The 1976 film, "Network," is a satirical film about the Television Industry. The protagonist, Howard Beale, is being fired from his network because of low ratings and threatens to kill himself on air. After much persuasion, the powers to be let him back on the air to ostensibly apologize. Instead, he rants and raves that life is bullshit and comes up with the now famous phrase, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." This galvanizes the nation and in each subsequent show the live studio audience chants the catchphrase: "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore."
That's kind of how I feel about the state of our electoral process and the lies, misinformation and untruths that are rampant on our airwaves, internet and snail mailings that inundate my mailbox each day. When did it become okay for politicians and their minions to spew garbage that are out and out lies, or at best exaggerations that leads to misinformation? By now everyone realizes that I lean toward the left. However, it is not just the right that is guilty of these hate messages that are not even close to the truth. ALL politicians, and even worse, the PAC's, that have no conscience, seem to think that it is just dandy to tell lies to deliver their message.
And it doesn't stop with the politicians. It seems that most people believe that if you read it on the internet or in an email, it HAS to be the truth. I have lost count of the viral email messages that purport to "know" somebody that swears that the following story is the truth. After 2 minutes of research, it is apparent that the story is complete and utter bullshit, but it has been sent to 1000's or even millions of people. Don't believe me, just go to Snopes.com and look at the Top 25 Urban Myths that have been debunked but that the majority of this ignorant population still believes.
Did you know that Obama is a Muslim, not born in this country, that Bill Gates and AOL will give you thousands of dollars if you just forward their email, that there is a Senate Bill that requires that all handguns be listed on your tax return, that ALL Real Estate transactions carry a 3.5% tax that Obama created, that Obama has authorized millions of Palestinians to settle in the US, that Bill Cosby is either dead or is running for office (depending on which email you receive first), that Abercrombie will send you a $25 gift certificate for forwarding their email, that Jamie Lee Curtis or Lady Gaga or both are hermaphrodites, that Muslims are exempt from the Health Insurance mandate or that Richard Gere had a gerbil removed from his anus in an emergency surgical operation? These are all absurd and any intelligent human being would, at least, check them out before forwarding the email purporting such "truths." I suggest Snopes.com, Urbanlegends.about.com or scambusters.org.....but then again there is another email that says Snopes is in Obama's pocket and is all lies!!
Which brings me back to the political arena. John Raese, the Republican candidate for the Senate in West Virginia says that the Health Care Law requires a patient to go through a bureaucrat or panel to reach a doctor. That is flat out untrue. Allen West, running for Congress in my district (although he can't vote for himself since he doesn't even live here) says that the Health Care Law cuts $500 million dollars from Medicare and that benefits will be reduced. In reality, the law will slow the rate of increases in payments to providers and benefits for beneficiaries will be as good or better than they are now. The extreme right is saying that Obama is a Socialist...but on the other hand he is in the grip of Wall Street; He's weak on defense, but on the other hand he is escalating the Afghan War; he is soft on immigration but on the other hand is deporting record numbers; and he raised taxes, when in reality he cut them for 95% of all Americans. So which one is it....or is it okay to talk out of both sides of your mouth? And I could go on and on and on. Those on the right can probably site many, many cases where the Democrats are distorting the truth too....but this is MY blog, so I don't feel compelled to do so! It seems that many believe if they just say it often enough or loud enough then it will become the truth.
The following quote is generally attributed to Daniel Patrick Moynihan: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but they are not entitled to their own facts." What a great quote! But, I much prefer we take up Howard Beale's mantra - "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore."
And The Journey continues.........
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