These days we have a huge problem with public discourse. It is filled with the opinions of morons (Trump), liars (Jordan Peterson), and people adoring autocrats (fanboys of Putin, Xi, etc.).
Why is this so? Why aren't reasonable voices dominating in an age when everyone can offer their opinion freely? There are three main reasons.
1. There is a great number of people who are not smart.
2. These people can all afford cheap internet and the lack of information regulations allows them to spread their horribly low quality views. Also, in the West, especially in the US, many people misunderstand freedom and tolerance. They think it includes that we let idiots speak whatever they think without telling them that they and their views are ridiculous. This is not a lucky change. We shouldn't squash people and we should keep encouraging them to learn and improve, but not to voice their views before they have done so.
3. There are plenty of politicians and others who pay a lot of money to distract from their misdeeds by blowing up crazy and false views and issues into huge debates. Just think of Peterson on the Canadian C16 legislation, Trump on ... pretty much everything but especially trade, Xi on China's benign intentions, Putin on how people should just focus on football instead of politics during the WC, and so on.
The fact that the major media channels have made use of similar tactiques for decades doesn't help either. Many less than smart folks expect politics to work like a reality show or Family Guy, where everything can be said for the sake of a gag or ridicule.
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