When is the last time you heard a good debate?
A real debate SA国际影视传媒� not just two old white men screaming at each other on television. Not a bunch of party representatives arguing in a panel with a reporter desperately trying to keep the discussion factually accurate, only to be accused of bias by the political party using gaslighting as its strategy. Not some unhinged wingnut spitting at his phone in his truck. Not some bigot saying nasty things on the radio for all the other bigots to cheer about for ratings.
ISA国际影视传媒檓 talking about a real, bona fide debate about ideas built on an established understanding of reality, following logic non-participants can comprehend and become more enlightened on issues by reading or viewing.
These donSA国际影视传媒檛 exist in North American democracy anymore. Today, politicians barely even speak to the news. Now, they have an open, uninterrupted channel into your mind through social media and other types of programming. Danielle Smith spent the better part of a decade spewing complete nonsense over the radio without any opposing voice to challenge her statements. Now, her fan base has elevated her to premier of Alberta, where sheSA国际影视传媒檚 putting those ideas into practice.
Indeed, you donSA国际影视传媒檛 have to look far to see politicians doing their best to push news out entirely. Take the Conservative PartySA国际影视传媒檚 calls to defund the CBC, claiming itSA国际影视传媒檚 somehow biased against them. CBCSA国际影视传媒檚 coverage of national or international issues doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to deviate from CTV or Global NewsSA国际影视传媒� coverage tremendously, and certainly is several grains closer to neutral than any commercial news programming coming out of the United States. Interestingly enough, CBC is among the few consistent funders of investigative journalism in Canada, which is the primary means of holding power to account in democracy. I wonder if thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a connection?
Removing the means of debate has allowed political parties to silo Canadians off from one another. You canSA国际影视传媒檛 begin to discuss what we should be doing about climate change when the person youSA国际影视传媒檙e talking to insists climate change isnSA国际影视传媒檛 real. When a portion of the population is convinced anything to the left of the current Republican party is pure socialism SA国际影视传媒� when, in reality, there has never been a socialist government elected anywhere in North America SA国际影视传媒� how do you discuss economic ideas? Health care? Education? Anything?
Case in point: much of CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 economic foundation is hinged on energy exports. Currently, the biggest chunk of that is oil exported to the United States. But now China is rapidly electrifying its fleet, with an obvious plan to push electric vehicles onto the global market.
Meanwhile, Smith is parroting the Saudi Arabian line oil will continue to grow until 2050, which does not appear to be happening in spite of two major wars.
Only one reality can be correct SA国际影视传媒� either the widespread electrification of transport is happening or it isnSA国际影视传媒檛. People who have devoted their lives to analyzing global markets say it is. People who desperately need the oil industry to stay dominant because they have not planned for a future without it say it isnSA国际影视传媒檛. Of course, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 plenty of opportunistic politicians ready to tell the latter theySA国际影视传媒檙e right so they can get their hefty salary and government pension.
If you went back in time 10 years, youSA国际影视传媒檇 hear SmithSA国际影视传媒檚 supporters saying climate change was a hoax perpetuated by the Saudis to hurt oil competitors. When critical thinking and logical analysis have been abandoned, the brain fills the void with whatever comfortable muskox excrement it can find. And therein lies the problem SA国际影视传媒� no one is willing to have their worldviews challenged anymore. People accept SA国际影视传媒渁lternative factsSA国际影视传媒� as reality, then expect others to take them seriously.
Wishful thinking versus knowledge
Adults have created a society where my wishful thinking is as good as your knowledge. Ironically, this social dynamic doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 appear to exist in schools where students are force-fed facts and critical thinking, only in the so-called SA国际影视传媒渞eal world.SA国际影视传媒� Not surprisingly, itSA国际影视传媒檚 the schools which are under attack and accused of bias, not the politicians doing the accusing.
Now the balance of our collective future is teetering on two extremely corrupt political parties in the United States accusing each other of fascism SA国际影视传媒� one having attempted a coup dSA国际影视传媒櫭﹖at on live television. The Republican apparatus has since set about gaslighting its followers into believing the Jan. 6 attacks didnSA国际影视传媒檛 happen, with depressingly successful results.
Regardless of who wins the White House this year, we can guarantee the results are going to be awful to experience. Either Donald Trump gets back in an enacts his promised SA国际影视传媒渙ne daySA国际影视传媒� of tyranny or he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 and his supporters escalate their anger even further. We cannot expect the parties to reconcile because their entire basis of reality is now completely different. Politicians are able to live playboy lifestyles, engage in blatant hypocrisy and even flout the law because their followers are convinced the other side is just as bad or worse, and anyone who presents factual evidence to the contrary is just part of the conspiracy.
By putting their supporters into different realities, politicians have removed debate from democracy. As a result, voters cannot discuss issues among themselves or make qualified decisions on the direction of the country and elections are reduced to sporting events.
When our elections are reduced to SA国际影视传媒渦s versus them,SA国际影视传媒� we all lose.
