We Know What's Fake, But We Don't Know What's Real

Illusions invade reality, confusing authenticity and our perception of the world.

Art by Julian Needham

I'm told we (Westerners) live in the most peaceful and prosperous era, but this is a lofty phrase thoughtlessly repeated. Our missiles batter foreign neighborhoods to protect us and promote democracy, but there's no peace anywhere, and working forty-plus hours weekly to afford life isn't thriving. Yet, we accept this statement as fact.

The world is a figment of an invention that constructs and deconstructs repeatedly and simultaneously. There isn't a moment to critique, question, or think because a perpetual barrage of white noise, screens, and words possesses our thoughts, transforming fantasy into reality, and we know what's fake, but we don't know what's real.

It's a variation of the same story every time. Narratives ebb and flow, reorienting perspectives while maintaining the same objective, and we religiously follow the storyline. There is always someone or something to fear, a war to fight, an excuse for the lack of governance, and a new crisis on the horizon that supersedes the last.

Our politicians glorify violence, while the Pentagon uses drone warfare that simulates video games, disassociating the military and public from the catastrophic…