Response to a lie? Grab a beer; scratch and fart.

CBS will be airing an ad during the Super Bowl in which one of the players appears with his mom and talks about how he wasn’t aborted. There will be a song and dance about “Gaaawwwwd!” and “Liiifffe!” and other such poppycock.  What won’t be mentioned is that abortion was (and is) illegal in the Catholic country in which Tebow was conceived and birthed. CBS won’t run ads for liberal groups but it will run an ad for an ultra-conservative group that “may be based on a falsehood”. Uh, gee, ya think?!

An ultra-conservative group or groups who regularly give birth to murderers in the name of Life, might be lying. The only problem with that little sentiment is the “might” part of it. Of course they’re lying. They’ve been fucking lying since their birth from the bowels of the Catholic Church (this links to a .pdf file).

My friends in the liberal camp are all aquiver because CBS is selling ad time to their side but refuses to sell ad time to our side. I’m not sure how that’s new. Marketing is always targeted at the viewing demographic. Guess what this says about the demographic that watches the Super Bowl?

Also, not new, is the liberal response. “Boycott?!” “Not watch the Super Bowl?!” “Are you nuts?!” As usual, liberals can’t be bothered to protest if it might interfere with their entertainment. That’s okay, though. Liberals have a very good and logical excuse reason for not boycotting.

The “logic” goes something like this; boycotts never work so I won’t participate. I (and several thousands of other “I”s) don’t participate so the boycott doesn’t work. Proving that boycotts don’t work; so I won’t participate. I don’t participate so the boycott doesn’t work. Boycotts never work so I won’t participate. No, I’m not stuttering up there. That’s called circular reasoning. It’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Liberals have decided that it’s too much effort to protest or boycott so they’ve given themselves an excuse to not exert themselves. Liberals then complain that their “leadership” doesn’t stand with them. Uh, wouldn’t you actually have to be standing in order for the leadership to stand with you? Perhaps what they really mean is we wish our leadership would stand so we can sit on our lazy asses and pretend to stand for something.

What liberals seem to forget is how many times boycotts have been effectively used by the ultra-conservatives.  Ultra-conservatives have had books banned, including the dictionary for a short time, they have had movies removed from cable and broadcast channels, they have shut down films, and they’ve had Democratic politicians falling all over themselves to apologize for words or actions the ultra-cons themselves have used. But, yeah, boycotts don’t work and liberals take stands; when it’s convenient, when it’s not too uncomfortable, when it concerns them, or, well, maybe not so much.

Now we’re gonna get a dose of deceptive advertising (talk about a redundant phrase; deceptive advertising) and the liberals are going to politely point out that is “may be based on a falsehood.” Don’tcha like that language? Falsehood. You and I would call that a lie. But, marketing, politics, and religion being what they are today, combined with our collective need to appear as though we’re politely minding our manners, and a lie turns into a falsehood. No wonder people have a hard time recognizing the truth. It’s back there hidden behind the bright shiny costumes of “falsehoods” and polite language used to divert and obscure the truth.

If you’re not familiar with the power of words and the use of language and rhetoric to frame opinion and knowledge, go check out Julia Penelope’s, Speaking Freely; Unlearning the Lies of the Fathers’ Tongue or read some George Lakoff. When you’re finished there, you might want to read up on the Father of Public Relations, Edward Bernays and learn how the US Government began the use of tools of conceptual manipulation in the nineteen-teens.

Fight for health care?! The liberals can’t even be bothered to change the channel or turn off the TV for a cause.  Good luck, President Obama. You’re sure gonna need it with this crew helping you with Change they Hope you’ll make for them.

Media “relations”

Astroturf email – 21st Century Propaganda

Below is an example of the modern usage of appeals to ignorance and partial truths sent to in-boxes in order to influence and obfuscate issues and reality in the political mind; Astroturfing.

My response to this low-information, inaccurate, and misleading screed, follows.

Dear Fellow Business Owners

As a business owner who employs 30 people, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barack Obama will be our next president, and that my taxes and fees will go up in a BIG way.

To compensate for these increases, I figure that the Customer will have to see an increase in my fees to them of about 8-10%. I will also have to lay off six of my employees. This really bothered me as I believe we are family here and didn’t know how to choose who will have to go. So, this is what I did.

I strolled thru the parking lot and found eight Obama bumper stickers on my employees cars. I have decided these folks will be the first to be laid off.

I can’t think of another fair way to approach this problem. If you have a better idea, let me know.

I am sending this letter to all business owners that I know.

Sincerely
Ward
JOOA Corp.

——————-

My Response to “Ward.”

Dear Ward,

Since you asked for a better idea, I have several for you.

1. Fire your accountant. If the one you have now doesn’t know the difference between gross and net you have already been paying too much in taxes. If the one you have now hasn’t been taking all the tax breaks and deductions you receive by paying those “increased” fees and taxes, they should not be allowed to do taxes.

2. When you find a new accountant who has some tax knowledge, have them review your prior years taxes as it appears you may have several refunds waiting for you. Make sure they check all the states in which you’ve paid taxes but did not earn income. That’s *earned* income, Ward. Your new knowledgeable accountant should know the difference.

3. Make sure your new accountant is full time and on premises during business hours as it appears you have zero knowledge of business finances and bookkeeping. That reminds me, hire a good bookkeeper while you’re at it to help your new accountant track your income, expenses, A/R, and A/P. Oh, A/R stands for accounts receivable and A/P stands for accounts payable. It’s pretty obvious you don’t know those terms.

4. Hire a lawyer. It appears you may be in violation of federal labor laws if you think you can fire people based on their political party membership or ideals. The lawsuits will cost you quite a bit more than your “increased” fees and taxes, but hey, at least you won’t be contributing to the “socialist” government you seem to fear.

5. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers classes in how to run a business which include finances, labor law, tax law and the like. You are several years behind the curve; sign up now!

6. Remember to take responsibility for the fact that you lose business when you are ignorant enough to wave your political idiocy in front of your customers. Your customers want a good product followed by good customer service. It sounds like you may need to work on that if you’re as “knowledgeable” about your business as you are about taxes and business finances.

7. Please, tell me what product you sell and what business you do. I couldn’t find “JOOA Corp” in a quick google search. I’d like to avoid such a poorly run business headed by such an ignorant business owner. If your products are of the same quality as your business acumen, I don’t care to waste my money.

8. Hire someone to market your business. As noted above, I couldn’t find “JOOA Corp” in a quick google search. This is the 21st Century and successful businesses have an internet presence and spend some time promoting their business online. You need someone who knows about internet marketing and search engines.

All in all Ward, I’d say you’re a piss poor business man who doesn’t know one thing about running a successful business. Do you even have a business, Ward? Or are you like “Joe the Plumber” sitting at home dreaming of the day you’ll suddenly wake up with an entrepreneurial spirit and loads of cash to start up a business you don’t know how to run?

Good luck with that dream. Those of us in the real world know it takes work and responsibility and knowledge to run a business. It also requires creative thought and the ability to think independently, both of which, based on your willingness to blindly spew ignorance, you are sadly lacking.

Oh, one more thing. Based on your obvious ignorance, hire a good bankruptcy lawyer.

Signed,

Remember History

Make Mine Freedom

Anti-Communism Cartoon – 1948

This video is but one example of the way in which propaganda was used against collectivism in the US to vilify and distort the pool of Common Knowledge during those times that populist movements were coming together for the rights of We, the People. This particular piece of propaganda was used during the Cold War as an example of the “evils” of the Soviet Union. US populist movements had been, and would continue to be, equated with the evil Soviet Union for many years.

See, for most recent examples, talking heads and politicians who referred to then Senator, Barack Obama as a Marxist, his proposed policies as socialist, and the dire warnings of impending communism should he be elected. It would appear based on his overwhelming win that Americans are ready for a “Marxist” with a “socialist” agenda and are ready to welcome “communism” to the US.

From AnimationStation

A trip down memory lane…

to mandatory universal auto insurance coverage and One Nation, Under Surveillance.

I’m old enough to remember (or perhaps I heard my parents discuss) when car insurance was not mandated by law. I remember when the auto insurance industry started its campaign in State Congresses across the nation to make it legislation. During that same time, there was a noticeable increase in media reports of horror stories involving uninsured drivers and how they “devastated” entire families. Many people, including my father, had some choice words about the insurance industry and their influence in politics and legislation. I believe they are also the ones who wrote the legislation which ultimately became nationwide law.

The media reports of the horrors of uninsured motorists quickly died off. Apparently overnight, there were no more uninsured motorists on the road causing devastation wherever they drove.

Next came a time when the banking and security industries joined forces to install video surveillance at ATM locations. Privacy rights activists warned of the “edge of the wedge” and how allowing video cameras at ATM locations would be just the beginning of “one nation, under surveillance.” They were of course ridiculed in the nightly “news” as more and more reports were broadcast in gory detail of muggings and murders at ATM locations across the nation. Fortunately, for those industries, there was also an uptick in horrific murders and shootings – appearing on the nightly news – at convenience stores across the nation. You know the rest. The cameras went into place and being surveilled for our safety and security is more and more common place.

The media reports of these atrocities, then as before, quickly died off. Apparently overnight, there were no longer muggings and horrific murders in convenience stores and at ATM locations across the land – at least as far as the “news” was concerned.

Around this same time came the multiple deaths of scores and hundreds of passengers on commercial commuter trains caused by engineers and deaths on the highways caused by truck drivers, all “under the influence” and became a regular feature of the “if it bleeds, it leads” nightly “news.” Privacy rights activists again warned of the edge of the wedge in drug testing but were seen as callous and uncaring in the massive media coverage of all crashes “drug” related. Today, peeing in a cup is a new-hire ritual for everything from airline pilot, to bus driver, to the clerk at the automotive parts counter.

Again, overnight, according the the “news,” people stopped dying in drug-haze-induced commuter and highway wrecks.

Am I saying these things did not happen? Of course not. But, have they stopped completely? Of course not. Yet we do not see the media coverage saturate the nightly “news” to the extent that we did when legislation was being fostered through the system around these distinct and specific issues which have gradually eroded our rights to privacy, sovereignty over our own bodies, or of making our own financial decisions, in the name of our “safety” and “security.”

So I will reiterate, no, I am not saying these things did not happen. What I am saying is that anytime there is legislation in the works to enact some draconian laws which will further erode some Constitutionally guaranteed rights, the media exaggerates the number of events by focusing on those events to the exclusion of other horrific nightly “news.”

For example, why do they not cover the number of uninsured or under-insured people who die each year due to claims denied or unavailable health care? Surely those deaths are at least as important. Why do they not cover the number of wounded and killed soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? Again, aren’t they important, too? Don’t these stories fall under the aegis of “if it bleeds, it leads”?

Well, I’m sure I just imagined it all and the media does nothing to fuel our fear or in any way shape our shared common knowledge.