The lies have poisoned our ability to communicate with each other.

[kentuck]

The lies and deceptions have become a very serious problem. The lies have gone from a reported 4.9 lies per day to more than 9 lies per day. The danger is that people are unable to tell the difference between a lie and the truth. When lies become the currency of those in power, we are in very dire straits. How did people fall for the lies and deceptions of Adolph Hitler? It was by dividing people and defining domestic problems as created by "others". It was always about "them" - it was never about "us". Beware those that lie and deceive for the purpose of division.

[TimeSnowDemos]

1. I'm glad that...

Last edited Mon May 28, 2018, 07:32 AM - Edit history (1)

... People are concerned about truth these days.

Americans have a LONG history of believing lies, but also deliberately spreading them to manipulate each other.

They have very little history of agreeing on truth however... Sadly.

Maybe this debacle will force at least those on the left to prize truth over expedience and facts over feelings.

You can't fix problems if you refuse to acknowledge them, and that is a big part of why the US has such an inglorious history.

[BlueJac]

2. K&R 10000 times

[sharedvalues]

3. Fox and Limbaugh have poisoned our ability to communicate with each other

The Republican Party adopted blatant lying as a strategy when Limbaugh went on the air in the early 80s.
(You could argue it goes back farther, to Reagan and Nixon and Atwater and the Southern Strategy- which was the explicit use of dog whistles to amplify racism to chase votes.)

The GOP has poisoned public debate through their lying propaganda strategy and their lying propaganda media machine. It’s not just this president. It’s the Republican Party. Look at the blatant lies Pat Toomey and Tom Price told about the Trumpcare bill. Look at Mission Accomplished and Bush and Cheney lying us into war.


Our poisoned public debate and our inability to talk to one another is the fault of only ONE party. The Republicans. Put blame where blame is due. The Republican Party needed propaganda and lies to fool working class white people and the religious into voting for billionaires. THAT is why Americans can’t talk to each other.

[kentuck]

4. I would suggest that it is worse now than under any of the others you mention.

Although I tend to agree with the gist of your comments. Trump has a unique ability to divide. It is never about "us" - it is always about them. The illegal aliens, the Chinese, the Democrats, NATO, the little Rocket Man, etc. Everyone that is not part of the Trump team is part of "them". He is the Great Divider.

[sharedvalues]

6. Oh I agree

It’s definitely worse now.


But Trump would not be possible if the Republican Party hadn’t lied to America for 30 years, preparing the country for this president. The GOP propaganda machine taught Trump how to lie and get away with it and also prepared the GOP base for a politician that uses hate against immigrants and minorities.

[kentuck]

8. I would agree that they set the table for him.

Immigrants and minorities are the primary targets used by Trump to divide people. He plays to our lowest common denominator.

[Alethia Merritt]

5. I agree with you. And because their audiences refuse to even hear another point of view or news

they will not be able to make good decisions about anything. They even believe healthcare for themselves is unAmerican and bad for them.

[TxVietVet]

12. AMEN!

K&R

[The Wizard]

7. Everything changes once the lying starts.

An astute observation made by a trial lawyer for whom I once worked.
My mother would pound into my head that lying is the worst thing you can do because once you start it never stops. It will make you crazy. Mark Twain said the best part about telling the truth is that you don't have to think about it.
The mendacity and dissembling coming from Republicans across the country is breathtaking. Led by Agolf Twitler, the GOP has spewed lies that would make Tommy Flanegan (Jon Lovitz SNL character) seem like a boy scout.
Unless the lying stops by removing Republicans from power, we are headed for History's dust bin with other failed empires. And yes we are a failing empire with unwarranted military bases across the globe.Without the lying and military waste we could be great again.

[calimary]

9. Agolf Twitler. That's a good one!

I like that!

One thing I will give to trump - he has inspired a staggering amount of creativity within the opposition!

[Demsrule86]

10. It is hitleresque the way the GOP is handling immigration...and I have nothing to say to those who

support this...there is no understanding this monstrosity.

[kentuck]

11. To accept lying as OK in any political process...

...is brainwashing in the last degree.

[Demsrule86]

13. Trump lies all the time...but I have bigger fish to fry....the immigrant children that is my

issue at the moment. We need massive protest of this atrocity.

[kentuck]

14. Yes!

And he even lies about that.

Both Parties need to work together to resolve this tragic event immediately. It cannot be accepted by any American as a proper solution.

[Demsrule86]

21. He and Sessions did it...nothing to do with Congress. So our side should relentlessly call

for legislation on this matter...maybe take out a few more GOP slimeballs.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

16. Agree. The depth and scope of Republican lying has astounded us.

First saw it in the 60s with Bill Brock in TN, lying about Al Gore, Sr. Then, it was Agnew polluting the whole South. Then, moving to KY I got Snyder and then McConnell stuff in the mail, just packed with lies about their opposition. Anne Northup's stuff was some of the most sinister (they quit sending their shit after a while).

With my country raising, I just cannot comprehend how politicians can do this and sleep at night - just because they are so addicted to a set of political philosophies that have been proven to not work, but are thirsty for power and money.

The only singular thing I've been able to attribute this to is that most of them must be psychopaths, and psychopaths tend to attract the most vulnerable citizens that seek authoritarian leaders waving a flag. And, most of those that vote for them are severely brain washed thanks to the right-wing media bubble.

Very sad time for America.......

[kentuck]

17. Anyone that will knowingly accept lying from their leaders...

....has some very serious issues of their own.

[G_j]

15. K&R!

[kacekwl]

18. As long as the lies continue to be called

anything other than lies they can be defended by the liers.

[duforsure]

19. The Media

needs to stop playing all the lies over and over again, and stop showing his surrogates repeating them for him. They are to blame for doing this every time he made a phony claim , or accusation, and call him out as a liar , which is what he is. They also need to start talking about his illegitimacy from a rigged election. They need to focus on his patterns of deception for manipulation of the news cycles.

[Moral Compass]

20. The 1st amendment has been weaponized

What a horrible irony...

The 1st amendment, supposed to be a guarantor of a free society, has been weaponized by the enemies of democracy.

We cannot stop free speech even if that speech is all lies. Our neighbors to the north, Canada, denied Fox request for a broadcast license because, after independent analysis, it was determined that too much of their content was simply lies. The Canada Radio Act prohibits broadcast news from broadcasting lies.

Our 1st amendment is hopelessly broad and doesn’t even address the issue of truth or falseness.

We are, in a sense, hoisted on our own petard.

I believe we should look at what other democracies do to deal with propaganda and amend our Constitution. However, that is simply impossible to achieve. As long as money is deemed by our SC to be free speech our system is paralyzed by overwhelming ‘speech’ of the despotic billionaires.