Facts or Alternative Facts
I find the most disturbing fact concerning our newly formed White House administration is the blatant and total disregard for factual information and data. So much so, they have attempted to redefine the words. Specifically the word (fact) by suggesting there’s such a thing as an “alternative fact”. On January 23, 2017, three days after Herr Trump’s inauguration Kellyanne Conway currently serving as counsel to Herr Trump appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press hosted by Chuck Todd used the term “alternative facts”. This was in reference to a statement made by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer questioning the media’s report on the crowd size of the inauguration. The press secretary stated the crowd size for Herr Trump’s inauguration was the largest ever and referenced a photo published by the New York Times as evidence. The Times posted a picture of Herr Trump’s inaugural crowd opposite that of President Barack Obama’s 2008 crowd size, which clearly refuted the press secretary’s statement. When continually asked why on the first day of the first press conference of this administration did Herr Trump send out his press secretary to utter a falsehood, Conway replied: “Don’t be so overly dramatic about it, Chuck. “What you’re saying it’s a falsehood, he Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that.” Fact, Herr Trump’s inaugural crowd was not the largest inaugural crowd as evidenced by the New York Times photograph. Conway attempted to validate the press secretary’s lie creating the term alternative facts.
This brings me to the meat of this post and the apparent danger posed by this administration. The first time the press secretary addresses the press he utters this falsehood immediately afterwards the administration attempts to validate his obvious lie. This administration further continues to deceive the public by ignoring facts and creating alternative facts lies. On February 2, 2017, as reported by The Daily Beast she uttered another alternative fact in defense of Herr Trump’s travel ban. According to her in an interview with Chris Matthews, she stated the news media did not cover a terrorist massacre in Bowling Green KY. No such terrorist massacre occurred in Bowling Green, KY. She later said she misspoke, she meant to say Bowling Green terrorist stating “I misspoke one word”. However, while giving an interview to Cosmo on January 29, 2017 she stated in reference to President Obama halting refugees from Iraq she stated, “He did that because two Iraqi nationals came to this country, joined ISIS, traveled back to the Middle East to get trained and refine their terrorism skills and come back here, and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre of taking innocent soldiers’ lives away.”
This administration creates it’s own set of alternative facts (lies) and uses the media to distribute them. Later, after their alternative facts (lies) have been spread, they alter their alternative facts (lies) by slightly altering the narrative or often doubling down on the alternative facts (lies). These overt tactics were used from the beginning of Herr Trump’s Presidential campaign up until today as President. Indicating that 60 plus million American brought the alternative facts (lies) or just didn’t care. This tactic is not new it was used very effectively by Nazi Germany it’s called propaganda.
The White House continually refer to reputable news media outlets: MSNBC, New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN as distributors of “Fake New”. However, Fox New and the National Enquirer they embrace. The National Enquirer in late September 2016 reported “Hillary Clinton will be dead in 6 months” and earlier in May 2016 Herr Trump used a story from the Enquirer linking Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s father Rafael to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The National Enquirer and Fox New supported Herr Trump throughout the Presidential Campaign and vehemently reported negatively against candidate Hillary Clinton. Ironically, they gravitated to Fox New, the National Enquirer and wiki leaks reports known now to have Russian backing in their efforts to influence the outcome of election in Herr Trump’s favor.
The administration uses deception, as it’s primary methodology in order to sustain division amongst the people. Clearly, the American people are divided and becoming more divided by the day. The tactics of deception and division were used to get Herr Trump elected. The question is will it continue to be effective in keeping him in the White House for his elected term of 4 years? Moreover, will it get him re-elected? Will it be facts or alternative facts, which will become the norm in our American political reality? I contend if alternative facts become the norm, our democracy will perish and America will enter into the new age of fascism. The authoritative mannerisms of this administration will have been successful in grabbing our democracy by the neck and strangling the very life out of it. I say not, it is my belief the majority of the American people will rise and repute the tactics of deception, division and alternative facts. The American people have survived the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and self-involved conflicts such as Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and we will survive Herr Trump.
Warren S. Murff
2/14/2017