Political polarization is nothing new. As a nation, we undergo cycles of vitriol adopted by relative concord. The search for energy — the sport of thrones — by no means ends. There's solely the following play. To these taking part in for energy, injury to harmless folks not collaborating within the sport is a suitable value. Prior to now few many years, as the ability of social media has expanded, the collateral injury to people and society is increasing at ever growing charges.
What occurs when our democratic republic is a part of the collateral injury? What occurs to our republic when the battle profiteers use networks resembling Twitter, Fb and Google to change civic engagement for their very own functions, successfully hijacking democracy?
One new factor in our present cycle of vitriol is the prospect of a giant swath of Individuals deciding that democracy is just too arduous and never price it. If you're below 30 years previous, likelihood is good that you just’ve by no means seen a functioning U.S. authorities. Starting within the Nineteen Eighties, the American folks have turned in opposition to their very own authorities for a lot of completely different causes: over-regulation, corruption, anti-tax sentiment, oligarchy and extra.
A lot of the vitriol we are actually experiencing has one other supply, too. Battle profiteers have discovered the way to make fortunes by “stirring the pot,” recruiting followers and fleecing them of their consideration and cash. Add within the social media algorithms on YouTube, Fb, Twitter, et. al, and it’s simple for these battle profiteers to construct look-alike audiences and recruit much more followers. Their motives vary from cash to influence-peddling to king-making. Every of those profiteers will cherry-pick one or two information, then extrapolate the story they need to inform. The story that may maintain their followers “hooked.” That is why I name it “The Fleecing of America”; to deprive us not solely of cash however the capacity to separate reality from fiction. That is the last word fraud, hoax and swindle as battle profiteers declare to personal the Fact.
The general public Jan. 6 hearings will supply us all the proper alternative to check our talents to separate the reality seekers from battle profiteers. Watch for individuals who react to testimony by resorting to the advert hominem assaults which are directed in opposition to the person presenting the knowledge versus addressing the query at hand. Additionally, watch for individuals who overstate and embellish the proof for the aim of including to the battle.
Harmful agitation ought to be an anomaly, not a enterprise mannequin. Democracy is a course of by which we make collective selections. If it fails, we could have violence, chaos and extra destruction.
So how will we defend our democratic republic from inner and exterior assaults?
We work towards altering legal guidelines and writing insurance policies. We don’t storm the Capitol to disrupt the end result of an election. The battle profiteers have relied on the concept that adherence to the rule of regulation is non-compulsory. That is greater than civil disobedience with the goal of justice. It's power-grabbing and it frightens me. If adherence to the regulation is non-compulsory, what dystopian future may we create?
The Jan. 6 public hearings won't finish the controversy over what occurred. They may set up a historic file. Like Watergate, this will likely be examined and re-examined for many years or longer.
And in order you watch the listening to attempt to separate the reality seekers from the battle profiteers. Query those that simply pick the few feedback to assist the story they need to inform, avoiding the preponderance of proof.
I hope we, the American folks, love our democratic republic greater than we dislike our fellow Individuals with whom we disagree. Our nation relies upon upon it.
Debilyn Molineaux is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and president/CEO of the Bridge Alliance Training Fund. ©2022 The Fulcrum. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company.