Left: Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks at UCLA, March 23, 2015. (DoD Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Hinton/released) Right: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to the Connecting NYCHA Conference on December 16, 2016. Photo courtesy USHUD.
If there weren’t double standards, there would be no standards. As Andy Kessler writes in the WSJ, that words, like Louis Carroll’s Humpty Dumpty intoned, mean exactly what HD meant them to mean.
Words today “are abused and truth has become so debased that no one believes anything anymore.”
- the definition of “is”
- uranium yellowcake
- if you like your doctor
- the size of inauguration crowds
Facebook and Twitter now have truth squads trying to discern truths from fakes.
Good luck with that.
The Post-Truth Era not only has arrived; in three short months, we’ve descended into the depths of dishonesty dysfunction.
Truth in Numbers?
2.2 million = 150,000? Imperial College London epidemiologist Neil Ferguson helped force much of the world into lockdowns with his forecast of 2.2 million U.S. deaths.
He assumed 268 million of Americans, or 81%, would be infected.
So far it’s 2.3 million. Mr. Ferguson then put the hip in hypocritical, having his married girlfriend break the stay-at-home order he inspired.
The White House, Math Challenged
“15 Days to Slow the Spread” quickly became 30.
Which is it? We flattened the curve, and a quarter of the economy. No matter, we’re now on day 90, quarantine crazy and hankering for haircuts.
World Health Organization Deceit
In March, “you don’t need to wear masks,” probably because of the world-wide shortage.
California now requires them, even outside. “Again, which is it? Whacked in the head so many times with untruths, you stop believing anyone.”
“Follow the Science” Not Very Scientific
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared residents could only use the “wet sand” part of the beach to go swim.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said dry sandy beaches are fine but swimmers would be “taken right out the water.”
Masked vs. Unmasked
The unhealthy behavior of 250 maskless anti-lockdown protesters in Lansing, Mich., was deemed “abhorrent.” Two weeks later, thousands protesting for social justice on the streets of major cities were given a hall pass. If it weren’t for double standards, there wouldn’t be any standards at all.
Double Standards or No Standards
New York changed the rules to minimize reported Covid-19 deaths from nursing homes.
Talking heads babbled about peaceful protesters while stores were on fire.
NBC News’s “Verification Unit” does no such thing. (Formerly) respected reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones said that destruction of property “is not violence.” That’s obviously not true, but there it is.
Imploding Media Reputation
The New York Times ran a 700-word article on the manhunt to track down a Bethesda, Md., biker who pushed to the ground young women putting up Black Lives Matter signs. Good, arrest him.
Mr. Kessler points out that he is “yet to see arrest coverage anywhere of the guy I watched on CNN who drove up to the Chicago Lake Liquors store being looted in Minneapolis, put his hazards on so he wouldn’t get a ticket, loaded cases of liquor into his vehicle, and drove away—all with his license plate visible.”
Everyone Looks Bad
Washington, DC’s park police say “no tear gas was used.” “Except some substances were released that made protesters’ eyes tear.”
From tweeter-in-chief’s bunker visit: It was “more for an inspection.” For what? Removing cobwebs?
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan claims the former Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (now called the Occupied Protest, or CHOP) is “more like a block party.” C’mon down for the funnel cakes, just ignore the graffiti and AR-15-toting warlord.
James Clapper – “Russian Meddling in 2016 Election”
After stating under oath in July 2017 to Rep. Adam Schiff and others, Clapper said, “I never saw any direct empirical evidence.” That’s pretty cut and dry.
Their morals disappear. A disgrace. Do we want guests on cable channels to be sworn in? Maybe.
Twisted, Discredited Version of U.S. History
Sow enough seeds of doubt and we all will be looking for salvation, warns Mr. Kessler.
Zinnification of Discourse is named for the Marxist and anarchist, “whose history textbook presents a twisted and discredited version of the U.S.
But it fits a popular narrative, so it’s still used in many high schools.”
