I was asked several years ago for my opinion on the greatest problem facing America. My answer was, “The difficulty of determining the truth of any matter.” My point was that unless you witness an event, what you “know” about it will come from reading or hearing about it. If different sources contradict each other, how can one determine the truth? It seems to me, that for many people, increasingly the answer is to rely on only a few trusted sources that tend to promote a particular view; that dampens the noise, which increases the “certainty” of knowing the truth.
What if their sources are propaganda? Among other things, propaganda is characterized by anappeal to emotions rather than logic. This is because an emotional argument short-circuits rational thought, which would uncover weaknesses in the promoted point of view.
Because of this, I discount emotional arguments. I consume many sources of news hoping to find commonality which points to the truth.
Please consider doing this yourself when deciding how to mark your ballot in 2024.
— Mark Desinger
Anchorage
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