Month: May 2021

Mass media and social media is brimming with propaganda from various domestic groups, political entities and foreign enemies. Their purpose is persuasion in order to alter your values and beliefs forcing you to act for their benefit. Propaganda today is nearly inescapable and more sophisticated and diverse than ever. Don’t be a propaganda pawn!

Don’t be influenced by hate groups, greedy oligarchs, anti-democracy autocrats, religious extremists and conspiracy theorists as they have infiltrated much of our media. Avoid YouTube, Twitter and far left or far right media sources for your news. Stick with neutral sources such as the Associated Press, NPR News, CBS News or local news. If your news sources are pushing your buttons, making you angry and putting you at odds with many of your friends and family members stop watching it because you are being manipulated.

America is being torn apart by propaganda from many sources and our democracy is at risk! Don’t believe the lies! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and love your neighbor as yourself!

Has misinformation infiltrated so deeply before in our history? It seems to me that most people in the past were busy living their lives and left politics to the few. But due to the expanse of cable news and social media over the last couple of decades, more and more people have strong political opinions. One would think that having more people knowledgeable and involved in our political process would be good for our democracy, but it is not because many have been infected by misinformation which is sadly destroying our democracy.

Rumors and unsubstantiated claims have become gospel for many who reject the truth. No amount of real evidence will change their minds. People are making decisions based on the misinformation that are bad for their own well being. For me it’s like watching a friend walk toward the edge of a cliff blindfolded, ignoring my frantic pleas to stop, while they happily listen to the evil liar saying keep going, keep going…

Right now I am feeling hopeless, but is it?

This is an either/or choice. There is no gray area. One choice will lead to the destruction of America as we know it, the end of democracy and a takeover by the world’s oligarchs, while the other choice will bolster democracies around the world and keep government in the hands of the people where it belongs.

The oligarchs (including several of America’s super wealthy) gain and maintain power through the lies, they fund the lies that convince ordinary Americans to vote against their own best interest. They will take all we produce together for themselves. They will bleed you dry whether you’re black, brown or white, U.S. born citizen or immigrant, legal or otherwise. We, the 99%, are the victims together.

People who haven’t chosen the truth have become anarchists while they wrongly believe they are sanctioned patriots. They have become victims of mass hysteria as lies have caused them to harbor irrational beliefs and engage in irrational behavior.

Allowing oligarchs to dismantle and disempower “our” government strips us, the majority of Americans, of our power. Our power is in the truth. Believing the lies gives away our power.

Liz Cheney is speaking truth to power. The election was free and fair. January 6th was an insurrection! Trump lost! Government is not your enemy, it is us! Choose verifiable truth!

Anti-American, anti-democracy “patriots” believing they truly love their country while espousing hatred, committing violence and supporting autocracy, makes no sense. Many of our friends, neighbors and family members have been sucked into an alternate reality where up is down, the sky is green and the ground is blue, lies are truth and truth is a lie.

True believers are adamant that they are absolutely right and everyone else is misinformed, leaving no room for discussion or debate. No amount of fact checking or research on my part will change anyone’s belief. They only believe their “news” source whether radio, TV or internet. Their sources are not vetted for credentials, funding or motivation. People are believing things said by someone who only wants to make tons of money or who wants to manipulate voters into voting against their own best interests.

Has America ever been divided by lies like this before? I’ve been trying to understand this division for nearly four years now and I’m feeling hopeless. Will it end in the destruction of our democracy or will we be able to ride it out as the pendulum of change swings back? I feel helpless in convincing true believers just how dangerous the lies they believe are to our country.

The Center for Small Government describes small government as one that; …is strictly limited to defending our lives, liberty and property; that honors individual rights; stays out of unnecessary wars; and that is contained and transparent enough to easily find and root out government waste, dysfunction and injustice. In other words, OUR government should have a limited role, provide minimal services and regulation with absolutely no concern for the common good.

I’ve got mine and the government should protect me, protect what I’ve got, let me get more, not tell me what to do and to not help any of my fellow Americans in need.

This means, as a small government conservative, that I can make and sell dangerous, ineffective “snake oil” while destroying the environment from mining for ingredients and expelling polluting chemicals from the manufacturing process into the airways and waterways, and while paying my workers poverty wages working in unsafe conditions without paying overtime after 40 hours or contributing to healthcare and pension benefits. I get to use all the resources, including human capital, reap the benefits and throw them away when I’m done with no accountability! Small, ineffective, government is really good for me, but not for the majority of tax paying Americans.

People proudly claim that “I’m a small government conservative.” All I hear is “I’m good, you’re on your own.” If you can’t get ahead working three and four subsistence-wage jobs, it’s your fault! We don’t need small government, we need good and fair government based in the reality of advantage and disadvantage! Good government now! End selfishness!