The David Frum Show The Fight for Truth
25 snips
Sep 3, 2025 
Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of The Constitution of Knowledge, joins the conversation to explore how societies discern truth in an era rife with disinformation. He highlights the dangers posed by misinformation and authoritarian tactics that exploit confusion. The discussion underscores the importance of a reality-based community and a constitutional framework for promoting truth. Rauch argues that despite the overwhelming spread of falsehoods, reality ultimately prevails if we defend knowledge and free speech.
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Trump Versus Vance Leadership Styles
- David Frum contrasts Trump as impulsive, ego-driven, and often self-defeating with a hypothetical Vance who is methodical and ideologically driven.
- Frum argues that a Vance presidency would pursue long-term authoritarian projects rather than impulsive personal gains.
Authoritarianism Can Be Methodical
- Vance's policy aims are ideological and systematic, including tariffs and social engineering to alter labor and family incentives.
- His authoritarian methods would be purposeful and institutional, not merely impulsive theatrics.
The Fire Hose And Machinery Of Lies
- Modern disinformation can take the form of a "fire hose of falsehood": overwhelming volumes of lies to create confusion.
- When lies come from the whole government, that becomes a machinery of lies and far more dangerous.
