by Henry Buzar February 6, 2021 Trump and Duterte (Photo from PNA) ...
February 6, 2021
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| Trump and Duterte (Photo from PNA) |
In the midst of confusion and flying innuendos between the two major opposing political parties in the US, a newly coined term suddenly sprouts, “alternative facts.”
What are alternative facts? Alternative facts are akin to fake news, misinformation, and lies espoused by QAnons-a disproven and discredited far-right conspiracy theory alleging that “a secret cabal of worshipping cannibalistic pedophiles is running global sex-trafficking ring and plotting against former US President Trump who they believe is fighting the cabal” or lies perpetrated supported and ventilated by President Trump and some of FilAm fans of the President.
QAnon predicts that Trump would remain president to punish his enemies in the “deep state-a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy.” This organization and other rightist groups such as the white supremacists formed to support Mr. Trump opened and linked 70,000 accounts to spread alternative facts.
Alternative facts were started by US Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway during a Meet the Press interview on January 22, 2017, in which she defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's false statement about the attendance numbers of Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the United States. Spicer told the audience in that press conference that Trump’s inauguration was the largest presidential inauguration in history. Kellyanne Conway defends her colleague by suggesting that Spicer, far from claiming factually incorrect things, was actually providing “alternative facts”. From here on, alternative facts became the usual defense of the Trump administration.
While some communication experts argued as to its acceptability, some Trump defenders provided justifications. They averred that we have to distinguish between scientific versus political propositions. Scientific facts passed through rigorous testing and experimentation such as “gravitational force theory” while political propositions are designed to appeal to emotions and beliefs. Beliefs that became facts when many times repeated.
When Filipinos state: “naniniwala ako kay Presidente Duterte" being his political supporter makes one gullible to propaganda. Any news or comments against his or her idol are taken as offensive and unacceptable. But in the case of Trump, the danger from these alternative facts are when the President considered the pandemic as ordinary flu and will go away after a few aspirins, lied that he was cheated in the presidential election, and coerced the rightist to take the Capitol. These confirmed the power of alternative facts. More than 50% of Trump believers accede to these beliefs. These beliefs contributed to the rapid spread of the coronavirus endangering those who looked at face masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing as the means to stop the spread of the virus.
If you are to scan FB or tweeter, you’ll see lies all over the place. These are political in nature but when contradicted with science they became dangerous to an individual, group, or the whole country in general.
Alternative facts are ever-present and would dominate the free exchange of ideas in social media even in the mainstream media as well. But, we have to be very careful, and that we have to subject our beliefs to scrutiny and logic and loosen our dogmatism.
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