“PHONETICALLY SPEAKING” To reflect the fast pace of world news, my blog is probably best served as a stream-of-consciousness text. Fast and unadulterated. With this approach, and on first encounter, text might not seem to scan. This is because I am dyslexic. Instead of keeping the proof-readers busy, I would rather let my blog updates of my visual work stand as a record of my experience of dyslexia, which I am keen that you now get to enjoy too. Unlike some news outlets, I hereby excuse myself the need for a ‘corrections’ section! The excitement of a new language is something I’m quite familiar with, and it is with this ‘joie de vivre’ that I am delighted to guide you through my thought and work processes, more phonetically (than fanatically) speaking.
THE POLITICS OF REALITY
DYSLEXIA, PHILOSOPHY, AND THE POLITICS OF REALITY
As someone with dyslexia, I’m no stranger to how easily information can get tangled, and nowhere is that more true than in political discourse. Reality, it seems, is not only negotiable it’s practically a commodity, bought and sold by those with an agenda.
Take Rachel Maddow, for instance. I’m sure she means well, but when she spins a tale about Trump, tariffs, and Peter Navarro, I have to wonder if we’re watching political theatre rather than journalism. I’m no-Trump fan (far from it), but rewriting history for political point-scoring? Not so fast. Trump was banging on about tariffs and trade imbalances back in the 1980s, long before Navarro’s book Death by China ever graced the shelves. But of course, that doesn’t quite fit the narrative.
And this, dear reader, is where the trouble starts. Democratic supporters seem to have developed what any medically sane person might call “Trump Syndrome” a delusional obsession with the man himself, as if he’s the cause of all their woes, rather than confronting the much messier reality of what he represents. Whether you like Trump or not, understanding why he resonates with millions is essential if we’re ever going to defeat him. Denial won’t do the trick.
As George Orwell famously said, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” The truth, my friends, isn’t always tidy. But, as we shuffle through the muddy waters of political rhetoric, the most revolutionary thing we can do is ask better questions not shout louder.
And as an Englishman, watching my fellow Brits come down with Trump Syndrome is incredible. Especially now, with our current right-wing government in power, we find ourselves in a strange position where the Conservative Party is more left-wing than the current Labour Party. No one seems to be condemning Labour’s policies, even though they’re dramatically affecting the working class, which only drives them directly into the hands of reform. We’re losing the battle here as well. Great work losing any credibility with those who don’t have Trump Syndrome. And that’s the majority of the voting population in both countries that’s why only your little echo chambers are in meltdown.
