• ½ a Story = Complete Lie: I have decided to bluntly call “deception” by these Networks and by the White House, LIES. When adults knowingly imply things that are not true, they are lying, or telling lies. Simple, end of story.

NEWS ALERT: A man survived a jump from a plane this afternoon. He was not wearing a parachute and he credits his new Nike Plane Jumpers with cushioning his fall.

Now let’s say that story is completely true. All the networks and printed media pick up the story. Front page, lead story. Well, what they forgot to tell you was that the plane was a 2 seater plane, and it was on the runway, stopped, and the jump was from 3 feet off the ground. Now the full story was available to all the media, but Fox News does not feel that those details are important.

In the past I would say that technically there are no lies being told, but when I factor in the responsibility of a journalist, I must indeed call this story a blatant lie. I hold journalists to a higher standard that I would hold a school child.

Now take that practice and apply it to almost every action the Bush Administration has taken since its grabbing control of the White House. The result is a public so misinformed that it will never to be able to comprehend or accept the level of deception that has taken place since the late 90s, which is when I feel that this problem started to get out of control. This is a fairly accurate description of the current state of the Union, so to speak.

• Whoops, My Bad!: I refer to the technique of reporting (used with frequency of rain drops in a storm), of reporting or blurting out unsubstantiated stories or detailes of stories that turn out to be incorrect.

The Pentagon is uses this technique almost every time they hold a press briefing. This is effective in that a person hearing a news story may tell others about that story. On the other hand a person who hears the correction is not going to contact everyone he or she originally told the incorrect story. Taking that into account every person who was told the original story has told others the original incorrect story. This is basically creating urban legends. It works. Just your friends about Mikey, the kid on the old Life Cereal commercial, and I bet they tell you that he died from eating Pop Rocks!

• Shoot the messenger! Demonize! Apply the "Anti-American" label!

Critics are Communists! Why is it if anyone criticizes the Bush administration or their actions, we are labeled as communists or anti-American? I have heard the “C” word lately. Each time I have asked the person calling the name to explain the principles of Communism and why they are evil. I have yet to find anyone who can answer even part of that question. Labels and name calling; this is what right wingers are good at. Ask them to elaborate and they are stuck. Those who keep preaching democracy forget that the beauty of our system is that is has checks and balances built in. Bush, or should I say Cheney and Ashcroft have all but eliminated this. Congress took a powder all together. Not only is it is NOT anti-American to question the actions of the government, it is that very right that separated us from the very communists that we are now being called. It amazes me how unintelligent the right wing is. They repeat what is told to them without having any foundation for their opinions. They are human lemmings following their leader into a sea of doom; asking not one question, demanding not one iota of evidence. They are told that Saddam gasses his own people and they will repeat that ad infinitum; but if you ask them about the details or history of the events, or for any facts to substantiate their repeated mantra they just call you a name. Bravo Sean Hannity, you and your pied pipers of propaganda are succeeding in hypnotizing a nation of weak minded Americans. Amazing and sad!