Chico: Well, who ya gonna believe me or your own eyes?
From the movie Duck Soup, 1933
We are in an era of distrust for institutions and each other. Some blame Trump. Some blame social media. Some blame the end of community newspapers. Some blame the end of the "fairness doctrine." Some blame the errors of the foreign policy establishment that got us into war in Iraq. Some blame the CDC's conflicting advisories. Republicans point to the Bork Supreme Court confirmation hearings as the time trust broke down. Democrats point to Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump.
There is lots of blame to go around.
Guest Post author Rick Millward is a musician. He was part of the Nashville songwriter community, where he produced two EMMY nominated soundtracks. Now in Southern Oregon, Millward is part of the music scene centered around winery tasting rooms. (He has a Mothers' Day gig at Paschal Winery in Talent, Oregon.) His new record, Loveland, is available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.
Guest Post by Rick Millward
Power of the Lie
On the first day of my first job, pumping gas at 16, I was taken by a con man for $50. It’s a long story, best saved for another time, but the reason I mention it is that one of the remarkable things about the incident is that he really worked hard to “con”-vince me to hand over the cash. His long, rambling, overly embellished story was plausible, but now, looking back it’s clear that it was nothing but lies upon lies upon lies. To this day I have to admire the ease with with which he spoke, so assuredly that it mesmerized a naive teen. I’m fortunate because I learned a valuable lesson that has served me well ever since. Some call it a “BS Meter”, everyone should have one, and mine was activated and calibrated at an impressionable age.
Rick Millward
Truth and reality are inseparable. Recent history has repeatedly brought this home. Sometimes it seems like every single aspect of our lives is subject to question. For instance, the reality of climate change and its impact on civilization is still debated, as one catastrophe after another demonstrates the truth of the science: that it’s our own actions causing it. Yet, there are those who for their own personal, albeit short term, gain dispute the facts and even go so far as to denigrate science itself to raise doubts, slowing mankind’s response and exacerbating the problem. The same for COVID, and many other issues facing our society.
Some of the January 6th defendants are adopting the strategy of asserting they were conned into their actions by Trump. One claims that he “had poor male role models” and that the former president became a surrogate that he wanted to please. Now, after the fact, they are casting themselves as victims of a fraud. This level of gullibility is hard to believe, and I doubt it will work, but there is the possibility and that’s intriguing. If it does work as a defense then Trump is acknowledged as a liar in a court; it would set a precedent. Perhaps this lie, the “Big LIe”, will be the one that brings the consequences that all those others failed to do. It’s been debunked in dozens of courts prior, so there is some hope this one will discredit it also. Even so, it shouldn’t excuse anyone for their behavior.
The con man’s most valuable tool is the willingness of his victim to believe his lies. They attempt to distort reality in the minds of those who for any number of reasons have a wish to believe something that those with clearer vision see is not just implausible, but impossible. This is the reality of the Republican Party and it’s directly connected to the tragic and horrific carnage in Ukraine. The Russian people have been duped into a “Big LIe” as well, and it should serve as an object lesson for Americans.
It’s pathetic when a man stoops to fleece a child, but it’s something I eventually came to thank him for. He taught me to see the other con men among us, something veiled from too many of our fellow citizens.
Yes, that happened to me when pumping gas at a Texaco Station but only lost $20. Or losing a quarter paying for 3 shots of a BB Gun at the County Fair; the Beebee was so slow you could follow its curving trajectory from gun to the Tarket. I have never wasted money again on such scams. And then there were the street con artists in Italy trying to fleece Americans; by that time I would just play with them, wasting their time.
Great movie for all times
Yes, that happened to me when pumping gas at a Texaco Station but only lost $20. Or losing a quarter paying for 3 shots of a BB Gun at the County Fair; the Beebee was so slow you could follow its curving trajectory from gun to the Tarket. I have never wasted money again on such scams. And then there were the street con artists in Italy trying to fleece Americans; by that time I would just play with them, wasting their time.