[extropy-chat] Reaction to government lies, and the lack thereof

[Adrian Tymes]

--- Olga Bourlin <fauxever at sprynet.com> wrote:
> From: "Samantha Atkins" <sjatkins at mac.com>
> > This is getting old.  Compared to the outrageous
> lies of this 
> > administration everything media has done or is
> alleged to have done is 
> > very small potatoes.
> 
> Yes, yes, yes.  A hundred times yes.
> 
> What's going on in this country? - a plague of AADD?
> (for how quickly "we" 
> seem to forget).
> 
> The lies of this administration have been
> unprecedented in their audacity, 
> smugness, shiftiness, and self-righteousness. 
> Where's the accountability? 
> Does anyone care about integrity anymore?  (and
> ...What's happening to the 
> hitherto-implicit respect for science?)
> 
> And (yes, another yes) I've asked this question
> before:  Where's the 
> outrage?

Samantha said it well.  The media was supposed to be
that which stirred up the outrage - but then it
started sparking outrage to bump its own sales, and
began losing its ability to generate outrage.  Look,
for example, at what happened to CBS during the
election: it wanted so bad to make some outrage and
attract viewers that it let not-too-hard-to-spot
forgeries through as "evidence".

Also, the entire government is starting to be viewed
as dishonest and corrupt.  What does it say when
President Bush, who sets the tone for the entire
Executive Branch, cleans his cabinet of those who
pointed out his lies and rewarded those who repeated
his lies?  What does it say when Congress passes law
after law that is unconstitutional on its face, and
when the courts say as much, Congress's response is to
complain about judges "legislating from the bench" and
entertain the notion of stripping the Judicial Branch
of its powers?  Those who want truth and honesty start
leaving government to those who would pursue even more
corrupt policies.