MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

On Trump, Many Big Lies and Us

By

The reams and reams of paragraphs on the ascendancy of Donald J. Trump to the throne of America all skirt around a fundamental observation.

“Do those who voted him into power believe implicitly that by moving to the conservative right that they will be free in the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

We seem to have a worldwide movement towards citizens voting their rights away to be controlled by ‘strong opinionated leaders’. These same ‘leaders’ are swept to power after railing against rich people and liberals and who then go on to court the rich – strange and yet disturbing.

Is freedom (such that we have) too heady a brew for the voters?

Is this what is happening in our neck of the woods? A populist movement taking aim at a small perceived elite not vocal or large enough to defend themselves?

Hitler’s minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, once made this telling point; “The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over. Frequently repeated, any lie can gain general acceptance.”

Here at home we see many examples:

  • Give back the land
  • Fees Must Fall
  • All Whites are Racist
  • South Africans are not Xenophobic
  • South Africa is dangerous
  • The majority of land is owned by whites
  • Plus all those emotive ‘Sparrow’ comments being refrained again and again.

Remember – the minute someone starts repeating a ‘fact’ over and over again is the minute you need to demand scientific proof of that ‘fact’.

Joseph Goebbels
“If you tell the same lie enough times, people will believe it; and the bigger the lie, the better.” ~ Joseph Goebbels
The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Flickr profileMy Pinterest profile

Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.