ABSTRACT
The demand for critical, open reflection of the nature of facts and interpretations is also very much a necessary part of our democratic political process. A lot of the incredulous reaction to the term "alternative facts" probably stems from the elision of facts and truth in our language, because in modern English we confuse "facts" and "truth" by treating the words as nearly synonymous. Employing "alternative facts" is a brusque way of saying that we disagree and are not willing to consider other positions, even if they might be correct. It is the hubris of the conceit of knowledge. Good historical writing goes beyond just the facts, and includes plausible metaphors to shape interpretations. These metaphors are not just passing, randomly chosen devices for creative writing. There are in fact certain kinds of historical interpretations that are so laden with metaphors that it would be nearly impossible to speak about the subject without using some kind of metaphor.
