Why are blatant inaccuracies accepted in politics?

[Quetzal]

I find myself asking that question a lot. Why do we accept statements that are untrue? Further, why do people accept this behavior, or worse, celebrate it? Let's take this example:

"Before Obama came along, we did not have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks." - Rudy Giuliani

This moron was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred. Why has the divide in politics become so wide that the voters find this acceptable? What scares the ever living hell out of me, is voters take statements much like this one at face value and vote based on it. What an absolute joke. If we dig I am sure democrats have done some as well and it just an unacceptable.

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

I find myself asking that question a lot. Why do we accept statements that are untrue? Further, why do people accept this behavior, or worse, celebrate it? Let's take this example:

"Before Obama came along, we did not have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks." - Rudy Giuliani

This ******* was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred. Why has the divide in politics become so wide that the voters find this acceptable? What scares the ever living hell out of me, is voters take statements much like this one at face value and vote based on it. What an absolute joke. If we dig I am sure democrats have done some as well and it just an unacceptable.

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

Well, if you were to question blatant inaccuracies, you'd have to start questioning your "my tribe can do no wrong" paradigm! Do you WANT people getting cognitive dissonance??

The sad fact is, that for a lot of people, politics has simply become a spectator sport, where we identify with a "team", which we defend against all criticism, against the other "team(s)" who can do no right. No one cares about stuff like issues and policies any more, that's like, complicated, and might even involve *gasp* nuance! No, much easier and more fun just to pick a side, decide your side is right, then build ad hoc defences from that axiom, and that the other side is wrong, and build ad hoc critiques from that. If that's too hard, you can always join in the fun with some good old strawmanning and well poisoning. Anything to stop the more knowledgeable about the matter start droning on and on about actual politics. Who wants to discuss specifics when there's sound bites and zingers to trade?

I've said before and will say again, this trend in Western Politics is the most dangerous thing on the planet. In the distant future, when the archaeologists of whatever comes after us is dissecting the collapse of our civilisation, I sincerely believe this trend will be the culprit. Maybe the best we can hope for at this late stage is that study of our failings will serve someone else as a cautionary example.

 

[Jumi]

People are blind to politicians who they, for some unknown reason, think are on their side.

Also, cue the conspiracy theorists...

 

[Quetzal]

Well, if you were to question blatant inaccuracies, you'd have to start questioning your "my tribe can do no wrong" paradigm! Do you WANT people getting cognitive dissonance??

Some healthy questioning would be acceptable. Starting with "Is what this person is saying true?"

 

[LuisDantas]

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

Excellent questions.

The best estimation that I have right now is that politics has largely become a matter of passion and support for fictional but appealling narratives - an addiction if you will - as opposed to its past role of a means for materializing decisions and changes.

That is horrendous to consider, and all the more so because it implies that many voters have essentially given up on being responsible for their own political influence.

In short, politics has embraced insanity as a core value.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

People are blind to politicians who they, for some unknown reason, think are on their side.

Also, cue the conspiracy theorists...

I don't think we're seeing a conspiracy at work, I think we're just seeing the logical end point of several different but mutually supporting negative trends. 24 hour fear based news cycle, celebrity culture and politics as a spectator sport are like a braided rope, which is rapidly forming a noose for us all.

No conspiracy required. Just venal humans pursuing their own self interest at the expense of long term concerns on a macroscopic scale.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Some healthy questioning would be acceptable. Starting with "Is what this person is saying true?"

Preaching to the choir, my friend. Good luck changing the paradigm at this stage of the game with anything less than a major war, plague, or complete economic collapse, though.

 

[Jumi]

I don't think we're seeing a conspiracy at work, I think we're just seeing the logical end point of several different but mutually supporting negative trends. 24 hour fear based news cycle, celebrity culture and politics as a spectator sport are like a braided rope, which is rapidly forming a noose for us all.

Well I agree with you, after 9/11 many things have gone into a downward spiral. Not because it happened, but because of the greedy reactionaries and opportunists.

No doubt in my mind that his gaffe will become another "proof" in the minds of conspiracy theorists.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Well I agree with you, after 9/11 many things have gone into a downward spiral. Not because it happened, but because of the greedy reactionaries and opportunists.

No doubt in my mind that his gaffe will become another "proof" in the minds of conspiracy theorists.

While I don't believe in the classic conspiracy theories as a general rule (except the New Zealand one, that place is totally fake), one of the ironies is that the diffusion of conspiracy theories is only adding to the problem, since any time you try to discuss a serious issue, some idiot will invariably show up to derail any progress with gibberish about chemtrails, or vaccines causing autism, or Climate Change being a Chinese plot. There's no conspiracy to make things the way they are, but conspiracy theorists and their activities actively make it more difficult to improve things.

They also tend to be evangelical, and spread anti-intellectual/education sentiment, which certainly ain't gunna help us in the long run.

 

[Revoltingest]

I find myself asking that question a lot. Why do we accept statements that are untrue? Further, why do people accept this behavior, or worse, celebrate it? Let's take this example:

"Before Obama came along, we did not have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks." - Rudy Giuliani

This moron was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred. Why has the divide in politics become so wide that the voters find this acceptable? What scares the ever living hell out of me, is voters take statements much like this one at face value and vote based on it. What an absolute joke. If we dig I am sure democrats have done some as well and it just an unacceptable.

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

Fool!
He's right. 9/11 wasn't an Islamic terrorist attack.
If you'd been paying attention to the RF conspiracy threads, you'd know
that either the Jews or the Military Industrial Complex were behind it all.
As mayor, he would know. Don't you feel silly & sheepish now?

 

[Augustus]

This moron was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred.

He was also running for mayor in '93 when the WTC bombing occurred.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Fool!
He's right. 9/11 wasn't an Islamic terrorist attack.
If you'd been paying attention to the RF conspiracy threads, you'd know
that either the Jews or the Military Industrial Complex were behind it all.
As mayor, he would know. Don't you feel silly & sheepish now?

Case in point.

 

[Nakosis]

I find myself asking that question a lot. Why do we accept statements that are untrue? Further, why do people accept this behavior, or worse, celebrate it? Let's take this example:

"Before Obama came along, we did not have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks." - Rudy Giuliani

This moron was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred. Why has the divide in politics become so wide that the voters find this acceptable? What scares the ever living hell out of me, is voters take statements much like this one at face value and vote based on it. What an absolute joke. If we dig I am sure democrats have done some as well and it just an unacceptable.

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

Two reasons I suspect. Depends on the news narrative folks are listening to and second. I suspect a large portion of the population simply don't care/don't pay attention to the politics. They'd rather watch sports or Double Jeopardy. I'm not dis'sing those folks, IMO regardless of who's president, life goes on the same for most folks. So unless it is something that directly involves them, their lives are much more peaceful avoiding the political swamp.

 

[David T]

I find myself asking that question a lot. Why do we accept statements that are untrue? Further, why do people accept this behavior, or worse, celebrate it? Let's take this example:

"Before Obama came along, we did not have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks." - Rudy Giuliani

This moron was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred. Why has the divide in politics become so wide that the voters find this acceptable? What scares the ever living hell out of me, is voters take statements much like this one at face value and vote based on it. What an absolute joke. If we dig I am sure democrats have done some as well and it just an unacceptable.

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

Well last hour it was that, this hour is different, next hour is undetermined.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

So unless it is something that directly involves them, their lives are much more peaceful avoiding the political swamp.

Until the inevitable crash

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I don't think we're seeing a conspiracy at work, I think we're just seeing the logical end point of several different but mutually supporting negative trends. 24 hour fear based news cycle, celebrity culture and politics as a spectator sport are like a braided rope, which is rapidly forming a noose for us all.

No conspiracy required. Just venal humans pursuing their own self interest at the expense of long term concerns on a macroscopic scale.

To that list, I would add the concentration of wealth and political power in a small portion of the population.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

To that list, I would add the concentration of wealth and political power in a small portion of the population.

I don't know if that's a cause or effect, exactly, but it's certainly part of the downward spiral.

 

[Quetzal]

Good discussions!

 

[Twilight Hue]

I find myself asking that question a lot. Why do we accept statements that are untrue? Further, why do people accept this behavior, or worse, celebrate it? Let's take this example:

"Before Obama came along, we did not have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks." - Rudy Giuliani

This moron was the mayor of NYC when 9/11 occurred. Why has the divide in politics become so wide that the voters find this acceptable? What scares the ever living hell out of me, is voters take statements much like this one at face value and vote based on it. What an absolute joke. If we dig I am sure democrats have done some as well and it just an unacceptable.

The question remains though: why is this happening? What brought us here? Why aren't voters holding these individuals accountable? How do they still have any support or credibility at all? I don't understand.

You hit the nail squarely on the head.

There's absolutely no standard for accountability nor any type of penalty to be concerned about.

 

[David1967]

Well, if you were to question blatant inaccuracies, you'd have to start questioning your "my tribe can do no wrong" paradigm

This