US President Addicted to Lying. Why the mass acceptance?

Why the mass acceptance?

Guess that’s a rhetorical question since no Republican has the wherewithal (or the honesty, nor the historical awareness) to intelligently respond. Perhaps we need a time machine to go back to the late 1930’s and Nurenberg German for some insights.

 

By David Leonhardt, of the New York Times (September 2, 2020). Good morning. Russia is interfering in the election again. New York City delayed the start of school. And Trump has a new torrent of false claims.

 

President Trump breaks so many of the normal rules of politics that it can sometimes be hard to know when his tweets and comments are truly newsworthy. Even by his standards, though, the past several days have stood out.

Consider:
Trump said on Monday that a plane “almost completely loaded with thugs” wearing “dark uniforms” had been headed to the Republican National Convention to do “big damage.” The claim is similar to a baseless conspiracy theory that spread online over the summer, well before the convention.

He has declined to condemn the killings of two protesters in Kenosha, Wis. He instead defended the 17-year-old charged in the shootings — a Trump supporter named Kyle Rittenhouse — saying he was acting in self-defense. Trump also promoted a Twitter post that called Rittenhouse “a good example of why I decided to vote for Trump.”

He defended violence committed by his supporters in Portland, Ore., who fired paintballs and pepper spray at Black Lives Matter protesters.

He compared the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha to missing “a three-foot putt” in a golf tournament.

He claimed that “people that you’ve never heard of” and “people that are in the dark shadows” are controlling Joe Biden.

He claimed Democrats were trying to “destroy” suburbs with “low-income housing, and with that comes a lot of other problems, including crime.” He added that Cory Booker — one of the highest-profile Black Democrats — would be “in charge of it.”

He predicted that the stock market would crash if Biden won.

He said that Biden, at the Democratic National Convention, “didn’t even discuss law enforcement, the police. Those words weren’t mentioned.” In fact, Biden held a discussion at the convention on policing, with a police chief.

Trump claimed that he “took control of” the situation in Kenosha by sending in the National Guard. In fact, Wisconsin’s governor, not the president, sent the National Guard.

He retweeted messages asserting that the pandemic’s death toll was overstated. Evidence indicates the opposite is true.

He said that protests against police brutality were actually a secret “coup attempt” by anarchists “trying to take down the President.”


Biden has taken a very different approach to the unrest in Kenosha, Portland and elsewhere. He has told no apparent untruths, and he has criticized violence from both the political left and right — even though many liberals, whose votes Biden needs, are uncomfortable with any criticism of people on their side of the debate.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> G.O.P. reaction.

The Times tried to reach about a dozen leading congressional Republicans and ask for their reaction to Trump’s claims. “None cared to comment,” Mark Leibovich writes.

Although, Senator Mitt Romney offered one of the few public responses, calling the president’s comments “simply jaw-dropping.”


Russia adds to the misinformation.

A group backed by the Kremlin is again trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election and push voters toward Trump, Facebook and Twitter said yesterday.

 


What’s a gluttonous fantasy embracing nation to do?

Trump’s wet dream:

 

Such a tragedy then and an even bigger heartbreaker now, seeing how easily a third of our fellow Americans have fallen for the same snow job. The level of systemic normalization for trump insanity is appalling.

Simon and Garfunkel said it best in The Boxer: “Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” Mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmm.

[God I love that song. The worn out cassette tape I had in the 80’s used to be played over and over in our old farm truck. With each boom (the ones with the 'lie l lie lie l l l l lie’s) I’d hit the big bench seat beside me and billows of dust would explode from it; you had to drive with the windows open or risk choking to death.]

The confirmation bias we see today is unlike any seen before. I have no idea why it’s rampant, but it’s the greatest danger we’ve ever faced and if we don’t fix it we’re in trouble.

Unless we figure out why so many are acting so stupid, there’s not much chance we can fix it.

We humans are pre-disposed to be LIE-BELIEVERS. If we do not learn otherwise, we will fall prey to LIARS and thus enable and promote their LIES to our eventual mutual demise.

It looks to me like it is more than 1/3 of Americans who are chronic LIE-BELIEVERS. It looks to me like it is at least 40%. But still there are those of us who oppose the LIES.

And we carry the reminders of every LIE that layed us down, or cut us, til we cried out in our anger at the game “We can’t take it!” We can’t take it!"…

But the fighter still remains.

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The dotard and all his cronies, especially He Who Is Not Worth His Name and Moscow Mitch need to go on trial for crimes against humanity.

"And we carry the reminders of every LIE that layed us down, or cut us, til we cried out in our anger at the game “We can’t take it!” We can’t take it!”…

But the fighter still remains."


Nice.

It looks to me like it is more than 1/3 of Americans who are chronic LIE-BELIEVERS. It looks to me like it is at least 40%. But still there are those of us who oppose the LIES.
Why oppose anything? Choose your own lies to believe in and let others be.

Your problem is not that others like the lies they swallow but the lies you choose are stuck in your throat because you are a cynic. Being an atheist, you are not predisposed to believe anything.

"Why oppose anything? Choose your own lies to believe in and let others be.

Your problem is not that others like the lies they swallow but the lies you choose are stuck in your throat because you are a cynic. Being an atheist, you are not predisposed to believe anything."


Not nice.

Choose your own lies to believe in and let others be.
No thanks, I'll go with the truth. I would like to let the LIARS and the LIE-Believers to go into some hidey hole or guarded community or wherever, and stay there never to harm the greater society again, however, they are a malignancy that won't let the rest of us go unscathed.
Being an atheist, you are not predisposed to believe anything.
Wrong. As an atheist I don't believe in God. That is all that the word "atheist" means. Being an atheist says nothing about what one DOES believe.
September 3, 2020 at 3:26 pm @sree Why oppose anything? Choose your own lies to believe in and let others be.

Your problem is not that others like the lies they swallow but the lies you choose are stuck in your throat because you are a cynic. Being an atheist, you are not predisposed to believe anything.


Lordie, lordie, endlessly the drama queen aren’t you. You’re saying that “I am not predisposed to believe anything” what does that mean???

Educational note: KEY TO FIGURING OUT and successfully confronting REPUBLICANS, IS UNDERSTANDING and countering, or at least exposing THEIR NEED TO DEMONIZE.
Then using that understanding to confront and challenge their bullshit. I mean really sree, I've shared plenty about my personal beliefs and life, commitment to family, and coherent original world view, one I'm willing to thoughtfully rationally discuss or debate. But you refuse to open yourself to all that. You gotta trying to paint me with shit every chance you got. Is it that your imagination never gets out of the proverbial gutter?

I have striven to enunciate and define my beliefs as few do. I can appreciate my weakness, failings, enjoy my successes, take a spanking when I have 'em coming, and I appreciate the people that come through my life and my day to days. I naturally care about people, and give much of myself, and have received much as a result, exactly because I have very high standards.

But mr Republican here couldn’t care less about any of that. My actual character and worth, he couldn’t care less about. Why if not to compensate for his own self loathing? I don’t know, but it’s become standard political practice, . . .

 

What about physical truth, Earth systems and measurements???

 

Gotta pretend I’m as worthless as I imagine you feel.

sree learned this, started with the Nixon tricksters and just keeps getting worse.

Sow doubt.

Ridicule and intimidate.

Never accept responsibility.

Always deflect away from the issue being pressed.

Show intellectual, moral contempt for all opponents.

Ruthless disregard for standards of honor and 'fair play.


I imagine I missed a few but time to run

 

 

Yeah, the truth is a good place to start.

We have a lot of folks looking in on these conversations,

No thanks, I’ll go with the truth.
You have no choice but to go with the lies. Donald Hoffman says that everything you perceive is an iconic interface. Until he tracks down the truth behind reality, you have to live with lies.
Wrong. As an atheist I don’t believe in God. That is all that the word “atheist” means. Being an atheist says nothing about what one DOES believe.
That is what you think. An atheist is a label for a mindset. It's an attitude, a character disposition; it's what makes you tick. God or the rejection of the idea of it doesn't define you. What you reject is yourself and you are loath to accept it and it sticks in your craw.

What the hell does Donald Hoffman know, icons and fitness points and reducing evolution to a cheap laptop computer game.

Your second part response to Tim is total silliness. The second sentence seems contradicted by the third sentence. The fourth sentence is something you made for your own benefit and is pure bullshit.

Seems me it’s much more likely that someone dependent on constantly putting down others to validate themselves, is a clear symptom of self-loathing. In that regard I’d like to point out that Tim goes out of his way to see the good in people and to treat them in a friendly respectful manner - you on the other hand . . . . . . .

 

Liar is as liar does.

What you reject is yourself and you are loath to accept it and it sticks in your craw.
Where the hell did that conclusion come from? Is there some "projection" going on? I suppose that since you form conclusions based on a hodgepodge of inaccuracies to begin with, you are going to come up with weird thoughts. But that particular conclusion, is it really about you?

Don’t be loathe to accept your personal self-rejection, sree. That should not stick in your craw. It is appropriate to reject some of the pattern of crap that seems to live inside your particular mindscape.

Did anyone see the Michael Cohen interview with Rachel Maddow on Tuesday night? He looked like a man with an unburdened conscience. It was the most relaxed image of him I’ve seen since he’s been in the spotlight. Oh, the cleansing power of truth and atonement. I’m happy for the man. It’s a lesson to all who need to let go of the lies and their obsequious acceptance of Trump propaganda, propaganda like the “deep state” and “fake news”. Have you ever wondered why we’ve not heard of any book written alleging any, not one single former or current employee of the government being accused of being a member of the dreaded “Deep State Order”? It’s not hard to figure out why. There are laws against slander in this country that prevent such false and malignant public allegations and the author of such a book despite being the darling of every right-wing hate show on radio and TV and making potential millions would fall squarely under these slander laws and be taken to court. Such a book to be credible would have to name names and places with particular and hence verifiable proof. No right-winger even the most rabid would dare to risk being taken to court for slander for fear of certain humiliation and punishment. This is why we’ll never read any book about the sinister workings of the “Order of the Deep State”. The deep state is a convenient lie Trump feeds to his gullible followers. It’s never been anything more.

What about the inane phrase “fake news”? Have you ever heard Trump make a credible charge that any reporter or news organization like MSNBC or CNN actually “faked” any news report they’ve aired. “Fake” news is by its description “Faked” news. Nothing is fake unless its “been” faked. If I’m pulled over by a patrolman and he finds I have a “fake” driver’s license I can’t say “I have no idea where it came from” because something Fake is something that’s been faked. Any broadcaster will tell you before your broadcast anything talk to, or better yet have an attorney ready to defend against allegations of falsifying news reports. Fake news is another cynical lie from a man who uses lies as a carpenter uses a saw or a hammer. The difference is the carpenter is an honest workman and Donald T rump is just a dangerous liar. Yes, Mr. Cohen sure seemed in good spirits. – Genus Homo


I found the above in the activity log. One of those disappearing posts. Thanks for the heads up on the interview, I don’t get cable but I’ll look for it on YouTube.

Good point on the “no books about the deep state”. As a friend of mine points out about any conspiracy theory, it would be incredibly lucrative for anyone to uncover the truth behind 9/11 or “crisis actors” or pizzagate or whatever, and most of these involve enough people that there would have to be some out of work schlepper who had carried water for someone involved in these major conspiracies. The counter argument is, that person would be killed if they tried to do write that book. My counter counter argument is, that means for every one of these conspiracies, there is an entire army of agents keeping an eye on every water boy they hired, watching their every move, checking every blog post, watching for them to walk in to some mid-sized newspaper in Nebraska and spill the beans. And, then, another army to keep an eye on that army.

 

Thank you Mr. Lausten for retrieving this log entry. I wondered why it didn’t register. You saved me the trouble of having to retype the post and thank you for your work in helping to maintain this now vitally important First Amendment free speech platform. Thank you again, Michael Mckinney

I agree with you on the completely absurd argument that the reason Americans don’t hear the proof of “deep state” activity is because a secret cabal somewhere threatens anyone who tries to tell the “truth” about the “Order of the Deep State”, how utterly ridiculous. The real threat of terrorism in this country comes more from right-wing, very well-armed militant extremist, and when their hero Donald T rump loses the election they will make themselves heard.

This nation needs to heal and redefine itself. To do that we need honest, even-handed dialogue, dialogue that is also uncompromising in its adherence to the democratic principles that have and still contribute to this nation’s greatness. This free speech platform and others like it is central to this effort.

Thanks again Mr. Lausten

I’ve said this many times before, but we do not just “accept” lying from our politicians, we demand it. We literally demand to be lied to. Being interviewed as a politician is a lot like being interviewed for a job. The questions are often meaningless and designed to see if you know the “right” response, not to get an honest answer out of you.

Remember when Biden, as first term VP, was asked if he would feel safe with his family riding a train during some terrorist threat? He didn’t know the rules yet, so he answered honestly and he was PUMMELED for it! The very next day he had to answer the question again the RIGHT way AND THEN he had to spend the next week taking public transportation to PROVE that the right answer was “the truth”.

We, the American people, absolutely DEMAND that our politicians lie to us. Throw in shitty journalism where they ask these stupid, meaningless questions which require a “political” response and not a “true” response and of course politicians lie.

It’s the state of journalism which created this situation. Journalists don’t want “truth”, they want “sensational”. They want the extremes. In the news in the last couple of weeks, “3 year old bakes and delivers more than 1,000 cookies to NY front line workers!” Well that’s great, but no she didn’t. If she did her parents need to be arrested for neglect for letting a 3 year old kid work the oven and walk the streets to deliver cookies unsupervised. The story is a lie, but only a little one. Obviously we know she didn’t do that. But we accept it and fill in the gaps ourselves to make her parents not monsters because if they were the headline would have been, “Parents leave 3 year old unattended while she performs potentially dangerous tasks”. The 3 year old was “involved” in it. She was the cute part of the story. We know the title is technically a lit, but we’re okay with it because it’s a cute lie. It’s one we like to hear.

The fact is, facts are boring. Sensationalism gets clicks. But “sensational” things don’t happen every day. So journalists present the mundane as sensational. They stretch the truth, exaggerate the facts and make the story interesting. Because the story wouldn’t be all that great if it was just, “Hey, look at this cute kid. She helped her mommy bake more than 1,000 cookies and deliver them to NY front line workers. Isn’t that cute?” And that’s story over. You get an, “Awe” and then it’s forgotten. Over the years this has trained us to accept the lies we’re told literally every day as being “kind of” truths. And it’s even worse in political reporting. When a politician sits down with a reporter it’s like being examined by a prosecutor or being interviewed by a potential employer. They always have to say the right thing. It doesn’t matter if that’s also the true thing or not.

It’s true that some outlets spoon-feed their audience what their audience wants to hear, but not all. It’s incumbent on the consumer of that news feed to evaluate the veracity of any particular report. If enough Americans prefer the infantilization of news stories someone will provide that. Fox News is exhibit A. If Americans want fact-driven, verifiable information they’ll turn to PBS’s Judy Woodruff or Rachel Maddow. The problem stems from the fact that Americans are the best entertained and least informed citizens of all the developed nations. Simple, easy solutions are always more appealing then grappling with challenging issues in an honest and direct way.

We all heard Trump say; “It’ll be so easy” as if stark reality could be pretended away.

@michaelmckinney1951 The problem stems from the fact that Americans are the best entertained and least informed citizens of all the developed nations. Simple, easy solutions are always more appealing then grappling with challenging issues in an honest and direct way.

We all heard Trump say; “It’ll be so easy” as if stark reality could be pretended away.


Nothing to add, just wanted to see those words highlighted within a box. :slight_smile:

It’s incumbent on the consumer of that news feed to evaluate the veracity of any particular report.
And that's the problem. People today feel it's their duty to evaluate EVERYTHING for themselves. Should I believe evolution is real? Let me check the Internet, where anybody can post nearly anything without getting it fact checked. Should I vaccinate my kids? Let me check the Internet. It says here I should just make them drink bleach instead and it sounds pretty convincing. These are REAL examples, not made up. If there are no sources of information that we can trust then all information becomes subjective.

Any news item from any source needs to be considered within the context of our personal knowledge and life experience. We ask Americans to choose between a number of candidates in electing a president and congressional representatives. We don’t want or expect children to make that choice because their knowledge and experience are insufficient to the importance of the task. It’s assumed that those of adult age have developed at least a threshold level of critical judgment to make an intelligent choice. As you have accurately stated some issues are so complex that relying on technical expertise from others is our only option, such as vaccinations for our children or undergoing a surgical procedure. The world has grown very complex and the individual is often left to rely on the specialized knowledge of others. What are we left with? Trust is our only option. Humans are evolutionarily designed to trust each other. We do this every day. When we see lines of traffic in orderly rows on our highways and stopping at red lights we generally trust the strangers driving to obey the rules because it benefits all. The problem is some and thankfully a small minority feel their “freedom” is being curtailed by following the rules like the MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporter on an airline flight who answered when asked why he isn’t wearing a mask “I believe in freedom”. Evidently his concept of freedom included the right to potentially infect others with what could be a deadly disease. The Nineteenth Century quote is more valid than ever; “Liberty, liberty, liberty they cry when all they really want is license”.