Politicians, political pundits, religious leaders, advertisers, social organizers, special interest groups, do it all the time. They take a truth, spin it to their liking, and then shout it from the rooftops, over, and over, and over again, until we start to believe the lie. Until we finally break down and buy what they are selling. That is the nature of our world and it is very effective. It is that grain of truth that hits home. That grain of truth that you feel is right. That grain of truth that is the sugar which allows us to swallow their bitter pill. It is the way that the powerful are able to fool most of the people most of the time.

If we could learn how to separate the sugar from the gall maybe we wouldn't swallow the pill. If we could separate the facts from the fiction then the lie would fail to persuade. If we could stop using the pre-canned political talking points designed to divide, then maybe we would have a better more responsive government.

-- Thomas Paine 2

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