Today I want to talk about facts and truth. Some of you may not like what you’re about to read. I’ve tried to keep certain polarizing subjects out of this blog, but as an American who cares deeply about the basic democratic principles this country was founded on, I think it’s time for more of us to speak out.
Over the past decade, we have seen big, bold lies being peddled to the American people. That would have been unthinkable 30 or 40 years ago. They include:
(1) Ukraine invaded Russia (the exact opposite of what occurred).
(2) The current president was overwhelmingly elected in 2024 by the biggest majority in history; in truth he won by a narrow margin of the popular vote.
(3) The current president didn’t really lose the 2020 election, but was the victim of widespread voting fraud. Dozens of court cases were filed alleging as much, and were thrown out for lack of evidence.
Now, to be clear, politicians and others in their orbit lie with some regularity. But these lies I just cited are not little white lies, or fibs, or truth-stretching lies. These are blatant, easily provable falsehoods. These are lies akin to insisting, “the sky is green,” when anyone can clearly see it is blue.
Why do lies matter? Why should we care if politicians, or others, blatantly lie to us? Obviously, one reason: there are gullible people who will believe the lies. Big Lie No. 3 prompted a storming of the U.S. Capitol building by an angry mob.
But beyond that, we will find ourselves in a truly bad place if we are unable, or unwilling, to parse out obvious untruths. Truth is not something that is just a matter of opinion. “Well, you may think that, but I don’t agree” is fine for certain things, like whether strawberry or chocolate ice cream is better, but not for two plus two equals four.
Using the Veneer of Science to Serve a Personal Agenda
When I tried so hard to heal my knees, I looked to scientific studies. I wanted results that had been tested in the crucible of the scientific method, objectively, without partiality to any particular thesis about healing. I wanted researchers whose papers were untainted by support from any drugmakers or glucosamine sellers.
These studies inspired me, gave me purpose, and allowed me to heal by pointing me toward a path grounded in facts and truth, not unfounded hope.
Contrast that with what we see today: a top-ranking U.S. government official just promised to reveal the cause of autism by September. This is someone who has a controversial (and minority) viewpoint on this subject. Do we really trust that a flurry of full and impartial studies will be conducted in less than six months, on this matter of significant debate, and the truth will come to light?
Or is this just a cynical attempt to pass off as “truth” someone’s opinion or agenda?
Now I want to introduce you to Hannah Arendt.
I read her while at Harvard. Arendt, who was Jewish, fled Germany in 1933, escaping before the Nazi horror truly began. She later wrote an authoritative and seminal work on totalitarianism; the power of her writing derives not only from her formidable intellectual prowess, but also (one suspects) from her analyzing a phenomenon that was unfortunately too close to home.
She said this (my emphasis added):
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between the true and the false no longer exist.
So all those malleable people, who can no longer tell the difference between what is true and what is false—whether from ignorance, indifference, or willful blindness—are an authoritarian’s best friend. That’s something worth pondering.
That so many of us are willing to swallow Big Lies should be alarming all by itself. But there is much, much more that we should be wrestling with now. Do we really believe in Constitution-enshrined free speech, even if it might be personally distasteful or repulsive? How willing are we to defend that? Do we really believe in the system of checks and balances that our founders created?
If I Wanted to Be an Authoritarian, This Would Be My Game Plan
On Jan. 25, I tweeted a musing about how (if I were a wannabe authoritarian), I would try to take control of America.
(1) First, I said, I’d mass-fire people in the government bureaucracy and install as many loyalists as possible. This is the easiest part for the chief executive to do, as the president does have wide latitude to appoint and hire and fire workers in federal agencies. By itself, this would be quite empowering—imagine having the IRS, SEC, Justice Department, etc., under your thumb.
(2) Next, and this is harder: I’d have to bring the courts to heel. Courts are dangerous, because they deal heavily in fact and law and precedent. They will not bow to my fictions. They are often slow-moving as well, so if I aspired to be an authoritarian, their meddling and demands for evidence would slow me down. However, their slowness could be an asset: I could just move quickly, before they have a chance to respond. Another strategy: at some point, I could just ignore them. What can the courts do? It’s not like they have an army.
(3) With the courts subdued, I would then be freer to move on to media/critics. If I have a loyalist installed at the Federal Communications Commission, I would have him investigate media outlets I don’t like and threaten to take away their license. Note that the head of the FCC said recently: “Federal law requires (Comcast’s) licensed operations to serve the public interest. News distortion doesn’t cut it.” But then who defines “news distortion”? Ah, well that would be me, the would-be authoritarian, using my own version of what qualifies as “truth.”
You may have noticed that I have left Congress out of this mock “game plan.” Sadly, our Congress is basically impotent today, and this is one reason I think many Americans are drawn to a strong ruler.
The last thought I want to leave with you: if you are an American—conservative, liberal, it doesn’t matter—who is troubled by what has been happening, speak up. Say something. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said recently, “We are all afraid.”
That’s sobering, coming from a legislator who is in a position of influence, who could be a real force for change if she had the courage. But we shouldn’t be afraid. People of conscience, who care about America’s ideals, can speak with a unified voice that will not be easily silenced. Make them hear us.
Make them understand that we the people do have the ultimate power.
