When Will We Stop Falling for False Narratives?

There is a reason why I prefer truth over narrative. Unfortunately, most people don't. It is slowly destroying the country. It's time for it to stop.

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

Humor me for a moment. Think of the biggest political hoax that stands out in your mind.

Got it?

Alright, now I will make a prediction. If you are a conservative reading this, you are thinking of a hoax spawned by Democrats and the activist media.

If you happen to be on the left, you probably thought of a lie told by Republicans.

Did I get that right?

Of course, I did. There’s a reason for that.

Those who follow me know that my motto is: “I prefer truth over narrative and principles over politics.” This post is about the first half of that motto.

We are constantly bombarded by false narratives. You can’t spend five minutes on social media before coming across blatant lies.

We know this, yet we still fall for it. Too many Americans value narratives – false and true – over truth. This will destroy our way of life if we don’t change.

Russia, Russia, Russia!

Remember the “Russiagate” hoax? During and after the 2016 presidential election, Democrats and their bosom buddies in the activist media began falsely claiming that President Donald Trump and members of his campaign collaborated with the Russian government to influence the outcome of the election.

Democratic lawmakers like then-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) swore he and his cohorts possessed incriminating evidence that Team Trump was in bed with the. But that evidence never materialized.

The truth later emerged when special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation found that while the Kremlin did try to interfere in the election, there was no evidence of collusion between them and Team Trump. But the damage was done. A poll conducted in 2023 showed that almost two-thirds of Democrats still believed the hoax.

Everything Is DEI!

Let’s turn to the right and its fixation on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The controversy over DEI stems from valid concerns about the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT) being pushed in government-run schools and corporate America.

During the 2024 campaign, DEI became a hot-button issue. Conservative influencers and politicians railed against the practice, claiming companies and government agencies were hiring unqualified people because of their immutable characteristics.

Soon, the narrative became so prevalent influencers and media figures began claiming that any disaster, from the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse to the recent plane/helicopter crash in Washington, D.C. were caused by DEI.

Yet, there was something missing: Evidence.

If you think these claims are true, ask yourself this question: Have you seen any data or evidence supporting the notion that companies are hiring unqualified people en masse because of their skin color or gender?

I haven’t either. Yet, many on the right are convinced that if a plane crashes, it’s because of DEI.

This isn’t to say there aren’t serious problems with DEI. I explained this in another article. But the influencer class is focusing on the wrong issue.

Let’s go back to the left.

‘Fine People on Both Sides’

You might recall back in 2017 when a horde of white supremacists and neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville, VA, to protest against the removal of a Confederate statue. A leftist protester was killed after one of the racists ran into her and other people with his car.

The incident reignited conversations about racial animus, with the left taking full advantage of the situation to claim the Orange Man What Is Bad™ is the second coming of Adolf Hitler.

When Trump addressed reporters shortly after the incident, he explained that there were “fine people” on both sides of the statue debate. Seconds later, he clearly said: “And I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and white supremacists. They should be condemned totally.”

Yet, media outlets like CNN and others deliberately cut out the last part of the clip to make it appear as if Trump complimented racists. Former President Joe Biden even repeated the lie during the 2020 campaign. Many Democrats still believe it is true even though it has been debunked repeatedly.

‘They’re Eating the Dogs, They’re Eating the Cats’

Back in September 2024, a false narrative emerged in Springfield, Ohio, claiming that Haitian migrants were eating residents’ cats and dogs. A Facebook user in a local group sparked the hoax, saying a neighbor told her this was happening.

The post started a national conversation, with various media outlets covering it. Trump and Vice President JD Vance amplified the narrative. The president even brought it up during a debate. “They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats,” he said with a straight face.

The furor over the story led to a moral panic. There were 33 bomb threats. Schools were forced to evacuate. Haitian migrants faced harassment. Dogs and cats cowered in their homes out of fear of being eaten.

Okay, I made that last part up.

Local authorities put the rumors to rest. They explained there were no credible reports of Haitians eating Fido for dinner. The original Facebook poster even admitted that her post was based on hearsay. Yet, I would bet a sizeable portion of Republican voters still believe the hoax.

What’s Happening Here?

The public has been barraged with false narratives for decades. We know this, but we keep falling for them. This is because the narratives we believe are promulgated by figures we like because we share their political ideology. Yet, we quickly see through lies when they are being told by folks on the other side.

False narratives are a potent weapon used by opinion molders of all political stripes to manipulate us. When people prefer narrative over truth, they are easier to deceive. When we hear stories coming from our “side” we suspend disbelief and fail to scrutinize factual inconsistencies. This allows the powers that be to shape our perceptions through propaganda and outrage.

It kills our ability to think critically.

False narratives fuel division while keeping the masses distracted. While we are at each other’s throats arguing about the latest outrage du jour, the state and the elites that control it amass more power.

If more Americans chose truth over narratives, we could band together to oppose those seeking to enrich themselves by screwing us over. This is why the government and its allies use the “divide and conquer” tactic to keep our attention on each other instead of where it should be: On the state and its opinion molders. The question is: Are we ever going to catch on?