Though we complain in this country about “fake news” and false information, it is nothing compared to what happens under a dictatorship.

For example, I read recently an article about how difficult it is to get accurate information about the Chinese economy. Official Chinese government statistics say that their economy grew last year by about 5.2%. However, no one really believes that. As you travel around China, some shops and businesses are shuttered, restaurant activity is slow, and there seems to be a spirit of malaise in the general population.

The reason that people don’t believe official Chinese numbers on the economy, is because the Communist Party dictatorship which runs the country always puts a positive spin on things. If you are a foreign company doing business in China, you usually need to do your own evaluation of things rather than trust the government’s figures.

As opposed to that, in this country, a democracy–we have established data centers on labor statistics, inflation, population growth, etc. which are accepted as being relatively accurate and free of political influence. A good example of this is the Federal Reserve Bank which goes out of its way to base its interest rate decisions upon real economic data.

This is one of reasons that the American economy is still looked upon by many foreign investors as being the safest place to invest money.

I remember, many years ago, meeting some Germans while on a canoe trip in Canada. America, at the time, was in a recession, and I mentioned that they were probably investing primarily at home. “Not true,” they said. “The United States is still the most stable and efficient economy in the world, and we are investing in your country!”

A current example of lies or “spin” being told by dictators, is the way that Vladamir Putin continues to talk only in positive ways about his “special military operation” in Ukraine. Nothing is mentioned of the thousands of Russian war dead, the sunken ships, the miscalculations that he made in starting this war.

In short, there is no independent information coming out of Russia. The Russian people themselves don’t know what to believe. Did the plane carrying the renegade leader, Prigozhin, just accidentally fall from the sky the day he was killed? Was there really a plane shot down with 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board? There is usually more propaganda than truth when the Russian government speaks.

As to the economy in Russia, there is less to know than with the Chinese economy.

Probably, the worst example of disinformation is that which comes from the dictator and “Supreme Leader” of North Korea, Kim Jong Un whom Donald Trump called “The Rocket Man.” Though Trump seemed to like his titles and even met with Kim, he too eventually gave up on the North Korean dictator.

Winston Churchill put things in perspective once when he is purported to have said: “Many forms of Government have been tried…. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time….”

Though our free press can sometimes border on entertainment…overall, it provides us access to the truth. With all of its weaknesses, democracy is still the best way to ensure that truth gets to the people.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.