Trump’s assault on America is proceeding along many paths, but one of these is still vastly underreported: the battle over information. Like many would-be dictators, one of the Trump’s first priorities has been to remove critical information from websites that can be easily accessed by the American public. What kinds of information? It’s a long list, but two main targets are public health information, including data on infectious diseases, and scientific data of many kinds.
For the Trump regime, this sweeping censorship makes sense. Information on public health, after all, reveals the value of vaccines, the wisdom of investing in public healthcare, and the importance of public education—all of which threaten the ambitions of extremists and corporate interests mainly wanting to profit from our problems. Similarly, clear, easy-to-understand scientific data might call into question some of the dangerous policies this administration is pursuing, such as Trump’s idiotic and destructive plans to undermine clean energy and “drill, baby, drill.”
People are working hard to restore some of the information that Trump ideologues have removed, but much of the damage likely will be permanent. You and I, however, have a surprising tool to combat this unprecedented censorship: the book. This subversive technology offers a host of advantages over watching talking heads spout ill-informed opinions on cable news, or listening to them on talk radio.
Advantage 1: Books usually are written by people who have actually studied their topics and know what they’re talking about. That means that they can generally be trusted to be more reliable than what we hear on Fox News or the Joe Rogan podcast. Sure, books of a crackpot nature do get published—but it’s usually not difficult to ferret out real experts from those who love to throw around their self-interested, inaccurate opinions for power and profit.
Advantage 2: Books often present the big picture of a topic—including its history, key players and events, and opposing viewpoints. This helps us determine what we think about a topic instead of just being manipulated by people mainly interested in their own ambitions. If we find something we disagree with, a book lends itself to doing further research on our own—a concept that terrifies those in the Trump administration because it might interfere with their plans to dismantle democracy and consolidate power among the wealthy elite.
Advantage 3: Books are fun to read. I’ve never tested this, but I’m guessing my blood pressure and stress levels drop while I’m reading. I know that I feel better about myself and the world every time I turn off the television and pick up a book. That’s because I actually start learning something instead of just being bombarded by self-interested opinions and catastrophes.
I’m not just referring to nonfiction books, either. Reading any book is a step in the right direction. I love mysteries, historical fiction, humor—as long as it’s well-written, I’ll give it a try. I hope that you do, too. Given our increasingly hectic lives, reading may seem like a daunting task, but you’ll be amazed how easy it is. Just unplug the television or radio, close your social media sites, and relax in a favorite chair with a favorite beverage. Then, open the cover of a book. If you haven’t done it for a while, I must warn you: this simple act might feel magical. Why? Because even if you’re out of practice, your inner self knows that you’ve taken an important step toward feeling less like a victim or bystander—and more like the fulfilled individual you deserve to be.
Sneed Collard is a writer from Missoula.