Letter: Tracking misinformation

I commend the Biden administration, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Wilson Center fellow Nina Jankowicz for finally moving forward in tackling misinformation and disinformation in America, which has led to political violence, societal decay and even death.

Disinformation coming from Putin’s GRU Russian troll farms coordinating with right wing propaganda networks such as Sinclair Broadcasting, Fox News, Newsmax, OAN and thousands of Clear Channel AM hate radio stations has had a disastrous effect on American society.

The lies, propaganda and delusional conspiracy machine has deceived at least 25% of America into believing absurdities. From the big lie of a “stolen election” inciting violent seditious insurrectionists to attack our Capitol, to the COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation responsible for most of nearly 1 million deaths, to climate change denialism, to the political lies of blaming the administration for worldwide price hikes and oil shortages exasperated by Putin’s atrocities. Despite the fact that corporate CEOs and fossil fuel oligarchs are seeing record profits, they are exploiting and fleecing Americans knowing the media, funded by the same plutocrats, will defend their greed by blaming politicians for manufactured inflation.

Here in McHenry County, those neighbors who have succumbed to the mendacity are easy to see, as they espouse ignorance by the flags they fly and derogatory yard signs they post, completely devoid of economic reality, science, truth or facts.

A healthy democracy is contingent on freedom of speech, but the transparency of holding citizens, media and public figures to account for lies is essential for a civilized society.

Bob Janz

McHenry