Assertive liars plague American airwaves and wires. They prey on weak-minded masses that believe facts are impossible to come by. They exploit people for profit, power, and control. First, they claim that a boogie man is exploiting you. Then, they tell you that they will protect you from the boogie man and have the best facts.
Many people are tuning in to listen to these liars. They enjoy the wild stories spun by liars and crooks that support their worldview. They claim to do this so you can do your own research while leading you to unproven conclusions. It’s right out in the open for everyone to see while these liars count mountains of cash and thank you for putting food on their table.
Deception
The first tool in their toolkit is deception. Lying comes naturally to many people. Lies are the way they get what they want when they want it. It’s a shortcut to prosperity for many and a lever of power for others. These assertive liars use lies to spin narratives that serve their purpose. They use big lies and small lies to paint a picture that will scare the hell out of you.
Fear
The second tool in their toolkit is fear. They spin webs of lies based on lies to scare you. Their primary motive, like most Americans, is to make money.
First, they put you into a state of fear by spinning tales of doom and destruction. Then they switch to a commercial so you’ll buy their advertiser’s products. It’s an old tale of manipulation that has been going on since the dawn of time.
Us vs. Them
The third tool in their toolkit is the use of Us vs. Them. Their primary motive is to instill a deep loathing of the other. In America, right-wing and extreme left-wing adherents use this tool to control the narrative and reinforce fear.
First, they pit you against a quivering mass of others. Then they use fear to turn you to the dark side.
Counterbalance
Now that I’ve sufficiently worked you up, what can we do about it?
My intent with this article isn’t to instill fear, manipulate you, acquire money from you, or control you. Instead, I intend to succinctly summarize an archetype of people that roam American media outlets and the halls of political buildings across the country. There are many of these people, and they want all of the above. They want to grab your eyeballs for a purpose and with purpose. It is up to us to identify these charlatan snake oil salesmen that only want to use you.
The next time you watch your favorite news program, listen closely to what these show hosts say. Watch their mannerisms, and watch as they lead you to conclusions with unverified facts. Then, pay attention as you are diverted to ads after being worked up by these people.
I’m sure you are an intelligent person that already knows these things. However, I also know that it’s easy to be caught up in the us vs. them mentality, especially when the others have lost their minds.
I am not a Democrat or a RepublicanLet’s do our best to avoid tribalism. Instead, let’s use facts, reason, and science to save the republic. Let’s open our eyes and understand when assertive liars are targeting us. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back to boring politics. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can escape fascism and get back to the roots of our republican and democratic values.
It’s up to us as citizens of the United States of America. We are the ones that hold the line when the rights our constitution grants us are threatened. We are our only hope.
Assertive Liars You Say?
I’m guessing you are wondering who some of these assertive liars are. This is the part where I start looking partisan because of the order in which I put these liars. Rest assured that both the left and the right have these liars doing their cheerleading, and I loathe all of them equally. I’ll leave you with a few profiles, which will grow as I spot more of these liars. You can find Political Incorruption on social media to suggest new assertive liars to add to this list.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the king of lies. I dare say that he has turned it into an art form. Somehow, many people don’t care that he constantly lies, or they have been brainwashed to believe that all media is fake news. Trump uses the trifecta of lies, fear, and us vs. them in a highly effective way. If Trump wanted to make a master class on lying and narrative manipulation, he would be a best seller. Trump is also a self-proclaimed nationalist who is often misaligned with Republican or Democratic values. If Trump had his way, he would be dictating U.S. policy with an iron fist.
Dan Bongino
Dan Bongino appears to have captured Rush Limbaugh’s audience without skipping a beat. Dan loves to lead you to a conclusion that he believes to be true despite a lack of conclusive evidence. He loves to pit you against the left with fierceness and conviction that only someone who truly believes their own lies would have.
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson is a self-proclaimed nationalist. He doesn’t believe in Democratic or Republican values, but rather fame, power, and control. Tucker uses all of the tools in the assertive liar toolkit with the effectiveness of a grandmaster chess champion. If he wasn’t an evil news pundit brainwashing masses of people, I might respect him.
Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann is a very biased left-wing commentator. While he isn’t the firebrand he was during Trump’s and George Bush’s tenures, he is still stretching the truth when interviewed. It’s the left vs. the right-wing juggernaut for Keith, and it has put him into some compromising situations.