The truth matters. Not only ‘speaking truth to power’, but turning that on its head to speak truth to the masses. The perversion of political debate and populist appeal is, put simply, dangerous and divisive. The corruption of social media by fantasists and fanatics – including those who own the channels or the algorithms which distort the debate – don’t just manipulate the truth, they lie. In some cases telling one “truth” to one group and the polar opposite “truth” to another in their echo chambers. Driven by greed, power and hate.
It’s no longer a question of freedom of speech vs censorship, or facts over opinions. It is extreme views forced into the mainstream promulgated by national politicians, fringe parties gaining ground, and a compliant if not complicit media – while editorials supporting their owners views has always been the case, now chasing headlines or clickbait in the Wild West of social media is the norm.
This matters to us all. As governments twist and turn in the wind of public opinion, deranged global leaders and world crises – the dangers of climate change, the horrors of war and genocide, world poverty and mass migration that this brings – truth matters most. Instead we are fed conspiracy theories as facts, warped views as mainstream, and downright lies that cost lives, millions of lives.
All this determines the way that we are governed, the taxes we pay, the lives we lead. Some may feel too distant from the sheer scale of the challenges, a distraction from their daily lives; something for others to worry about and deal with, it goes ‘above my head’ and there’s nothing I can do. Yet for many, far far too many, it is their daily reality. It is the racism, the misogyny, the division sown in our communities, the fear or hatred of others.
Telling the truth is not a matter of principle, it is an absolute for democracy. To bend the truth is not the same as bending the rules, to achieve a better end. Half truths are half the picture, with long term consequences. Populist politics that panders to the masses distract from the truth of the matter, offering easy answers to complex issues. It is to lie to us all. A deceit that serves none of us well, and ultimately harms those which it purports to protect.
Citadel 