Propaganda

I just finished reading The Boys in the Boat—the true story of nine young Americans who won Olympic Gold at the 1936 games in Nazi Germany. The story focuses on the life and times of the men on the University of Washington rowing crew, but it's also a snapshot of pre-war Germany. In the book, the author, Daniel James Brown, writes:

"Joseph Goebbels [the Nazi propagandist] had artfully accomplished what all good propagandists must, convincing the world that their version of reality was reasonable and their opponents’ version biased ... making all of them seem shrill, hysterical, and misinformed."

But what is propaganda? It's lie conceived by national leadership, honed by their underlings, promoted first by their loyal followers and then spread by a complicit media. It is consumed by a public that is often ignorant of the true facts. Propaganda becomes reality if it is not challenged. The most dangerous propaganda is that which remains unchallenged.

That quote got me to thinking. In a way, what we have seen happening during the Obama years is a form of propaganda. It's reasonable to assert that what we've experienced is a collection of lies conceived by national leadership, honed by their underlings, promoted first by their loyal followers and then spread by a complicit media. It is consumed by a public that is often ignorant of the true facts. I have in many other posts considered many of those lies, so I won't revisit them here.

But it might be worth noting something else. Other Democrats are learning that when they are faced with an unpleasant situation that causes many to question their honesty, integrity or competence, the answer is to double down on the lie, and if that fails to double down again.

Over the past few weeks, the American public has witnessed three lies offered by prominent Democrats. The first lie was offered by Hillary Clinton when she suggested that she had been truthful in her statements about her email server and the subsequent release of classified information. The second lie was promoted by Barack Obama when he argued that ransom money paid to the Iranians in return for a hostages was a repayment of seized monies (in unmarked, multiple currencies, delivered at night in an unmarked plane, while the hostages sat on the ground and waited for the plane with the cash to land). The third lie was offered by past DNC chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz who suggested that she had not been booed by her own delegation subsequent to the release of hacked emails. In each case the lie was hilariously false, but it's representative of the kind of propaganda that Daniel James Brown wrote about.

Implementing a propaganda strategy is an insult to the citizens of the United States and a political travesty, but the Democrats don't seem to care.

Now, it is true that politicians -- both Republican and Democrat --spin facts in their favor. But not every politician lies blatantly in the face of irrefutable evidence.—except, it appears, a new generation of Democrat politicians who now believe that they can get away with it -- and they do!

No matter what evidence is offered, no matter what documents appear, no matter who testifies, this new strategy is simple -- lie, and then lie some more. Democrats can do this because compliant train hamsters in the media refuse to probe, ask pertinent and hard questions, and otherwise uncover the truth.

It's very likely that the Democrats will win the presidency. It's also very likely that Hillary Clinton—someone who has and will continue to play fast and loose with the truth—will continue this strategy for the next four or eight years.

Like corruption (something that Hillary Clinton knows a fair amount about), cynical disregard for the truth is corrosive to our country and the rule of law. It fosters disrespect for our leaders, insults the intelligence of the citizenry, and creates a level of cynicism that makes good leadership very difficult.

Much will be written about the Obama legacy. Part of the legacy is a strategy of lies that is far too close to outright propaganda. It's a legacy that will be carried forward by the next Democrat president, if the current direction of this election holds to form.