Exclusive: Nearly 90% of the Conservatives’ recent Facebook ads promote claims labelled as misleading by Full Fact, one of the platform’s own third-party fact-checking partners in the UK. Via @ajreid @CarlottaDotto https://t.co/nZnUOL3Bd7
— John Crowley (@mrjohncrowley) December 6, 2019
Jo Cumbo points out that on Facebook, there is no burden of proof for advert claims. What we are being fed by politicians are various versions of truth that we have to “fact-check”, either using technology or our own experience.
The public has a right to be indignant, as we are indignant at racism at football grounds or when a young life is lost at London Bridge or Loughton.
We aspire to a better world than the world presented to us and we reject the behaviour of politicians, racist fans and the murderous.
It is in our power to rise above – which is what I heard Anthony Joshua do last night.
It was a boring and a wonderful fight at the same time. It lifted boxing out of the puddle and returned it to its great tradition and I only use the word “boring” as the fight and the fighters avoided sensationalism and gave us a fight, a result and a champion that British people and boxing fans worldwide – can be proud of.
And – note this well politicians – Joshua’s victory was achieved not by belittling Andy Ruiz, but by elevating him. Ruiz may only have been champ for 6 months but he was heavyweight champion of the world and Joshua made sure that his opponent was remembered for what he’d achieved, not cast aside.
We can aspire to better
I have choices this morning, either to go to a Boris Johnson rally or to go to church. I am choosing to go to church, for there I will be uplifted, along with 500 others – in a communion for good.
The temptation to see the Prime Minister talk is tempting, it would be sensational but ultimately dis-satisfying. It is unedifying watching people lie, it is edifying being a part of a congregation praying for better.
We live in a naughty world
There is little good to be said about the conduct of this election. Perhaps America has found us a new lowest common denominator and we see the standards that have been adopted since Obama stepped down as the new normal.
But it was not always thus, nor does it need to be again. There is decency among politicians but not in politics.
The change we seek must come from the bottom up. It must come from people who want better – who want the behaviour of Joshua over Johnson. I want to see fans aspire to the beauty of United’s first thirty minutes against City yesterday and I’d like to see our nation coming together as our church comes together at 11 am every Sunday.