This week there were several articles in the January 3, 2011 issue of the Nation magazine that have made me consider why it is that people will willingly believe and passionately defend complete lies that are against their own personal self interest, in the face of hard facts and truth. Here are a few examples:
1. George Bush won the 2000 election
2. 9-11 was perpetrated by a few radical Muslims based in Afghanistan
3. The WTC twin towers collapsed due to fires caused by jet fuel
4. WTC Building 7 collapsed due to fires from fuel tanks in the basement of the building
5. The Pentagon was hit by a commercial airliner on September 11
6. We invaded Afghanistan to eliminate the Al Qaida terrorists
7. Having a public health insurance option would result in death panels
8. Global warming is a liberal conspiracy
9. Obama is a Muslim
10. The press is controlled by liberal Democrats
11. Homosexuality threatens the integrity of family values
12. Social Security is bankrupt
13. Cutting taxes for the wealthiest 1% will stimulate the economy
14. Government is too big and must be reduced in order to protect the American way of life
…and so on and on
These outrageous lies have been and are continuing to be expounded by the corporate controlled media and Washington spin machines to convince the public of their validity. Yet examination of any one of these lies exposes a host of untruths and misstatements and ridiculous assumptions that would make a third grader blush. They are regurgitated over and over by pundits and spokesmen and women controlled by powerful special interests. Al Gore, in his eloquent book Assault on Reason, explains that one of the main reasons these lies are accepted as truths is the fact that American media, primarily television is owned and controlled a small cabal of powerful corporations whose sole interest is to muzzle opposition to their own greed. These corporations have one goal: to keep the American public fearful and weak with only one way to assuage that suffering – buy stuff. The Republic party is a willing partner in this true conspiracy against the American people.
So how does one combat this tsunami of lies and fear mongering? It isn’t easy. There are a few dedicated individuals who make it their mission to expose these lies but their voices are small whispers that cannot compete with the corporate/Republican hysteria/lie machine. It is also difficult to combat these lies when President Obama himself appears to bow before the wind of these false trumpets, exaggerations and outrageous behavior. He calls it compromise but it seems more like capitulation to most people; capitulation to liars and callous political maneuvering. Obama’s weakness and failure to stand against these evil forces is almost as great a disservice to the people as the corrupt Bush regime was in perpetrating the worst attack on the American constitution since the country’s founding.
In the face of a corporate/Republican controlled media that perpetrates these falsehoods as truth, we have one powerful advocate to shine a light into this darkness. The President of the United States can become the educator, establishing a dialogue that exposes these lies for what they are. Without real courage and leadership from a dedicated president who stands for truth and justice for all, we are doomed; our country is doomed and the world as we know it is doomed. But I am reminded of another quote from that wonderful philosopher Pogo, “We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.”
