Thomas Riggins
One of the tricks of fascism is deliberate disinformation and hate mongering (usually with the hope of inciting violence) vis a vis the technique of the Big Lie. If you repeat the Big Lie long enough some people will begin to believe it. I suggest that these examples (quotes from the Republican Right, among others, are prime examples of the Big Lie at work. The context: reactions to the upcoming speech by President Obama to be broadcast to American high school students. [All quotes from the New York Times, 9-4-2009]
Jim Greer, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN, said he “was appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s SOCIALIST IDEOLOGY.” Its news to socialists that Obama, a centrist liberal Democrat, has joined the ranks of the socialists!
A guest on Rush Limbaugh’s ultra right talk show compared President Obama to Kim Jong-il and Saddam Hussein (an insult to both Kim and Obama) in trying to create a personality cult. I’ll wait until the DNC puts out “Barack, The Dear Leader” posters.
Chris Stigall, Kansas City talk show host: on keeping children home the day of the broadcast, “I wouldn’t let my next-door neighbor talk to my kid alone; I'm sure as hell not letting Barack Obama talk to him alone.” This doesn’t even make sense-- a radio broadcast isn’t talking to a kid alone!
People in Texas are especially upset, one parent attacking the broadcast by saying “I don’t want our schools turned over to some socialist movement.” The Big Lie seems to be working!
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