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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt still astounds me how dangerous propaganda is just allowed to run rampant in this country
Should I even be surprised any more?
I was once having an email conversation with a conservative. This was shortly after Obama's election, and coincidentally around the same time the debt and deficit suddenly had become very important to conservatives. He was complaining about the deficit and blaming it on Obama. Remember, this was right after the world global economy had collapsed from fraud in the housing market, and Bush's two mostly off-the-books wars had drained the treasury.
Anyway, I found a site that had the debt figures for all of the presidents from Carter to Obama. I calculated the amounts added to the debt under each term, being careful to use the fiscal year cutoffs for budgets that had been signed by each president. I was able to show that by year, the GOP presidents WAY outspent Carter and Clinton, and that the Bush's between them were by far the drunken sailors of spending.
He finally admitted the numbers were correct, I guess, but continued to rant about Obama's reckless spending. It was clear his anger was being fueled by Fox "news" and other right wing sources. Finally I asked him, "those people are LYING to you. Doesn't that make you angry"? It didn't, of course. He was happy to be lied to.
Conservatives and authoritarians rely on their followers not being able to tell lies from the truth, not identifying sources that constantly lie to them, believing whatever bucket of chum is served up to their gullible maws.
Which is why what happened last week was so chilling.
The president's spokesliar stood in front of a room full of reporters and said that Iran had committed "hostile actions" against "our navy vessel".
It turns out that by "Iran", he really meant rebels in Yemen. And by "our navy vessel" he meant a Saudi Arabian ship. This is the kind of lie and misdirection that starts wars under false pretense. And I think back to my emails with my conservative friend, who couldn't tell or didn't care that he was being lied to, and realize that there is very little we can do to hold up the truth.
BSdetect
(8,998 posts)Its not new lying.
Its been practiced for decades.
Attacking HRC suceeded with people parroting that she was not popular over and over.
And I call out msnbc for that as much as anyone.
Psych Ops.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)by those exploiting it for political gain.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)I am going to suppose there's a significant percent that is pre-disposed to that dynamic and get pushed into the "red" by Rush, Hannity, FOX, Breitbart and InfoWars.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)It won't happen practically speaking. But a case can be made for it.
Chakaconcarne
(2,444 posts)I recently saw a map showing the facebook political demographic by state and the entire country was red. Furthermore it's real easy to quell any opposition; just make them disappear.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)person and make it say anything they want and in the voice of that person being imitated. Lies, propaganda and endless false information will run rampantly across the globe.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)I just have an old fashioned flip phone and use internet when sitting at a computer.
While I get there are some advantages of having a smartphone... I think it's a double edged sword like the Roman lead pipes.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)been outed for his prolific and transparent lying. What irony that, in the Information Age, Americans are more uninformed than ever before.
ProfessorPlum
(11,256 posts)we're being swamped by propaganda and lies, instead of facts. And the powers-that-be love it, because they think it will let them lower our wages a little bit. But woe to all of us when it gets out of control.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)those that will serve them least. Frankly, sometimes, I think it's because many are told they are sinners and uncounciously seek punishment for their supposed sins, and plenty of politicians are willing to do that as the RW advances.
coco22
(1,258 posts)Remember the teabaggers and republiCON's slogan "We got to cut the spending" then as soon as they take office they cut spending on poor people raise their pay and start more wars.
ProfessorPlum
(11,256 posts)and we will certainly have more wars under Agent Orange.
tblue37
(65,334 posts)Gulf of Tonkin incident got us into Vietnam; The media, with special emphasis on the New York Times, led us into both Iraq wars. (Of course, the media also smeared Hillary and elevated Trump, so that we have a madman in the WH.)
TPTB would not want to filter such lying propaganda. They need it to get their oh, so lucrative and power-boosting wars on.