Truth Is for Suckers

Hip, hip hooray for spreading misinformation. (Photo credit: New York Times)

Over a decade ago, I hosted a blog about the Green Bay Packers. It was fun. My schtick was to attempt to be humorous, but I did one fully satirical post about Packers players complaining about their throw-back uniforms. That post, which to me was so obviously fake, garnered thousands of views—more than 10 times my normal readership—with many fans admonishing the players for not respecting Packer tradition. 

As I scrambled to remove comments, ensure the satire was understood, and avoid a libel lawsuit, I realized the experience was a stark lesson in the wisdom of Mark Twain’s famous quote: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”

In an age of instant, global, AI-generated interconnection, that quote may need updating to “A lie can take laps around the solar system while the truth is so slow it’s lost all relevance.”

This predilection for believing and spreading misinformation is just how our brains are wired. As I would later witness first-hand at a major social networking site, fake content simply triggers activating emotions—anger, fear, disbelief, outrage—better than truth. Let’s face it, truth and facts are boring. So much so, we don’t even notice them. In an era of sensory overload, attention is the most valuable commodity. And it is the outrageous claims, off-color jokes, and bold-faced lies that catch our attention. Any content you’ve seen that has “gone viral,” there’s a good chance it’s at least sensationalistic, if not outright misinformation. The problem is, those same posts are the most profitable for social media platforms like X and Facebook, which have no interest in truth. Serving only engagement, eyeballs, clicks, and profit—and, in the case of Elon Musk, an overt political agenda. 

Which brings me to the election. With voting already underway, the polls show a statistical dead heat between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. 

I would love for this election to be a contest of ideas, policies, and platforms. Unfortunately, it is more likely to be decided by misinformation. Trump’s refusal to participate in a second presidential debate vs Harris shows he is much more comfortable in forums where his inflammatory statements and outright untruths will go unchecked, propelled forward by adoring crowds, internet memes, unmoderated social media sites, right-wing talk show hosts, and the conservative media echo chamber. 

As I’ve clarified before, I’m not anti-Republican or anti-Conservative. Our bipartisan democracy needs and deserves equal and opposing ideologies to govern in a way that will benefit the majority of Americans. What I am against is political polarization, particularly when that polarization is driven less by differing ideas and more by misinformation, algorithmic reinforcement, foreign interference, debasement of other human beings, demonization of elected officials, erosion of our institutions, and disregard for the rule of law.

Plenty of partisans on both sides are guilty of such acts to advance their political agenda, but Donald Trump could not exist as a viable political candidate without an extensive counter-narrative based on “alternative facts.” 

For the sake of brevity, recapping all of Trump’s lies here would be impossible. Further, it’s irrelevant. His supporters have repeatedly shown they don’t care. Either, they fully believe his untruths. Or, for the more rational ones, they admit he’s a pathological liar but find it an amusing joke. Or dismiss it as bravado. Or embrace it as an acceptable means to an end of getting a Republican back in the White House.

But to support Trump at this point—to actually cast your vote for him to be re-elected as President of the United States—requires belief in an elaborate series of lies. 

For starters, you have to believe the 2020 election was stolen.

You have to believe Trump’s claim that he “had nothing to do” with the January 6th Capitol riot.

You have to believe that the bipartisan House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack chaired by staunch conservative Liz Cheney that concluded “Donald Trump purposely disseminated false allegations of fraud” to illegally overturn the election is actually the “Unselect Committee of political Hacks and Thugs.”

You have to believe that voter fraud is rampant and Democrats are allowing in immigrants to “steal” the election.

You have to believe that Kamala Harris wants “open borders” to allow “murderers and rapists” into our country.

You have to believe CBS News, CNN, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and all other “lamestream” media outlets are “fake news” and can be ignored.

You have to believe that the lifelong prosecutors who have brought criminal charges against Trump are serving some nefarious political agenda rather than the law.

You have to believe that the jury of your peers who found Trump guilty of 36 felonies are all corrupt.

You have to believe that Russia and other foreign governments have not attempted to interfere in our democracy.

You have to believe that Republican Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation was a “witch hunt” and a “hoax.”

You have to believe climate change is also a “hoax” but, on the plus side, will result in “more oceanfront property.”

You have to believe that CDC officials are “idiots” and that the “Chinese flu” vaccines contain microchips and alter your DNA.

You have to believe that the dozens of women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, including E. Jean Carroll who won a court case against Trump, are “fabricated.”

You have to believe Democrats have a secret gender reassignment program in which “your boy leaves for school, (and) comes back a girl.”

You have to believe the more than 200 prominent members of former Republican campaigns for Bush, McCain, and Romney who signed an open letter saying that “re-electing President Trump would be a disaster for our nation” are betraying their party rather than having the courage to stand up for their ideals.

You have to believe all the former members of Trump’s administration—including Vice President Mike Pence, Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, Secretaries of Defense Jim Mattis and Mark Esper, White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham and dozens of others—who declare him unfit for office are lying, corrupt, or incompetent.

You may even believe that Kamala Harris paralyzed a woman in a hit-and-run accident, top Democrats are part of a pedophile sex trafficking ring, Democrats can control the weather to create hurricanes and steal Republicans’ land, and immigrant families in Springfield, Ohio are eating people’s pets.

In short, the only “truth” you believe is whatever comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth. Fealty to Trump and perpetuation of his fabrications have become a litmus test for the Republican Party. Dissent is not tolerated. And those who dare challenge him are excommunicated. But this is a man who has shown again and again that he is unable to distinguish truth from a lie. He will repeat, re-tweet, and outright invent any story that he believes advances his political interest. And, sadly, many of his followers seem disinterested in the truth. It’s so much more fun to fire off an indignant and insulting tweet.

What actually makes America great, what distinguishes us from autocracies around the world, is we have institutions. Separate but equal branches of government that are more powerful than individuals, entrusted to make, execute, and interpret the laws that govern our country. Yes, our government can be slow, bureaucratic, and even inept at times. But for over 200 years, those institutions have functioned effectively, determining the truth, administering justice, and facilitating the peaceful transition of power—not always perfectly, but always attempting to form a more perfect union.

Which brings me to the biggest lie of all.

The same people who would discredit our institutions, disparage our elected officials, threaten judges and jurors, tear down our independent media, harass relief workers, disrespect law enforcement and our military, vilify immigrants, discourage fellow citizens from voting, and question the integrity of our elections, are the ones who claim most fervently to love our country. They wrap themselves in the branding of patriotism without upholding any of our nation’s ideals. Real Republicans, real Conservatives, know better. I’m sure this post and others I’ve written might offend some friends, family, and colleagues, who consider me biased. For that, I’m sorry, but this election is too important to remain silent.

Further, I fear the biggest lies of this election cycle are still waiting to be told—the “little secret” Trump alluded to “when the race is over.” Trump is clearly laying the groundwork to claim anything other than his victory will be proof of a “rigged” election.

If you truly love this country, then you must believe in truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. You must believe in justice, even when you don’t like the outcome. You must uphold our institutions and the rule of law. And you must cast your vote for what is right. Don’t let truth be for suckers.