“Nazi theory indeed specifically denies that such a thing as "the truth" exists. […] The implied objective of this line of thought is a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event, "It never happened"—well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five—well, two and two are five. This prospect frightens me much more than bombs […]”
Thank you for telling us the truth, Earl! This is one of the reasons I subscribe, to support a source I know will not lie. It is also the reason I avoid all corporate media, including NYT and WaPo, both of which I used to read. Why listen to a voice I can’t trust? It’s like willingly taking poison.
Ditto. I had been subscribing to both the New York Times and The Washington Post since my early 30s. I dump them both, quite a while ago, because they were not reporting the truth anymore. They were/are whitewashing everything TRump says. I'm not going to pay for someone to lie to me.
“…constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.
A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong...With such a people, you can do whatever you want." - Hannah Arendt
Donald Trump has only been the mortician and grave digger of truth in the United States. Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes are the ones who assassinated it. It will be exactly 30 years ago, in October 7th of this year.
Fox News boasts it has more viewers than other network. I am not so sure that is brag worthy. "Democratic voters are more likely to have a college or postgraduate degree than Republican voters. For example, in 2022, 63% of Republican voters had no college degree, compared to 37% who had a college degree or more." goggle search
What Fox does not tell you is their audience is probably lower educated and not racially diverse. Be interesting to see the exact statistics.
The NY Times is a good example of the weak sane washing that's benefitted Trump and his regime from the outset, but they're far from the only ones who've fallen into the trap of checking their words for fear of sounding hyperbolic and being accused of "Trump Derangement Syndrome". This is all symptomatic of a self-imposed gaslighting that is most likely to be seen in individuals and institutions that are thoughtful, tend to measure their words, and want to be taken seriously.
When you're dealing with critical comments made about normal people or entities, the inclination to use measured words is appropriate as it's designed to be corrective, thought-provoking, and constructive. When you're dealing with nihilistic cults in thrall of mentally-ill criminals, this won't work and only confirms your status as the enemy while also making you look weak - an unintentional enabler and an easy target for the ridicule and fury of the cult. We see this as Trump calls out the NYT as an "enemy of the people", while speaking to them at every opportunity.
Every Democrat, decent person, and truthful observer needs to drop the gloves and call out Trump, his minions, and his followers for what they really are - sick, thoroughly dishonest, twisted, hateful, criminal monsters out to enrich themselves, enslave a hemisphere, destroy the world's greatest democracy, and erase every high ideal the nation ever aspired to.
D. Earl, you are always on point. I appreciate your honesty and courage to tell the truth while everyone else is suppressing the truth and telling lies. Keep fighting for democracy, my friend!
Thanks Earl, I too feel that our corporate media is far too easy on Trump and his pets. Marco, Lindsey, JD, barbie and so on. Incidentally, I have listened to a couple of guys now ICE agents ... when protesting be aware that these guys ( I believe) would have no problem with mass murder.
Trump’s lying isn’t a part of the story, it is the story, and amid all the chaos and pain he is eagerly bringing us, we are becoming dangerously close to forgetting that./
This I cannot understand. And this photo of you doesn't look like a curmudgeon
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! You said in this post what I have been thinking for a long time - that journalists can’t just repeat the lies - they need to mention that what was said is a lie whenever they repeat it
I appreciate all of the independent journalists like yourself who I believe I can count on for the truth - I have basically stopped listening to all of the mainstream media because it’s no longer honest or without bias and it’s only getting worse when oligarchs control the media - but I have responded to Independent journalists posts by people I respect who do exactly what you were explaining - I’m not exactly sure why and the rebuttals have come back that “it is the news that’s being said” - but we have media outlets who are nothing but propaganda, who are followed by many family, friends and acquaintances who are not getting the truth - so I’ll quit preaching to the choir and just say thank you for covering this
Heather Cox Richardson analyzed what this fascist administration is attempting to do right now and it's totalitarianism, not authoritarianism. She explained the difference. We need to get at least 3.5% of our population in the streets protesting this illegitimate regime to stop this fascist takeover of our government by a demented, wannabe dictator.
I absolutely agree. Trump's lying, and the lying of his enablers and MAGA about everything including happened on Jan. 6th and the ICE murder should be THE STORY. This is why I wrote what I did today about gaslighting - I began:
The movie "Gaslight" is named after the gas lighting fixtures used in the story. This plays a crucial role in the plot because the nefarious husband manipulates his wife into doubting her sanity by subtly dimming the gas lights. He then then denies the evidence of her own eyes. This leads her to question her accurate perceptions of reality.
What Trump and his MAGA minions and enthusiastic enablers are doing with the truth is far from subtle.
I love OBX, but don't count on the weather service to tell you when the next Cat 2, 3, 4, or 5 is on the way.... Not only is he a liar, so is everyone who works for him.
Before the election in 2016, while watching the repugnicant debates, I said out loud, "He's lying! Hey, why don't the moderators call him on this?!" The years went by, one after another, and every single thing he said was a lie. kelleyanne called it "alternative truth". She wasn't blasted into dust when she said this. It was simply "reported." I started to feel frantic. WHY ISN'T ANYBODY TELLING THE TRUTH about his lies???" If I remember correctly, it was in November, 2019 when someone in the MSM, I believe it was Anderson Cooper, said in a tentative little voice something to the effect of, "I guess we could call that a lie." PLEASE TELL ME HOW THE HELL THEY GOT AWAY WITH THIS??? and WHY???????????
You are so right, Earl. George Orwell's 1984 was prophetic. Nothing is as the admin says. Lies have become truth and truth become lies. Orwell saw this with the Spanish Civil War reporting and we are seeing and experiencing it now. Unfortunately, too many are not equipped with the sense to see fact from fiction. Gullibility is the greatest enemy of democracy. With it, an uneducated and ignorant populace can be made angry and attack that which is good, humane and is in everyone's good interests. MAGA's minds must be changed as much as the administration. Both will be very challenging. Perhaps the admin will make the MAGA followers change their minds when the economic suffering becomes unbearable enough. Time will tell. Again, the world is with you in your struggles. Keep up the good fight. Best of luck to you all, for all our sakes. 🙂
“Nazi theory indeed specifically denies that such a thing as "the truth" exists. […] The implied objective of this line of thought is a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event, "It never happened"—well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five—well, two and two are five. This prospect frightens me much more than bombs […]”
― George Orwell
Been seeing a lot of Orwell lately ...
🎯 - Malignant narcissists are doomed to repeat the worst parts of history.
Truth.
Thank you for telling us the truth, Earl! This is one of the reasons I subscribe, to support a source I know will not lie. It is also the reason I avoid all corporate media, including NYT and WaPo, both of which I used to read. Why listen to a voice I can’t trust? It’s like willingly taking poison.
Couldn't agree more, Carol.
Thanks a million for your support.
Ditto. I had been subscribing to both the New York Times and The Washington Post since my early 30s. I dump them both, quite a while ago, because they were not reporting the truth anymore. They were/are whitewashing everything TRump says. I'm not going to pay for someone to lie to me.
“…constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.
A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong...With such a people, you can do whatever you want." - Hannah Arendt
And here we are.
Except for us.
Stand firm.
Hold fast.
I could have saved myself a lot of time and just quoted Arendt!
Maddening that she’s quotable again! 🤬
Ha!
Donald Trump has only been the mortician and grave digger of truth in the United States. Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes are the ones who assassinated it. It will be exactly 30 years ago, in October 7th of this year.
Which is why places that should know better need to hold power to account, my brother, and call them on their lies. Every-damn-one-of-them.
I’mma keep screaming. But if there is one person I hate more than Donald Trump, if that’s even possible, it’s Rupert Murdoch.
Cheer up. They'll both be dead soon.
I work my voodoo dolls daily...
Which scares the bejeezus outta me - Justadick is owned.
yeah but if this keeps up much longer, so will I!
Mitch (The Grim Reaper) McConnell is at the top of my list.
Fox News boasts it has more viewers than other network. I am not so sure that is brag worthy. "Democratic voters are more likely to have a college or postgraduate degree than Republican voters. For example, in 2022, 63% of Republican voters had no college degree, compared to 37% who had a college degree or more." goggle search
What Fox does not tell you is their audience is probably lower educated and not racially diverse. Be interesting to see the exact statistics.
The NY Times is a good example of the weak sane washing that's benefitted Trump and his regime from the outset, but they're far from the only ones who've fallen into the trap of checking their words for fear of sounding hyperbolic and being accused of "Trump Derangement Syndrome". This is all symptomatic of a self-imposed gaslighting that is most likely to be seen in individuals and institutions that are thoughtful, tend to measure their words, and want to be taken seriously.
When you're dealing with critical comments made about normal people or entities, the inclination to use measured words is appropriate as it's designed to be corrective, thought-provoking, and constructive. When you're dealing with nihilistic cults in thrall of mentally-ill criminals, this won't work and only confirms your status as the enemy while also making you look weak - an unintentional enabler and an easy target for the ridicule and fury of the cult. We see this as Trump calls out the NYT as an "enemy of the people", while speaking to them at every opportunity.
Every Democrat, decent person, and truthful observer needs to drop the gloves and call out Trump, his minions, and his followers for what they really are - sick, thoroughly dishonest, twisted, hateful, criminal monsters out to enrich themselves, enslave a hemisphere, destroy the world's greatest democracy, and erase every high ideal the nation ever aspired to.
Wouldn't (and couldn't) add a thing to any of this, CG.
D. Earl, you are always on point. I appreciate your honesty and courage to tell the truth while everyone else is suppressing the truth and telling lies. Keep fighting for democracy, my friend!
And you, Steve!
Thanks Earl, I too feel that our corporate media is far too easy on Trump and his pets. Marco, Lindsey, JD, barbie and so on. Incidentally, I have listened to a couple of guys now ICE agents ... when protesting be aware that these guys ( I believe) would have no problem with mass murder.
Thank you for continuing to be a voice of and for truth.
Trump’s lying isn’t a part of the story, it is the story, and amid all the chaos and pain he is eagerly bringing us, we are becoming dangerously close to forgetting that./
This I cannot understand. And this photo of you doesn't look like a curmudgeon
I'll spend the rest of the afternoon wiping that backhanded compliment off of my face, Margo.
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! You said in this post what I have been thinking for a long time - that journalists can’t just repeat the lies - they need to mention that what was said is a lie whenever they repeat it
It is a very basic part of journalism, in fact.
I appreciate all of the independent journalists like yourself who I believe I can count on for the truth - I have basically stopped listening to all of the mainstream media because it’s no longer honest or without bias and it’s only getting worse when oligarchs control the media - but I have responded to Independent journalists posts by people I respect who do exactly what you were explaining - I’m not exactly sure why and the rebuttals have come back that “it is the news that’s being said” - but we have media outlets who are nothing but propaganda, who are followed by many family, friends and acquaintances who are not getting the truth - so I’ll quit preaching to the choir and just say thank you for covering this
You-betcha.
Heather Cox Richardson analyzed what this fascist administration is attempting to do right now and it's totalitarianism, not authoritarianism. She explained the difference. We need to get at least 3.5% of our population in the streets protesting this illegitimate regime to stop this fascist takeover of our government by a demented, wannabe dictator.
HCR is a national treasure, and we all must listen to her warning.
Well said
And exactly
Thank you for your contribution, steadfast convictions
I absolutely agree. Trump's lying, and the lying of his enablers and MAGA about everything including happened on Jan. 6th and the ICE murder should be THE STORY. This is why I wrote what I did today about gaslighting - I began:
The movie "Gaslight" is named after the gas lighting fixtures used in the story. This plays a crucial role in the plot because the nefarious husband manipulates his wife into doubting her sanity by subtly dimming the gas lights. He then then denies the evidence of her own eyes. This leads her to question her accurate perceptions of reality.
What Trump and his MAGA minions and enthusiastic enablers are doing with the truth is far from subtle.
Here's the link: https://halbrown.substack.com/p/the-trump-maga-version-of-gaslight
I love OBX, but don't count on the weather service to tell you when the next Cat 2, 3, 4, or 5 is on the way.... Not only is he a liar, so is everyone who works for him.
His mauling of the weather service will have catastrophic consequences.
Before the election in 2016, while watching the repugnicant debates, I said out loud, "He's lying! Hey, why don't the moderators call him on this?!" The years went by, one after another, and every single thing he said was a lie. kelleyanne called it "alternative truth". She wasn't blasted into dust when she said this. It was simply "reported." I started to feel frantic. WHY ISN'T ANYBODY TELLING THE TRUTH about his lies???" If I remember correctly, it was in November, 2019 when someone in the MSM, I believe it was Anderson Cooper, said in a tentative little voice something to the effect of, "I guess we could call that a lie." PLEASE TELL ME HOW THE HELL THEY GOT AWAY WITH THIS??? and WHY???????????
Because they aren't journalists.
or
Wanted a Trump presidency.
or
BOTH
You are so right, Earl. George Orwell's 1984 was prophetic. Nothing is as the admin says. Lies have become truth and truth become lies. Orwell saw this with the Spanish Civil War reporting and we are seeing and experiencing it now. Unfortunately, too many are not equipped with the sense to see fact from fiction. Gullibility is the greatest enemy of democracy. With it, an uneducated and ignorant populace can be made angry and attack that which is good, humane and is in everyone's good interests. MAGA's minds must be changed as much as the administration. Both will be very challenging. Perhaps the admin will make the MAGA followers change their minds when the economic suffering becomes unbearable enough. Time will tell. Again, the world is with you in your struggles. Keep up the good fight. Best of luck to you all, for all our sakes. 🙂