The Big Lie

Was a propaganda technique used by Adolf Hitler to blame the Jews for Germany’s loss of World War I?  A statement on its face that no one should believe.  But yet people do and repeat it and tell the Big Lie again and again. Until at last the lie takes hold and becomes widely popularly accepted.  I have to wonder how Joseph Goebbles, the master of the Big Lie, might used the internet.

Today we sign on to our email account and smile when there is something that is not spam or an ad for the latest and greatest and newest and best whatever. That happened to me last week when an old friend sent me an email.  He told me I really needed to look closely at this at his email as it was about changes coming to Medicare.  He went on to say his information was coming from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama.  The gist of the email was that my cost for Medicare would going from $96.40 to $104.20 the next year increasing to $120.20 and following year to $247.00 in 2014.  According to the author of the original email someone from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, which my friend had copied, the reason for these cost increases is they where included in Obamacare.  The conclusion was this information needs wide circulation so seniors know who is kicking them under the bus.

Needless to say that was a true, “What the ____” moment.  My old friend certainly would not deliberately lie to me or anyone else that I know of.  The email certainly looks to be real.  It’s a case of if walks like duck and quacks like duck, must be a duck.  However I do have the capacity to question most things that float along, do you recall what else floats?

On the email was a office phone number which I called.  I but got no answer. O.K. then so what’s next?  Fumble … fumble damm I love Google and Yahoo and few other search engines.  Aahhh there is an article on this from Polifact which references the same email.  Polifact published their findings regarding the email on Oct 27, 2011 and rated it “Pants of Fire.”  Seems that this has been around since 2009 in one shape or another.  Unfortunately that’s not the end of the road as this lives on the internet where lies can live forever, I have believe Joseph Goebbles would sure love this.  Next a gentleman from Boston puts out a piece on April 5 of this year.  Lighting this lie’s pants on fire didn’t stop it perhaps some sunlight might stop it.

The truth be out but the Big Lie goes on.  Why are some people so desperate to stoop to the tactics of the Big Lie to stop programs they don’t like?