Sponsored Contents | Jul 24,2022
Dec 14 , 2019
By Tibebu Bekele
The saying that we are living in a post-fact world is gaining currency. It is not difficult to see why. The hotly debated and fiercely contested issues in the world today are not argued on the basis of fact and provable logic. They are mostly based on emotional attachments to dogmas that are reinforced by us-versus-them groupthink.
Take the issue of climate change and man’s role in exacerbating it. This is a topic that requires some expert input to understand. I am no scientist and thus cannot make pronunciations either way simply because I lack the expertise in the matter. Therefore, it will be logical that I refer to the scientific literature on the subject. And one would expect the debate on this issue would, for the most part, happen between peers in the scientific community.
But the overwhelming majority of scientists agree on the subject. Most of the debate that is happening today is not between scientific peers. It is between politicians with little to no expertise whatsoever on the subject and scientists that have spent a lifetime studying it. It is one thing to acknowledge the facts and then still not implement the recommendations because of say, budgetary constraints for example. But to outright dismiss an uncomfortable fact as a hoax just because a politician or a political party does not like it is a different matter altogether.
This is but just one example. The same trend can be seen in the debate over Brexit in Europe or the impeachment proceedings in the US. After years of debate and proposition after proposition and even elections, people’s position on the issue hardly budges an inch. After being exposed to hearing after hearing and listening to dozens of expert witnesses in the US impeachment hearings, the poll numbers show no movement at all. People still believe what they believed at the beginning. Facts do not change anybody’s mind anymore.
And closer to home, it gets even worse. Here it is not even about party lines. It is about bloodlines. It is not about what someone is saying, it is about who that someone is. If she is one of us, everything she is saying is right. And if she is not, then it is wrong. Having an intelligent conversation with opposing viewpoints is a thing of the past.
It is getting so bad that even friends are avoiding controversial subjects for fear of jeopardizing their relationship. Since emotions are leading the conversation, not logic or reason, there is no point arguing the topic. Because arguments are about persuasion. If a friend has sworn that no amount of fact is going to change his mind, starting a conversation on the topic gains nothing, but it might cost a friend.
The question is how did we get here?
There are many contributing factors to the erosion of values that landed humanity where it finds itself. At least in the Ethiopian context, one major reason is the politicizing of everything.
The unquenchable thirst of political parties to build hegemonies in this country meant that no institution, religious or secular, was spared their attention and infiltration.
A country that denigrates its heroes for temporary political gains should not be surprised when it finds itself full of villains.
The compromising of democratic institutions, the media, non-governmental organisations and civil society in an effort to control all levers of power has resulted in a national cynicism that is inimical to democracy. Because democracy in its essence is built on the firm belief in the supremacy of deliberation, in the sacredness of truth and persuasion.
A post-fact world? I do not think so. Because the facts are the facts. I may not like them, but that does not change the facts. But the refusal to be persuaded by them may be ushering in a post-dialogue world. And that is pretty scary!
PUBLISHED ON
Dec 14,2019 [ VOL
20 , NO
1024]
Sponsored Contents | Jul 24,2022
Commentaries | Feb 24,2024
Radar | Mar 11,2023
Radar | Sep 24,2022
Fortune News | Jan 19,2024
Photo Gallery | 96784 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 88965 Views | Apr 26,2019
My Opinion | 67182 Views | Aug 14,2021
Commentaries | 65765 Views | Oct 02,2021
Feb 24 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Abel Yeshitila, a real estate developer with a 12-year track record, finds himself unable to sell homes in his latest venture. Despite slash...
Feb 10 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In his last week's address to Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) painted a picture of an economy...
Jan 7 , 2024
In the realm of international finance and diplomacy, few cities hold the distinction that Addis Abeba doe...
Sep 30 , 2023 . By AKSAH ITALO
On a chilly morning outside Ke'Geberew Market, Yeshi Chane, a 35-year-old mother cradling her seven-month-old baby, stands amidst the throng...
Apr 20 , 2024
In a departure from its traditionally opaque practices, the National Bank of Ethiopia...
Apr 13 , 2024
In the hushed corridors of the legislative house on Lorenzo Te'azaz Road (Arat Kilo)...
Apr 6 , 2024
In a rather unsettling turn of events, the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (C...
Mar 30 , 2024
Ethiopian authorities find themselves at a crossroads in the shadow of a global econo...
Apr 20 , 2024
Ethiopia's economic reform negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are in their fourth round, taking place in Washington, D...
Apr 20 , 2024 . By BERSABEH GEBRE
An undercurrent of controversy surrounds the appointment of founding members of Amhara Bank after regulat...
An ambitious cooperative housing initiative designed to provide thousands with affordable homes is mired...
Apr 20 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Ethiopia's juice manufacturers confront formidable economic challenges following the reclassification of...
Loading your updates...