Say It Isn't So!

Yesterday I wrote about sound bites and how effective they may be although not factual. Today I want to tackle a larger but related issue: making statements as though they represent truth and logic without actual truth or substance.

There are a number of personal types who use this tactic to ‘win an argument’ or sell something. A list of these types include:

• Sales staff of costly products: make the sale and earn the commission
• Debaters: win points for the victory
• Politicians: get the vote
• Author: sell the book or article for publication
• Guy on a date: to get the kiss or time in bed
• [Add your favorite type here!]

The age-old consumer rule ~ caveat emptor (let the buyer beware!) ~ stands here in good stead. If you relinquish your own standards of logic, research and truth, you’ll end up buying into something you really don’t believe in. For consumer purchases we enter the challenge with our eyes open. If we buy the car that won’t perform as touted, we have only ourselves to blame. If we watch a debater pull flim flam with data to mislead and skew the argument, that’s our fault (or entertainment choice). In the end, however, clever does not win the day for long.

Politicians do much the same. Some are better than others. Some political parties are more disciplined at this tactic than others. Just watch the Republican presidential hopeful debates plastered all over TV these days. The candidates make statements to keep their voting base satisfied, yet more edgy to capture the interest of others in the voting pool. Some manufacture pure fantasy to appear in control, or more bright, or more inventive….whatever it is they think will make a difference and win the debate and presidential nomination.

Trouble is their statements do not stand up to scrutiny. Examples:

• Michele Bachman has finally stated that none of us should pay taxes! Yeah right!
• Herman Cain asserts his 9-9-9 tax plan will bail out the country and save everyone money (actually no; most will pay more than they do now; it just sounds better)
• Michele Bachman thinks Cain’s 9-9-9 plan is the Devil’s symbol of 666 turned upside down; yeah sure!
• Mitt Romney believes the country’s current problems are all due to Obama even though all of the problems stemmed from 8 to 10 years preceding his taking office
• Rick Perry doesn’t think Romney is Christian enough

I could go on, but let’s get back to the point of this article. Most politicians assert whatever they feel will recruit voters to their camp so they can win an election and the power that includes.

Republicans have successfully written a script and garnered faithful adherence to it by most of the officials elected under their party banner. We in the western suburbs of Chicago have two relatively new congressmen, Peter Roskam and Randy Hultgren. Both are very green. Both have little policy development experience in congress. But both are touting the party line without thinking it through. Why do they do this? Because they get strong support from the party for campaign donations and campaign trail endorsements. They get elected and re-elected. That works for them personally, but also for the party. The party gains more soldiers to do its bidding whether based on truth or fact, or not!

I don’t want this to be a rant against Republicans. Honestly I don’t. But in suburban Chicago political games have been going on unchecked for so long that otherwise intelligent people pay no attention and keep electing dogs to congress without fact checking. Here are some:

Hultgren was instrumental in killing a budget deal for the Federal Aviation Administration via congressional committee rule technicalities; the result was a months long shut down of key FAA programs throwing 100,000 FAA employees out of work temporarily and making our nation’s skies more dangerous. It didn’t settle anything, but it proved Hultgren could play the party line. Let’s forget that it really didn’t solve anything but actually exacerbated existing problems.

Roskam as a party whip in Congress stands dutifully behind the fake notion that “if the Republicans regain control of congress the deficit will be solved.” How can this be? The Republicans have been in control of the House of Representatives (they hold the purse strings of the federal government per Constitutional assignment) and have actually been in charge of the runaway national deficit all these years. They merely blame someone else for what they actually did. They took a four-year national budget surplus to a deficit immediately, and made it worse year after year by spending more and taxing less. Do that in your household and see where it gets you. Yes Roskam has the script down pat.

Saying something is so when the facts don’t support that conclusion can be counteracted by several steps:

1. Each of us can check the facts. If it sounds too pat, then it probably is either a misstatement or a manipulation; either way it is not a sound basis for making national policy or electing the person who is making the statement
2. Checking Snopes.com on the Internet can quickly dispel a lot of misstatements; that’s why the website was started, to counteract urban legends and political gamesmanship before they had a chance to be written erroneously into history
3. Laugh when something sounds ridiculous. This will embarrass the speaker enough hopefully that he/she will try speaking truthfully in the future
4. Reverse the trends of polls and elections; actually support people who are seriously speaking with an open and fact-based mind. Avoid emotion and stick with logic and research. These are the people who will make needed changes in our system that has run amok
5. Talk with other people about these issues. They are not sacred. If others are uncomfortable about talking about these ideas with others, why? Are they afraid they will show their ignorance on the issues? Or their lack of interest in important matters? Or something else that poorly reflects on them? Engage others in polite discussion. It is important that we become better educated in these matters.

America is the land of the free and home of the brave. Let’s exercise the bravery so we can continue to benefit from the freedom. It takes both to keep both alive.

October 15, 2011