But the bigger issue here is reporting and information. That clip in the Greenwald piece was telling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSB_fQHbSiA. I've never trusted Amanpour's reporting. Note how in that piece she says something like, "I am a reporter," implying that whatever she states is the truth is, indeed, the truth because she somehow can't be corrupted. It's absurd.

This is something that crops up a lot. Saying 'I'm a reporter' or 'a scientist' is not in and by itself a winning argument. It tells me that you have some experience in the field, but, as investigators, I still want to hear the details of your investigations, and then i will make my own mind up. Reporters and scientist can be influenced by personal agendas just like everyone else.

As for the election - yes it's a dismal choice. As you say, everything is presented through the prism of tribalism - and truth is the first casualty of that war.

Initially I liked Beta O'Rourke - at least he had some charisma - but he had this disastrous campaign launch where he appeared on the cover of HQ (a male fashion magazine), said he was 'born to be be in it' or something similar, and came across as a poonce. (Aus slang for 'not manly') His campaign was then dead in the water.

Interestingly it's a similar story in Australia. Both major parties have become impersonal machines focused on protecting their own internal power structures - it's a culture of deceit and message management. It's not an environment that encourages individuals to express and debate ideas - it's the opposite.