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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Truthiness and the Trump Cult

Comedian Stephen Colbert first came up with the word "truthiness." He said you won't find this word in dictionaries or reference books, but they're elitist are elitist. "I don't trust books. They are all fact, no heart. ... We are divided between those who think with their head and those who know with their heart. Truth comes from the gut. Do you know you have more nerve endings in your stomach than in your head? Look it up! Now somebody's gonna' say I did look it up and it's wrong. Well, Mister, that's because you looked it up in a book. Next time, try looking it up in your gut. I did, and my gut tells me that's how our nervous system works."

Last week, I told you that some of my Facebook friends practice this truthiness. One of them posted a false story that mosques had closed their doors to Harvey refugees, when the opposite was the truth. But to someone who is religiously intolerant, her gut is telling her something else.

She knows the truthiness.

Yesterday, she posted what she knows is a photoshopped picture of Donald Trump rescuing pussy cats from flood waters. Her justification? "Since the libs have been telling lies I thought they deserved it." Later, she adds, "it captured the spirit of this much maligned man."

She knows the truthiness.

This person happens to be a member of the Northampton County GOP Exec Committee.

Out of respect for her privacy, I decline to identify her. But I am getting tired of this nonsense from the Northampton County GOP.

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would you suggest to your children that it's a good idea to make their decisions about schooling and jobs based primarily on emotion (their gut) rather than advice and reasoned thinking? why is this a good idea in other contexts such as executive decision making?

Anonymous said...

Bernie, do you think the person spreading the false story about the mosque will continue to spread it if they find out the false story was first propagated and spread by a foreign country, hostile to US interests (like Iran, china or russia), with objective to cause social disruption and inter-group violence in the USA?

People need to be more responsible by not spreading misinformation (from whatever source, left or right), manipulating emotions, and undermining key national institutions (intel community, media, rule of law) and weakening the ideals of honesty, reason, and value of evidence. This willful dishonesty crap is very dangerous to fabric of society. Please people, stop spreading this corrosive stuff or you're complicit in the destruction of norms you probably promote to your children in non-political contexts. We'll be very sorry if this goes on.

Bernie O'Hare said...

These people just don't care. We are in a bad way.

Anonymous said...

Go ahead and pick on Trump supporters! Where the hell were you when Ocrappo was in office for 8 TERRIBLY LONNNNNNNGGGGGG YEARS and the shit was slinging from the left about the right all the damn time. Or how about as soon as Trump was elected and the fake stories were spread. Remember when the left wanted everyone to believe no one showed up for Trump's inauguration? Granted, Ocrappo had more people, but the pic the left was using was either photoshopped or taken earlier in the day....... either way... FAKE NEWS!!!!! Shall I go on????????

Anonymous said...

Com3 on Bernie everyone knows the fake facts are printed by Snover or the wild republican woman that was on county council.

Anonymous said...

That must be that Barb Thiery woman.

Anonymous said...

Truthiness /tro͞oTH ness/, noun, plural: CBS's 60 Minutes photoshopping Steve Bannon into looking like a bleary-eyed drunk in his interview

Anonymous said...

We never would see a photoshopped image of lying Hillary on your blog, would we Bernie ?.

Anonymous said...

It's bad. But it's not nearly as bad as blaming the deaths of four Americans in an Internet video and repeating the lie a five time on national TV.

Anonymous said...

Bernie I was once an everyday reader of your blog until you started getting into national politics and the rhetoric that has turned so many young democratic voters away from the democratic party. What you don't get and so many other people don't understand is that democrats elected Trump in Northampton County. Countless friends and family all registered democrats mostly two time Barack Obama voters voted for Trump, certainly not because of his party he's not a republican or a democrat. Trump is Trump and until the democratic party can once again say the word ILLEGAL, fight for American jobs, and care about the middle class none of us are coming back. Michael Moore even though he trashed Trump after this speech hit the nail on the head he predicted this. It was not that hard to see coming. ITS ABOUT JOBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLfvXjKMwtI Hillary Clinton was one of the worst picks for the Democrats, and I do believe if Bill or even Joe Biden ran against Trump you would of had a Democrat as president.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why you posted what you said is a fake picture of President Trump?

Anonymous said...

Is all this bitterness, because of an election loss and losing the debate about the direction of the country?

Anonymous said...

6:43 Yes, Bernie is a very bitter man and believes President Trump is the devil incarnate, an "Authoritarian".

Anonymous said...

Please keep bashing Trump - it reflects poorly upon the would be Allentown Mayor Hyman, another rich real estate developer who, just like Trump, will also have an (R) next to his name on the ballot.

Anonymous said...

There is fine source, Stephen Colbert'. This narrow thinking Trump basher is no more a comic than Kathy Griffin.

Anonymous said...

Was this the same doggie avatar that was posting on Bob Casey's FB calling those who opposed trump's cabinet picks as haters of America? Look at Flynn and Bannon now. Not the party of Lincoln anymore.

Anonymous said...

James Buchanan's legacy will benefit from Trump as President. Buchanan will be ranked the 2nd worst president when Trump's term is over.

Anonymous said...

Trump is a real centrist president, not republican or democratic , a problem solver, The dems are missing the boat , if they refuse to work with him.

Anonymous said...

Another day, another Trump hit piece. It is so unfortunate that Bernie O'Hare and many, many other people just can not bring themselves to accept reality. We The People just did not want any part of Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriend's wife.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Bernie I was once an everyday reader of your blog until you started getting into national politics and the rhetoric that has turned so many young democratic voters away from the democratic party. "

Let's you and I get something straight. I don't care if I only have one reader. I will continue writing about Authoritarian Donald Trump as I see fit. I am ashamed of and embarrassed by Northampton County Republicans, who have devolved into some form of Trump cult. Our Constitution is in trouble right now because he is showing an alarming tendency to ignore the rule of law. After falsely claiming he had been wiretapped by Obama, he fired an FBI Director over the Russian investigation, which now is being connected to him. At Charlottesville, he added gasoline to the fires of hatred and divisiveness instead of soothing a wounded nation. When he loses the next election, and he will lose, there is little doubt in my mind that he and the Lee Snovers and Tricia Mezzacappas of this world will claim voter fraud and he will refuse to vacate office. There goes our country.

This blog is primarily local, but I will continue to stand up to this bully and to the anonymous cowards here. Like Charlie Dent, I stand for the sensible center.

Anonymous said...

Hillary lies, all the time, about everything.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Com3 on Bernie everyone knows the fake facts are printed by Snover or the wild republican woman that was on county council.

That must be that Barb Thiery woman."


I unfriended Barb. She is getting way too hateful.

West End Jim said...

Bernie can you post the context of the posts. That would make your post valid, assuming she is not posted in a joking matter. Personally i find the picture of him rescuing cats very funny and would consider posting it as funny. No one in their right mind would think he really was doing that.

I used to like Colbert even though I do not agree with his politics, but i have found him to be too hateful to be relevant anymore. He has jumped the shark.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Jim West, I gave you the context. I have no desire to transplant an an entire Facebook thread here. These are the things she said.

"after all the liberal lies I had to do it"

"I think he is great, but it is doubtful that his security team would aloow this. If it is real AWESOMe if not it shows his spirit. I am not jealous of him I admire and support him"

"since the libs have been telling lies I thought they deserved it"

"ONE MORE TIME: iI knew it was photoshopped. I have seen horrible lies being spread about him by liberals everyday. I think that they deserved it. It is fffake but the $25,000. he gave for Texas animal rescue was very real ad so it captured the spirit of this much maligned man."

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bernie O'Hare said...

How about signing your name to personal attacks?

Anonymous said...

9:31 AM, Even assuming that Hillary lies all the time, about everything, how is this a defense of a community leader willfully spreading disinformation such as the false mosque story? It is not a valid logical or moral defense. Is it now morally ok for Hillary to willfully spread disinformation as long as she cites examples of past republicans doing the same? No, it is not. Willfully Spreading disinformation may have short term political utility (as in obama claiming everybody could keep their doctors/existing health plans), but that doesn't lessen the societal damage of spreading known falsehoods nor (especially during times of serious social unrest) nor the moral responsibility on community leaders to educate constituents and at least encourage factual and reasoned discourse rather than emotion-based group think. This is not all on republicans. Bernie sanders did serious system damage by undermining institutions, promoting left-wing anti-system rage, willfully spreading some falsehoods, and often substituting liberal emotion groupthink for evidence-based policy arguments. It's on Democrats to reign in rage-filled, anti-system anarchist and anti-police elements on their side.

Elected officials in power have a special responsibility not to play fast and loose with spreading knowingly false, emotionally explosive claims, whether or not people of other political persuasions are doing it. Would you tell your children it's ok to shoplift because other kids frequently do it? No, I don't think you would. Why has it become acceptable and admirable to spread falsehoods in political contexts but not in family and professional life? Political norms spread outside politics eventually.

It is not a political hit piece to point out that a community leader is willfully and knowingly spreading disinformation, whatever their political party.

Anonymous said...

If you HATE liberals/Democrats or DESPISE conservatives/Republicans - and from reading this message board and other local ones there are far to many of you - Go find a hobby, stop reading the paper and farting out your stupid opinion, you contribute absolutely nothing and make this country even worse than you already think it is.

The fact that we have PARTY "leadership" with this mentality is a absolute fucking embarrassment and disgrace on both sides and yet we have message board cheerleaders not only encouraging them, but almost insisting on such behavior like its such a noble trait.

The senseless whining and complaining about "the other team" is pathetically childish and the stubborn adherence to core party beliefs and ideological purity doesn't make you a leader, it makes you an idiot. Why would any reasonably intelligent human being want to get involved with politics/government these days?

Both parties play the media game with clearly great results and the masses just gobble it down. Lazy, stupid, gullible, not sure what the word is, but as a country we're infected and infested with it.

Anonymous said...

Wow, it is September, over a year to the next election. I now know why progressives want national health care, they may all need mental health care by the time 2020 comes around. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and relax, Trump has not hurt anyone as I see it.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Trump has hurt people his entire life. He is a bully. And it is pathetic that his supporters or even his detractors would circulate information they know is false.

Anonymous said...

Bernie is a Trump hater because Trumps message is the anti-christ to people just like Bernie. Some people love to dwell in Dad's basement for an eternity, blaming every other person in life for their own problems and failures. Some people have no desire to function in a civilized society, think they are entitled, without effort, to the fruits and benefits of those that actually work.

These same Trump haters actually do believe that Bigots and Racist are the roots of their problems, and the the function of government is to solve everyone's problems, even if they live on the planet of Timbucktoo.

Bernie had it handed to him early on in life, but is such a mental mess of person, he fucked it all up , all by himself. Truth is neither a Republican or a Democrat can help Bernie. No one can help Bernie. Not even Bernie. What a pathetic life to have.

Anonymous said...

Stop the childish personal attacks and scope shifts.

The issue is whether it is acceptable for a community leader, irrespective of political party, to knowingly spread false information.

I haven't heard anyone actually defend the practice of knowingly spreading disinformation. Someone please provide a defense for the behavior at issue if they think it's ok, generally ok, or just ok in politics.

Anonymous said...

Actually there is an election this November 2017. You can vote for the incumbent republicans that raised your real estate taxes 10% while claiming to be conservatives or you can actually vote them out. Is it party purity or rational decisions?

Anonymous said...

The sad fact is that 90-95% of the left and the right while attacking each other with their pre-programmed talking points and misguided hatred are all likely cut from the same cloth. Middle class Americans, who've been forced to live with/accept 2-3% pay increases for the last 20 years while Wall Street, corporate elites and their lobbyists have been pulling down record earnings.

Anonymous said...

Over the last 40 years, corporate profits as a percentage of GDP have increased from about six percent to about 11 percent, while wages as a percentage of GDP have fallen by about the same amount. That represents about a trillion dollars a year that used to go to wages, but now goes to shareholders and executives.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/18/to-my-fellow-plutocrats-you-can-cure-trumpism-215347

Anonymous said...

12:41 "Trump has hurt people his entire life."

I'd bet money you never had two thoughts about Donald Trump before he chose to run for President.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Incorrect. I never cared for him or his goofy show, was aware of his bankruptcies and that he had been charged by the federal gov't with discriminating against African Americans on housing. What I have learned since totally disgusts me. He is a charlatan.

Anonymous said...

Charlatan ?

No intellectually honest person will tell you Hillary Clinton would be where she is had she not married Bill. Senator Hillary Clinton? No way. New York has way too much political talent to waste on a stiff, awkward, brittle politician with zero people skills. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? All she did was log miles. Five years later no one, and I mean no one, not even her biggest supporters, can name a single accomplishment. Democrat Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton? Don’t make me laugh.

That is not a slam on women, plenty of whom have emerged from their husband’s shadow to distinguish themselves: Katharine Graham, Arianna Huffington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abigail Adams, etc. Given a change of fate, we can see each one of these women succeeding in some way all on their own.

Bernie O'Hare said...

This has nothing to do with HRC. Are you completely incapable of sticking to your own damn subject? You have asserted I never gave Trump a second thought before this election and I answered that I had. He is a fakir, a snake oil salesman, a charlatan. I have never cared for the guy and my estimation of him has only gone down. The virtues and flaws of others have nothing todo with Trump.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating how the conversation always goes to Clinton. Frankly many Democrats wish she would just go away. Enough of her already. The problem is she is not the President, that would be Mr. Trump. So we now judge the President on his words and actions. Why you continually bring up HRC is just baffling. She is not the president. Face the facts, this is about Trump and has nothing to do with Clinton or Obama.

Trump is nutz and hopefully with Gods help we will all survive his tenure in office.

Charlene & Jim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.