Now, this is not to say that Republicans were not lying like rugs long before this day five years ago. It’s just that as of that time, lies became far more respectable both among those on the right who spread them, and those in the media who gave them a respectful hearing. For it is now the case that it is Republican orthodoxy that if they wish to believe a lie an alternative fact they have every right to do so, and the rest of us must respect their right to do so.
If they want to believe the Big Lie, we must treat them with understanding. If they want to treat COVID with horse dewormer not only must we treat that decision with respect, but we must order doctors to prescribe on demand. We have entire television networks dedicated to the sanctity of alternative facts, for which said networks have so far escaped legal liability for after all, what reasonable person would believe them just because they expect you to believe them.
This is not to say that all alternative facts are created equal. Rest assured that if we on the left decided to try our hand at the practice, the press would spend zero time trying to understand us. But as it is, this is the new reality. The right gets to choose it’s own facts and any relationship they may have to reality is purely coincidental. It’s a longstanding practice, but today is the fifth anniversary of their own express acknowledgement that it’s what they do.
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