Surveying the Presidential race and the Brexit vote, a smart young political pro observed this week, “We’re living in a post-factual world.”

Facts and truth don’t matter. You can say what you want, and you can pick whatever facts, Internet rumors or just plain lies fit your opinion.

Way back in the dark ages, when Carter and I were bashing each other in campaigns, we worried about getting caught telling a lie. We even worried about saying something that was true but strained credulity.

Today, no problem. Donald Trump can say on national TV that Ted Cruz’s father was involved in JFK’s assassination. And get away with it. (I’m sure Republicans have their own stories about Democratic lies and liars.)

Post-factual politics is one of our leading exports. Britain’s Trump, Boris Johnson, made wild claims about the supposed benefits of Brexit, then took it all back the day after his side won. “Never mind. I never really meant what I said.”

Social media makes all this worse. You and your friends can share horror stories – some of them even true – about your enemies. And you and the people you disagree with politically can share insults about which one of you is a bigger idiot.

The media, bless their hearts, struggle to sort out the truth. Today the N&O had a full page fact-check about what Trump and Clinton said at their dueling rallies Tuesday.

Memo to the editors from your readers: Thanks for trying, but we really don’t care. We’ve already picked our facts.

In the end, this just fuels the cynicism that is rotting away our system of government. People conclude, “It’s all lies, and they’re all liars. The hell with it.”

And that’s a fact.