I don’t think people are being sufficiently appreciative of the upside of the fake fact revolution.
First, our lives will be much easier. Nobody will spend time studying things or pursuing higher education, only to be dismissed as an out-of-touch elitist trying to shove things down other peoples’ throats. And if someone asks you to do something, just say, “Okay, I’ll do it as soon as the game is over.” If they come back later and say, “The game has been over for hours. Why are you still sitting there?”, answer, “What? You were taking me literally? Ha, ha, ha!”
Second, making up whatever facts you want is a lot of fun. Like this one: Our new president is half-human and half-orangutan. Those of you who use Facebook or Twitter, have fun spreading it around.
Thomas Hobbes warned that practices like these will inevitably erode the trust we have in one another, lead to the disintegration of human society, and make our lives solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. But Hobbes lived back in a time when people thought that what you say should be based on real facts. How retro! Ha, ha, ha!
DAVID HAGNER
Concord