×

Would we have survived in past?

To the editor:

The selfish nature of Americans today makes me wonder how we would fare if we were attacked as we have been at times in our past. There seems to be a contingent of our society that is so unwilling to do the simplest of acts or the basics of efforts in thought to be a fully participating member of our society. I fear we would not unite if we needed to.

Here we are in multiple global emergencies and so many of us are in a disinformation bubble that allows us to somehow believe that we are unaffected. This is the shortsightedness of those of us whom choose, falsely, to accept the word of opinion hosts as NEWS or fact, and are thus, literally killing thousands of Americans every week. This inability to see the reality of the world around us in a truthful manor is not due to a lack of effort but more an effect of the propaganda machine that works for profits to perpetuate a narrative that benefits the wannabe oligarchs.

In World War II we mobilized as a society. Today? We can’t even agree on what is fact and what is fiction thanks to these talking heads.

Per the New York Times: “FOX News just won a case in court arguing that ‘Given Mr. Carlson’s reputation, any reasonable viewer arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism'” about the host’s on-air comments.

In other words, Mr. Carlson’s viewers may not necessarily believe everything they hear.

Yet, the vast majority of FOX viewers take the word of these opinion hosts as truth despite this argument won in court and the sworn testimony of Cory Lewandowski “admitting he felt he had ‘no obligation’ to be honest with the media in interviews that are for public consumption.” (Vox)

So I come back to my concern of our inability to unite around truth. How do we proceed if it is that we can not agree on what is fact? What is our fate if it is that you have your truth and I have mine? Where can we find a mutually agreeable space to find facts and truth these days?

So many questions and so few venues in which to have honest debate.

I ask all of you, all of us, to do due diligence, when it comes to our communal well being, seek out the truth and disregard opinion. Turn off Facebook and Twitter. Turn off FOX, CNN, MSNBC and listen to the actual words spoken by the candidates. Watch these two men, listen to their words and decide. Think about the future and decide. Do we want a future of fact or one of fiction?

Eric Becht

Mifflintown

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today