False News

                Well, that’s just “false news.” In recent months people of all political persuasions embraced the phrase “false news.” It is a rather convenient way to degrade someone else’s thought in a discussion or argument. After all, what can you say in reply? The information you just put out has been dismissed as false, untrue, fabricated, unreal, or misleading. The person branding your information as “false news” is now free to disregard what you’ve said. After all, none of us believe things that are patently false. Even the talking heads on broadcast media bandy the phrase about rather recklessly. And, as with many phrases that come and go in popular vernacular, the problem lies in a lack of specificity, which we often embrace as a useful tool. However useful this tool may be for avoiding serious discussion, at its core, it remains an accusation of untruth.

                “False news” is not news. Merriam Webster defines news as, “a report of recent events,” or “previously unknown information.” Both definitions imply a foundation in veracity. “False news” by definition is an oxymoron. “False news” is a phrase normally used to avoid calling someone opinionated, a propagandist, or liar. Easy access to the internet, polarization of the body politic, the growth of advertising income streams for internet sites have led to the development of alternative-media which specialize in “false news.” Alternative-media has been around since the advent of the printing press. We just recognized it as the propaganda it was and well educated people did not place their faith and trust in such sources. In recent months such outlets exploited the lack of accountability found in social media platforms, such as Facebook. They lurk in the largely unregulated terrain of the internet. More traditional media outlets, print and broadcast, work hard to maintain a fairly high level of veracity not only to maintain reader and viewership, but also to avoid costly entanglements in court battles over libelous statements. If we wish to understand the world we inhabit, make wise decisions daily, and leave a moderately well-functioning society to our progeny, we must eschew “false news” as deleterious to our personal and national well-being. The problem with avoiding such inputs is that it requires hard mental work.

                Many claim that all media is untrustworthy and that they all have an axe to grind. And while each outlet does have an editorial voice, all respectable news sources largely confine such things to their editorial pages. There are good, reliable sources out there. In fact, most of the well-known outlets are trustworthy. In their editorial sections they more freely display opinion; however, in their news section they take reasonable care to focus on the facts of an event or issue and are by in large trustworthy. Well-educated and well-reasoned individuals, recognizing the peril of “false news” eschew such outlets that primarily traffic in propaganda and innuendo. Instead the frequent those sources that offer complete information. They do so knowing that hard work involved in developing a good understanding of any issue. It takes time and effort to understand an issue. There are very few simple issues of note. Most are multifaceted. Many involve different groups with competing interests. All challenge our ability not only to understand, but also to develop an appropriate response. We find it easier to let someone else decide for us. Plowing through a detailed article to reach a reasonable well-grounded understanding takes time and frequently challenges our preconceptions.

                “False news” takes advantage of our inherent laziness. Those who traffic in such propaganda count on our unwillingness to make an effort to get down to the facts of an issue. They appeal to our prejudices, biases, and narrow-mindedness. “False news’ appeal lies in the easy reinforcement of our previously held opinions. After all, why take the time to read, research, and understand the facts of an issue when I can simply click on a link which takes us to a place where we confirm what we already “knew.” And this is the true perniciousness of such sites as traffic in “false news;” they erode our ability to make those well-reasoned, but difficult decisions, a society must make if it is to move forward. By conditioning us to rely on propagandistic proclamations instead of the mental effort required to understand the reality of our world, they emasculate the electorate leaving us easy prey for those who tell us what we want to hear. If we wish to successfully address the challenges we face, we must wean ourselves from this slothful intellectual torpor and again embrace the mental rigor required to carefully examine issues and consume news. 

Positional Respect

                Recently while skimming various social media postings I’ve noticed a trend. I often read statements bemoaning the lack of respect for the president. They usually include some sort of language which admonishes those who complain, instructing them to at least respect the office of the president. And, as one who took an oath to protect and defend the constitution and as a Christian who takes similar admonishments in Romans and Peter seriously, I concur. We must approach the office and our elected leaders with an appropriate level of respect no matter the boorish behavior or the occupant. I expect my students to treat me with a base level of respect; especially on those, hopefully rare, days when my actions or lack of preparation may not warrant admiration. This positional respect helps society function smoothly during minor instances of sub-par behavior. However, this positional respect does not require that I condone everything a particular leader does or says.

                In fact, my respect for an office might require that I say something about unacceptable behavior. As an officer in the Army I could face loss of rank, pay, or status, due to “conduct unbecoming an officer.” There is a similar rule for Non-commissioned officers. These rules served as a catchall for those behaviors which brought disgrace to the service. They also served as a reminder to all of us that the privileges we enjoyed due to our rank came with additional responsibilities. One of those responsibilities was to help our fellow officers or NONCOMs by pointing out unacceptable behaviors before they became serious. I knew officers whose careers foundered simply because they stood by and watched while fellow soldiers misbehaved. They did nothing to intervene. After the dust settled their chain of command held them culpable simply for letting things happen. We all understood the message clearly, “you are your brother’s keeper.”

                In a like fashion I cannot in good conscience sit idly by and watch, hands folded, while something significantly wrong takes place. I must, with respect, say something. I fully understand that my small voice from the western reaches does not carry much weight. The efficaciousness of my voice does not matter; that I act does. I am, as a Christian and an officer, required to use the tools at hand to agitate for justice, for right behaviors, for those things that redound greatness on the high office of president and on to our country. Keeping my mouth shut while misbehavior occurs is not an option available to me. I do not advocate becoming a gadfly. But raising my voice in protest of misconduct is not disrespectful.

                When our president fails to uphold the high standards that attach themselves to the high office, we must respond appropriately. Attaining the Oval Office does not provide one with a shield from criticism. The White House is one made of glass. The occupants are on public display and are accountable to the public for their actions and pronouncements. We fail our President and our Republic when we allow them to conduct themselves inappropriately. We are a check and a brake and must attend to those duties with diligence.

                I have also noted that some of those who now bitterly complain of disrespect spent the last eight years heaping scorn upon our previous president. Many of them regularly spoke darkly of his lack of citizenship, embracing and forwarding blatant lies. I find this current clamor for respect rather hollow and ironic; perhaps even hypocritical. Respect for our leaders, yes. Respect for the office, yes. Condoning misbehavior through silence and inaction, no.

Words

            The powerful and those in positions of power speak strong words, efficacious words, significant words. Long ago words of power rang out across time and space creating our reality. Yet even today, words, especially those from positions of authority, remain creative. They build up or tear down. They unite or they divide. They heal or they wound. They bring life or they bring death. Those in positions of power must weigh their words carefully, attending to the effects, intended and otherwise. Once loosed, words display staying power; often resisting our efforts to recall or retract. All too frequently we learn this particular lesson far too late.

            During the second half of my military career, I enjoyed the privilege of working around a large number of General Officers. I benefited from their presence in ways both they and I found surprising. Some General Officers remained taciturn, rarely engaging in conversation. They would receive a brief, perhaps as a question or two and then leave without comment. As a staff officer I found this lack of response frustrating. I wanted to know what they thought of my work. With this type of General feedback would trickle down from the aid, chief of staff, or some other “beautiful person” enjoying a position in the inner circle. Despite my unease, this behavior indicated great wisdom. A General such as this had learned to carefully weigh their words. They knew that we hung on their words, wrote them down, and then took action based on what we thought they were saying; often with disappointing or disastrous results. Then there were the other Generals.

            Voluble men and women, they loved the attention, bordering on adulation. They spoke their mind; frequently without filter. One I worked around spouted off ideas left and right, like a firework stand in flames. They left chaos in their wake. More than one hapless staff officer would twist and turn in a vain effort to bring some half-formed utterance to fruition only to find that the General had moved on, not even remembering what they’d said. Hours, days, sometimes weeks of effort for no real purpose. We half-jokingly said that the good-idea-fairy hovered around his head and every time she would hit it with a wand another crazy idea would pop out. After meetings with him we would gather and sort through the myriad of notes trying to decipher what was important from the mound of ideas he’d let loose. As long as I knew him, he never learned to weigh his words. Then there was the XVIII Airborne Corps commander I worked for in Iraq (I was not in his personal inner circle, just in a section he felt was important).

            We briefed him at least once a week. He rarely gave much input, other than to graciously say thanks. We yearned for more feedback. Occasionally he would offer some sort of course correction or ask a rhetorical question designed to reorient our activities. When he did offer input, it was brief, unambiguous and directive in nature. We knew exactly what he wanted from the sparse words he uttered. A few foolish staff officers mistook his slow speech for a slow mind. He carefully weighed his words, knowing that we would turn them into orders that other men and women would carry out. He also knew the gravity of the situation; that soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors would face peril due to his words. Consequently, he listened and thought a great deal, speaking only rarely.

           Those in positions of power must think long and hard before they speak. They must understand that once uttered words, especially in the realm of government, take on a life of their own. If spoken flippantly the results can be horrific. Their words change the arc of people’s lives, often in negative directions. Even those words loosed by mortals are a creative force, especially if the mortal enjoys a position of power and authority. Thoughtless words, blasted out with little consideration for their results, damage. Wise words, carefully, even prayerfully, considered carry hope, healing, and life.

An Open Letter to the Editor in Chief of the Wall Street Journal

Mr. Baker,

                Your conversation with Mr. Todd on “Meet the Press” disappointed me. During the exchange, when urged by Mr. Todd to clarify your plans on how to deal with President Elect Trump’s propensity for prevarication, you spoke of a plan to avoid using the term “lie” as, “It Implies a deliberate attempt to mislead.” Is that not what the President Elect seeks to do? His actions heretofore indicate a calculated attempt to shape the narrative in ways that suit his goals and desires and bear only a passing relation to reality. For you, as the editor in chief of “The Wall Street Journal” arguably one of the most prestigious publications in our nation, to embrace such an anemic standard calls into question the veracity and strength of your leadership and quality of your publication.

                One of the functions of journalism is to hold leaders accountable. When a highly respected newspaper, such as yours, publicly admits to unwillingness to fulfill that function you embolden prominent officials, damaging our trust in you and the democratic process. You also take a step away from serving as a trusted news source, moving toward serving a propaganda organ of the powerful and well-heeled. In the modern media market, replete with all manner of outlets that serve only to strengthen one party or the other, we desperately need stringent journalism that informs the public while speaking truth to power.

                I understand that the President Elect, with his penchant for saying things off the cuff and responding poorly when confronted with the facts, provides a challenging dilemma for the media community; however, you must rise to the occasion. If you wish to retain your status as a premiere news organization, you must not lower your standards in response to this new paradigm. Your reputation as a journalist, and perhaps the security of the republic, depend upon your diligence to accurate journalism and devotion to truth and accuracy. I encourage you to speak truth to power, to speak of things as they are, and remain bold in your chosen profession.

Most Respectfully,

Matthew E. Robinson

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Ret.

Lubbock, Texas

The Importance of All (Part 1)

                I expected the acrimonious rhetoric to abate somewhat in the weeks after the election. I thought a little distance from the competitive arena would dampen the fires that so enflamed the debates and campaign. Days have slipped away, Christmas has come and gone, and my various social media platforms still fill with all manner of hate-mail and abusive postings. We must turn away from a political culture which elevates winning by any means and securing power, personal and party, as the primary goal, and instead embrace a healthier ethos of examining ideas based on truth and reality and making decisions based on candid polite discussion. Our infatuation with power as the end result of political debate does not serve us well. Power should be the tool of the republic, the means by which we serve the greater good, enabling the citizenry to best fulfill the ideals of our Declaration, pursuing “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In our thirst for winning, our overweening belief that our viewpoint either ought to, or must prevail, we damage the fabric of our society and strength of the Republic. If we expect to survive as a strong and prosperous nation we must discard the practices of the past and look to address the serious and pernicious problems which seem so deep-rooted and intractable.

                No culture will long survive which easily discards individuals, heaping scorn on certain classes and groups, denying them opportunity based solely on happenstance of birth. Our greatest capital, most abundant resource, most viable path to success is our human capital. The men and women we rub shoulders with daily hold the keys to success. We must pursue policies that seek to lift and ennoble all citizens, no matter the race, religion, or bank-account. We must truly and fully embrace the noble sounding phrase, “sanctity of life.” Life is not only sacred in the womb. It deserves protection and nurturing after the first nine months. We must seek out ways to ensure that all children attend good schools and enjoy the benefits of a high quality education. We must develop policies that secure education for all children within our borders. Failure to build an excellent education system will condemn certain groups, racial and socioeconomic, to second-class citizenship. In a nation as blessed as ours, that is not right. We have the means; we must not lack the moral courage to act. We must foster a broad vision that leads to success for all citizens, not just the well-heeled or those from the “good side of the tracks.” This ought to include our university system as well. Not everyone will choose to advance their learning beyond high-school. But, everyone who shows the diligence, desire, and capability should find a seat at the appropriate university. A country which encourages the individual to reach as high as possible, one that removes needless barriers, and understands the investment nature of education, will serve its people well. We must truly understand that our population is our greatest asset and take appropriate actions to strengthen, not alienate, to lift up, not push down, to salve festering wounds, not decry the injury.

              Those who occupy the lessor, meaner positions of our age need our help and assistance, not our condemnation. We must discard those baser instincts which encourage us to look down upon others of unfortunate circumstances, no matter the cause. Yes, some arrive at these states through poor decisions; however, the solution lies in providing help, not in demeaning them or somehow elevating the bar, all the while forgetting our own good fortune in avoiding such dire straits. We need to teach our children respect for all those we meet since in truth we did precious little to deserve our own comfortable existence. Life is sacred through and through, from the cradle to the grave. Even in old age we must do our best to secure an acceptable outcome. Those who have for so long contributed to the advancement of our nation ought not to fear the twilight years. We enjoy abundance in our nation. Yet we seem to be engrossed with amassing it for ourselves instead of investing in our society. We need structures, pay, healthcare, education, housing, and others that broaden the blessing instead of narrowing it. These sorts of structures take vision. This sort of growth comes through hard work and risk. Not all plans work well, but we cannot refuse to take action any longer. To proceed further down the path of self-centeredness will only insure the demise of the Republic and our way of life. 

Post Election Musings

                I took a hiatus from FaceBook and other social media for a short while after the election. I found the hand-wringing by some and the crowing by others distressing and boorish. The election did not solve any problems; merely selecting a new captain the ship of state. While the presidency remains a singularly powerful office, the constitution curtails that power with various well-conceived checks and balances. President-elect Trump will soon discover that even those in his chosen party remain bound to their individual constituencies and that the levers of government are slippery and extraordinarily difficult to move; especially for one untrained in their manipulation. Here are a few thoughts regarding the upcoming days, weeks, and months.

                For my friends, stinging from the surprising defeat in the Electoral College, stay focused. Harden yourself against the temptation to criticize every single perceived misstep or un-presidential action. Each man, or woman, must grow into the office. After the mantle of leadership descends, all presidents discover what it means to represent the entire nation. Keep focused on important issues. Temper your criticism. Always, always, always include a recommendation. Anyone can point out faults or failures. Take the time to put forward solutions, well thought out recommendations that have some hope of acceptance and possible success. Any course of action that requires unobtainium does not help. Do not succumb to the gadfly temptation. Developing and enacting true solutions to the seemingly intractable problems that vex our nation will require work and effort, not an endless stream of critique. Avoid becoming the party of “no.” For far too long, congress has simply stood by and said “no” to anything that did not issue from their own party. We need to hold our representative accountable for inaction as well as action. Keep substantive issues in front of the body politic. Work. Constantly work to better the lot of the poor and downtrodden. Do not consign the next four years to positioning yourself to recover some ephemeral aura of power. In many ways this time will truly test your devotion to the causes you espouse. Stay in the fight, keep focused on your objectives, and abjure descending to mindless attacks on character flaws which, in reality, do little to improve the state of the nation.

                For my friends, rejoicing in their success; try to show a little grace in victory. After all, Secretary Clinton garnered over 1.5 million more votes than President Elect Trump. Our quirky and non-representative electoral college delivered the victory into the hands of Mr. Trump, not the popular vote. It is important for us to remember that more people voted for the ideas of the Democratic Party than voted for the ideas of the Republican Party. While President Elect Trump and his party will enjoy the fruits of victory, take care when charting the course of the nation. The Republican Party did not win a sound ideological mandate from the nation as a whole. When considering policy goals, remember to look across the aisle, as it were, and inquire from the loyal opposition. Listen to our friends who voted for Secretary Clinton, or even Senator Sanders, there are considerably more of them. Besides, wining at the Electoral College does not give one a corner on good ideas. We need everyone pulling together in order to solve some of the big challenges we face. Belittling them will not encourage cooperation or support and is manifestly un-American and un-Christian. Do not feign surprise at protests and demonstrations. Prior to wining, President Elect Trump, as well as many of his supporters, spoke darkly of not accepting Clinton win. Lawful protest is a fine old American tradition and part of our political process. It would be wise for us to listen carefully to such demonstrations, as they may very well represent the majority opinion. Let us work together, developing good, inclusive, plans to address the problems we face.

                All of us need to abandon those pseudo news sources that continually spew out propaganda, innuendo, and outright lies. These people traffic in harming others. They profit by appealing to our baser instincts and encouraging hate, ignorance, and division. We must deny them a platform for their libelous spasms. How can we expect to make coherent, informed decisions when we continually consume such slanted media? We must avoid the temptation to choose those outlets which make us feel better by feeding our own particular narrative. They may feed a darker need in our character, these vicious attacks on others, but we must rise above them and embrace cogent discussion and thoughtful recommendations. True news educates and informs. Consuming true news takes time and effort often resulting in cognitive dissonance as we assimilate new information. When we start tailoring our news, basing our choices on those outlets that make us “feel” good, we give up our claim to be an educated person, and by extension, society. Seek out and patron those media which provide insightful news. Avoid those outlets which constantly issue retractions or corrections based on slovenly reporting.

                Those of us who claim the name of Christ, must redouble our efforts to well represent Him. We must stop conflating Christianity with a particular political party, policy, or platform. When developing our world-view we must be careful to extend the same grace that we depend upon to those who might view things differently. After all, in those infrequent moments of true introspection, we find ourselves churlish failures who poorly understand God’s deep, abiding, and crazy love. Jesus calls us to a radically different way of living and loving. Whatever our party we must seek out those who are weaker, those who are poorer, the sick, the lost, the lonely, the indigent, and the frightened and tend to their needs. After all, Jesus came and found us when we were estranged and in violent opposition.

                Two final thoughts; we must stop thinking in terms of them and us. Whether we voted for President Elect Trump, Secretary Clinton, or a third party candidate, we’re all Americans. We should want saner minds to prevail and our leaders to succeed. We will make better progress once we realize that the point of politics is to move the nation forward, not destroy, totally own, or crush the opposition. If our government fails, we fail. The stakes are too high to accept failure as a viable course of action. Perhaps the time has come to revisit the need for the Electoral College. Twice in my lifetime the popular vote has been reversed by our antiquated and outmoded election system. As we continue to improve our ability to engineer elections through carefully targeted appeals and gerrymandering, we must expect more frequent occurrences of this type. For our national political health we need to consider divesting ourselves of this unneeded system. 63.5 million voters justifiably feel disenfranchised. Continued results such as this will erode trust in our institutions. It will take work, but our nation would profit from such a worthy exercise of democracy.

Politics of Fear

     “Mr. Robinson, do you think our founding fathers would be proud of our nation today?” I usually get this question in my American History classes sometime around Thanksgiving or Christmas. By this time we’ve covered the Revolutionary War and the writing of the Constitution. The question normally, though not always, comes from a student with a troubled view of society in general. They tend to focus on the negative traits of our society, thinking that I will join them in a pessimistic assessment. They, and almost everyone else in the classroom, express surprise at my answer.

     “I think they’d be rather proud of our nation, and perhaps surprised at our success.” I seriously believe this. This comes from two sources; my generally positive outlook and the fact that I have to read a lot of history in order to teach it. It also stands in contrast to much of the socio-political speech and imagery that fills modern media. Politicians and their surrogates expend large amounts of money, time, and creative energy stoking the fires of fear. Vote for me, support my candidate, accept my policies, embrace my world view or life as we know it will cease to exist. This exploitation of fear skews the view of many people into a very dark place. Many, despite evidence to the contrary, feel fearful, living their lives in dread of some unnamed enemy or catastrophe. They constantly wring their hands despite the unparalleled prosperity and security of this time.

     I understand that my glass is constantly half-full. I also know that by almost any metric you choose, we live in a land and time of great material blessing. Without laying blame or assigning credit we enjoy an unemployment rate of 5.8%. Since my birth in 1961 the U.S. economy has continued to grow, albeit with periodic downturns, most notably in 1974, 1982, and 2010 ¹. Since 1948 our unemployment rate has consistently been under 10%, rarely above 10%, and usually below 5% the figure traditionally quoted as full employment ². Of course we’ve endured various downturns, but nothing as painful as the great depression. This applies to crime as well.

     In almost any water-cooler conversation that turns to crime, most people assume that things are much worse than they used to be. Yet, violent crime rates have fallen over the past twenty years. This information comes from the FBI, a trustworthy source ³. In general, the United States is a much safer place than it used to be, yet most people find that hard to believe. Even after viewing data that contradicts their view, they insist that in their neck of the woods crime rates are rising and the streets remain unsafe. They long for some idyllic point in the past when bad things did not happen to good people. Where does this pessimism come from?

     The current political season causes much of this. Candidates and parties on both sides of the aisle employ the politics of fear. Elect me or things will get worse. Some even put out a message that claims our nation teeters on the edge of an existential abyss, claiming that we’ve gone backwards somehow. This incessant hue and cry of impending apocryphal crisis influences people. Despite the problems we face, and we do face a variety of serious problems, by almost any measure our nation is a stunning success. I regularly chat with colleagues who express grave doubts about our nation. They struggle to believe when I point out facts that say otherwise.

     We must construct our world-view based on facts. We must not let politicians, news organizations and pundits continually stoke the fires of distress and alarm. All of them profit from fear mongering. Some build constituencies, some increase market share, and others simply make money through a continual ringing of the claxon. Through creating a climate of fear, those in power avoid addressing the serious problems we face. They encourage us to focus on nonexistent dangers. This enables them to gain our support without having to develop sound strategies for dealing with the real challenges we face as a nation, and as a global community. In this election cycle we must force politicians to address the difficulties of our day. In so doing, we will forward this great experiment in democracy, continuing the progress our founding fathers worked and sacrificed to start. We must thwart those forces which would exploit fear and take us backward. Instead, let us with firm resolve, clearly evaluate our current situation and determine the best course of action to address the real issues we face. Then we can effectively continue the great work building and strengthening those democratic institutions which have made our nation a great one, one that its originators will be proud of.

1.   The World Bank at: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=US

2.  The Wall Street Journal at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703338004575230041742556522

3. The FBI at: https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/1tabledatadecoverviewpdf/table_1_crime_in_the_united_states_by_volume_and_rate_per_100000_inhabitants_1993-2012.xls