"I've spent 30 years traveling, making policy, meeting many world leaders."

[Caliman73]

45. If it were in the water, then many more of us would be affected.

Iggo's analysis is right on in my opinion. There was a CONCERTED effort starting in the late 60's early 70's, especially after the Watergate fiasco and Nixon's resignation where Conservatives started moving toward creating a bubble for their followers to live in. The Powell Memo was a response to the consumer safety movement, ironically lead by Ralph Nader, that had seen regulations placed on corporations for the protection of the average person, and this movement to hold powerful people to account that lead Roger Ailes and Pat Buchanan to push forward with the right wing takeover of media.

These two projects took advantage of the average level of tribalism that has existed in American politics and put it on Mega Steroids. Still, only about 30% to 35% of the electorate are actually engaged with right wing politics, but that is not an insignificant amount of people. Capitalism and general apathy also play their part. News agencies in their pursuit of the almighty dollar, emphasize "conflict" and "both sides" and allow right wing propaganda to infiltrate into the conventional media. So right wing lies become the other side of facts and the media presents it as a valid debate of ideas.

I do agree with you niyad about the challenge of "the solution". If we go after the right wing lies like we should to defeat them, it would likely have to be behind a major curtailment of the First Amendment, which we don't want to do.

The only thing that I can think of is a VERY HEAVY LIFT which requires Liberals/Progressives/Further Left people to engage and win seats on school boards, city councils, County Supervisor roles, and build a movement to revamp the education system.

We absolutely have to develop critical thinkers who understand how to separate fact from fiction. We need to teach people to recognize reputable sources, rules of logic, common fallacies in argumentation, and how evidence works.