The first readers’ comment I want to share is this from Chris, who responded to my piece last week, “Why I Love Rachel Maddow. “You’re Lying.â€
I honestly don’t think Republicans or Conservatives think twice about the lies they tell their followers. As long as they say it often enough, and loud enough, it will be true in the minds and hearts of the conservative people.
I’m reminded of a passage from an Anthropological Quarterly (Summer 2005, Vol.78 Iss. 3) article by Simon Coleman. He writes, “The [Bush] aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality…. That’s not the way the world really works anymore…. We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality, we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors… and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
These conservative Republicans are creating their own reality, and it doesn’t matter that it’s factually true or not, so long as they continue believing that it is true. And while we’re all ranting about their lies, they continue making more lies, point to us ranting and tell their followers, “Liberals can’t be trusted, look at them rant at our truth,” The Dems need to step up and find real solutions to our problems and not just tell us they have solutions. They have to demonstrate to the people in plain terms how these solutions work and get the people to understand. Dems need to be clear and open about their policies and talk in depth about their policies and they need to engage the public and educate them. This is an unprecedented opportunity for Democrats to really gain control as the Tea party fractures the Republicans and splinters them into factions who are even fighting amongst themselves.
We need to stop pointing out their lies. We all know it’s there, but when we continually acknowledge their lies, it’s like feeding board trolls. They thrive on the attention.
Democrats: Don’t just tell us your plans are better, SHOW US, EDUCATE.
Honestly, I had forgotten this, and Chris is absolutely right. This conservative “thought” process reminds me of two things: one, “The Secret,” a “best-selling 2006 self-help and spirituality book written by Rhonda Byrne and based upon William Walker Atkinson’s prior works and school of thought,” and the greater narrative of the fight between religion and science. In the world of literature and film, that battle usually ends with science being the “bad guy” and losing. Of course, the real world is not so black and white…