Politics American Truth
posted by on November 7 at 14:59 PM
I think I have finally figured it out. The discourse of popular politics in American is not about telling the truth but about saying it, even in negative terms. Take this example, which is in connection with the recent snub President Bush received from Crist, a Republican running a close race for the governor position in Florida:
Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s campaign says the Republican’s cancellation has nothing to do with President Bush’s unpopularity.Of course Crist cancelled his appearance at the rally because Bush was going to be there and Bush is very unpopular, but instead of telling the truth Crist simply says the truth: his sudden absence, his quick ducking, his slick dodging has has “nothing to do with President Bush’s unpopularity.” Just saying it is telling the truth.
charles, I believe our political discourse is about owning and controlling the media infrastructure to express your message and then repeating your messages over and over even if they're all lies until the rabble intreprets your message as truth.
Charles, the truth rarely exists in politics. It's making sausages - you REALLY don't want to know what goes in.
We artificially limit the debates to a two view dialogue, to start, and then we distort it so that you get a far right versus right debate on issues like trade (free trade isn't since it ignores externalities like pollution, labor, and wealth).
It's spin. It's the truth they want people to believe not the relivant truth.
I'm not sure I'd word it that way, but I totally see what you're saying and I totally agree, Charles.
If there’s one fact of life that’s been exposed over the last six years, it’s that the only true value for most in America is hypocrisy.
-We say we want peace, but we are a warlike people who spend more on our military than all other countries in the world combined.
-We say that we’re all created equal, yet voters in most states enthusiastically support constitutional amendments (aka 21st century Jim Crow laws) against gay and lesbian citizens.
-Equal protection, the notion that the law treats everyone the same, has always been a sham. Only wealthy, white, heterosexual Americans believe we have equal protection under the law.
-America is a liberal democracy. Truth: Every election since Nixon has shown that modern America is a right wing nation more like Iran than other western democracies.
-Most Americans claim to follow the lessons of Jesus Christ, who taught forgiveness, truth, tolerance and compassion, yet they support politicians who openly use hatred, lies and fear as campaign tactics.
-We claim to welcome immigrants and then lambaste and blame them for taking our jobs.
I could go on, but the point is that we’re a country whose actions are so incongruent with our supposed values that we’ve passed the point of collective denial and are now in full blown, feverish psychosis.
I thought Cynicism was number one.
Will in Seattle,
Cynicism is caused by society's hypocrisy. It's the symptom, not the disease.
I stand corrected. Be glad when it's over.
There's never been a better time to be a cynical hypocrite--or a hypocritical cynic.
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