My post was not about what the specific issues may be, but that the dissemination of erroneous information about issues,
whatever they may be in any given case, only serves to obfuscate the truth.
That does no real good for either side of an argument and tends to further confuse the issues (again, whatever the issues may be in any given case), wasting a lot of energy and time of participants on both sides in both promoting and defending their own points and opinions.
When those points and opinions have been formed on untruths, what good are they? It becomes a snowball of untruth and accusations based on vapors.
I don't believe Brisco--or most others who have posted this over the last few years--believed it was untrue when they posted it. I never mean any offense by pointing out something has been debunked. My purpose in doing so is to promote clarity and understanding based on facts, not fiction. A more honest dialogue and debate, and hopefully a more civil one, then can be had by all.
This sort of post has often been shown to originate in the blogosphere as an intentional misleading of the public, and both Republicans and Democrats have been found guilty in spreading what they know are untruths. It is often done through organizations--much like the Superpacs of today--funded outside of the parties themselves but in full support of this candidate or that, or this issue or that.
It's a sad tradition that goes back ages; the intentional misleading of the public and the intentional clouding of issues for one's own gain. In the terrific book
1861: The Civil War Awakening, author Adam Goodheart talks about how Steven A. Douglas, a Democrat, paid for stories to be written that he knew were not true, in hopes of influencing the electorate in the race between himself and Abraham Lincoln. (An interesting side note is that in Lincoln's time, the presidential candidates themselves really did not campaign on their own behalf in the way we see it done today. Douglas was one of the first to go out and promote himself.)
And no, I don't think the American public in general know exactly what's at stake in this election at all. Especially in this election, more than in the past. You may, and others here on EO may, as there generally seems to be a more opinioned constituency here than in many other places in America, whether on-line or off.
In general, I think the greater public is falling for the pablum fed them by mainstream media and talking heads, which include blowhards and fiction makers on both sides of the aisle.
It's become a finger-pointing whoever-can-shout-the-loudest-wins affair, based more on ratings and advertising dollars, usually with distorted facts and completely made up b***s***.
21c.... would you be so kind as to explain the "misunderstanding of what the real issues are" ???
This "misunderstanding" of issues perplexes me. I submit the American people know exactly what is at stake in this election. If you have the time and inclination, please enumerate the misunderstood issues so we may address them, Stewart.
No, of course it doesn't. Nor does it debunk the millions they walked away with.
The point of the original post was not that they were part of the problem, but to tie it all to Obama in a negative way. Which has been well known as hogwash since it was first spread as a blatant falsehood in 2008.
Whether folks are on one side or the other in current politics, spreading false info as truth just encourages others to spread it, believe it, and spout off in negativity, fostering a further and greater misunderstanding of what the real issues are.