American government Quote by Jeff Flake
““CNN and The New York Times are called fake news by some people on our side, while the president personally thanks infowars.com and its founder Alex Jones for “standing up for the values that makes this country great.” Jones, it must be noted, has rarely met a bizarre conspiracy that he didn’t fully embrace and is one of the most egregious polluters of civil discourse in America. He believes, for instance, that 9/11 was perpetrated by the American government and that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, in which twenty first-graders were killed, was a hoax staged by the government as a pretext to confiscate our guns. Those grieving parents that we all saw were—according to Jones—paid actors. It was disheartening to learn that in the days immediately following his election, as President-Elect Trump was receiving the well wishes of world leaders, he also took time to place a call to this man to let him know how important his support had been to the success of his campaign. Giving away one’s agency and becoming captive to such outlandish and vile alternative facts would be bad enough were one an average person, quietly living his or her life. But giving away one’s agency to such a confusion of fact and fantasy when one has power—well, that is truly dangerous.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Media and Discourse, United States Senate, 2017
The quote warns that endorsing extreme conspiracy theories erodes truth, harms civil discourse, and is especially dangerous when wielded by powerful leaders.
In simple terms: Supporting falsehoods damages society and is risky for those in power.
Reject misinformation and demand evidence.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political campaigns
- media consumption
- public policy debates
- education curricula
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we protect truth in polarized environments?
- What responsibilities do leaders have to counter false narratives?
Even factual sources can be twisted, making verification challenging.