We have been lied to. The problem is not just that we have been lied to, but that even the well-intentioned people lied to us about how well they understood what was going on. They may not have actually known how bad the situation was, but nonetheless they reassured us without actually being in command of the facts of the situation.
I would like to suggest that the root of the problem is ties. Not ties as in bonds between people, but rather ties that people put on their necks to make themselves seem imperious and to render their utterances authoritative.
I originally intended this as a somewhat humorous essay that would raise some issues about people's attitudes about "authorities," but as I wrote that last paragraph I realized that it was deeply and disturbingly true.