Thursday, January 26, 2017

Fake news and alternative facts



I have a huge collection of fake news and alternative facts on my living room book shelves. My favorites are the 11th, 12th, and 13th editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica. They belonged to my grandfather who died in 1968, bound in black leather with sheer paper.  In fact, based on the detailed maps in the 12th, I'd say battles in France in WWI were the most important events of the 20th century. In my office I have about 40" of church history books that indicate not much ever happened before Luther. 1500 years of literature, medicine, science, architecture, agriculture, theology, etc.--just got left out. And of course, my cookbooks are filled with "facts" about coffee, chocolate, eggs, butter and micronutrients that are history but not accurate--but that could all change next week. But the most enduring fake news and alternative facts come from our media which have so disgraced themselves the last 16 years first lying about Bush then glorifying Obama to have rendered themselves obsolete.

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