India. The hideous secondary trauma that comes with the work that must be done.
More and more, I believe that what we are experiencing globally can only be understood in terms of war. Those pushing weaponized disinfo versus the people at large. That means journalists and debunkers are the reluctant soldiers. The weapons, our societal and historical scars
— and each other. Corrosive lies turn us against one another and provoke violence and confusion. Civilization is an agreement, you know, that’s what all the nihilists forget, it’s the hard choice. Destruction is easy. Journalism’s role, ideally, is fostering understanding of this
Disinformation tears down all those carefully negotiated understandings and balances that foster peace and order, gives people permission to indulge their worst selves. That’s what courageous fact-checkers and journalists in India are fighting against. The worst in us winning
Not just there, of course. All over the world. Everywhere.
This isn’t a bid for civility. Fuck civility! It’s a plea that people recognize this so that we can join forces against the ones pushing this shit to distract us or turn us against each other. Let’s really fuck them up too, make sure no one ever tries this shit again.
