One of the most useful sources for understanding Julius Caesar’s Gallic War is, of course, Julius Caesar’s Gallic War. But usefulness does not equate to reliability: it is a work of propaganda to praise its author, evade its enemies, and garner the support of the plebeians; it is a chronicle that intrigues with truth. In human history, there has been much deception; the drug test has never come out clean. In 1274 BC, both Hittites and Egyptians claimed victory in the Battle of Qadesh (note: there was no winner). Alexander the Great took Calisthenes, his personal historian, along in his conquests and even claimed to be the son of Zeus (note: he was the son of Philip). Augustus created the image of Cleopatra that we know: that of a manipulative, fickle, and ambitious Elizabeth Taylor (note: she was a cultured, multilingual, and empowered Greek). Thus it continues incessantly: the Invincible Armada (note the name), the Spanish Civil War, or the Second Gulf War have strikingly different versions depending on the narrator. In this, the Stalinists were Olympic medalists among juniors. They proclaimed prosperity during famines, justice amid purges, and historicism while erasing Trotsky and Kamenev from photos and encyclopedias. When a cosmonaut died in an accident, it was not reported, and therefore, they had not died; that was their cruel response to the question “if a tree falls and no one hears it, does it make a sound?”. North Korea and others operate under the same scheme, and Orwell fictionalized it all in 1948 with his “1984”.
The solution to lies and manipulation was already given to us in the Enlightenment and in creating democracy.
Democracies are not perfect and also commit abuses. Proust observed how in 1914, French victories were increasingly closer to Paris. If one reads the British press of World War II, they will encounter battles that never happened. Television commercials of the 1980s tried to make this writer believe that tobacco would make him sexier, soft drinks more popular, and whiskey more elegant. But let’s not confuse the danger of a mouse with that of a lion; in democracy, there are checks and balances that allow for the identification and denunciation of lies. Today, we cannot say that we are in the age of fake news; these have existed since the first shaman demanded provisions and women because the spirits commanded it. In the West, we are facing new technologies, algorithms, and forms of communication, such as TikTok and YouTube, which drastically cheapen the editing of information. This has allowed new communicators to reach the public directly and compete with more reliable and less entertaining editors. They reach well-intentioned people who believe they have access to truthful information. This is Red Bull for populists willing to break norms, sow confusion, and create parallel realities. There have always been ufologists, crystal therapists, homeopaths, palm readers, and mediums who parasitize or coexist, but now there are more tools to mobilize them. The solution to manipulation and lies was already given to us by our ancestors during the Enlightenment and in creating democracy: avoiding superstition, verifying claims, using reliable and tested sources, listening to arguments, praising knowledge, being open to scrutiny, and learning from mistakes. Let’s not despair; many of us never believed that tobacco made us more attractive, and democracies have overcome more difficult and bitter stages. Let us hope that this time the human cost of weathering this storm will not be cruel.
Article written by Marc Murtra and published in La Vanguardia: No estamos en la era de la posverdad
