{"id":1383,"date":"2022-05-04T22:53:52","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T22:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainablefreedomlab.org\/?p=1383"},"modified":"2022-05-05T12:54:23","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T12:54:23","slug":"5-signals-of-government-disinformationists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablefreedomlab.org\/2022\/05\/04\/5-signals-of-government-disinformationists\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Signals of Government Disinformationists"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Anthony<\/p>\n

Disinformation is today\u2019s ultimate pandemic. It spreads like COVID, destroys lives, and natural immunity often fails to protect us.<\/p>\n

Disinformation is the intentional manipulation of data to lead you to a false conclusion.<\/p>\n

For years Volkswagen advertised \u00a0\u201cClean Diesel\u201d vehicles convincing many environmentally conscious buyers to choose their cars. \u00a0In 2016 the deception collapsed when the company was sued for cheating on emissions tests. The disinformation campaign lasted more than 7 years. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While disinformation is about changing people\u2019s minds, when linked to propaganda it can be explosive.<\/p>\n

Propaganda is a continuous stream of information designed to get people to take action. \u00a0As French sociologist Jacques Ellul points out, \u201deven when that action is not in accord with his previous convictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, a lengthy stream of disinformation can become a propaganda campaign that moves people to act against their own long-held beliefs.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

Disinformation may convince some people racism is the basis for our nation\u2019s existence. But, relentlessly promoting the racist propaganda can establish it as an accepted norm, such as – it is dangerous to have statues of slave-owners in a freedom-loving country<\/strong>. With enough pressure, the campaign can compel normally peaceful people to destroy decades old historic monuments. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The lies of politicians and federal agency bureaucrats are particularly dangerous because we want to believe these groups. \u00a0Few want to accept the notion our fabled FBI, DOJ, or HHS are corrupt dishonest.<\/p>\n

Pundits, often from government, blame social media and extremist groups for spreading falsehoods. But we expect outlets like Slate, the Daily Beast, or The Blaze, and Newsmax to be biased. \u00a0When we watch them, we know we what we are getting. Twitter personalities, no matter how many followers they gain, will never hold the clout of the federal government.<\/p>\n

Because of its outsized reach through its agencies, NGO\u2019s, big tech, association publications, paid \u201cfact-checkers\u201d, and the legacy media, government is the most effective disseminator of disinformation and the greatest threat to our safety and security.<\/p>\n

The term \u201clying politician\u201d is so common, a Google search finds more than 25,700,000 results. Despite this, we are influenced by their words.<\/p>\n

In 1988, George H.W. Bush was losing to his opponent, Michael Dukakis. At the 1988 Republican National Convention, to boost his election chances he swore, \u201cRead my lips. No new taxes.\u201d \u00a0He was elected, partly on that promise. It was meaningless disinformation designed to gain power. In less than 2 years his \u201cpromise\u201d was broken.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The same is true of government. Those in charge generally mislead to gain or consolidate power. That consolidation is always at the expense of the people’s right to make choices and control their own property.<\/p>\n

These are 5 ways the government manipulates messages to disinform the public.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.Wrap their dishonesty in noble intentions<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Anthony Fauci flip-flopped on mask wearing, he ultimately claimed his lies were for the good of the public.<\/p>\n