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This cartoon is funny at first glance. But sadly it does not bode well for our democracy. Many will want to blame Donald Trump, but it is much deeper. Our post-truth world did not begin with Trump.
I wrote a piece on fake-news and truth a few weeks back that is probative.
The mainstream media is acting as if disinformation is a new problem. It is not. In fact, way before it was vogue on Facebook or other social media domains, it was rampant in print, on cable news and broadcast news. And I am not just talking Fox News even though they made it an art form.
One must not forget that New York Times reporter Judith Miller willfully allowed others to mislead her into writing the lies that led us into the Iraq War. She gave the Bush administration lie the cover of objective journalism that was not objective at all. Her lies were complicit in getting hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and thousands of American soldiers killed because it helped lay the framework to war on false pretenses.
Mainstream media were instrumental in a less than optimal Affordable Care Act. Why? They were pass through conduits for lies from the right. They knowingly allowed terms like ‘government takeover of healthcare,’ ‘throw grandma under the bus,’ ‘death panels,’ and other verifiable lies to become part of the lexicon. In other words, they were delivering ‘fake news’ on behalf of the right. Currently, they allow Paul Ryan’s lies to go mostly unchecked. Ryan is using the false claim that Obamacare made Medicare less solvent. He needs that talking point as a bridge to not only dismantling Obamacare but to give a plausible reason for privatizing Medicare.
For those who cannot read the cartoon, here it is in text form.
Post-Truth World
Trump Truth
I won the election by the biggest landslide in American History! And I have no conflict of interest! It’s true because I say it’s true!
Cable News Truth
Donald Trump is a terrifying, uninformed sociopath. But Hillary had that email server! LOL, nothing matters!
Facebook Truth
According to this meme, Hillary is a Lizard Person who lives on a diet of human babies! Thank God for citizen journalists!
Alt-Right Truth
When Americans voted for an orange president — They voted for white supremacy. Hail Trump. Hail Pepe.
G.O.P. Truth
Okay, sure — Trump’s a corrupt narcissist who was elected with help from Vladimir Putin — But as long as we get to cut medicare, I can live with that.
Rank-And-File Truth
Who better to “drain the swamp” than a team of Billionaires and Bankers? They are swamp experts.
Kremlin Truth
Ha Ha! There is no “Truth!” You must Disabuse yourselves of such childish notions! I like the way this guy thinks!
The Awful Truth
We are completely and utterly screwed, But Happy Holidays! Hey! You have to say “Merry Christmas” Now! Say it.
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