Reading an article is different than a double blind test. Reputation exists because it is critical shorthand when dealing with other humans. It's not always right. It's not always useful. But it shortcuts a lot of preamble.
Also, most geopolitical problems aren't simple analytical problems. There isn't a 'right answer' that one can divine by approaching the space with an emotionless evaluation.
Especially in complex "human" problems like geopolitics where every action has 5 re-actions, some of which are only apparent 5 years later. When there aren't scientifically right answers then deceit can become an important part of the field. See - all politics.
Pretending that there is no deceit in political writing and that it's in any way objective seems completely naive.
Also, most geopolitical problems aren't simple analytical problems. There isn't a 'right answer' that one can divine by approaching the space with an emotionless evaluation.