As previously stated (and as will be repeatedly stated hereafter), far more now than any information or perspective I’m ever exposed to, I increasingly trust the tone of the interactions I hear and witness; the civility, reciprocity, thoughtfulness, humor and open-mindedness of those interacting, or the lack thereof, and which are, especially taken together, I find, easy and highly reliable gauges of the sincerity of the speakers, and of whether the information or perspective being shared is potentially worthwhile, or not.
This is one such conversation between people (Greg Reese and Celia Farber) displaying the above traits, one of many I regularly hear and seek out, and this and conversations like it, the tone of it, is one reason I don’t despair for the state of the world, as one might easily and justifiably do.
Neither of these two people believe, with very good and well considered reason, I think, that almost anything at all we are presented with as the news of the day or the events of the moment are actually as or what they seem, and both would be, and are – by the kind of people not exhibiting the above traits, especially those that work in the kinds of influential jobs and in the kinds of influential places where the above traits are hugely frowned upon and heavily penalized – derided, disingenously and cynically, as ‘conspiracy theorists’ or alt-right extremists, but they are neither, and I find their discussion here, and others like it, to be among the most hopeful indicators for the future, one I hope and expect could look very unlike our present.