The wilful fostering of ignorance - Scrapping teaching history

Any suggestion that the election of Donald Trump or that the 52/48 Brexit, vote could not have been achieved without the support of a cohort of ignorant, poorly educated voters would be dismissed as the kind of patronising arrogance that means Hilary Clinton can spend more time with her granddaughter Charlotte than she had anticipated and that David Cameron, at just 51, is free to write his autobiography, to give a “frank” account of his premiership.

Nevertheless, that politically-correct dismissal, that parity-of-esteem response is not watertight or honest. Even if such accusations are usually made by those rejected by the democratic process — but privately celebrated by those who better manage that vote — how could a “grab ’em by the pussy” boor reach the Oval Office, how could the take-back-£350m-a-week lie work? It is not coincidental that these milestones were passed just as fake news became so influential. That threat has been recognised and all around the world programmes to help people winnow the fake news from the reliable are being put in place. In a post-truth, a post-shame age that project almost takes on the character of a rearguard action and, unless it is successful, our world will change more dramatically and quickly than we might care to imagine.