Why there is no uniting a divided reality.

TracingWoodgrains linked me to this twitter thread.

I comprehend the peril of our reality much better having read it.

But first I want to ask: whose fault is it that we are in a divided reality?

The people who indulged Trump in 'alternative facts.' That's the root of it all. That's why it's ultimately the rightoid's fault we're in this problem, and pointing fingers doesn't help matters but there's also nothing we can do.

Because some or much of what's in that twitter thread is true, but what's more important is what people believe to be true.

What people on the left believe to be true, is:

The Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. Trump asked for help on national television from Russia in what will be remembered as a betrayal of the national integrity that fully justifies the investigation into his campaign. That may not be something people on the right believe, but this isn't about what people on the right believe. This is about what you can ask people on the left to believe.

The Mueller Report didn't exonerate Trump, it was incredibly darning. You can't ask people on the left to believe otherwise.

The 2020 election was more or less above board because Trump was unpopular. You can't ask people on the left to believe otherwise.

Trump was unpopular because he was dangerous to our collective sense of reality. He has successfully fragmented it. No amount of asking the left to understand the right can work because, and this part is key: the story they tell you isn't relevant. This twitter guy? He's understanding and compassionate.

January 6th was an insurrection by a mob riled up by a boomer who lost an election. You can't ask people on the left to believe otherwise.

But it doesn't matter when you read the story of the crowd because in the end it's just a story some people believe.

And when it comes to identifying fascism, which is to say, identifying the living breathing collective organism that tells lies to achieve power... it doesn't matter what they say they believe. They want Trump in power and just feel vaguely that it isn't right he isn't and they're acting on it to further divide the nation.

It's understandable that people don't trust Democrats, the security establishment. Because they shouldn't be trusted.

But nor can you ask anyone to trust this reality TV star who, I repeat, asked Russia for help on live television which was then granted.

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How did we get here?

There were a bunch of people who thought it made sense to watch 'two screens.' One of those screens was informed by the blatant lies, the 'alternative facts', of a boomer who expressed open admiration for dictatorship. Who then followed up on that admiration with a dictatorial move on January 6th.

I read William Barr's memoir, you know. I came away from it with admiration for William Barr.

He closes by darning Trump.

I also read Mark Esper's memoir.

He closes by darning Trump.

There is no sympathy for those who bound their fates with a loser. There can be none, for then you are stuck in the loser's reality, fighting a losing war against someone who will not believe the truth.

The only lesson that can be gained is: if someone openly encourages 'alternative facts' in public discourse, take them to the village square and stone them.