Forget your political sympathies, for a moment, and reconcile yourself that you are being duped and that you are probably duping others. If you are told a lie or a half truth and then repeat it as a fact you are deceiving others. You can take a deep breath though and be contented that this is what humans do and always have done. Gossip depends upon it and given that more people purchase gossip than any other form of media it should be no surprise that it has become the staple diet of many. Arguing that this should not be the case is like arguing that the sun shouldn’t shine. One day it might not but no matter how much we debate it, it won’t change a thing. It has been theorized that gossip played a fundamental role in the evolution of human intelligence and social life… and that it continues to play an active role in cultural learning….
But, and it is a huge but, gossip is only one thing that we do and is only a small part of our life experience. We would not expect our doctor to gossip about other patients, or our bosses to reveal private things about us, or our friends to rush to repeat our secrets… we would expect them and ourselves to be able to discern what should and shouldn’t be repeated and maintain an appropriate behaviour. Once that line is crossed it is very difficult to regain trust. The situation is no different with the media and politicians.
Or is it? Many Tories who are told repeated lies by powerful Tories are much more forgiving of them than they would be of a Labour politician and vice versa. Party politics is a game in which deceit is a dominant tool. Reality is of course a very early casualty in this competition as are democratic values. But let us not kid ourselves. Duping by the state and powerful figures is as old as us. Retaining power usually equals dishonesty. From Milton to Machiavelli to Lukes we have been constantly reminded that manipulating our consciousness is a necessary evil to keep in the hot seat.
It is only since last summer however that the population has been holistically introduced to this omnipotent and omnivorous force. The lies leading up to the EU referendum were so obvious that few failed to recognise at least some of them. The process of repeating uncomplicated false information over s sustained period meant that duping was as straightforward as breathing in air. In fact the lies were so obvious that even the protagonists admitted them only hours after the result was declared. The game was up or so some thought. But no. Instead of being hidden from the consciousness of most it was now loose. A new type of warfare was evolving. The end of denial and ‘conspiracy theory’ accusations. Now it was transference.
The truth was becoming like the Ripley character from the Alien films and the rapid colonisation of our minds could reach never imagined heights by releasing the xenomorph from the darkness. And so it came to pass with the campaign to elect Donald Trump. The pretence could stop, Enough were now ready for the creature to be exposed in broad daylight. And they were right. The days of clandestine manipulation were over (at least for this epoch). But then a complication. The ‘liberal elite’ would just not let it rest. The accusations of ‘fake news’ took hold. What to do?
The genius moment from behind the scenes. Flood the rhetoric and the sympathetic media, particularly online, with the notion that we might be bad but not as bad as the other side. From now on the Democrats and Labour and any other ‘opposition’ are the real orchestrators. Their lies are worse than ours. Game won. When Corbyn opens his mouth undermine him by making out his ‘facts’ are false. Undermine his leadership by focusing upon the over repeated notions that he is weak or he is a terrorist sympathiser. The lie is irrelevant it is what people believe that matters. Remember there are enough people ripe for it. Deceit is now the explicit norm. Put in the boot and we can all go home.
This is where we are now. What comes next is anyone’s guess but it won’t play out well for us. It never does. The xenomorph lusts for our blood and will aim to procreate in its own image not ours.
The only advice I can offer is avoid the corporate mainstream and make your own reality. They cannot stop you doing that especially if you have the numbers.
Douglas James
Why the law is little help for those who want to control the spread of fake news
Death of truth: when propaganda and ‘alternative facts’ first gripped the world
