“The significance of historical accuracy cannot be overstated, as it plays a crucial role in our ability to discern the truth, make informed decisions, and maintain the integrity of our collective memory.”

In this current administration fact-checking has become a dominant conversation piece for every citizen who is appalled by what is going on in the political scene. Historical events are being distorted and/or outright fabricated at will. This era is rapidly becoming the misinformation age.

We are forgetting about the consequences for spreading outright lies and deleting information that is critical to us. People who believe in what is going on with that guy in office haven’t suffered the consequences yet. They don’t care that we as a country are not preserving the historical truth for ourselves as well as for future generations. They don’t care that the current administration has no understanding of historical events that should be accounted for in the current decision-making process. “Accurate information helps us avoid repeating past mistakes and make informed choices about the future [emphasis mine].”—from https://medium.com/@thehistorychip

And finally, they don’t care that they are not preserving cultural heritage and identity. As a result, there is no critical thinking based on the evaluation of the past.

When misinformation rears its ugly head, the challenges are:
1.         Confirmation bias – people seek and believe information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs. They simply believe the inaccuracies being told to them because of their worldview.
2.         Misleading Narratives – When people in power interpret the past due to their confirmation bias, they skew perceptions of others.
3.         Echo Chambers – “Social media and online communities can reinforce existing beliefs and isolate individuals from diverse perspectives. In such echo chambers, misinformation can thrive unchecked.” [e.g., Fox News]
4.         Digital Manipulation – “Advancements in technology have made it easier to manipulate historical content, including photographs and documents, leading to the creation of convincing but false narratives [emphasis mine].”
Please read this blog for further information. It was an excellent source outlining the problem:
https://medium.com/@thehistorychip/facts-vs-fiction-the-importance-of-historical-accuracy-in-a-misinformation-age-f82c3475a3d9

I want to emphasize how much this bothers me. We are visiting this misinformation age once again 10 years later from the time this article was published: Political Lies: Altering Facts and Rewriting History. On 2/9/15, author Richard A. Barrett reviewed a book by Hannah Arendt, titled Truth and Politics. Arendt stated that “Freedom of opinion is a farce unless factual information is guaranteed and the facts themselves are not in dispute.”

Barrett stated, “In other words, factual truth informs political thought just as rational truth informs philosophical speculation….Such attempts by states to alter history are not the only danger of political lies. Arendt warns that “self-deception is the danger par excellence; the self-deceived deceiver loses all contact with not only his audience, but also the real world, which still will catch up with him, because he can remove his mind from it but not his body” (Lying in Politics).”

Barrett stated that Arendt brought new light to the information given in the Pentagon Papers. He stated that “in her commentary on the Pentagon Papers, Arendt details how little the Administration managed to deceive others about the reality of the Vietnam War but nevertheless managed to deceive itself into believing and basing policy on information it knew was not true. In the end, the free press, which Arendt refers to as the fourth branch of government,” performed its crucial check on government—not by alerting the public to facts hidden from it, most of which were already known but—by forcing the executive to confront those facts, facts it had previously been so successful in deceiving itself about.”

Thus Arendt informs us, “Even if we admit that every generation has the right to write its own history, we admit no more than that it has the right to rearrange the facts in accordance with its own perspective; we don’t admit the right to touch the factual matter itself.”
https://hac.bard.edu/amor-mundi/political-lies-altering-facts-and-rewriting-history-2015-02-09

For further information about our changing facts in history due to the political climate see:
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/30-years-of-world-politics-what-has-changed/

So, my point in this rather long diatribe is this:
Every day that you are on this planet and in this current realm, combat historical misinformation and uphold historical accuracy. Become a critical thinker and encourage this same thought process in others. Question sources, verify information, and seek many perspectives on any matter. Don’t believe everything. Fact check when you can, but also use your common sense. Ask yourself: “Is this really true?” Why would someone believe this?” “Why should I believe this?”

Educate yourself and others and learn how to look into the media and review the historical data. Share accurate information with others, not just something that people say over and over again. Remember this: “If you say it over and over again, it doesn’t make it true if it’s a lie!” Don’t believe everything you hear. Counteract the spread of ridiculous claims. Believe in humanity once again. We will survive!

I love you all on this windy, weeknight in Colorado! Hang in there!