Calling Lies Lies

WE GET CAUGHT UP with the blatantly insanely stupid words, actions, and policies of the Trump administration. Each day, more lies and melodrama, more hatred, more fodder for tabloid journalism. We seem to almost be lulled into familiar acceptance of perhaps the most powerful, impactful influence emanating from the Trump fun house: the great propaganda machine. You wonder how many people it actually takes to concoct this stuff; every member of the Trump administration seems to spew it, seems to be on the same page, as we say. An incessant avalanche of lies, all consistently tied together into one vast bundle of prevarication, creating a fantasy land to replace reality, one in which Trump has made America great, again, rather than doing it enormous demonstrable harm. The biggest single source is of course the pretty blonde face of prime Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who does Joseph Goebbels proud, and who takes smug, self confident facial expressions to a new level, as we say. Several days ago Trump resumed his habit of pardoning every criminal who has ever had anything to do with helping him to advance his political career, his fame, or his fortune, of whom there are numerous. He's done this before. Violent criminals who attacked and brutalized police officers during Trump's ill fated attempt to overthrow the federal government are now walking free because of Trump, rather than languishing in prison where they belong. Trump is himself, arguably, doing likewise; walking free, rather than doing the time that many Americans justifiably think he should now be doing.. The notorious criminal and crime boss Rudy Guiliani is now a man without a criminal record nor a destiny to serve time in a federal pen, thanks to his boy Donnie. All of the violent criminals who used violence to try to keep Trump illegally in power are now free, pardoned, and so is everyone else who should be in prison for committing crimes on behalf of and for the benefit of Trump. The first casuality of fascism is democracy, the second, justice. According to blonde Karoline, who keeps a straight face by wearing a perpetual condescending smirk, the Trump administration is unmitigated success and glory, rather than the total disaster any discerning American can plainly see. The mainstream media, which is overwlelmingly corporate in nature and therefore anatural ally to Trump, tends to disperse, amplify, and magnify the torrent of misinformation originating with Trump, and emanating from the White House. Only a few media outlets bother to offer fact checks and corrections of Trump's lies, which are so constant and so loudly repeated that they mainatin a dominant place in the media. The tragic fact that the United States of Advertising has been a propaganda factory since its inception has its good points as unintended consequences. It takes a heap of propaganda to turn a brutal, oppressive corporate oligarchy into a demmocratic land of opportunity. Hence, we the American people have long been accustomed to being fed a line of bull, so to speak. With this experience,despite our general gullibility there is at least a streak of discernment in us, and we ths possess a certain talent for calling a spade a spade, as it were. Scientific skeptism, critical thinking are not entirely lost on us. We have the necessary tools at our disposal to identify MAGA lies and propaganda, to call them out,and to discredit them. In that, we are fortunate,and freedom of information and speech has served us well. We need them now, more than ever.