Unhinged. Rant. Meltdown. Nasty. Losers. Like we have never seen before.
These are some of the words and phrases dominating our political discourse these days. These once powerful words are used so frequently that they have lost any real meaning. They are little more than click bait.
Hyperbole Alone Does Not Require Critical Thought
I appreciate well placed hyperbole. I use it myself sometimes. However, hyperbole does not stand on its own. It needs to be anchored to facts, figures, reasoning and analysis. Hyperbole is the punchline, not the setup. We should not mistake naked hyperbole for a well-reasoned argument. They are not the same thing. Hyperbole without more is just noise.
A professor taught me years ago that the best way to prove something is neither clear nor obvious is to use the words “clearly” or “obviously.” Politicians use words like these all the time, and we let them get away with it. Politicians should be capable of going deeper. And we should demand it.
Our Political Discourse Is Being Meme-ified
I love a clever meme. Cats with attitude. Squirrels giving side-eye. The world’s most interesting man. It’s good fun. But memes are a horrible medium for debating complex policy issues. They don’t allow for context, or nuance, or even fact in some instances. Too often we see self-satisfied memes declaring someone’s patriotic superiority, or demeaning someone else’s patriotism. These sorts of political memes typically don’t say anything of substance. They don’t prove a point, unless the point is that we are not open to debate or opposing views. Political memes evoke emotional responses, not thoughtful ones. They shut down debate and short-circuit our own critical thinking.
We Need Thoughtful Politicians, Not Clever Ones
Twitter (now X) and Truth Social are not much better. Being glib and making quips is no substitute for a cogent argument. But we let politicians get away with this kind of shallow thinking all the time. And stop with the all caps. I get it. You really, really mean it. I am taking the time to read your post. Please stop yelling at me.
Our President loves his Truth Social platform. He loves his hyperbole, his name-calling, and his all caps. Pardon my own hyperbole for a moment, but our President is the G.O.A.T. when it comes to controlling the narrative through social media. He can whip his supporters, his opponents and the media into a frenzy with a single post. The President knows exactly what words to use. As with a meme, we read certain phrases, react emotionally, and stop thinking critically. The media then spends the next news cycle trying to unpack what the President meant by his post. In the meantime, the President is moving his agenda forward and avoiding any meaningful debate over the underlying policy questions. It really is the work of a genius.
In singling out the President, I don’t mean to suggest that other politicians don’t do the same thing. They do. The President is just better at it than other politicians.
We Should Respond, Not React
But these social media posts are a disservice to us all. They reduce us to the sum of our emotions and ignore our ability to think critically. We should stop taking the bait every time we read hyperbole, or name-calling, or all caps. When politicians answer questions with venom rather than reason, we should ask why. And we should stop reacting and start responding with measure, deliberation and forethought.