rbreich , to Random
@rbreich@masto.ai avatar

The lies that undermine America https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-lies-that-undermine-america?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

ZhiZhu ,
@ZhiZhu@newsie.social avatar

"These are not small lies. They are not political hyperbole. They are lies that cut to the core of our entire system of self-government. They undermine belief in our democracy and system of justice.

It is one thing for Donald Trump – a pathological liar and sociopath – to conjure up these lies. He is nuts...

But for an entire political party to wittingly repeat these lies amounts to organized treason."

Text from article: These are not small lies. They are not political hyperbole. They are lies that cut to the core of our entire system of self-government. They undermine belief in our democracy and system of justice. It is one thing for Donald Trump – a pathological liar and sociopath – to conjure up these lies. He is nuts. It has been America’s great misfortune for him to emerge at a time when the nation was already distrustful and disdainful of politics. But for an entire political party to wittingly repeat these lies amounts to organized treason. How can lawmakers who presumably know how dangerous these lies are nonetheless seek to convince the public they’re true? Is their love of power so great that they would sell out our democracy for it? If so, what do they get from unprincipled power?
ALT
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    • rbreich , to Random
    @rbreich@masto.ai avatar

    In a misguided effort to be "unbiased," most news media have stopped calling Trump's Big Lie about the 2020 election what it is. Instead they're using terms like "false statements" or "claims without evidence."

    Memo to the media: Calling out lies isn't "biased." It's your job.

    KeithDJohnson ,
    @KeithDJohnson@sfba.social avatar

    @rbreich 👍

    rbreich , to Random
    @rbreich@masto.ai avatar

    Trump's most obvious lies (like pretending he never led chants of "lock her up) are perhaps the most disturbing.

    Telling lies that everyone knows are lies is a classic tactic of dictators to force their followers to side with them over the truth itself.

    ZhiZhu ,
    @ZhiZhu@newsie.social avatar

    @rbreich

    "and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.

    ...Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt & waver & will continue to think that there may be some other explanation.”

    • Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, chapter 10, "The Big Lie"

    Meme with black background and white text. A headshot of Trump is in the bottom right corner. The text reads: "All this was inspired by the principle—which is quite true within itself—that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation.” - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, chapter 10, "The Big Lie" #TheBigLie
    ALT
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