I have read other things that say much the same thing and I always fin d myself with unanswered - or maybe unanswerable - questions. I’ll pose just one here. Yes, people are feeding on mis- and disinformation that grossly distorts reality. Sure. But you don’t, I don’t, and half the country doesn’t. What is it that makes us different? Are we just feeding off a different source of mis- and disinformation? I’ll admit that’s possible, but I don’t think so. Some of us see the world for what it is, others see the world for what they want it to be and good old confirmation bias takes them the rest of the way. If misinformation was as powerful as you suggest then we too would be victim to it. Ask yourself why even in the USSR there were dissidents, what were they able to see that others weren’t? I won’t go on, but I’ll finish with this: what about us? Why is it always we who are trying to understand and kinda-sorta empathize with a deranged half of the country? Do you think for a second they’re doing likewise? Who speaks for us for a change?
These are good questions. Regarding this: "If misinformation was as powerful as you suggest then we too would be victim to it" -- I think a lot depends on whether or not you're getting powerful information to the contrary. If I only watched Fox, and all my friends and family were Trump supporters, and my Facebook feed was jammed with right wing memes, and I never took the time to seek out other sources of information and news, maybe I'd buy into the misinformation too. But I read / watch / listen widely, as I imagine you do too. As do dissidents in oppressive regimes.
I also do think that some folks are simply more susceptible to misinformation and propaganda than others -- if they're not tech/media savvy, they have a harder time seeing through it. And if it confirms their biases, then they're likely to latch on. (If I was deeply racist and I saw "news" that cast immigrants of color in a negative light, maybe I'd say: A-ha, see? I'm right to think Haitians / Latin Americans / etc. are no good.)
As for us trying to understand / empathize with those who vote differently...I think it's because we're so freaking aghast that so many people could vote for him, we can't help trying to figure it out!
This is the most extraordinary essay I’ve read in a long time. I devoured every single word. It’s so much of the nuance that we talk about around the dinner table, but is in short supply in the public conversation. Bookmarking, sharing, will probably come back to read again later. Thank you Jane, for your brain and your heart.
Thank you Jane—this essay is by far one of the best I’ve read since the election; your recent writings about it are some of the most thoughtful and insightful that I’ve read. They have truly helped me clarify how I can come to terms with the outcome and the people who voted for him. And I’m also a Gen Xer but had no idea about these Soviet camps that US kids visited, so thanks for sharing that interesting (and bizarre) bit of history! Thanks again.
I agree with your points. I am also trying to consume less political news, and focus on making art (writing), healing & helping others heal. Underscore your point about vilifying voters in the right. It is a toxic mindset, villifying, hating, and, moreover, does just what the bots & propaganda want us to do—divide as a people, a nation, irreparable would be nice, to enable narcissist tyrants to take over & get inconvenient truth-sayers out of the way of big business interests. Its harder, of course,to pause & breathe rather than reply to a triggering social media post, to remember the humanity of each individual, contemplate the misinformation that may have brainwashed the poster, unless its from a Russian bot, 🤖, of course, and to remember that the more engagement a negative post gets, the more money is made by negative posters, and the more the media algorithm rewards and delivers them to us. We gather more bees with honey than vinegar, some old saying goes. Assuming it’s bees you’re after, of course.
This is a brilliant essay, Jane. As I read, I kept yelling, "Yes!" and "She's right!" I always enjoy your posts, especially the humor, but this time you captured a truth that is anything but funny and I couldn't agree with you more.
first of all, Trump didn't win the popular vote. Second, Went to China in 1984, similar experience, hated those damn loudspeakers that seemed to never shut up. Third, old enough to remember one source of news: Walter Cronkite; one reality for all. I talk about this in my piece https://gregoryfdelaurier.substack.com/p/burnt-hot-dogs-and-civil-rights
Trump did win the popular vote in this last election. (But not in 2016.) Loved your piece! I almost mentioned Walter Cronkite in mine, actually. Things would be verrrry different the journalism/news landscape was now what it was then. Sigh. (Cronkite was off the air by the time I was six or seven, but I did a report on him in third grade!)
Agree with the essay and these comments. A huge corollary in my mind as well is the increasing ownership of traditional news media by those same broligarchs (great term!!!) LA Times. WaPo. Surely others. The lack of endorsements in the election cycle were a direct result of billionaires silencing editorial boards. A WaPo cartoonist just resigned last week because she wasn't allowed to publish a cartoon relating to their owner.
How can we even know what are legit news sources going forward as this trend continues?
It’s increasingly difficult! The media bias chart I linked to in the part about the reach of right wing media is a good way to see what the least biased and most accurate sources are. AP News and BBC are pretty good, and network news.
I mean for people who want to seek the truth, yeah - but since even old defaults (major newspapers?!) may not necessarily be reliable in coming years, it is likely to make the general delusion of the population that much more widespread.
I know this is not the point of your (excellent) post, but I can never get over the fact that at this point of my life I have at least 4 American acquaintances and friends who've been to Artek and not a single Russian one :)
You outdid yourself again. I could totally relate to your post. There is a couple of parallels. Twenty six years before you went to the SSR, at the same naive age of 14, I left my home in Chile to participate in an exchange program in Florida, USA.
The other parallel is thaT I share the notion that, globally, there is much more that unites us than what separates us.
I have been to six of the seven continents (excluding Antartica) and can atest to that fact.
At the present, and since 2020, I reside in Vietnam. It is amazing to be here and have a totally different perspective than the one I had while I was at now, CSUN, attending peace rallies and anti-war demonstrations, thinking, WE, Americans, were the good guys.
Do not get me wrong. I am a naturalised citizen and very much a defender of the America I know, respect; that I am grateful to and love, but I , as you, am flabbergasted by how
our country's inhabitant's can have such dissimilar perception of the truth, despite what anyone says, when the convicted felon is telling us and showing us who he is and who his cronies are.
The pain I feel for my grandaughters ( and for your beautiful twins and their future descendants), should his threats become reality, is breaking, not only my heart, but millions of others. Not only at home, but around the world.
In Vietnam, from an Economic point of view, a very capitalistic country, with a very thinly Socialist system, with a Communist Government that is no longer aligned with Marxist tenets such a classless society, abolition of private property, etc., the mos frequent question I get is:
I found this video very helpfully articulates and expands upon tbe point you quote from the author looking at 1938. We really havebt comprehended what the social internet jas done to our information environment and the impact that revolutions in communication seem to consistently have. https://youtu.be/d8PndpFPL8g?si=z4vW0b69PjHmBwSC
Yes, I'm sure they were deeply misinformed. However, each one of us has a responsibility to find out the truth. Anyone can do so at any library in the US, for free.
True, but I think it's unrealistic to think that everyone is going to make that kind of extra effort—or even can. It used to be a lot easier to get the facts, and there was way less information and content being lobbed at people. Three TV networks, each with nightly news that was mostly reporting, not commentary. Trust in journalists and newspapers. No internet / social media to muddy the waters with misinformation.
I find extremely irritating the fact that people watch "Entertainment" talk shows or listen to podcasts, which express opinions and commentaries, accepting them as Journalism and news,
I have read other things that say much the same thing and I always fin d myself with unanswered - or maybe unanswerable - questions. I’ll pose just one here. Yes, people are feeding on mis- and disinformation that grossly distorts reality. Sure. But you don’t, I don’t, and half the country doesn’t. What is it that makes us different? Are we just feeding off a different source of mis- and disinformation? I’ll admit that’s possible, but I don’t think so. Some of us see the world for what it is, others see the world for what they want it to be and good old confirmation bias takes them the rest of the way. If misinformation was as powerful as you suggest then we too would be victim to it. Ask yourself why even in the USSR there were dissidents, what were they able to see that others weren’t? I won’t go on, but I’ll finish with this: what about us? Why is it always we who are trying to understand and kinda-sorta empathize with a deranged half of the country? Do you think for a second they’re doing likewise? Who speaks for us for a change?
These are good questions. Regarding this: "If misinformation was as powerful as you suggest then we too would be victim to it" -- I think a lot depends on whether or not you're getting powerful information to the contrary. If I only watched Fox, and all my friends and family were Trump supporters, and my Facebook feed was jammed with right wing memes, and I never took the time to seek out other sources of information and news, maybe I'd buy into the misinformation too. But I read / watch / listen widely, as I imagine you do too. As do dissidents in oppressive regimes.
I also do think that some folks are simply more susceptible to misinformation and propaganda than others -- if they're not tech/media savvy, they have a harder time seeing through it. And if it confirms their biases, then they're likely to latch on. (If I was deeply racist and I saw "news" that cast immigrants of color in a negative light, maybe I'd say: A-ha, see? I'm right to think Haitians / Latin Americans / etc. are no good.)
As for us trying to understand / empathize with those who vote differently...I think it's because we're so freaking aghast that so many people could vote for him, we can't help trying to figure it out!
This is the most extraordinary essay I’ve read in a long time. I devoured every single word. It’s so much of the nuance that we talk about around the dinner table, but is in short supply in the public conversation. Bookmarking, sharing, will probably come back to read again later. Thank you Jane, for your brain and your heart.
Gosh, thanks so much, Liz. I really appreciate it. It was not any easy one to write!
Those are often the best ones!
It's a sick feeling to realize that so many people are not seeing reality clearly. I have no idea what to do about the misinformation vortex.
This is superb. It’s just terrific.
I’ve been a free reader. Converting to paid now. Great piece!
If I can figure out how to upgrade on the app - it shouldn’t be this hard!!
Thank you so much for attempting it! :-D I truly appreciate it. (Things do seem to be harder than the app than on desktop!)
I sent old school - desktop!
Thank you Jane—this essay is by far one of the best I’ve read since the election; your recent writings about it are some of the most thoughtful and insightful that I’ve read. They have truly helped me clarify how I can come to terms with the outcome and the people who voted for him. And I’m also a Gen Xer but had no idea about these Soviet camps that US kids visited, so thanks for sharing that interesting (and bizarre) bit of history! Thanks again.
I agree with just about everything you wrote. Thanks for being so articulate. What you’re saying is so important!!
I agree with your points. I am also trying to consume less political news, and focus on making art (writing), healing & helping others heal. Underscore your point about vilifying voters in the right. It is a toxic mindset, villifying, hating, and, moreover, does just what the bots & propaganda want us to do—divide as a people, a nation, irreparable would be nice, to enable narcissist tyrants to take over & get inconvenient truth-sayers out of the way of big business interests. Its harder, of course,to pause & breathe rather than reply to a triggering social media post, to remember the humanity of each individual, contemplate the misinformation that may have brainwashed the poster, unless its from a Russian bot, 🤖, of course, and to remember that the more engagement a negative post gets, the more money is made by negative posters, and the more the media algorithm rewards and delivers them to us. We gather more bees with honey than vinegar, some old saying goes. Assuming it’s bees you’re after, of course.
Elisa
This is a brilliant essay, Jane. As I read, I kept yelling, "Yes!" and "She's right!" I always enjoy your posts, especially the humor, but this time you captured a truth that is anything but funny and I couldn't agree with you more.
Thank you, Tracy!!
first of all, Trump didn't win the popular vote. Second, Went to China in 1984, similar experience, hated those damn loudspeakers that seemed to never shut up. Third, old enough to remember one source of news: Walter Cronkite; one reality for all. I talk about this in my piece https://gregoryfdelaurier.substack.com/p/burnt-hot-dogs-and-civil-rights
Trump did win the popular vote in this last election. (But not in 2016.) Loved your piece! I almost mentioned Walter Cronkite in mine, actually. Things would be verrrry different the journalism/news landscape was now what it was then. Sigh. (Cronkite was off the air by the time I was six or seven, but I did a report on him in third grade!)
Agree with the essay and these comments. A huge corollary in my mind as well is the increasing ownership of traditional news media by those same broligarchs (great term!!!) LA Times. WaPo. Surely others. The lack of endorsements in the election cycle were a direct result of billionaires silencing editorial boards. A WaPo cartoonist just resigned last week because she wasn't allowed to publish a cartoon relating to their owner.
How can we even know what are legit news sources going forward as this trend continues?
It’s increasingly difficult! The media bias chart I linked to in the part about the reach of right wing media is a good way to see what the least biased and most accurate sources are. AP News and BBC are pretty good, and network news.
I mean for people who want to seek the truth, yeah - but since even old defaults (major newspapers?!) may not necessarily be reliable in coming years, it is likely to make the general delusion of the population that much more widespread.
This is really good, Jane. Thank you!
I know this is not the point of your (excellent) post, but I can never get over the fact that at this point of my life I have at least 4 American acquaintances and friends who've been to Artek and not a single Russian one :)
You outdid yourself again. I could totally relate to your post. There is a couple of parallels. Twenty six years before you went to the SSR, at the same naive age of 14, I left my home in Chile to participate in an exchange program in Florida, USA.
The other parallel is thaT I share the notion that, globally, there is much more that unites us than what separates us.
I have been to six of the seven continents (excluding Antartica) and can atest to that fact.
At the present, and since 2020, I reside in Vietnam. It is amazing to be here and have a totally different perspective than the one I had while I was at now, CSUN, attending peace rallies and anti-war demonstrations, thinking, WE, Americans, were the good guys.
Do not get me wrong. I am a naturalised citizen and very much a defender of the America I know, respect; that I am grateful to and love, but I , as you, am flabbergasted by how
our country's inhabitant's can have such dissimilar perception of the truth, despite what anyone says, when the convicted felon is telling us and showing us who he is and who his cronies are.
The pain I feel for my grandaughters ( and for your beautiful twins and their future descendants), should his threats become reality, is breaking, not only my heart, but millions of others. Not only at home, but around the world.
In Vietnam, from an Economic point of view, a very capitalistic country, with a very thinly Socialist system, with a Communist Government that is no longer aligned with Marxist tenets such a classless society, abolition of private property, etc., the mos frequent question I get is:
HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING IN AMERICA?
I AM YET TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER.
I found this video very helpfully articulates and expands upon tbe point you quote from the author looking at 1938. We really havebt comprehended what the social internet jas done to our information environment and the impact that revolutions in communication seem to consistently have. https://youtu.be/d8PndpFPL8g?si=z4vW0b69PjHmBwSC
Yes, I'm sure they were deeply misinformed. However, each one of us has a responsibility to find out the truth. Anyone can do so at any library in the US, for free.
True, but I think it's unrealistic to think that everyone is going to make that kind of extra effort—or even can. It used to be a lot easier to get the facts, and there was way less information and content being lobbed at people. Three TV networks, each with nightly news that was mostly reporting, not commentary. Trust in journalists and newspapers. No internet / social media to muddy the waters with misinformation.
I find extremely irritating the fact that people watch "Entertainment" talk shows or listen to podcasts, which express opinions and commentaries, accepting them as Journalism and news,
True, but it was the felon's first term that really kicked off the age of fake news. People had plenty of knowledge from term 1, why go for it again?