Since I have several family members who choose to follow the insane idiocy of the right wing propaganda machine, every day I check out two sites to keep me up to date on the lunacy.
Media Matters and News Hounds give me a clear perspective of the garbage that is poisoning the minds (and sadly, the hearts) of way too many people.
Blatant outrageous lies are being accepted as the God's honest truth because, as Virginia once told an editor: (paraphrased) If it's in the news, it must be true.
If you only receive your news and information from Fox, Rush and Savage,(et al) President Obama is indeed a scary foreigner out to destroy the country (if he hasn't already succeeded.) The black man is ready to start another civil war, so be afraid. Our enemy is here, right now, and everyone must be ready to fight this battle or we are all doomed.
And, if you listen to the speeches made by those who seek that lucrative government job, (you know, the one where you can pull a more than decent salary with great benefits, travel, numerous vacations all on the taxpayers dime while not having to do any legitimate work), just about all of our rights guaranteed by the constitution are being taking away as we speak.
Today I was reminded again of a scene from a movie.
All The President's Men is the story of the two reporters who uncovered the connection between the break-in at the Democratic Headquaarters in the Watergate Hotel and the office of the President. At one point, Woodward and Bernstien discovered that the Attorney General (Mitchell) paid out a slush fund from money donated to The Committee to Re-Elect The President. (CREEP) The editor and publisher of the newspaper wanted confirmation- triple conformation- because they knew the seriousness of this accusation.
Of course, when the story was published, the denials came from everywhere. The sources for the confirmation changed their stories. The Washington Post was vilified as attacking the White House for political gain. And that was a very big deal.
The truth did eventually come out and we all know the ending of that major crisis.
Nobody today demands or even expects confirmation. They just make it up as they go along.
Unchallenged.
So, here is my idea. Taking a page from the disruptive behavior of the Tea Party during last summer's town hall meetings, let's go to the rallies of the republican candidates and simply shout "How?" everytime an accusation is made about how terrible President Obama and the democrats have made this country.
"Prove it!" "Give me the facts!" Because, this is serious stuff that is being told, and the gullible are eating it up.
I remember asking my sister last year- "What part of you actual daily life has changed since Barrack Obama became your president?" since she still believes we are now doomed to live in Obamanation. But she doesn't see her life as is, she sees it as she is being told, and she is being told (along with millions) that America is being destroyed and only the republicans can save it.
There is too much 'preaching to the chior' going on in today's politics. It's time to infiltrate. Force these fear-mongerers to put their money (see above- lucrative job) where their mouth is. They won't allow the media to challenge them- so it's up to us.