** This may have been attempted before. If so, please direct me to a link and if it similar enough, and recent enough, I'll delete this. **
While reading accounts of the Pat Tillman/Jessica Lynch lies today, a thought occurred to me. Wouldn't it be nice to have a list of Bush Administration lies that have been as effectively and undeniably demonstrated to be lies as this?
I have seen lots and lots of lists of lies that people have documented over the years, and I know there are entire websites devoted to documenting them.
But I'm looking for the big, steaming, stinking, can-prove-it-is-a-lie-with-one-simple-link-to-a-respected-source type of lies. Not just lies - WHOPPERS.
Objectives below...
There are two aspects of the Tillman/Lynch lies that I appreciate (in a tragic kind of way):
- They are extraordinarily high-profile. Everybody heard them, and everybody remembers what they heard.
- They have been demonstrated to be lies so thoroughly and effectively that they cannot be argued - even by a wingnut.
The lie can be stated simply, and the proof of the lie can documented with a single link - preferably a simple article with no complicated tables, graphs, or data. The simpler the better.
A WHOPPER = This is the lie | This is a link to reality
Or, in the cases we are discussing:
Pat Tillman died a hero's death | Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire
Jessica Lynch fought like crazy | Jessica Lynch was too injured to fight
These lies are an almost-perfect model for what I'm looking for. The only thing that makes them less-than-perfect is the fact that they don't have a direct and undeniable link (at least not yet) to a high-profile member of the Bush administration. So by my definition, these aren't WHOPPERS.
I would love to have a list of WHOPPERS. A list of five of them would make a wonderful sig block for emails. I get right-wing forwards all the time from wingnuts in my extended family. If I reply back them, it would be lovely to have that list innocently placed on the bottom.
The lists I have seen are often cluttered by things we might know are lies, but that others might take issue with. Or somethimes the proof of the lie is so complicated that the average person simply won't delve into it. I'm looking for the lies that are too big for anyone to defend, and are easy to demonstrate as lies. The more direct the link to a high-profile member of the Bush administration, the better.
I intend to start developing this simple list, but it would be great if it could be a community effort.
So tell me, heard any WHOPPERS lately? Or in the past 6 years? Share them in the comments below. Just remember the format:
WHOPPER = the lie simply stated | link to a simple proof of the lie
I would love it if I could update my email sig block later this evening!
Here's a possible one to jumpstart things:
Bush: Leakers "will be taken care of" | Rove confirmed Plame's identity