Post-truth became Word of the year 2016, being defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’.
This word was mainly associated with the recent political events in the U.K. (Brexit vote) and US (Presidential election). However, as the quote above shows, post-truth is not a new phenomenon, it is an essential part of the western philosophy.
Sincerity and factual accuracy have always been secondary to the privilege and power, only attempts to make falsehood look more credible varied throughout years. What's changed now is that we have moved to a lazier time, when the powerful don't make any efforts to embellish their outright lies.
This new cycle of the blatant lies has started earlier than 2016 - it's started right after the 2008 crisis with the austerity narrative.
Austerity is not just an innuendo. It is a 180 degree spin of what has actually happened, imposed by the establishment and duteously accepted by 'the people'.
In 2008, the private banking system collapsed under unbearable burden of private debt. The governments across the world used healthy public finances to bail out failing banks. The logical way ahead was to reform the over-leveraged, ponzi-like banking system and make the financial system fit to the challenges of the 21st century like astronomical house prices, unsustainable private debt, rising automation and chronic underemployment, etc.
Instead of this, it suddenly became an issue of 'national debt' and 'budget deficit' - of the very tools governments used to save the unsustainable banking system.
The black became white, the white became black.
Here we are.
