Stop Fact-Checking Christy Clark

We’ve learned a few things. But we need to pick up the pace of wisdom.

As we pivot to a new world that is suffering from deeper entrenched tendencies of fascism and contempt for truth, we need to stop wasting our time fact-checking liars.

Last week on The Daily Show, Trevor Noah encouraged us to ask this question instead, “Can you elaborate?” when someone like Trump lies. 3 million illegal voters? Stop saying it’s wrong, just ask for clarification. Because if liars are behaving like toddlers, don’t play their game.

But this is hard in BC. We’ve had a government for 15 years that is filled with lies. Privatized infrastructure projects are always on time and on budget. They’re not.

The BC government doesn’t think addicts should cull themselves because they’re spending money trying to stop the somewhat indiscriminate killing from fentanyl. Except the amount they’re spending is a variable: 3 different amounts in 3 different days. They’re in their groove so deeply, they can’t even bother to be consistent anymore.

So.

Can the premier elaborate?

The premier used to think it’s bad for governments to leave our kids with debt. Yet, she and Gordon Campbell have added billions of long-term debt to British Columbia’s children.

Can you elaborate? Like, on the tens of billions in privatized infrastructure debt we’ll spend decades paying off?

But don’t expect the corporate media to be asking key elaboration questions. When they aren’t leaving their media gigs to run for the Liberals, the Liberals are running ads on the network of their Global TV farm team, along with Rolex. Marketing plans aren’t random. Rolex knows who watches Global TV, and so does the premier’s comms shop. Don’t expect accountability from that media outlet.

So, if we’re pivoting to a new world, WE must get smarter. Stop fact checking. Stop trying to find the gotcha moment to catch them in a lie. They’re beyond lies. They’re living in post-truth land.

We have to ask why the premier took away the 12 cent/day bus pass for people with disabilities, then tweeted this piece of hypocrisy for International Day for Persons with Disabilities: “On #IDPD2016, we recognize those who make our communities more inclusive and break down barriers every day.”

So she took away their bus passes. #bcpoli #dignity #idpd2016 https://t.co/CmX7VuDabL

— WePivot.net ??? (@WePivot) December 3, 2016

When we pivot to a new world, we must demand integrity from our politicians, not contempt.

We must demand access to ask questions, not invisibility like we saw with Harper, see with Clark and will likely see with Trump.

We must build up people who will fully answer questions, not serial liars like Trudeau who campaigned against Harper’s flawed pipeline review process and restoring relationships with First Nations, then followed Harper’s pipeline agenda anyway. Watch what solidarity looks like here.

We must promote truth-tellers, people with principles and integrity and respect, and a working knowledge of systems theory. Is that so much to ask for.

We need to amplify messages from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the anti-pipeline resolve of the Tsleil-Waututh, the Kahnawake Mohawks, Pam Palmater and the Leap Manifesto crew as we reject tar sands, reject committing to decades more using pipelines to transport carbon energy, and embrace the post-carbon energy infrastructure.

And here’s how we do it. We remember that the liars in their own “information [but not facts] universes” aren’t dealing with real truth. They’re signalling what they intend to do. So we need to constantly turn again to our principles, and share them.

Don’t pander to the fascists. Praise community builders, and those who cherish others, especially the vulnerable. Find people whose vision for a better future brings everyone along, not just the 1% or the white folk, or the male folk.