Political Bullshit is not Partisan; Your View on it Likely is
Bullshit is in the tool box of every politician and political news source, and it is readily used. Regardless of party affiliation, bullshit is spewed from the mouths of politically-tied individuals with ease and eloquence. However, this ritual is generally viewed as partisan, with hands being pointed across the aisle, eager to identify the bullshit of the other party, while ignoring its existence within one’s own. This fervor to call out the bullshit of an opposing political party and reluctance to hold your own to the same standard is contributing to the great divide we see in the American political system today.
For bullshitters, the truth is not the end game; rather, they may elect to use it as a means to their end. They misrepresent their true intentions, and this is overtly recognizable in the sources we rely upon to deliver factual news. Let’s explore two of the most widely consumed news distributers in our country today: Fox News and MSNBC. Both report political happenings to millions every day. Both use facts to convey their own messages. However, there is a difference in the news that they present and/or the way they present the news. For example, how Fox covers the impeachment is very different from how MSNBC covers the same issue. Both are presenting on the same topic, but in a much different way. Their biases are apparent. They both misrepresent their intentions of providing ideas that confirm one’s own political beliefs under the guise of facts.
Ask your friends/colleagues/family, where do they get their news? Ask to give an example of political bullshit. The answers of these questions will likely give you a pretty good idea of their party affiliation and their recognition of the other party’s bullshit. The fact that Republicans are more likely to get their news from Fox and that Democrats are more likely to get theirs from MSNBC (or CNN, etc.) give credence to the idea that some people are more likely to ignore— or worse yet, not recognize— bullshit from their own party. When people are unable to realize misrepresentation and bullshit from their own news sources, constructive political discussions lose while division, hostility, and bullshitters win.
For bullshitters, the truth is not the end game; rather, they may elect to use it as a means to their end. They misrepresent their true intentions, and this is overtly recognizable in the sources we rely upon to deliver factual news. Let’s explore two of the most widely consumed news distributers in our country today: Fox News and MSNBC. Both report political happenings to millions every day. Both use facts to convey their own messages. However, there is a difference in the news that they present and/or the way they present the news. For example, how Fox covers the impeachment is very different from how MSNBC covers the same issue. Both are presenting on the same topic, but in a much different way. Their biases are apparent. They both misrepresent their intentions of providing ideas that confirm one’s own political beliefs under the guise of facts. 
Ask your friends/colleagues/family, where do they get their news? Ask to give an example of political bullshit. The answers of these questions will likely give you a pretty good idea of their party affiliation and their recognition of the other party’s bullshit. The fact that Republicans are more likely to get their news from Fox and that Democrats are more likely to get theirs from MSNBC (or CNN, etc.) give credence to the idea that some people are more likely to ignore— or worse yet, not recognize— bullshit from their own party. When people are unable to realize misrepresentation and bullshit from their own news sources, constructive political discussions lose while division, hostility, and bullshitters win. 
Hi Nicolas -- This is one of my favorite posts I've read so far! I really love the set up here and the use of visuals. You provide an easy to follow narrative about bullshit taking place across political divides in the US. I can tell that you got your definition of political bullshit from Frankfurt, but I think it would have been helpful to take the time to introduce him and his framework early on so the reader can see your understanding of the reading and how it applies here.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading through this article and I agree with your main argument that people are eager to point fingers to the bullshit from an opposing political party while conveniently ignoring their own bullshit. However, I think the article really needs to be tied to a class reading more, and reading this feels a bit out of place for an ICT blog, with it mainly talking about TV channels (which I see as more traditional media). Maybe it could be useful to talk about how this pattern is amplified by social media channels like Twitter.
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