Introduction
When in 2017 a prominent Trump campaign spokesperson* was asked on a nationally televised political news show why the White House was lying about Trump’s inaugural crowd size, she famously replied:
“Sean Spicer, our Press Secretary, gave alternative facts”
And thus the modern post-truth era was officialized by the Executive Branch of the US government.
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” In his novel “1984”, George Orwell tried to warn us 75 years ago of the possibility and the dangers of a post-truth world.
What are the enablers?
George Orwell’s inspiration came from his observations of the propagandist “alternative truths” of totalitarian states (Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia…). One was either all in, or not in at all.
Our present post-truth world is a global, pervasive, systemic and complex state of unknowing, feeding on a wide array of enablers :
- Partisan media outlets flood us daily with competing and conflicting versions of “the truth”
- AI deepfakes create limitless lifelike evidence of alternate realities
- Social media algorithms bottle us up in self-amplified narrative bubbles
- Conspiracy theories offer “alternative facts” for every scientific, technological, political and social topic imaginable
How is it manifesting?
Looking at climate change for example, attitudes range from outright denial (climate change is a hoax), to skepticism on its human-generated causes, to behavioral climate inaction, all the way to militant activism in favor of radical climate action.
And yet the scientific consensus is strong and widespread : climate change is a physical reality, human activity is the main contributor, and significant action is required to mitigate its worst consequences.
One would expect the disagreements to be on what to do about it and how fast, not on whether it is real or not.
Why are we susceptible?
Most of us find this state of unknowing increasingly difficult to overcome. We are often unable, or sometimes even unwilling, to discern truth from falsehoods, even as we have easier and wider access to reliable sources of knowledge.
This is hardly surprising given that:
- We are increasingly polarized around values and identities
- We are overwhelmed by the ever-growing complexity and interconnectedness of existentially disruptive crises and changes
- We are experiencing a growing dissatisfaction with and distrust of democratic institutions
- We can observe a general decrease in shared understanding and of the willingness of people to compromise
What are we missing/losing to resist this and where can Cards for Democracy for All help?
“Democracy dies in darkness” is the motto of the Washington Post.
In order to survive and thrive, democracy requires shared understanding, transparency, and the constructive dialogue that can follow from these other two foundations.
The post-truth state of unknowing, polarization and distrust we exist in undermines the very foundations of our democratic structures.
For us as individuals to contribute meaningfully to the preservation and reinvention of democracy, we need to find ways to overcome the state of unknowing.
There are many attitudes, skills, and knowledge described in the Cards for Democracy that can help us along the way :
- To sift through the “crap” and develop our critical thinking skills so that we are better equipped to discern truth from falsehood, and avoid the biases and blind spots created by our own filters of values and identities
- To better avoid confusing facts with opinions
- To open our minds and hearts to the diverse palette of values and identities that shape how we and others develop different understandings of the truth from the same initial facts.
*Kellyanne Conway, January 22 2017 on NBC’s Meet the Press, hosted by Chuck Todd
Suggested Cards for Democracy for All
