The Big Lie is unravelling

[I hate liars]

I just spotted this headline on Raw Story: "Bernie Sanders finds his revolutionary rhetoric resonating in conservative Iowa". Raw Story is a reliably progressive source of news. Yet even they characterize Bernie's message as "revolutionary".

And in the strict sense of the word, Bernie's message is revolutionary. But only because it rarely appears in the media. The oligarchical propaganda we are exposed to so relentlessly in corporate media has so thoroughly conditioned us to view honesty and fact-based policy as extreme.

We know that bias isn't accidental, despite claims of "journalistic balance". Reportage that tilts so consistently away from recognizing facts and truth isn't balanced. The bias is obvious to any thinking person. It is engineered to mislead.

We've seen this pattern before. In the years following FDR's "four freedoms" speech in 1941, the John Birch society and other right-wing interests co-opted the "freedoms" meme by promoting campaigns that excluded freedom from want, freedom from fear, and even freedom of speech (including the freedom to organize unions), replacing them with freedom to profit (no regulation), freedom to work (no unions), and other oligarchy-friendly positions. I urge you to download or stream Sam Seder's September 2 Majority Report podcast, which offers an insightful perspective on the message control that has dominated our political discourse for at least the last 70 years (I am a regular Majority Report listener but am not affiliated in any way).

What I think we're seeing in Bernie Sanders' campaign is that the carefully cultivated pretense of a "conservative" American electorate is finally losing it's hold. The fact that people of all political stripes are gravitating toward Bernie's truth-telling exposes the chasm that corporate media have created between Democrats and Republicans for the lie that it is.

[randys1]

1. Well, to be honest, I think a whole hell of a lot of people want a type of revolution.

I get your point of course too.

[Major Hogwash]

26. I'm up for one.

After the last 35 years of watching talking heads on tv refer to Republicans as "serious people" whenever they talk about foreign policy, reducing the national debt, or concerning 95% of the social issues most liberals believe in, I am fully ready to cast my lone vote for the most revolutionary thing I have heard of --- a guy who believes in equality, and who has worked for it his whole life, even before he was a member of Congress!!!

[CrispyQ]

2. Oh come on, he is just waving his arms!

You don't start a revolution with that.

They are afraid of the resonance of his message.

[840high]

47. A hell of a lot better than

bobbing his head up and down.

[Fawke Em]

75. ...and all around...

[840high]

76. That made me dizzy.

[Hydra]

3. "In a time of universal deceit...

...telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell

This is the makings of a revolution, or the last act before a true one. Bernie is trying to turn things around- if TPTB don't allow that to happen, then it will happen another way, a bigger way.

[hifiguy]

4. All Bernie is trying to do is wake people up

to the bald facts that are directly in front of their very noses.

People are starting to figure that out.

[awoke_in_2003]

16. My favorite Orwell quote...

and so fitting for our modern world.

[zeemike]

32. Oops I posted the same thing before I read the whole thread.

Sorry.

[Hydra]

69. Great minds

[Ron Green]

5. Recommended. Bernie's campaign is a test for America, and we may yet fail it (see how many

well-meaning people right here on this board seek to prop up a horrid status-quo campaign that knows only how to steer the neoliberal course that's been strangling us for so long.)

There's still time to build a big, transformational movement from the ground up, but it will be difficult.

[LiberalArkie]

7. There is a lot of money to be made in the status-quo and a lot to be lost in change for some people.

[PatrickforO]

22. Yeah the wrinkly old, white, liver-spotted hands of the oligarchs won't give up

anything unless forced.

[A Simple Game]

38. What Hillary supporters don't understand is that in Bernie we finally have a chance to

unite liberals, moderates, and conservatives who all have common problems that Bernie is addressing. Hillary will have a hard time uniting liberals and no hope at all of gaining support from conservatives and especially conservative Republican.

This Country is ripe for a revolution and it is not just liberals that want it to happen, we have more in common with conservatives than the ruling class would have us believe. The 99% do not benefit from a divided electorate but the 1% does. We are divided by design and the sooner we realize it the better for us to the detriment of the 1%.

[SammyWinstonJack]

43. +1

[senz]

53. Conservative Republicans who are not oligarchs, that is

b/c the oligarchs like Hillary. But, yeah, working people of all stripes.

[A Simple Game]

54. Yes, the 1% would love a contest between Hillary and Jeb!, impossible for them to lose. n/t

[senz]

58. So true.

And I'll bet most of the players in D.C. & corporate HQs all over know it.

[VanillaRhapsody]

55. Oh come on.....

my sides hurt!

[retrowire]

63. You're mean. That is all. n/t

[rhett o rick]

46. Our corrupt political system is well entrenched and may succeed in keeping Sen Sanders

out of the WH. But we should not let that slow down the movement. We have a lot of work to do one way or the other. We need more progressives in Congress. We need to wrest control of the DNC from the Oligarchy.

[AtomicKitten]

6. Jon Stewart on Bernie Sanders:

[Uncle Joe]

11. That was a good video, AtomicKitten.

[MsLeopard]

13. JS will be missed indeed

Thank you for posting the clip - says it all, as usual.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. LOL! Thanks.

[pablo_marmol]

23. Gold! NT

[CentralMass]

74. :-)

[spooky3]

8. He's expressing what many people believe is true.

I don't consider that "revolutionary" but I get your point.

[azmom]

9. They repeat the same lies over and over

And over and over until people start believing that it is the truth.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, I hate liars.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. Bernie is calling for a political revolution to get money out of politics.

[VanillaRhapsody]

56. Except for that part where he joins the Democratic Primary ticket

because he needs that sweet sweet Democratic cash in order to beat Republicans! If he won the Primary do you think he would turn it all down?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

57. Oh sure,....he's in it to get rich.

[VanillaRhapsody]

59. No...but he is not going to do it without money....you can just get that thought straight

outta your head....its not going to happen on magic fairy dust!

besides....she doesn't get rich off of campaign finance money either!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

60. Money still doesn't beat votes....

I know the Beltway still believes the job of the President is to be Fundraiser In Chief,....but it's not.

[saidsimplesimon]

65. I would support a Constitutional Amendment to

reverse the SCOTUS ruling that corporations are "people", and unlimited donations their right. It would not be easy to accomplish, but worth the fight. Doris Kearns Goodwin said so on The Daily Show.

Congress will never pass a law to overturn SCOTUS. The time will come when a majority of Americans become sick (literally) of the influence of the 1%.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

67. Actually, it should be illegal to give money to a politician. Campaigns should be publicly funded.

[ananda]

15. I see his message as more restorative ...

... than revolutionary.

[snagglepuss]

17. We've been "conditioned to view honesty and fact-based policy as extreme."

How true. Absolutely bang on.


Welcome to DU

[L0oniX]

18. K & R

[snagglepuss]

19. Sam Seder's September 2 Majority Report podcast,

Thanks, will listen later.

[DFW]

20. That's what Howard Dean meant with his 50 state strategy

When Howard led us to congressional victory in 2006 and total victory in 2008, one would have thought the Party leadership would have figured out that Howard had the right idea. Of all people, another New Yorker transplanted to Vermont, one who is not even a member of the Democratic Party, not only remembered that Howard had the right idea, he is out there reminding everyone that it was STILL the right idea.

[dreamnightwind]

27. While Howard has signed on to the corporatist team

Any insights on that? IIRC you know Howard, I'm curious why he isn't getting on the Bernie train, seems like a natural fit to me.

[DFW]

68. That's a hard one to answer, as it starts off with a false premise

He hasn't signed on to any "corporatist" team. That term is about as valid as Fox Noise ranting about "libbruls."

We haven't had a one-on-one get-together since January, when we spent maybe 2 hours at breakfast. The race really hadn't taken form yet, and the possibility of Bernie truly getting the nomination (as opposed to having an influence on the party platform, with which Howard has no problem) wasn't even remote at that point. Howard saw Hillary as work in progress that he thought had a good chance at the White House, and to whom he could possibly whisper some progressive words in her ear (especially with respect to single payer). I haven't spoken to him since then, but it's safe to assume his attitude toward the race hasn't changed since January. He is not happy with the lack of young blood competing. He told me in 2009 that he was already way too old to be seeking the presidency, and that he thought no incoming president should be older than Obama was at the time. Howard's brother, Jim supports Bernie, but is no radical about it (Howard isn't about Hillary, either). Neither of them is so rigid as to say "my way or no way," so keep watching for updates on the positions of both Deans, as well as hints that Howard's whispering in Hillary's ear are indeed nudging her in the right direction.

[dreamnightwind]

71. Seems silly to me to speak of nudging Hillary

The way I see it, you might nudge how she campaigns, but not how she governs, much of that is determined by what interests bankroll her campaign (if that isn't the case, it sure looks like the case most anytime I look at a politician's career, they fairly consistently vote with their donor's interests in mind). Maybe you and I just come from very different political world views and won't agree. I would like to believe what you said about Howard, seems either naive or disingenuous to me. I used to be a fan of Howard to some extent, and am aware that his brother is backing Bernie. Thanks for your reply, hope I didn't come across as rude, not my intention.

[Gumboot]

21. First, the Wall Street media ignored Bernie...

... then they ridiculed him...

Now they're having to fight him...

We know what comes next!

[Maven]

24. Wow. So much truth in this post

I wish I could recommend it more than once.

The oligarchical propaganda we are exposed to so relentlessly in corporate media has so thoroughly conditioned us to view honesty and fact-based policy as extreme.

We truly have been living in an Orwellian world in which competing soundbytes pass for debate and politicians use folksy flourishes to project plainspokenness without speaking a word of truth. Then along comes someone who actually speaks plainly about issues and deals in facts, and he's cast as an extremist.

Thank you.

[delrem]

25. Proud to rec such erudition.

[dreamnightwind]

28. Squirrel!

Er, Trump! Biden! Anything but Bernie!

Good OP, our country has been greatly misled, and continue to be. If we can't throw off the influence of corporate money we have no hope whatsoever, and most of our citizens won't even know why, they'll be misdirected to the distraction or scapegoat of the day while their future disappears under corporate rule, climate destruction, and endless wars.

[99th_Monkey]

51. Trump + Hill's emails + Biden MIGHT run = M$M Nooz

ANY thing but Bernie, and ISSUES people actually care about, will do.

[Enthusiast]

29. Kicked and recommended! The big lie can't unravel fast enough to suit me.

TPTB have captured the ENTIRE media.

[Le Taz Hot]

30. Another great post.

DU is on fire the last couple of days with really good thread reads. This among them.

[zeemike]

31. Nope Orwell had it right.

"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

Yes Bernie is a revolutionary.

[colsohlibgal]

33. We Can Hope It Is

The hopeful trend is the net, YouTube, etc. It is harder to keep the big lies from being exposed somewhere.

The bad news....the stunning dumbing down of millions. The number of people who think the universe is less that 10,000 years old is remarkable and so troubling. Sadly there is more too many do not know or what they do "know" is bogus.

One of the biggest lies out there is that democratic socialism, ultra progressiveness, has been proven wrong. That is one big lie, it got us out of the Great Depression and things hummed along till the B actor took over in early 1981.....enabled by the October Surprise.

MSM is the root cause but if more people weren't so easily misled the efforts of the corporate media would be thwarted.

[retrowire]

62. Have hope.

You made the point about the number of people who think the universe is less than 10,000 years old is troubling.

I assume you're talking about the many religious deniers of science in this country. But fear not, statistics have shown that the majority of our nation is now becoming quite atheist.

As a Christian myself, I believe religion is a good way to teach morality, and so I'm somewhat sad that the majority doesn't believe in a higher power, but I'm also thrilled to see that most people are following scientific reason instead of listening to a damn liar at an altar.

I'm a different kind of Christian. lol

[Betty Karlson]

34. Americans may well be conservative, inasmuch as they want tomorrow

to be pretty much like today, only better. That is, philosophically speaking, a conservative inclination.

But "conservatism" has been hijacked by revolutionaries (neo-conservatives) and reactionaries ( Tea Party et alii) and the true conservatives are fleeing the sinking ship of the GOP. And Mr. Sanders may well appeal to them, for standing up against both the revolutionaries and the reactionaries.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

35. I hate liars, too! n/t

[McCamy Taylor]

36. State your "Big Lie" in one sentence, please.

Because a real Big Lie is a simple message. And your OP is all over the place. In fact, the whole point seems to be to include the term "Big Lie"---which is, in itself, propaganda---in the title, so that people will nod their heads--"I'm no sucker. I can spot a Big Lie"---and then read the OP as the Gospel Truth because it claims to be the antithesis of the Big Lie.

[McCamy Taylor]

37. Here's a real Big Lie from this campaign season.

"The Democratic nominee is guaranteed to win, because the Republican candidates are all bat-shit crazy."

This Big Lie has been used many times in the past, and it continues to resonate with many Democrats during the primaries, because Democrats do not understand the gullibility of the so called apolitical couch potatoes who make up the all important "independent" vote which usually determines the election.

[AzDar]

39. Bernie!!

[Z_California]

40. Wait. Every speech Bernie gives he uses the term "policitical revolution"

I'm not getting your point in this case. Yes he'll be painted as an extremist, but using the word "revolutionary" isn't an example of that in my opinion. If anything it reinforces his campaign message.

[azureblue]

41. not so much a lie

but finally, a rejection of news as fluffy entertainment, which evolved into propaganda. There was a time when news, both print and broadcast, had substance and content. But somewhere along the lib,e the news organizations decided to make the news entertaining, in hopes of garnering more eyes. Which resulted in a descending spiral of stupidity. Once past a certain point, the "powers that be" could inject their spin into this morass of infotainment, and people became accustomed to not asking questions about what they were being told. Them came the epitome of it - Fox News and it's cadre of easily fooled viewers.

But the internet circumvented broadcast news and people are indeed waking up to the fact that they have been had. Will enough people wake up before the next election to make a difference? That is the rub...

[saidsimplesimon]

66. Reminds me of a Swedish group by the same name, Azure Blue

AZURE BLUE – BEYOND THE DREAMS THERE’S INFINITE DOUBT

TIME IS ON OUR SIDE
I only wanted something real.
But people never notice anything.
Sweet dreams arise and take control
- enjoy the ride or fake it.
I can still believe in feelings
but I still want to feel the believing.
Time is on our side.

Maybe it’s a game that people play.
The more they steal
the less you want it back.
Sweet dreams arise and take control
enjoy the ride or fake it.
A dream sought good
- an unsought better.
You know I live and breathe the latter.
Time is on our side.

[C Moon]

42. I like this line:

"The oligarchical propaganda we are exposed to so relentlessly in corporate media has so thoroughly conditioned us to view honesty and fact-based policy as extreme."

[RoccoR5955]

44. K&R

About time we had a man who was born and raised in Brooklyn for president!

[SoapBox]

45. Total K & R!

Go Bernie! Go Berners!

[bvar22]

48. I strongly disagree.

There is NOTHING about Bernie's platform that is "revolutionary".
It is ALL standard, mainstream, LBJ era Democratic Party positions.

Of course, one would have to be 60 to remember when Democrats and the Democratic Party sounded like Bernie.
Bernie fits right in with the following Democratic President:

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be[font size=3] established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.[/font]

Among these are:

*The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

*The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

*The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

*The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

*The right of every family to a decent home;

*The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

*The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

*The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

[font size=3]America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.[/font]

Please note that the above are stipulated as Basic Human RIGHTS to be protected by our government,
and NOT as COMMODITIES to be SOLD to Americans by For Profit Corporations.


There was a time when voting FOR The Democrat was voting FOR the above values & goals.
There is a movement building, but it isn't "revolutionary",
it IS a Reform/Revival Movement to return to cornerstone values that made the Democratic Party great.

[AgingAmerican]

49. When normal is revolutionary

It's time for change

[hifiguy]

52. Damn tootin!

Bernie is saying nothing that FDR, Harry Truman, the Kennedy brothers and Hubert Humphrey weren't saying years ago. Not one word.

[senz]

61. Excellent comment. Thank you.

I found this especially pertinent:

Please note that the above are stipulated as Basic Human RIGHTS to be protected by our government, and NOT as COMMODITIES to be SOLD to Americans by For Profit Corporations.

The oligarchs, through their paid propagandists, have done an excellent job of putting forth the exact opposite.

[MerryBlooms]

64. .

[Rosa Luxemburg]

73. Bernie's platform is normal to me

[cascadiance]

50. The only political ad for Iowa's football game broadcast was for Clinton today.

As an Iowa grad, I watched this game as I usually do on Saturdays, and noticed that there was ONE ad by either party for a presidential candidate, and it was one for Hillary Clinton in the second half making an effort to sound populist against corporate world salaries, etc. No Republican ads at all.

Hmmm... I wonder if their campaign is worried about losing the caucuses and want to try and use their money to get out the word early to Iowans.

Are Iowans seeing a lot of early Clinton ad placements in other television content there too?

[davidpdx]

70. Robert Reich's comments on political reporting might interest you

This is on his Facebook page today. It seems to go along with what you are saying.

Political reporters know only three stories: (1) who's up and who's down, (2) how much money candidates have raised, (3) which candidates have made what gaffes, and (4) who's attacking whom. They're not trained to report on what the candidates actually say, or the economic and social realities that are fueling what they say and why their candidacies are catching on (or not).
Yet even given these realities, I continue to be surprised at how little of what's reported about Bernie mentions widening inequality, flat wages, CEO pay, the depredations of Wall Street, and the flooding of our democracy with money from big corporations and the wealthy. Indeed, I'm appalled at how little Bernie's campaign is being covered at all.
Today, after delivering a major policy address calling for an investment of $1 trillion over 5 years to modernize our country’s physical infrastructure, thereby creating and maintaining at least 13 million good-paying jobs while making our country more productive, Bernie happened to mention to a reporter that the Clinton campaign is getting nervous about his rising poll numbers. His comment about Clinton was all that was reported.
Bernie's surge has nothing whatever to do with Hillary's campaign; and her campaign's supposed "nervousness" is completely irrelevant to Bernie's message or the enthusiasm it's garnering.

[Major Hogwash]

72. The mainstream media still wants to control politics in this country.

The same way they controlled the 1980 Presidential race between Saint Ronny and President Carter.
They want to project the winner before the polls are even closed out in the West like they did that year.

The mainstream media wants to keep this country divided.
They benefit from it by having higher tv ratings, and selling more newspapers.
They are corporations that don't care about Joe Sixpack, the little guy, people relying on Social Security, the elderly, the poor, the disabled, the homeless, the disenfranchised, or any minority groups.

They are all worked up in a lather now over a potential Clinton - Bush race once again.

[L0oniX]

77. K & R