The War on Truth: The Players and the Risks
In the War on Truth, there are many casualties.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic, and the health and the lives of many are under threat from misinformation.
But there are other dangers from fake news - for social cohesion, for the West and democratic values, and even for the health of the planet.
Why is there so much "Fake News"?
Tactics to spread pseudoscientific misinformation were piloted by the tobacco industry to preserve their profits at the expense of human lives. The same tactics were then employed (and in many cases the same people were involved) in climate denial. Wealthy right-wing mega-donors continue to promote media that supports their vested interests, and have no qualms around generating misinformation. Less prevalent but more disturbing are those on the extreme right aiming for a collapse of society. Bizarrely, their aims are the same as the Communist states they despise.
There is credible evidence Russia has been involved in a major cyber campaign to destabilize the West. It exercised significant influence in the Brexit vote and the 2016 US election. In the midst of a pandemic, its barrage of misinformation becomes not only destabilizing but deadly. According to this report:
“Russian media have deployed a ‘significant disinformation campaign’ against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust… it uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make it harder for the EU to communicate its response to the pandemic. The overarching aim of Kremlin disinformation is to aggravate the public health crisis in Western countries...in line with the Kremlin’s broader strategy of attempting to subvert European societies.”
Bots are employed to amplify this misinformation:
Think about that for a moment. Seventy percent of covid-related activity on Twitter is automated misinformation.
As noted above, now "Chinese agents are creating fake social media accounts akin to Russia-backed trolls to push out false messages that are designed to create chaos in the United States".
Regardless of whether the players are Russian, Chinese, or right-wing misinformation organisations, astonishing numbers of people in the USA believe the bizarre conspiracy theories they generate. For example, a recent survey found that "44% of Republicans surveyed believe that Bill Gates will use the coronavirus vaccine to implant a microchip with a digital ID that would track the recipient’s movements." Some commentators on Fox have had an unfortunate tendency to broadcast conspiratorial coronavirus misinformation. Closer to home, "one in eight Australians believe Microsoft founder Bill Gates is somehow responsible for coronavirus, and the 5G wireless network is to blame for spreading the disease."
That such absurd ideas gain so much traction is symptomatic of a much larger problem.
Old Geopolitical Rivalries, New Strategies
Out of the ashes of WWII, the US helped develop the vehicles of multinational cooperation (The United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Health Organisation, World Trade Organisation etc.) It supported NATO and worked with other Western nations as a key ally. It used its considerable economic power and trade might to influence toward democracy and the rule of law in many nations. The disastrous Iraq war, the GFC that followed in its wake, and the disinterest in multinational affairs by Donald Trump (typified in withdrawing from the WHO in the midst of a pandemic) has seen US soft power wane in recent years.
China is signalling ambitions to rival the US as a global superpower. Critics of the "One Belt One Road" initiative suggest China is trying to reshape the world in its own interests. China's fake news generation may be designed to generate internal conflict to weaken Western countries, and expand its own influence.
So what to do about it?
To save lives - to save democratic values such as the rule of law and individual freedom - indeed, to save the health of the planet - there is an urgent need to recover the lost art of discernment.
We all need to be alert to when a source is questionable. It may be questionable because of a lack of relevant qualifications and expertise by a speaker. (ie, not all doctors are epidemiologists, not all scientists are climate scientists, not all commentators are qualified journalists, etc.) It may be questionable because it is making scientific claims without adequate peer review or scientific consensus. It may be questionable because it is from a publication known to have failed many fact checks. It may be questionable because of vested interests. It may be questionable through repeated failures to uphold journalistic standards. It even may be an obvious mouthpiece of a totalitarian country.
At times I have been urged to watch / read views from extreme and unreliable sources for the sake of "having an open mind" or "balance" or to counter "bias". But truth is unlikely to be found in the mid-point between rigorous published science and an extremist view on YouTube or Twitter of nefarious origin. Listening to two equally credible opinions is important , but the quest for "balance" will lead us into confusion and error if we give weight to unscrupulous or unreliable voices.
There are many good Fact Checking websites available. We need to be disciplined about using them.
As a person of faith, I note the bible speaks of wisdom 219
times. The bible uses the word truth 137 times. The bible uses the word discern
36 times. The bible urges us to "stand firm with the belt of truth buckled
around your waist". The bible also urges us to respond to critics with "gentleness and respect".
In a time where it has never been easier for malicious forces to spread lies, we urgently need discernment and a dedication to truth. In a context where Russia and China seek to generate hostility and tribalism to undermine civil society in the West, we need to present truth with wisdom and kindness.
Much is at stake.
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