Trial by Gossip

   A lie can go around the world before truth can cross the street. -- Pug Mahoney

   No, Mark Twain did not say that. Nor did he say the other version widely attributed to him. But it doesn't matter. What does matter is that politicians often lie, and it's up to the news media to expose them.
   Time was, people spread gossip over back fences or in taverns, where they met and talked only with those who agreed with them. That's still true, but now gossip has gone electronic, so it spreads even faster than early radio commentators could only dream about.
   These days, the spread of gossip and rumor, often false and malicious, is a basic format for some TV network commentators. Moreover, unlike comedians, they won't say that the stories they tell are just that -- stories, intended to prompt laughter. Instead, they insist the stories are true, and they attack anyone who exposes the lie.
   The difference between a lie and a tall story told by a comedian is intent. A comedian wants to provoke laughter. Sadly, the intent of some TV and internet writers is to provoke an overthrow of the federal government, even if it takes violence to do it.
   And by definition, urging the violent overthrow of government is treason.

Ignorance is Bliss

    Republican members of Congress are ignoring the House committee hearings on the Jan. 6 incidents, claiming they are too busy. The Fox "news" network is devoting much of its time to covering other stories, and its commentators are assailing Joe Biden's efforts to deal with current problems in America.
   Granted, some of the other cable channels are more sympathetic to the Biden administration, and find as much fault as they can with GOP claims that insist the Jan. 6 incidents were peaceful, while other protest demonstrations by civil rights people last year were not.
   But this is not last year. This is now, and civil rights protestors did not smash their way into the Capitol, threatening the lives of the vice president and the speaker of the House. Refusing to watch video of the Jan. 6 attacks does not make it go away, and spreading lies about what happened that day is more than counter-productive, it is dangerous to the American way of life.

Great Plague Returns

    Historians know about a disease that struck the known world in ancient times, and only those who stayed home and avoided contact with deniers survived.
   At the time, it was called divine intervention, but realists suggest that while quarantine may have been a result of divine guidance, people would not have otherwise survived. Those who continued full contact with others quickly spread the disease.
   Whether the current worldwide plague is punishment for human behavior is an argument for theologians to debate. Others, including medical personnel, are more concerned with healing and prevention than with arguing over divine punishment as the cause. Many scholars say this is why people were given intelligence.
   Others, however, insist the disease does not exist. They can be described as having what can be called the pharaoh syndrome -- king of denial.

Ignoring Truth

    Evening news commentators on the cable channels spent most of their time yesterday covering the testimony of Capitol police officers describing their experiences of Jan. 6. The Fox channel, however, spoke about the failure of the Biden administration to do anything about the corona virus infections, and said little or nothing about the testimony and the attitudes of the demonstrators.
   Ignoring truth doesn't make it go away.

Sore Losers Deny Reality

   Choice cannot always change reality.
   Many devoted followers of Donald Trump refuse to accept the reality of a lost election, thus following their leader. But this choice contradicts the vote results in many states, all of which were certified as accurate by court rulings in some 60 jurisdictions.
   Meanwhile, their super-salesman leader uses this belief to raise money for himself under the guise of a continuing presidential campaign. It's not clear, however, whether these donations really do go to a political effort, or are lining the pockets of the contender.
   Soon enough, investigative reporters will dig up evidence of where the money is, adding to the task prosecutors face as they proceed with numerous court allegations of wrongdoing.
   And despite all the reports of questionable activities by the self-proclaimed "winner" of the last presidential election, thousands of believers flock to campaign rallies and contribute to their leader.
  Will it end when a court rules that his activities are illegal?
   Stay tuned.

Shock Wave

    The number of covid infections has doubled and in some areas tripled in recent days. Still, many refuse to get a proven vaccine, and many Republican members of Congress will not say whether they have been vaccinated.
   In this case, refusal to answer the question can be taken as an admission they have indeed been inoculated but are afraid to say so in fear of offending their ultra-conservative constituents and thereby lose votes.
   Which is more important, winning an election or staying alive? Apparently, politics defeats health.
   Only a day after endorsing covid vaccination, talk show host Sean Hannity reversed himself -- again -- and resumed his attack on the new covid vaccine.
   Why? Reaction from viewers was so virulent that he changed his position -- again -- as a way of keeping his audience.
   Therefore, to many in the ultra-right, politics is more important than good health. They insist that each person has the right to refuse inoculation or to wear a mask, despite the rising wave of sickness and death.
   Some, however, have indeed changed their minds, but only after they have lost a loved one to the virus or have survived it themselves. Sometimes only barely.

Dream World vs Video

    When will the devoted followers of the ex-president acknowledge that he has an illness and needs treatment for a return to reality?
   In recorded interviews, he is saying the events of Jan. 6 were a peaceful demonstration by a loving crowd that was welcomed by police and escorted by them into the Capitol building.
   The audio recordings are played on television as video shows the violence of the invasion and brutality toward security guards.
   All this as authors of a new book on the events are interviewed on talk shows. They are both long-time reporters for the Washington Post. As for those who will insist the journalists are lying, the standard response tells the objectors to file a lawsuit alleging libel. But if it's true, it's not libel. That legal principle was established in America some 250 years ago.