On “Fake News”, Newspeak, and American Apathy and Exceptionalism
The popularity of the phrase "fake news" is infuriating. Every time it is seriously uttered by a Trump follower, or said mockingly by a Trump critic, the fact that anyone can possibly give such an obvious propaganda term serious thought at all is creepy to me. It makes me feel like those who use this phrase unwittingly give more power and more meaning to something that poignantly captures everything about Orwellian newspeak, in a way that just makes my skin crawl.
It's become a popular term for what we know to be bullshit, but the way that we're using the phrase is exactly as Trump, his followers and his handlers intend us to use it. We're giving more power to a monument of bullshit every time we say it. But we're not critiquing that bullshit, we're celebrating it. Every time we say that phrase, we're saying that whatever cold-hearted political mongrel who created the phrase is correct.
It's not a valid or correct identifier of political misinformation or disinformation and a rejection of these, as some may think. It's an affirmation of a conspiracy theory at best, a conspiracy tailored to serve Trump's endless victimization. At worst, it's an acceptance of political disinformation, a willing obfuscation of fact in order to prop up what we know isn't true. Newspeak indeed. The mayor in "Sin City" said it best: "Once you've got people believin' what they know in their hearts ain't true, you got 'em by the balls."
Every time we use this phrase, we are obfuscating fact to prop up the legitimacy of false victimhood narratives used by political figures to justify political actions and power grabs. It’s not just Trump, it’s the Democrats with Russia, too. There is no evidence that Russia has done anything. Our intelligence agencies simply say so, providing zero evidence. The news says "Russia, Russia, Russia", and we parrot it back. It’s supremely idiotic, edgy, or naive to think that "fake news" has any real, lasting value over what we give to it.
It's a mantra to nothing, it's a panacea for no illness, a solution that we didn't ask for to a problem that we don't have. The problem is what the politicians have. Their problem is how to make us afraid and obedient. Politicians trying to get us to allow them to destroy our free press is a totalitarian move, and this phrase is the rallying cry. The exaltation of a mindless demagogue in Trump is even more poignantly reflected by the loyal neoliberal voters of the democratic party, who exalt their old guard just the same as the Trumpites do. The democratic party gained their own newspeak by blaming everything under the sun on Russia.
So we have two competing propaganda narratives, two lies. One, that the media is out to get Trump, an innocent man of Christian values, a thriving businessman who has done no harm to anyone, and that these evil, snarling neoliberal pundits on MSNBC and the like must be destroyed, in order to protect a man whose followers attribute to him divine qualities. Two, that Russia, in a new Cold War, envious of American power and hating our freedom, wants to destroy the west out of pure jealousy and malice. Both are bullshit narratives designed to terrify us, browbeat us into obedience, and most importantly, force us to grant both parties in a shaky two-party system the ultimate powers they need to sustain their own existence, by destroying their chosen scapegoated enemies.
The truth is that America is collapsing politically and economically, and that Russia and China are on the rise to dethrone America as "Number One". That's why our "representatives" are doing all of this, why Trump is escalating a trade war with China that even his own advisors said we wouldn't win, because nobody ever wins a trade war. That's why Russian meddling is being identified everywhere, not because Russia is actually stupid enough to use nerve agent in England, but because sanctions might slow down Russian economic growth enough to keep them from shifting the balance of power in the world, and if a terrible lie has to be made to protect America’s exalted status, it will be made. Nevermind the fact that America has the same access to that nerve agent, as does any nation willing to purchase WMDs in a black market. The true culprit of the England gas attack is unknown, but America needs it to be Russia.
The American Jeremiad believes that America is the shining city upon a hill. That its exceptionalism is valid, warranted, necessary, and ordained. And this belief seems more than anything to be a defining trait of both American culture and identity. America wants, needs more than anything, to dominate, to be on top, to win. To America, there must be only one king of the world, ever, and America must be that king at all costs, no matter what. Destroy the working class, kill the unions, make it illegal to feed the homeless, risk nuclear war with three nations, let oil companies commit murder on peacefully protesting natives. All to stay number one. And we let our country do this. We would rather pull the wool over our own eyes, stick our heads in the sand, and worse pretend we aren't, just to stay on top. This is our failure as Americans. This is the fruit of our complacency.