Olson's Rules for Dealing with Autocrats Part IV :: They Must Exist in a Truth-Free World
"Alternative" Facts or No Facts At All
This is the third of seven posts where I’ll be laying out my friend Trygve Olson’s Seven Rules for Dealing with Autocrats and Their Enablers. You can read Parts I, II, III in the News and Notes Section below.
Rule 4 of 7: Authoritarians Must Live in a Truth-Free Present
“The past represents truths about the big lies and fear the illiberal forces use. The future for autocratic forces only matters for maintain power at the moment. They only care about gaining and maintaining power.”
This rule probably speaks to Donald Trump and Trumpism more than any other. Never in his 80 years on Planet Earth has Trump felt bound by the truth, reality, facts, or anything else that’s stood in his way.
The unreality of autocratic regimes is well-known to history as well. The philosopher Hannah Arendt had this to say about lying in politics:
“It is this fragility that makes deception so very easy up to a point, and so tempting. It never comes into a conflict with reason, because things could indeed have been as the liar maintains they were. Lies are often much more plausible, more appealing to reason, than reality, since the liar has the great advantage of knowing beforehand what the audience wishes or expects to hear. He has prepared his story for public consumption with a careful eye to making it credible, whereas reality has the disconcerting habit of confronting us with the unexpected, for which we were not prepared.”
Trump doesn’t care if he’s lying because he’s not lying for your or my benefit. He’s lying for the benefit of his people, his supporters, those that he can control, and those that rely on his patronage. What we believe to be true is of no importance to him because: 1) he truly doesn’t care and 2) he’s learned after so many decades that he can get away with it and his people love him for it (he’s our liar) and in spite of it (he has to lie to get things done.)
The unreality started early, too. Who can forget, during Sean Spicer’s first briefing in 2017, his ridiculous assertion that Trump’s swearing in had more people in attendance than that of Barack Obama. Spicer wasn’t lying because he believed it, but because his boss was watching from down the hall and wanted to hear it.
In response to the kerfuffle, White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway told Chuck Todd that Spicer wasn’t lying, he was presenting, “alternative facts.” Why was it necessary for him to do so? Conway blamed the media, saying “…we feel compelled to clear the air and put alternative facts out there.’
What started eight years ago has mushroomed into a full-fledged, efficient, effective propaganda operation whose only job is to throw enough dirt, dust and bullshit into the air that no one reasonable person can make heads or tails of what is going on.
Reality is their enemy because they cannot control it. The universe must conform to their viewpoint and any other perspectives must be ignored, discredited, drowned out and ultimately crushed, (Hello, Associated Press)
Here are a few recent examples:
Tariffs are a Tax on the Other Guy
Ukraine Started the War with Russia
2020 Was (Still) Stolen
America Sent $50, No $100 (!) Million in Condoms to Gaza!
What is more widespread this time around, however, is the entire Republican ecosystem’s willingness to go along with all of it. Members of Congress huddle in fear of an Elon-funded primary challenge. Even the most MAGA Senator knows Trump is full of shit. His reality, though, becomes their reality, as it is the only one in which it is safe to operate.
The political bureaucracy and MAGA-media goons need to keep the anger flowing and clicks growing and disagreeing with the autocrat is a good way to get yourself cancelled. The financiers, front groups, militia members, church goers, and glory hounds of the MAGA movement will take whatever lies the administration has to feed them.
At bottom, though, the lies provide ammunition against the regime’s opponents and fodder for their own foot soldiers. Because alongside the lies comes the continual struggle, the unending war against “them” the “libs” the “demons” or whoever else dares cross those in power. To fight ‘the system’ you must have enemies. Keeping your base fired up with a deluge of lies about the “others” keeps them close, and your opponents on the defensive.
Remember Rule 2 - Speak Truth to Power
The way to fight back is to present facts when you have the opportunity, maintain your cool, and don’t let them off the hook when you have them. This clip below is a perfect example of how to do it. CNN’s Brianna Keilar presses Chief WH Goon Stephen Miller on just who is in charge of “DOGE.” She gently presses him on his lack of clarity and he loses his shit.
It’s going to be a long four years, folks. We shouldn’t deny it, nor believe that any sort of imminent’ collapse is in the offing. The key is to keep a cool head and a clear mind as the regime continues to lie, obscure, and cover up their actions. We must be the torch keepers.
News and Notes:
Check out my interview with Katherine Stewart about her new book: Money, Lies, and God. Please listen, follow, and rate 5 stars!
Click on the image below to buy her book, which you should do!
Read the Rest of the Rules Below:
