A lie repeated often enough is believed
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Edwin E. Powell
Published: July 16, 2008
There is a saying political mudslingers believe in completely. It goes like this: “Repeat a lie often enough and it will be believed.” On July 11, the Potomac News printed a letter from A. Vic Poillucci, (On
Barack Obama and patriotism) that repeats a LIE which has been floating around the Internet for months.
It surfaced shortly after the unfortunate picture of Barack Obama standing without his hand over his heart during the National Anthem. The original LIE started by that picture was “Barack Obama refused
to place his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Obama explained that he always places his hand over his heart during the Pledge but was only taught to stand during the National Anthem, a reasonable claim since most Americans stand but do not
place their hand over their heart during the National Anthem either.
Just look at the crowd the next time the Anthem is played at a sporting event. But, that is not the issue with Poillucci’s letter, which quoted directly from an Internet e-mail Barack-haters have been
circulating for months.
First of all, Mr. Poillucci quotes directly from the e-mail without using quotation marks or giving his source when he cited the law about what is expected when the Anthem is played. He quotes further
from the scurrilous e-mail without saying where he got the quote attributed to Obama, which Obama never said.
If Mr. Poillucci and the Potomac News editors had bothered to check out the facts before writing or publishing this LIE, they would not have embarrassed themselves. They would have seen this was
something a political satirist wrote. Next time please check your facts with reputable sites like http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/stance.asp or
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome/.
EDWIN E. POWELL
Woodbridge
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 17, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Godsaveus,
Since the Reagen Administration killed the Fairness Doctrine, Clear Channel has bought up about 60% of all radio stations nationwide, and now employs only a fraction of the DJs formerly extent, and all programming comes from the Clear Channel central headquarters. Clear Channel gives 805 of all campign contributions to Conservative causes, and in the run-up to the Iraq war ALL their stations pushed the administration Talking Points Of The Day. Vericom ownes most of the non-Clear Channel stations and their political donations and business model emulates Clear Channel.
TV stations and newspaper media have similar consolidation, all of which started after the Fairness Doctine was abolgished, and after the Republican-controled FCC and FTC allowed this massive consolidation. Almost all these TV and newspaper outlets are similarly contolled by Conservative-leaning corporate conglomerations. (McClatchy is about the only one that is not, and it is relatively non-Conservative promoting).
What is interesting is that the only US media not centrally controlled by Conservative-leaning corporations is the Internet, where liberal voices dominate. The great orange satan, Daily Kos, alone gets more traffic that all Conservative blogs combined.
I’d say your line:
“nobody listen liberal talk shows” comes under the “Black is White, Down is up, Night is Day” world of the modern Conservative. As well as poor use of English.
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Posted by ( Godsaveus ) on July 17, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Ron is very clear nobody listen liberal talk shows and the only way to be listened is forcing in a FASCIST way to air their propaganda.The FCC stated: “We no longer believe that the Fairness Doctrine, as a matter of policy, serves the public interests. In making this determination, we do not question the interest of the listening and viewing public in obtaining access to diverse and antagonistic sources of information. Rather, we conclude that the Fairness Doctrine is no longer a necessary or appropriate means by which to effectuate this interest. We believe that the interest of the public in viewpoint diversity is fully served by the multiplicity of voices in the marketplace today and that the intrusion by government into the content of programming occasioned by the enforcement of the doctrine unnecessarily restricts the journalistic freedom of broadcasters. Furthermore, we find that the Fairness Doctrine, in operation actually inhibits the presentation of controversial issues of public importance to the detriment of the public and in degradation of the editorial prerogative of broadcast journalists.”
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Posted by ( phdee ) on July 17, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Your description/definition of fascism, in addition to the Bush Repub admin., sure does adequately describe what has happened to the US govt. under the Repubs.
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Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 17, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Godsaveus,
Even for the “Black is White, Down is up, Night is Day” world of the modern Conservative, your statement “Democrats are closer to be facist , they are the ones who want suppres the free speech, reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine.” confuses me.
How does the Fairness Doctrine supress free speech?
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Posted by ( Godsaveus ) on July 16, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Facist?
You are a little bit off.
Facism:
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
Date: 1921
1often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
Democrats are closer to be facist , they are the ones who want suppres the free speech, reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine. They want to nationalize the oil companies like Chavez en Venezuela. One Democrat congreswoman said in front of the CEOs of some American Oil companies “ If you don’t reduce the price of the gas, we(the democrat congress) are going to take over your companies”.
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Posted by ( phdee ) on July 16, 2008 at 4:04 pm
The Republican Bush admin is fascist. Under Hitler, the statement to tell a lie long enough people will believe it was atributed to his propaganda minister. As a Republican, it is natural that a lie would be repeated as truth - this is the fascist way.
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Posted by ( Godsaveus ) on July 16, 2008 at 8:50 am
Mr. Poillucci lie to the American people ,like Dan Rather did with Bush’s military records . This is wrong.
Please stop whinnying. The fact is Obama decide to stop wearing the American flag pin lapel to give a message, some people received the message and understood that it was unpatriotic, people can perceive the same message in deferent ways, all depend who is the receptor . Same thing with the picture in front of the American Flag , everybody has they hand in their hart not him, right or wrong people have their own idea, nobody cares how the protocol works, or if at that time they where singing the national anthem or not, he did not put his hand on his hart when everybody else did. I do not defend any lie I just want to address some rationality over you passionate letter.
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