Dear Friends,
It seems to me, if I were a classic villain who wanted absolute power, I would want to control what people think they know, to do that I would start satire and discredited news organizations to compliment my “unbiased” ones. Such a scheme would both fund itself and give me a very long handle on information, and information is power. News I wanted discredited I would report on my discredited news organization, so “credible” news organizations would reject it. Simply by being on one of my satire or discredited sites would discredit a story, regardless of its veracity. If a political enemy reposted an article from my satire or discredited news organization, he or she is discredited by association. Obviously it would have to publish absurdities and carefully crafted stories that mimic reality to maintain it’s incredulity. Imagine if a villain did do such a thing? They could both hide inconvenient facts and discredit their political enemies at the same time.
Satire and fake news is ubiquitous today. The veracity ranges from tilting articles to outright fiction. Each outlet falling somewhere on that spectrum. Those that have a modicum of honesty, admit they are satire sites on an “About” page somewhere, the worse however purport themselves as honest. I count the New York Times in that last category as they have been caught a multitude of times printing outright fiction. No matter where on that spectrum of reliability the mean is, as long as there is a balance in political ideologies in those real to fake news organizations, a society is in political equilibrium. Today however, almost all news organizations are controlled by progressives, both “real” and fake. Just because a news organization calls itself conservative… doesn’t mean the publishers are conservative.
Fake sites have the ability to discredit the inconvenient truths of villains. Get out ahead of a negative story that you know is going to break, (because it is about one of your political allies), print it in the fake news and refuse to print it in the villain’s “credible” news site. Almost any story can be crushed that way. Simply post hit pieces in the villain’s “unbiased” news sites and the truth about the villain in the “Fake” news sites. What a double whammy against any opponent of a villain. Obviously the trick only works if the villain has a monopoly on the media, otherwise the length of the handle would get shorter as the opposition’s control of the media grew, until they balanced themselves out. That is what happens in most nations because all sides are driven to become nefarious. Such tactics as we are discussing however are done by the villainous and not the virtuous.
What a great way to discredit a villain’s political enemies, attack him or her in the “unbiased” media, and post any real news about the villain in his own fake news, that pretends to speak for his enemies. Any opponent who had the audacity to point at a villain’s closet skeleton could be destroyed. Simply by being caught reposting “fake” news, no matter if it is actually real or fake, will discredit a political opponent. The best part, to a psychopath, is that the villain has tricked the patsy into discrediting themselves! That way a villain can appear a hero and make the hero appear a fool.
In politics it is not truth, honesty, intelligence or wisdom that wins… it is appearance. A philosopher once said, take two men, put them one at a time on a podium. Let the first be hansom, stand straight, dressed well, speak with a pleasant voice and affecting presence. The second, give him a bent back, annoying voice, one eye bigger than the other and shabby clothes. Though the first speak nothing but nonsense, he will be heralded as a genius, the second though he speak the wisdom of the ages, will be ridiculed a fool… the ability to discredit someone and make them appear to be the second bestows great political power.
It stands to reason that, in places where there is party control of the media, especially one party control, those that react such atrocities against truth… are barred from the table of political power. Which only leaves those willing to use such nefarious means. Like I said, If I were a classic villain and wanted absolute power, I would want to control what people think they know, to do that I would start satire and discredited news organizations to compliment my “unbiased” ones. Of course, only a villain would do such a thing and villains are the last people we would want in charge… aren’t they?
Sincerely,
John Pepin
