which will determine so much of our lives, isn't it understandable to wistfully long for it?
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