FITS 2024
Greenville County Republican Party Chair Sends September 20th, 2023 “Chairman’s Letter”
What are YOUR solutions to experts or authority figures who lie?
Greenville County Republican Party Chair sends another piece full of wisdom, interesting analogies and perspectives. Read, Learn & Enjoy …
September 20th, 2023
Dear Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committeemen, Body & Associates,
If someone told you that the two lines below were not the same length, would they be a liar?
If that same person told you they had a PhD from MIT in line measurement, would you bother to measure the lines for yourself? If someone you dislike intensely tells you the lines are the same length, what is your response?
If you haven’t bothered to measure the lines for yourself, which of the two people mentioned above are you more likely to believe?
If you are in a group with all your best friends and people you go to for advice and they all tell you the lines are different lengths, what is your response.
If you do measure the lines and find something different from what you have been taught to believe, what is your response?
Likely most if not all of you have seen this optical illusion before and know that the lines are actually of equal length. But isn’t it fascinating that even after you know this, you still see them as different.
This is an analogy to the power of lies. You can’t “unhear” or “unsee” them once they have been put into your mind. So even after you know the truth, a lie you heard still has some power. People who purposefully and routinely use the various forms of lying know this.
The questions I asked are simplistic, but they raise the important issues of the kinds of lies people tell, why they work on us and what we can do about it.
I thought you might get a kick out of a Newsmax summary of Biden lies below.
These lies of commission are so blatant and easily disproven one has to ask why tell them? But Biden is relying on his expert/authority power. Some of you may recall from a previous newsletter the statistic that up to 25% of the time, a co-pilot in a simulator flight will not challenge the pilot on a decision and the plane crashes. Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals encourages people to pretend they have expert power by teaching “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have”.
How many of us will question our doctor, a lawyer, or academics. How many of us will look up a candidate’s actual donation record in the FEC and find out about PAC donations. Not nearly enough-which is why lies can work. We are doing better as a delightful Riley Gaines video shows. She is speaking about the differences between male and female skeletons, some guy who calls himself the “expert in the room” disagrees and the room break into laughter. What are YOUR solutions to experts or authority figures who lie? Be courageous and willing to respectfully challenge anyone trying to influence or control you, get second opinions, don’t be rushed into decision making and do your own research.
Lies of omission are those that mislead you by intentionally leaving out relevant information or making suggestions. The person that tells you the lines above are different lengths because they look that way but doesn’t tell you he or she hasn’t measured them is leaving out relevant facts. We can expect these kinds of lies from people who need to convince themselves that their moral compass is intact or have convinced themselves their cause is so good, that the ends justify the means.
“They engage in something we call justified dishonesty,” said Shaul Shalvi, who runs the Behavioral Ethics Lab at the University of Amsterdam. It happens when people’s desire to be ethical clash with the desire to profit or get something. In that case people are willing to lie just a bit “as long as it seems legit,” Shalvi said (New York Post, April 2016). We protect ourselves against this kind of behavior by listening carefully and “peeling the onion”. Keep asking who, what, where when why questions until the truth is revealed. “Is Yvonne Julian one of those Krystle Matthews sleepers” as a Facebook post said recently, is this kind of lie.
Likeability, the human tendency of reciprocity and “we think” can make us believe liars, and sometimes with tragic consequences. The serial killer Ted Bundy was well known for his ability to convince women he needed help because of his looks and immediate likeability. It is unwise to assume that someone we dislike intensely can never tell the truth or have some knowledge we can put to good use.
A woman survived the Jonestown Massacre because she purposefully never took any of the special favors Jim Jones offered her, so didn’t feel obligated to reciprocate and comply when he asked her to drink the poisoned beverage that killed 900 people. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, “there is no such thing as a free lunch” and other bits of wisdom remind us that gifts can be used to make us accept lies out of obligation to the gift giver.
Even a group of people we like would be wrong if they told us the lines in our optical illusion are different lengths, but we would be less likely to dispute them. According to one research study, “people were willing to follow the norms of a group, even when they knew the norms to be unconnected to reality, provided they felt a strong shared identity within the group”. (Pryor, Perfors, & Howe, 2019).
Yes, it is just as easy to be a GOP Sweep bobblehead as a Jeff Davis bobblehead.
I hope you find this brief overview of how and why lies work and how we can fight their influence helpful. Lies are common currency in the political arena, so learning how to combat them is very important-especially for grassroots activists like many of us who do not want to develop lying skills as a tool to gain power, influence or money.
I know our HQ Republicats agree! I hope you do, too!
FITS 2024
A BLM (Rhode Island) Founder Endorses TRUMP?
Yes, it is going to be a really interesting election season.
11/29/2023 FOX News Interview: HERE
Our good friend Lawrence Lantz has been sharing with you for months now on his GOOD NEWS FRIDAY video segment (filmed on Wednesday evenings, posted on Fridays) that there is an ongoing shift among Black Voters for President TRUMP.
Week after week after week after week Lawrence shared with us the ever growing list of Black Voters coming out for TRUMP. There seems to be an awakening in the Democratic Party base (as there has been in the Republican Party base) that the Party leadership is more interested in themselves and the monied special interest than their constituents. It has gotten so bad that even the leftwing mainstream media has been appearing in a panic as of late (HERE, HERE & HERE.)
And as the articles point out … it is not just Black Voters, it is Hispanic Voters as well.
Recall that we have in fact been saying it from the beginning … this is not a battle between R vs D … or Left vs. Right … this is a battle between the Unitparty Leadership Elites in both Parties vs. We The People.
FollowTheMoney!
BLM (RI) Co-Founder Endorses TRUMP
Well, yesterday it kinda hit a new level. Mark Fisher, a co-founder of the Rhode Island affiliate of Black Lives Matter (Wikipedia Article HERE) appeared on FOX News and publicly endorsed President TRUMP (HERE). He even went further to accuse the Democrats of “racist” policies.
That is powerful.
Now granted, Mr. Fisher was only a co-founder of the Rhode Island affiliate … not the entire national organization … and he was only speaking for himself … and we are sure he will be rebuked, ostracized, and possible worse for speaking up. But it is indicative of the greater shift in Black Voters and others.
As the song goes … “We’re not going to take it … anymore!!!” (HERE)
Yes, it is going to be a really interesting election season.
Truth Social Link: HERE
AFP Action Press Release: HERE
What they will teach you in Campaign Schools … it’s all about MOMENTUM leading up to ELECTION DAY. What happens 3 months before (or 1 day after) really doesn’t matter but for the impact on the momentum leading up to election day. Smart candidates know this and they know when to dial back, and when to dial up, in the months before an election.
Clearly Ron DeSantis has lost all the momentum … and this AFP Action endorsement appears to be his campaign’s death knell . His trajectory in the first quarter of 2023 was “he is the man” … 11 months later, 3 months before elections, his trajectory is “he is done”.
On January 4th, 2023, the Real Clear Politics GOP Betting Average (HERE) was DeSantis (50.8%), Trump (28.4%) & Haley (5.0%).
On November 28th, 2023, that same betting average has Trump (74.0%), Haley (12.0%) & DeSantis (7.0%).
We shall see where the numbers go over the next few weeks, but which of those three candidates would you like to be?
THE $70 MILLION
And don’t forget, as we shared with you nearly 5 months ago (HERE), AFP raised $70 MILLION for their “Push to Sink TRUMP” … and that wasn’t our words, that was the New York Times reporting that obvious agenda (HERE).
Yes, that is a TON of money … and as we stated at the time as well, they were not going to give it back, and you should prepare yourself for the onslaught.
We have seen that come true as we all endure the constant barrage of mailers at our homes, radio spots, TV ads … and SPONSORSHIPS of events by Americans For Prosperity (AFP) all over South Carolina with perceived Anti-Trump groups … and a complete absence of sponsorships with perceived Pro-Trump groups. Isn’t that interesting.
FollowTheMoney!!!
DESPERATE MOVE?
We have seen some big money groups and names come back to TRUMP over this time period as it appears inevitable that he will be the nominee … and as those folks fear another 4 years under BIDEN … but it appears AFP has gone all in on the #NeverTRUMP agenda and this is a last ditch move.
Pence, Asa & Tim Scott are out. DeSantis is over. Chris Christie has no chance whatsoever and only appears still in the race to bash TRUMP.
Haley therefore is the last great hope for the “conservatives” (and business interests) who don’t want TRUMP. It’s not about Nikki … it’s about “who” has any chance whatsoever to sink TRUMP.
Will it work? Probably not … but that is why we have elections and it is going to be an interesting next 88 days (as of 11/29/2023) as we lead up to the South Carolina GOP Presidential Preference Primary on February 24th.
Anyhow, stay tuned, and …
FollowTheMoney!!!
P.S. “Hail Mary Pass”?
P.S. Some have asked if this is AFP’s “Hail Mary” referring to the football Hail Mary Pass (HERE & HERE).
We have heard countless reports that AFP officials … when challenged on their position by Trump supporting conservatives … say that AFP does not really oppose TRUMP, they are only doing this because they don’t think TRUMP can beat Biden in the November 5th, 2024, general election.
Really???
That excuse may have held water 6 months ago, but nearly all the polls out there … especially in the swing states … clearly show TRUMP soundly defeating Biden. Yes, that is today and who knows what it will be 11 months from now … momentum can change … but AFP can’t use that excuse anymore (although they probably will).
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY?: By all accounts it seems clear TRUMP will be the GOP nominee. Could Biden win … especially with substantial concerns over election fraud … absolutely. Will AFP then say “we told you so”? Will your answer be “because AFP spent $70 MILLION trashing TRUMP”?
No, it is not a Hail Mary Pass because that is only done when you have literally nothing to lose. Americans For Prosperity are making a calculated decision which could leave Biden in office. That is not a “nothing to lose” situation … and it is going to be very interesting the future and image of AFP when all of the dust settles.
NeverFORGET!
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