Internet speeds the debunking of right-wing lies...

[marmar]

Is there any wonder why the Repugs are so desperate to get control of the Internet?


Thanks to Internet, Lies of Powerful are Quickly Exposed
by Randy Shaw‚ Aug. 04‚ 2006

The first week of August 2006 provided a case study in the indispensability of the Internet. I specifically refer to two issues: statements by embattled Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman that he had challenged the Bush Administration on the conduct of the Iraq war, and testimony by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that he has “never painted a rosy picture" about Iraq. Rumsfeld insisted that he has been "very measured" and that "you would have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I have been overly optimistic."

Prior to the Internet, a powerful official could issue a bald-faced lie and have it echo throughout the media all day before the record was set straight in the following day’s newspaper. But the Internet has changed this. Within hours of Joe Lieberman’s statement that he had challenged Bush on the Iraq war, bloggers at dailykos.com and elsewhere had come up with quote after quote of Lieberman’s praising Bush’s conduct of the war.

Even faster was the response to Rumsfeld’s astonishing claim that he has never been overly optimistic about Iraq. The folks at Think Progress.org comes up with a few such instances.

Dec. 18, 2002: KING: What's the current situation in Afghanistan? RUMSFELD: It is encouraging. They have elected a government through the Loya Jirga process. The Taliban are gone. The al Qaeda are gone.

Feb. 7, 2003: “It is unknowable how long that conflict will last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.”

Feb. 20 2003: “‘Do you expect the invasion, if it comes, to be welcomed by the majority of the civilian population of Iraq?’ Jim Lehrer asked the defense secretary on PBS’ The News Hour. ‘There is no question but that they would be welcomed,’ Rumsfeld replied, referring to American forces.”

Exposing these lies won’t halt the death and devastation caused by America’s occupation of Iraq, but it helps set the record straight. The Internet’s ability to rapidly respond to lies has hurt Lieberman in his race against Ned Lamont, and it certainly has contributed to the Bush Administration’s sagging credibility regarding Iraq.

Those are two things two cheer about in these difficult times.

http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3547#more

[Eric J in MN]

1. Another reason to support internet freedom.

Sign the petition:
http://civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/

[waiting for hope]

2. Say a big thanks to

sites like Media Matters - they debunk at least 10 times a day!

[sendero]

3. Democracy..

.... would be long since dead in this country if not for the internet.

Politicians who fail to understand this do so at their own peril "the internet is the second third rail of politics. Touch it and you're dead."

[Eric J in MN]

4. John McCain voted against internet freedom,

and it doesn't seem to have hurt him.

[sendero]

9. It's up to us..

.. to make it hurt.

[malaise]

5. KO had a great section on Rummy last night

If MSM was not in collusion with Bushco, every time Bush, Cheney, Rummy or Condi lied, they'd replay the previous tapes and expose the lies. Indeed if there were any real journalists on MSM they would challenge the lies up front.

I find it amazing that live sports events have all statistical data and relevant video available in an instant and yet the same MSM doesn't have everything these liars said (and when they said it) available for viewing while they are being interviewed.

Only KO, Jon Stewart and Colbert consistently expose these liars. When MSM consistently hosts the same discredited pundits program after program, it is clear they are all involved in the (NEO) CON The way they bully people with way more knowledge on issues than their programed staff is further proof of their complicity. The lies have long been exposed, but it is their obvious collusion that has forced rational people to use the internet to seek the truth.

When Ray McGovern exposed Rummy publicly, the talking heads were forced to replay tapes and actually appeared shocked and surprised that McGovern was correct. The internet and a few good men and women have made MSMachine obsolete.

[tanyev]

6. That's because reality has a well-known liberal bias.

:D

[treestar]

7. Of course.

It promotes thinking for yourself and speaking directly to other people with amazing ease. Gone are the editorial pages' "control" of what everybody thinks.

Traditionally, the right wing is used to that control. They are panicking at the fact that now they will have to persuade people with logic where they could just get the masses the follow along before.

It's a real disaster for them. You can see how they use the old ways, and when they aren't working, they start getting nervous and throwing the accusations around.

Even before the internet, improved communications were getting to them. Look at Vietnam and the protests. It panicked them and they thought they had gotten rid of the problem, but along came the internet and they are back to square one or worse.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. We own the net!

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Somebody has to do it;; the MSM won't

One of the differences between classical fascism and neoconservatism is that in the latter the propaganda department is privatized.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. K&R

[Kailassa]

12. I was a political virgin before I got the internet.

Then I discovered that current affairs and politics had more incredible,
outlandish plots than any of the novels I'd been addicted to.

But the novels did have some likable characters in them.

[Robbien]

16. Yes, we got gypted. Where are the likable characters?

Outlandish plots there are aplenty.

So far there has to be a lot of compromise when deciding on likable characters.

[Nikki Stone 1]

13. Shhh!! Don't tell them! (Or they'll come after the net again)

:kick:

[Uncle Joe]

14. Of course this is why they are trying to kill net neutrality

Thanks for posting marmar

Kicked and recommended



:kick:

[Joanne98]

15. Wait till we all have cell phone text messaging....

We will have the internet attached to our bodies, ready to fire back from wherever we are, 18 hours a day. Boy are they in trouble.

[marmar]

17. Scary thought...

I already spend way too much time on the computer! :scared:

[qnr]

18. While I agree and approve, one thing about the article was jarring

Even faster was the response to Rumsfeld’s astonishing claim that he has never been overly optimistic about Iraq. The folks at Think Progress.org comes up with a few such instances.

There are so many to choose from, but I'm curious about why the first one listed deals with Afghanistan, when the question was about Iraq,

Dec. 18, 2002: KING: What's the current situation in Afghanistan? RUMSFELD: It is encouraging. They have elected a government through the Loya Jirga process. The Taliban are gone. The al Qaeda are gone.

It's just a minor thing, but as I said, I found it jarring.