I just ran across this video from January and it sums up perfectly the state of politics today. It's a perfect rendition of me when watching political news.
In the video, a guy is asking ChatGPT how many “Rs” are in the word “strawberry.” The AI says, with great confidence, there are two “Rs.” He asks her–the AI voice, let’s call her AI Sally– if she’s sure.
“Absolutely sure,” Sally says.
They go back and forth as the man keeps correcting her. She apologies for the confusion they’re having but remains adamant. And then condescending.
“I know it can be a bit frustrating when we’re just seeing it differently,” Sally says warmly. “But you haven’t done anything wrong!”
This video obviously shows an AI hallucination. It also is a metaphor representing the screwy part of our political-media complex.
Everyone probably knows one or more of these best-selling fiction narratives by now:
- The 2020 election was stolen.
- The insurrection against the U.S. Capitol wasn’t real.
- Joe Biden’s health was fine. Sharp as a tack.
- Covid was a hoax.
- A former Olympian vandalized the reflecting pool.
None are true. And none can be chalked up to lies that can be ignored. They have had — a few continue to have—a significant impact on how voters think and behave.
What I’m raising here is not about conservative and liberal policy positions, which are worthy of rigorous debate. Policy has two, maybe three or four, sides. But none of the bullets above are about policy. They’re myths dropped into the public square to represent an “alternative” narrative. The 2020 election was not stolen, just like the word “strawberry” doesn’t have two Rs.
The general practice by some in the corporate news media has long been to cover Trump and Trumpism as if the 2R position was a viable one. Trump says there are 2Rs in strawberry, Dems say there are 3Rs. Who’s right? The press legitimizes two or more sides when sometimes there’s only one.
Action Item
In the back of your head when you’re on social media or watching sensationalized cable coverage or right-wing media, ask yourself, Is this a Strawberry Situation, or is it worthy of a real debate? What does the evidence show? A simplified rule: If there is no evidence, assume it didn’t happen, if and until new facts come to light.
You and only you are in charge of your information diet and how you process political information. The skill to learn is separating the noise and the manipulators from the facts and the civic-minded forces that do still care about the truth. Plenty of honest folks in politics and media still exist; it’s just getting harder to hear them.