Misinformation drives dangerous tribal thinking

Why is there such a disconnect between actual conditions in our country and the perception of those conditions? The U.S. economy is healthy compared to our own past circumstances as well as the conditions in other first-world countries. There has been unprecedented job and wage growth for the last 26 months; unemployment is at a fifty-year low. The long-heralded, imminent recession hasn’t happened. Anyone who wants a job can get one.

Prices are higher than they were pre-pandemic, but inflation has slowed significantly from 9% to 3% — just slightly above the ideal 2% target rate. Interest rates are much higher than they have been for the last decade which increases the difficulty of affording housing, especially for first-time homebuyers. But we should understand that increased interest rates is the major tool used by the Federal Reserve to tame inflation that was brought on by the pandemic, snarled supply chains and deficit spending by Trump and Biden.

True, issues remain with our southern border. But a bipartisan group of senators recently developed legislation to relieve the most egregious problems there. This proposed legislation got no consideration by Congress because candidate Trump wants to use the chaotic border situation for election campaigning.

Almost all indicators of crime in the U.S. are trending down. Yet we perceive we are less safe.

In short, things have improved in our society and economy. Then, why do so many voters in our electorate enjoy living in a fact-free world at odds with reality?

Fareed Zakaria may have unraveled this mystery. In the past, actual economic and social conditions informed citizens’ votes. Zakaria maintains that is no longer the case. The “tribe” to which a voter belongs trumps reality. This fealty to “tribe” over reality is the result of incessant misinformation that overwhelms our rational selves. How unfortunate.

Lynn Jensen

Arlington Heights