Negative America

By Justin A. Chick

There seems to be a growing trend in American society these days of widespread, unprovoked pessimism. From the cynical, unfounded drivel generated in the media to the political slander prevalent in modern politics, this negativity is having a detrimental and noticeable effect on the collective morale of American citizens at a time when spirits are already weighed down by a slowly recovering economy. One of the biggest facilitators of this unprecedented negativity is the internet.

Anywhere we look online we’re bound to find traces of rampant misbehavior. Take news articles for example. A recent article by the Daily Beast highlights a series of instances when the media—specifically the New York Times—had deemed a “potential Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities ‘preemptive.”’ However, the article goes on to explain that “preemptive” implies that you are aware of an impending attack and are responding based on that certainty. A more accurate word would be preventative. Now, one might think, ‘What’s the big deal? It’s just a tiny error.’ Well, maybe so. But taken in its original context, the intentions of an entire nation are greatly exaggerated with a simple linguistic error. Such an implication from such a respectable news source can easily sway public opinion and heave a country into a war it doesn’t fully understand. This very thing happened with Iraq.