There is no single "the" explanation for a breakdown in societal trust. It's a mutual process. Yes, dishonest academics share the blame. Yes, authorities lying

There is no single "the" explanation for a breakdown in societal trust. It's a mutual process. Yes, dishonest academics share the blame. Yes, authorities lying about straightforward things to fit political conclusions (eg covid masks) shares the blame. But also narratives implying that no experts can be trusted, as every expert will inherently have conflicts of interests, share the blame. That is where you majorly stepped over the line in your original comment. It's literally true, but it's true for everyone across the board. By emphasizing it and assuming bad faith you've made it so there can be no such thing as an expert opinion or consensus. That leaves nowhere to go besides non-nuanced pro/anti positions on everything, or "doing your own research" which ends up being mostly being sifting through the politicized tripe to feel which is more convincing.