Nowadays politicians like to talk nonsense or they no longer remember. That is why they will be monitored in the future, always.
A fact checker probably wouldn't hurt Donald Trump Photo: Alyssa Pointer/Reuters
High-level politicians are not showing their best side these days: Trump has no problem publishing a video showing a photo of a tied Biden lying on the ground, which Markus Söder spread so insistently on Sandra Maischberger's talk show on July 2023 Lies about the Greens that the former felt obliged to carry out a detailed fact-check and Chancellor Scholz only lets the truth of the cum-ex scandal come to light in pieces or, best of all, disappear in his bad memory.
I wonder if it's an inevitable trend for people to become more callous, unempathetic, and dishonest as they gain positions of power.
When I ask my time-traveling friend Félix the question, he shakes his head decisively: “It's not because of the people, but because of two organizational problems: selection and advertising. Its current democracy is still designed in such a way that those who engage in politics are mainly bio-German men over 50 and with high incomes.
But that is changing: starting in 2040, local politicians will receive a decent remuneration. So single mothers, people of immigrant origin or people without a financial cushion can also afford to go into politics. The social environment in which politics takes place is changing and with it the issues and customs.”
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“I understand it, but change doesn't necessarily mean improvement. What will stop future politicians from lying?
“Starting in 2055, all politicians in Germany will be digitally monitored from the moment they take the oath of office until their dismissal,” says Felix. “Every meeting, every decision, every request is documented and archived.”
“But some things have to be secret. For example, in terms of security.”
“This content will continue to be recorded and made public after 10 years at most. Everything else is publicly verifiable at any time. Since what really happens is always recorded, it is impossible to deceive people about their own actions. If politicians say something bad or trolls spread fake news, the automatic fact checker immediately sounds the alarm.”
“Automatic data checker?”
“If you tell your kids that their pocket money is exactly the recommended amount for their age, they will immediately pull out their cell phones and Google whether your statement is true, right?”
“Yes, sure. Media literacy is very important. My children use reliable sources to check the veracity of information. They don't let themselves be fooled so easily.”
“Very good! But, strictly speaking, it is socially totally risky to leave data verification in the hands of individual citizens. This should be carried out by an independent and competent institute. It is not measured whether there is really a liter in the carton of milk or if all the screws on the roller coaster are tightened. That's why we have a fact checker installed on all digital devices that detects and flags false information. Politicians fear damaging their image if they are caught lying, so they don't do it. .
“And who guarantees that the fact-checking software is correct?” I ask.
“Of course the TÜV does it!”