The trouble with democracy is not alternative views, but alternative facts.

Democracy, as we know it, is in trouble. Not just in the United States, but around the world. The challenge to democracy is not because of alternative views — because this is what makes a democracy strong — but because of alternative facts.

The basic premise of a democracy is the right of citizens to choose the government they want through free and fair elections. But for democracy to work correctly, citizens must make an informed decision on who to vote for. And this can only happen when voters decide on a set of common facts.

The proliferation of social media has enabled a post-truth democracy where facts no longer matter. Politicians now routinely engage in public discourse framed by appeals to emotions disconnected from the details of reality. They make repeated false assertions to which factual rebuttals are ignored. Supporters form echo chambers that not only reject facts that do not fit their narrative but also eject those who dare share contradicting facts thereby ensuring the perpetuation of their alternative facts.

Post-truth democracy is clearly being demonstrated in the ongoing attempts by GOP politicians to support the Big Lie and rewrite the January 6 insurrection as a “normal tourist visit.” It is clearly impossible for GOP lawmakers, who literally ran…