A recent editorial response to my ‘Healing the Body Politic’ essay, while taking issue with my admittedly drastic suggestion, failed to address the underlying issue – bald-faced lies promoted by right-wing voices that paint a context for choice that is seriously devoid of reality. Instead, the author described the examples I quoted as simple ‘notions or opinions from conservatives’. The author seems to be denying the distinction between ‘fact’ and ‘lie’. It seems to me that those who can’t distinguish egregious ‘lie’ from ‘fact’, are not competent to participate in the processes of Democracy.
Much of the essay consisted of fear-mongering examples, and denials that a fair, apolitical structure for rooting out the kind of lies I use as examples was even possible.
We have laws and ethics that recognize the special status of people and organizations in a position of trust, requiring them to meet a higher standard of behavior, with punishments for abuse of the authority afforded them by their position.
We actually have a structure that routinely makes the kind of assessments I’m suggesting – the American criminal justice system. I’m not suggesting that this is the answer because, frankly, it has become too politicized. I would propose that we turn to social scientists and information and conspiracy theory experts, selected for their demonstrated objectivity, to design a process – and keep politicians out of it. I don’t know what the answer might be; only that staying silent, that doing nothing, is not an option.
A key tenet of our criminal justice system is ‘the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’. The value of that proposition is not limited to the courtroom. It is what we have a right to expect from our leaders. Promotion of the kind of lies that right-wing voices seem to have made their SOP, under the guise of ‘Freedom of Speech’, is simply ‘gaming the system’ – a method of manipulating voter opinion that is a violation of the spirit and principles of good government.
American Democracy has long been under assault from the kind of lies I refer to. A high-functioning democracy relies on a well-informed electorate. Freedom of choice is an illusion when that choice is based on lies. The only true freedom of choice is a fully, factually informed choice.
The big ‘stop the steal’ lie is a case in point. Trump filed dozens of lawsuits attempting to question the validity of election results, which were thrown out of court as baseless. Meanwhile, right-wing voices continued to promote the lie, further solidifying their manipulation of the gullible. In spite of this clear adjudication of certified election results, 139 Representatives in the House, and eight Senators violated their constitutional duty by voting to reject some state certified election results – a clear assault on American Democracy. That those votes were in the minority is the only thing that saved our Democracy.
Apparent in the fearmongering essay is an attitude I hear all too often from conservative voices – that personal freedoms are absolute. They are not. Every freedom comes with a responsibility to use it wisely, in a way that does not cause harm to others. When your choices cause harm to others, you need to expect that your freedoms will be micro-managed.
Right-wing use of Freedom of Speech has failed abysmally in this regard, as lies believed rob individuals of their informed freedom of choice. We of course tolerate that from individuals. From people and organizations in a position of trust, from our elected representatives and office holders, it is intolerable.
Of course I recognize that lies are seen at all points of the political spectrum. The lies that come from right-wing sources far exceed other political lies in their material, harmful, manipulative impact on American Democracy and on Americans themselves. This is to a degree, and with a level of destructive impact, not foreseen by the framers of our Constitution. When have lies from the progressive end of the political spectrum ever been as egregious, as destructive, as manipulative of voters as ‘stop the steal’, or qanon, or the Mueller ‘witch hunt’, or Covid-19 isn’t serious and mask mandates violate personal freedoms? NEVER!
I know this is a huge uphill effort – an effort the future of American democracy depends on. What organization can long survive destructive choices brought on by an onslaught of misinformation?
American Democracy – What’s the point?
The preamble to the US Constitution summarizes the intent of American democracy:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
When evaluating laws and public policy, it is necessary to place them within the context of this intent, and remember that it also means seeking to serve the people of all constituencies with some sense of balance. Additionally, it requires respecting the principle of the ‘primacy of the individual’, the right of each person to live their personal lives – the choices and aspects of their lives that have little or no impact outside their consensual personal community – as they see fit.
Consider the egregious lies I use as examples. I assert that they seek to subvert, rather than support, achievement of the goals of American Democracy, and must be addressed. The author of the critical essay wants you to be horrified that I want to hold egregious liars in a position of trust to account. Instead, you should be horrified by the destructive impact manipulative right-wing lies have had on American Democracy.
American Democracy is under assault.