If we do not have the capacity to distinguish what’s true from what’s false, then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work. And by definition our democracy doesn’t work. We are entering into an epistemological crisis.” Barack Obama Information is only as good as the quality of your sources. Social media in particular is … Read more
The central aspect of Donald Trump’s character, and the thing that qualifies him as evil (rather just a buffoon), is that he is a congenital liar. The Bible clearly states that “all liars” will go to hell (Revelation 21:8). The Book of Mormon teaches that the devil is “the father of all lies” (2Nephi 2:18). … Read more
In the election of 2020, nearly 73 million Americans voted for autocracy over democracy. Most of these people are under the brain-numbing influence of lies, manipulation, and conspiracy-thinking. The frightening thing is that even without Trump in the White House, they could still be a potent and dangerous political force. Currently, the most obvious effect … Read more
Republicans like to play a little game with the word “democracy.” Whenever someone refers to the United States as a “democracy” they pipe up in a self-righteous know-it-all voice and say, “The United States is not a democracy, it’s a republic.” This word game, while technically historically accurate, is essentially meaningless. While the founding fathers … Read more
The word “perspective” means the way that one looks at something. It is your viewpoint, your picture of the world. The suffix “-cide” means “to kill.” “Perspecticide” means to kill or destroy someone’s sense of self and their grasp on the truth about the world. The citizens of United States of America today are the … Read more
Democracy, at least in theory, relies on a rational electorate acting in response to credible information. Since the dawn of mass media, elections have been shaped by voters’ reactions to the news. But as I drove through the three states that decided the 2016 election by a little less than 80,000 votes, I sensed a … Read more
Trump supporters demonstrate an “extreme devotion and unwavering admiration for their highly unpredictable and often inflammatory leader” (Azarian). Psychologist Thomas Pettigrew has identified five psychological phenomena that help to explain their behavior. 1. Authoritarian Personality Syndrome. People with this syndrome are submissive to authority, have a rigid hierarchical view of society, resist new experiences, and … Read more
New research from the RAND Corporation shows what working Americans have suspected all along. From 1975 to 2020, the top 1% of Americans have stolen 50 trillion dollars from the aggregate annual incomes of the bottom 90% of Americans. Everyone in the United States today would be healthier, happier, and better educated if we had … Read more