American culture is a busy, somewhat fraught place as individuals and groups strive to influence the direction of markets and ideas. More and more these activities take place on digital platforms that are globally accessed and influenced by everyone from elementary school children to foreign governments and posers (human and artificial). Evermore diverse and without much internal control except that which participants choose to shape, democracies depend on the individual’s commitment to discerning the truth.
John Adams reminded citizens that “facts are stubborn things,” meaning that truth cannot be corrupted. Yet in today’s digital environment, truth is battered, shaped, recolored and redressed until it represents its opposite. An example is the kidnapping of democratic language used to support MAGA athoritarianism. Citizens duped and caught up in the web of lies are aiding authoritarian forces that seek to destroy the liberal order established after WWII and the system of governance established at our founding.
This article from Pew Research reports on the growing number of Americans who favor technology companies or the U.S. government restricting false or violent information. What do you think? What are the risks? Gains? What are the challenges the average citizen faces in attempting to discern the truth in today’s marketplace of ideas and influencers?
Susan Feathers 
Yes, everywhere it seems today there is the assault on truly free thinking and speech. It’s all part of the negativity that plagues us today. It seems there is such a push on us to conform to ONE way, one thought, and increased black and white thinking – to categorize everything, to solidify. /our state Senator here in KY – Mike Wilson – wants to make it a crime to support, or discuss what he defines as “Divisive Concepts”. What a quagmire!! I’m old enough to remember when one of the horrors of Communism and Nazi Germany was the encouraging of children to report their parents, teachers and fellow students for saying any thing conceived as against the party line. I might NOT like what you say – but it is BASIC that you be able to say it. There are all kinds of positive ways that people who control and people who are the recipients of media can make changes without banning. One of the biggest being personal responsibility for my choices and understanding the law of action and reaction, action and consequence for action. We need to understand cause and getting rid of causes that are harmful. We need to teach and live kindness and relationship and how to be in loving relationships.
LikeLike
Thank you, Eleanor. Very well stated. This is a long process to recover the days when this kind of deliberation was widespread. We can find it here and there but citizens must invoke this practice if we are to save civil discourse – and democracy.
LikeLike