OPINION: Reckoning with post-election truths

As a way of recalibrating after the shock of the national election, I immediately stopped reading the news. Instead, I went for walks with friends and thought about where do I park my hope when I no longer recognize my country? On one walk, Winston Churchill’s quote about truth came to mind: “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end, there it is.” This got me wondering: Is truth a place where I can park some hope for the future? Can truth win out after reality comes home to roost?

What happens when the tariffs on Chinese imports raise inflation and consumer costs for working-class families? What happens when the next round of heat waves, hurricanes and floods hit all those vulnerable rural communities and FEMA is overwhelmed? I also worry for Latino families who suddenly find a family member or a “dreamer” caught up in a mass deportation raid. I worry about America’s standing in the world if Donald Trump tries to pull out of NATO.

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “Every truth passes through three states before it is recognized. In the first, it is ridiculed. In the second, it opposed. In the third it is regarded as self-evident.” Which truths are in this third state? Will it become self-evident that the science of climate change doesn’t change because of who’s president? Will it become obvious that we are a nation of immigrants regardless of where one lives? Will it become evident that Vladimir Putin is out to undo Western democracies and their influence in the world order?

I take solace in realizing that it often takes adversity and chaos before the pendulum of common sense swings back toward solving problems for the greater public good.

In a commentary by columnist Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post, I learned that we just witnessed the outcome of the most poorly informed electorate in modern American history. Because of the far right’s control of an extensive media network, much of America did not hear the Democrat’s message on the economy, inflation or immigration. For example, the reality of a strong stock market and low unemployment could not penetrate the far-right’s misinformation campaign claiming that the economy was in shambles.

I also learned in Ms. Rubin’s article that voters in the state of Missouri passed three Democratic initiatives — abortion rights, minimum wage and mandated paid leave — yet decidedly voted for Republicans who opposed these proposals. “When tens of millions of Americans believe things that are simply not true,” wrote Rubin, “Democratic accomplishments and priorities don’t reach the intended audience.”

Had the electorate been better informed would the result have been different? Probably not. But that is not why I bring forward this assessment. Rather, I raise it as a critical alert that we as a nation are on a very slippery slope where far-right misinformation and conspiracy campaigns are not only capable of distorting the reality on the ground but in keeping the distortion alive. Just look at what happened to the lie about Haitian immigrants eating dogs.

Senior fellow Darrell West of the Brookings Institution, a highly regarded non-profit research institute, said, “Millions of Americans admit they themselves have intentionally spread information they know to be false. If that continues, it will lead to disaster for our country’s politics and governance.” Jennifer Rubin agreed and said, “Democracy requires public virtue and informed citizenry. In the current media environment, both are under siege.”

In moving forward to address this challenge, we first must not spread information we know to be false and secondly, upon hearing a patently false statement, simply say, “no that’s not quite right, perhaps you should dig a little deeper.” While we need not be confrontational, it’s incumbent on us all to not condone the spread of distortion when we know otherwise. Equally, important is the need to support investigative journalism at all levels and on all platforms.

In the interest of promoting an informed citizenry, here’s a place to start. Climate change is not a hoax. National crime rates actually declined significantly in 2024. There is no surge in crimes committed by immigrants.

And as of Nov. 7, the stock market’s Dow Jones Industrial Average is at 43,729. Annual inflation is 2.4% and unemployment is at 4.1%. Also, just prior to the election, the Economist magazine claimed that the U.S. economy is the envy of the world.

Another reality check: Wind turbines do not cause cancer.

Some of these truths will be easier to accept; others truths, like mass deportation and misguided tariffs, are likely to roost ugly. And when they do, I will do my part, where I can, to help my neighbors, my community, and my state to get through the turmoil — in hopes that we can move on from the pain of self-revealing truths sooner rather than later.

Kate Troll, a longtime Alaskan, has over 22 years experience in coastal management, fisheries and energy policy and is a former executive director for United Fishermen of Alaska and the Alaska Conservation Voters. She’s been elected to local office twice, written two books and resides in Douglas.

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