The facts you learned in school no longer matter. The truth is what you make it; the line between honesty and deceit has vanished. Today, you can find any number of people or organizations who will cater to your perceptions and persuade you of your own unassailably justified opinions. It's killing our democracy.
Democracy is a simple principle; people come together, talk about their shared problems and find mutually acceptable solutions. It may have more complex forms, but at its core democracy is just people with common problems seeking common solutions.
Issues with democracy being to emerge as you seek to analyze the problems people share. Everyone sees the problem differently. The act of believing it to be caused by this, not that or that it's the fault of X, not Y. The process of democracy then becomes the process of understanding problems.
In the past, philosophers and politicians have handled this problem with education and communication. In America, the Founding Fathers believed public education would guarantee an educated public who could fully understand the nation’s problems and seek solutions together. With a base of educated voters and thoughtful leaders, the founders believed our nation could come together and talk about any problem with clear heads and find real solutions. They thought this would make democracy nearly unbreakable.
They were wrong.
Today, people are better educated than the even the studious founders, yet our democracy is struggling to really discuss its problems and absolutely failing to develop solutions. We have leaders trained in governing, law, business, and any number of other fields, yet our public discourse has devolved beyond recognition for one simple reason: everyone has their own facts.
The simple idea of democracy assumes that there is only one set of facts about a problem and that if reasonable people know these facts they can find a solution. In the 21st century, that assumption has been thrown out the window. Today, an American voter can find any number of “credible" sources to support their own assessment of a national problem. This is flaw in democracy the founders did not foresee.
If you think immigrants are ruining America’s economy, then there are studies to prove it. If you think crime is rising across the county, this news outlet can convince you of it. If you believe that universal healthcare is easily affordable, these scholars know the facts. No matter your stance on immigration, gun violence, poverty, foreign policy, taxes, gay marriage, oil companies, or welfare programs, someone can prove that you're right. From cable news coverage that avoids your discomfort and political leaders willing to tell you anything you already believe, to scholars who sell facts to the highest bidder, the market for telling you how correct you are is booming in America.
It is this multiplicity of truths which has wrecked havoc on our elections and our democracy. Just watch this video of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich telling a news anchor that voters feelings matter more than facts. If that does not convince you that facts are in decline today, then read this New York Times piece on America’s think tanks soliciting donations in return for favorable academic publications. After you read that, turn on your TV and flip to FOX News or MSNBC, then try to tell yourself both stations are covering the same country.
All of this draws to a single point, the central assumption of democracy that one person’s facts are everyone’s facts has fallen apart. In place of this principle, many Americans have come to see those who disagree with them as stupid, ignorant, and malicious. If we see our fellow Americans as our treasonous opponents, we are unlikely to admit any value in their perspectives or compromise with them to find solutions. As we have become convinced of our own righteousness and persuaded that our solutions are the only solutions, we have closed the door on working with those with whom we disagree and damning our democracy in the process.
If we are to salvage our democracy and fix what is broken, we must begin to confront this multiplicity of “facts,” and call out those who seek to warp the truth to fit the perspectives of their customers, voters or donors.
Imagine yourself watching the first presidential debate covered on your favorite news channel. You will probably half listen to both candidates argue and then stick around for the post-debate analysis. Your favorite news anchor with carefully tell you about how the bad candidate lied, invite Dr. Intelligent Expert to detail the bad candidate’s flawed economic plans, and then reply the good candidates best moments. Then the news anchor will show you polling numbers that make it seem impossible for the bad candidate to win. Imagine a world where Americans all watch the same debate, but go to sleep that night convinced their candidate won easily.
Or don’t imagine it.
The first debate is on September 23rd.
