Lies and damned lies

The answer to post-truth? More truth

In a review of James Davison Hunter’s Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America’s Political Crisis, David Brooks recently wrote how Americans had become so divided that they no longer only lack a shared sense of belief but, increasingly, no longer even a shared sense of reality.

‘By the 21st century, it became clear that Americans were no longer just disagreeing with one another,’ Brooks wrote: ‘they didn’t even perceive the same reality. You began to hear commencement speakers declare that each person has to live according to his or her own truth. Critics talked about living in a post-truth society.’ 

I’ve thought about that a lot since the summer of 2020, because it’s not just true of America but of our small island, too.

This week three children were killed while attending a summer dance play group in Southport, Lancashire. Social media soon buzzed with a rumour about the suspect’s identity, with an obviously Muslim sounding name being bandied around. Some claimed he was an illegal immigrant, others that it was terrorism related - rumours which turned out to be false. It was not until yesterday that the authorities were able to contradict these stories, since the suspect is only 17 and underage suspects are not normally identified. He doesn’t have a Muslim name, he was born in Britain and his family originate from a Christian country.

The following day, after a vigil was held for the victims, a mob gathered in the town and threw bricks at a nearby mosque, damaging the wall of the religious building and injuring two dozen policemen. Some of the men, who seemed less saddened than exhilarated, shouted anti-Muslim slogans, and had the police line not held the consequences might have been tragic and potentially explosive.

Mob violence is frightening, and mob violence aimed at a place of worship especially sinister. Alarmed by such scenes, many people are concerned that social media fuelled the riots, and there were certainly plenty of accounts cheering on the violence.

In a specially convened press conference yesterday, the Prime Minister warned social media companies that ‘It’s happening on your premises. The law must be upheld everywhere. We will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe.’