Common Ground
T
here are sticky questions making the political rounds about how and why the concepts of cooperation and compromise have eroded so dramatically in countries around the world. Some observers believe the slide can be traced to one word – fear – and how power-hungry politicians and government officials pounce on that feeling of
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insecurity to sow seeds of distrust in our most fundamental institutions. Others conclude that the principal threats to consensus-building are generally home-grown and are stoked by unfounded claims on social media, which makes stamping them out particularly challenging for those committed to the truth and to the right of self-determination.
T H E P R I M E R U S P A R A D I G M™
Free speech has long been viewed as the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and yet it appears clear that the political animosity prevalent across society is serving as the enemy of unity. To understand the social and political dynamics of today, we must determine how millions of citizens became inoculated against the truth, causing
