FALSEHOODS, MISSTATEMENTS AND LIES: Lawrence O'Donnell gets it on!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

Part 1—Our own team's gross incompetence:
Last night, in his opening segment, Lawrence O'Donnell really got it on.

The transcript isn't available yet, not even through Nexis. Given the way his corporate channel works, who knows when it will appear?

The transcript isn't available yet, but we're willing to show you how O'Donnell started his program last night. You see his words below.

In many ways, O'Donnell's show is currently well worth watching. But what you see here is spectacularly dumb—and dumbness is a large liberal problem. It helped put Trump where he is:
O'DONNELL (1/23/17): So we have now entered the presidential era of falsehoods and footnotes.

Parents and teachers around the country who have been trying to teach kids to follow George Washington's example of never telling a lie are now busy explaining to those same kids what a "falsehood" is, now that much of the media has seemd to arrive at an informal agreement to call a lie a "falsehood."
To watch the full segment, click here.

In many ways, O'Donnell's show is well worth watching. He frequently offers well reasoned discussions. His viewers aren't subjected to the mugging, clowning and sheer pomposity with which they will have been assailed in the preceding hour.

In many ways, O'Donnell's show is well worth watching. But what you see in that brief excerpt tilts toward spectacular dumbness—and dumbness has been a major liberal problem, dating back at least twenty-five years.

Manifestly, our dumbness helped send Donald J. Trump to the White House. That dumbness has been on display in the past few days as our leaders stumble and flail concerning the meaning of everyday terms like falsehood, misstatement and lie.

For starters, make no mistake—our team is genuinely dumb. We've been putting our dumbness on display as we posture, flail and clown with these concepts and terms.

Have we really thrashed and flailed? For starters, consider what O'Donnell said, and seemed to say, in that short opening passage.

O'Donnell said this: Much of the media has seemed to arrive at an informal agreement to refer to lies as "falsehoods."

In what it claims, and in what it implies, that statement strikes us as quite dumb.

Has "much of the media" decided that they should refer to lies as "falsehoods?" It's hard to unpack all the things which are implied by that claim.

But if it's a short answer you want, we'll say the answer is "no." We see no sign that major news orgs have made any such decision.

Please note—as he continued, O'Donnell revealed a key fact. He understands that many falsehoods, possibly most, don't qualify as lies.

Duh! Lawrence O'Donnell understands that many falsehoods aren't lies! He explained this blindingly obvious point in the following passage:
O'DONNELL: A falsehood is simply a statement that is untrue. You could pass along a falsehood not knowing that it's untrue. And in that case, it wouldn't technically be a lie, because a lie is the deliberate use of a falsehood with the intention to deceive.
Duh! O'Donnell made a blindingly obvious point in that blindingly obvious passage. On the other hand, he managed to make a silly statement even there. We refer to this:

"You could pass along a falsehood not knowing that it's untrue. And in that case, it wouldn't technically be a lie."

It wouldn't technically be a lie? Actually, in that situation, your misstatement wouldn't be a lie at all! It wouldn't come close to being a lie! There's nothing "technical" about it.

Duh! If you don't know that your statement is false, you haven't told a lie! As an example, consider a groaning misstatement O'Donnell himself once made.

It was Friday, October 6, 2000. O'Donnell was taping that weekend's edition of The McLaughlin Group, a high-profile TV gong show.

The program was being taped three days after the history-changing first Bush-Gore debate. Inevitably, John McLaughlin was pimping the mandated claim that Candidate Gore had issued a new assortment of "tall tales" and "fibs."

O'Donnell quickly affirmed this mandated claim, making an erroneous statement which we'll show you below. This completed a hat trick on O'Donnell's part this night.

O'Donnell had already trashed Gore for having sighed too much in the debate. (This was another mandated claim. Gore had done this deliberately, O'Donnell further said.)

O'Donnell had also already said that Candidate Bush had won the debate by exceeding expectations. ("Bush won by not getting flattened by Gore as everyone expected," he said. In this way, O'Donnell had voiced another mandated claim.)

O'Donnell had already acceded to these mandated scripts. Now, he completed the hat trick. He did so by offering a misstatement, alleging an "untruth" by Gore:
O'DONNELL (10/6/00): John, his most ridiculous and his most relevant untruths are his claims of legislative achievement. He told Time magazine last year that he enacted the Earned Income Tax Credit, which of course went into law before he was ever in Congress.
Working hard to send Bush to the White House, O'Donnell uncorked a plain misstatement—a plainly inaccurate claim.

In fact, Gore hadn't "told Time magazine [in 1999] that he enacted the Earned Income Tax Credit." The transcript of Gore's Q-and-A with Time makes that fact perfectly clear.

That said, many journalists had made that claim in 1999, advancing the narrative they were building about Big Liar Gore. We'll guess that O'Donnell heard those claims—and that he dumbly believed them.

One year later, O'Donnell made a misstatement about this point on the McLaughlin Group. That said, we don't doubt that he dumbly believed what he said.

Plainly, O'Donnell made a misstatement. But we know of no reason—none at all—to think that he told a "lie." And no, we aren't making a "technical" point. There's nothing "technical" about it:

O'Donnell made a misstatement, full freaking stop. We know of no reason—none at all—to suppose that he told a lie.

Can we talk? Back in October 2000, O'Donnell's statement was false. Last night, several of his statements struck us as rather dumb.

Back then, he helped send Candidate Bush to the White House. Last night, he was preening and helping establish a basic point about our world:

Over here in the liberal world, our intellectual leaders are frequently rather dumb.

The dumbness of our liberal world has been on display in the past week as we struggle with the concepts of falsehood, misstatement, lie. That said, we liberals have been strikingly dumb for a very long time. Plainly, our tribal dumbness has helped produce the astonishing state we now find ourselves in.

We slept in the woods for twenty-five years. Now we're all out there marching!

What's a falsehood, a misstatement, a lie? In what way does a statement that's false differ from one that's misleading?

How should journalists deal with such questions? We'll ponder such basic points all week. As we do, we'll warn you of a continuing problem:

We liberals are deeply self-impressed, but we're also reliably dumb.

The other team relies on that fact. We rarely disappoint them.

Coming: Waldman and Drum and Chait and oh my! Also, why in the world do we have to have so many different words?

21 comments:

  1. The definitions of both the noun and verb include unintentional misstatements. It isn't inaccurate to refer to any false statement as a lie regardless of how deliberate or informed it is. If the question is when it's acceptable for the media to use the term, that answer always depends on whether it's a member if your tribe who told the lie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "whether it's a member if your tribe who told the lie."

      Rubbish.

      NO, a lie is intentional, meant to deceive. Is that so hard to comprehend?

      Delete
    2. Hello everyone, I was infected with the herpes virus and I got cured from the herpes virus few months ago after i contacted Dr Azuka. I saw a post on the internet after i have seek healing for several years from different doctors in California. I sent the Doctor a request for help, just a few email i followed his instruction and he sent me the medication. Now i am negative and i referred him to all my friend who had this same sickness and they have gotten their cure too. You can contact him via his email: Dr.azukasolutionhome@gmail.com or Phone call or whatsAPP: +2348132777335. While i was on his medication i understood that he can also cure HERPES, HIV/AIDS, CANCER, Male/female menopause, Miscarriage, Menstruation problems, PREGNANCY PROBLEM, EPILEPSY, GONORRHEA, LASSA FEVER, OBESITY, KIDNEY FAILURE, HYPERTENSION, FIBROID TUMOR, BRAIN FOG, EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS and many more.

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    4. i already gave up on ever getting cured of HSV2 because i have try many treatment none of them work out for me i have go to different hospital they always tell me same thing there is no cure for herpes when i came across a post about Dr ohunyom, in the net from a lady called Angela i contacted him and he reassured me with him herbal medicine which i took according to the way he instructed, that how i was cured. I doubted at first because i have been to a whole lot of reputable doctors, tried a lot of medicines but none was able to cure me. so i decided to listen to him and he commenced treatment, and under two weeks i was totally fee from #Herpes. i want to say a very big thank you to DR ohunyom for what he has done in my life. feel free to leave him a message on email drohunyom@gmail.com and also WhatsApp him +2349060579973..
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  2. The media is doing better. The Washington Post and the NYT are using the word "LIE" more often when Trump is intentionally misleading.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know people will be complaining about their marriage, and their relationship, especially the women, they usually complain about their husband does not love them anymore, their husband is cheating on them and even their husband left them, but my case was similar to theirs, my name is sonia Walker, I am from Texas, USA, I had a very similar case with theirs, my husband, Walker left me with my two kids, for no reason, he said he does not love me anymore, he left for about 5 years, he never called me even my kids, I had a friend, Anita, she had a case similar to mine but her husband is now with her, I told her my problems I was facing, she told me about a great man that helped her to solve her problems, she introduced me to the great Baba ubeji, a man with great powers and kindness, he told me that my problems will be solved, so I believed, then after one week, it was unbelievable my husband came to me asking me for forgiveness, I accepted him, he has changed some much since when he came back, I just want to thank, the great Baba ubeji for his understanding and love, my friends if you are facing similar problems with me and even some other problems, he introduced me to some people he has helped, he can also help with solutions to some problems, like;
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    ReplyDelete
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  5. After being in relationship with my husband for nine years,he broke up with me, I did everything possible to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so much because of the love I have for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to someone online and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back but I am the type that never believed in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I mailed the spell caster, and he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, it was around 4pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that happened, that he wanted me to return to him, that he loves me so much. I was so happy and went to him, that was how we started living together happily again. Since then, I have made promise that anybody I know that have a relationship problem, I would be of help to such person by referring him or her to the only real and powerful spell caster who helped me with my own problem and who is different from all the fake ones out there. Anybody could need the help of the spell caster, his email is (LAVENDERLOVESPELL@YAHOO.COM } tel.+2347053977842) you can email him if you need his assistance in your relationship or anything. https://lavenderlovespell.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello everyone, I was infected with the herpes virus and I got cured of the herpes virus few months ago after i contacted Dr Ekpiku. I saw a post on the internet after i have seek healing for several years from different doctors in California. I sent the Doctor a request for help, just a few email i followed his instruction and he sent me the medication after i paid him. Now i am negative and i referred him to all my friend who had this same sickness and they have gotten their cure too. You can contact him via his email.Ekpikuspellhomeofgrace@hotmail.com or Ekpikuspellhomeofgrace@gmail.com or Phone call: 2348073673757. While i was on his medication i understood that he can also cure HERPES, HIV/AIDS, CANCER, Male/female menopause, Miscarriage, Menstruation problems, PREGNANCY PROBLEM, EPILEPSY, GONORRHEA, LASSA FEVER, OBESITY, KIDNEY FAILURE, HYPERTENSION, FIBROID TUMOR and many more.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My name is Antonio Jefferson Cole, I'm in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a pleasure for me to write this testimony about how I got healed from genital herpes 12 hours ago. I have read so many comments from some people who have been cured of HIV by Dr. Ekpiku, but I never believed them. I was hurt and depressed, so I was very curious and wanted to try Dr. Ekpiku, so I contacted him on his email Ekpikuspellhomeofgrace@gmail.com when I get in touch with him, he assured me 100% that it will heal me, I begged Him to help me. My treatment was a great success, he healed me as he promised. He sent me his medication and asked me to go for check-up after 2 weeks of taking the medication. I agree with him, I took this medication and went to the check-up after 2 month, to my greatest surprise my result was negative after treatment, I am really happy that I am healed and healthy again. I waited for four months to make sure I was completely healed before writing this testimony. I did another blood test today and was still negative Herpes, so I think its time I tell someone out there with Herpes HSV-1 or HSV-2, HIV, HPV, hepatitis B, diabetes, cancer and so on, Dr. Ekpiku in the email: Ekpikuspellhomeofgrace@hotmail.com . Your phone number is +2348073673757, He is also on whats app. I completely understand how you can feel skeptical about it, because it happened to me, it can be expensive for you, but I'm telling you now that there is a cure for these diseases and I am a living witness firsthand.or you can email me on antoniojeffersoncole@gmail.com for any assistance.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello everyone, I was infected with the herpes virus and I got cured from the herpes virus few months ago after i contacted Dr Azuka. I saw a post on the internet after i have seek healing for several years from different doctors in California. I sent the Doctor a request for help, just a few email i followed his instruction and he sent me the medication. Now i am negative and i referred him to all my friend who had this same sickness and they have gotten their cure too. You can contact him via his email: Dr.azukasolutionhome@gmail.com or Phone call or whatsAPP: +2348132777335. While i was on his medication i understood that he can also cure HERPES, HIV/AIDS, CANCER, Male/female menopause, Miscarriage, Menstruation problems, PREGNANCY PROBLEM, EPILEPSY, GONORRHEA, LASSA FEVER, OBESITY, KIDNEY FAILURE, HYPERTENSION, FIBROID TUMOR, BRAIN FOG, EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS and many more.

    Contact him today and get your problem solved.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I found out, that taking herbal treatment is the best to get rid of hpv as soon as i feel the symptoms of hpv is appearing, i took the healing process by contacting Dr onokun for natural treatment it works wonders, amazingly ever since I had the herbal treatment i have not feel these horrible disease anymore and my doc told me the virus is gone, i am glad i finally got cured out from this horrible disease. every hpv or herpes patients should also get in touch with this herbalist Dr to get ride of these disease forever his email address;
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    ReplyDelete
  10. i'm from USA i want to testify of a great and powerful spell caster my husband left me and the kids for 2 weeks when i called him he didn't pick up when he came back home the 3rd week he told me he wanted a divorce i was so sad i cried all night he left again i was so lonely the next day i was searching for something online when i found a spell caster called dr ben who have helped so many people with their problems so i contacted him with my problems he told me it will take 48hrs and my husband will be back to me i did every thing he told me to do and the next day my husband came back kneeling and begging he canceled the divorce we are now happy together dr ben can help you too Email him at: drbenspellcaster@gmail.com or whatsapp him on : +2348151642717..

    ReplyDelete
  11. i already gave up on ever getting cured of HSV2 because i have try many treatment none of them work out for me i have go to different hospital they always tell me same thing there is no cure for herpes when i came across a post about Dr ohunyom, in the net from a lady called Angela i contacted him and he reassured me with him herbal medicine which i took according to the way he instructed, that how i was cured. I doubted at first because i have been to a whole lot of reputable doctors, tried a lot of medicines but none was able to cure me. so i decided to listen to him and he commenced treatment, and under two weeks i was totally fee from #Herpes. i want to say a very big thank you to DR ohunyom for what he has done in my life. feel free to leave him a message on email drohunyom@gmail.com and also WhatsApp him +2349060579973..
    He can still be able to help you with this herbs medicine:
    1...ALS CURE/DIABETES CURE/EPILESY/HPV CURE/LUPUS/HEPATITIS/CANCER/GOUT   

    ReplyDelete
  12. I want to share a testimony of how Dr.Osemuhau herbal mixture cream saves me from shame and disgrace, my penis was a big problem to me as the size was really so embarrassing,and i was also having weak erection problem. I can't make love to my wife and my penis was just too small a full grown man like me having 4 inches penis and to worsen it i don't last in sex i cant even last two minutes it was really a thing of shame to me. My wife was really tired of me because my sex life was very poor,she never enjoyed sex,i was always thinking and searching for solutions everywhere until when i saw a testimony of how Dr.Osemuhau herbal mixture cream have been helping people regarding their sex life, so i decided to give him a try and to my greatest surprise in less than one week of taking the herbs my penis grow to 8 inches i couldn't believe my eyes and as i speak now my penis is now 8 inches and i do not have week erection again. I can make love to my wife longer in bed. And my marriage is now stable,my wife now enjoy me very well in bed. can contact him drosemuhau@gmail.com {) or call or what-apps him through +2348168714427

    ReplyDelete
  13. NATURAL HERBS FOR CURING HIV, HERPES, HPV, HSV1&2, CANCER AND DIABETES

    I just experience the wonders of Dr Ohunyom herbs. God will continue to bless you Dr Ohunyom more abundantly for the good work you are doing in peoples life by curing them from different type of diseases. I will keep on testifying about your good work. I was diagnosed of herpes 6 months ago and my doctor told me that there is no cure. I did not believe him and i keep my faith up hoping that one day i will be cured from this horrible disease. One day i saw a post on HIV forum about a herbal doctor called Dr Ohunyom on how he cure people from diseases with his herbs and i quickly contact Dr Ohunyom on his email and explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that he is going to cure me and truly he prepared the cure and send it to me through UPS and gave me instructions on how to take it. After two weeks of taken the herbal cure, i went to my doctor for checkup and my result show Negative and my doctor told me that there is no trace of herpes in my body and the virus is completely gone from my body. Everybody at the clinic rejoice with me and they all ask for Dr Ohunyom contact. You can contact Dr Ohunyom on his email:drohunyom@gmail.com or WhatsApp him on +2349060579973.and He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases; eczema,urethra wart,chronic problems.Herpes, Cancer, Als,Hepatitis, Diabetes, HPV,Infections,ulcer  ETC

    ReplyDelete
  14. A big Thanks to you doctor   Just confirm am completely cure free from hsv with the help of his wonderful herbs medicine, may God continue to bless you and your wonderful herbs medicine thanks so much Dr Abubaka anyone looking for any herbs medicine should kindly contact Dr Abubaka  to place your order for his lovely herbs medicine Via email: DrAbubaka@gmail.com or WhatsApp: +2348075551672

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happiness is all i see now I never thought that I will be cured from HERPES virus again. I have been suffering from a deadly disease (HERPES) for the past 3 years now, I had spent a lot of money going from one places to another, from churches to churches, hospitals have been my home every day residence. Constant checks up have been my hobby not until this faithful day, I was searching through the internet, I saw a testimony on how DR agaba helped someone in curing his HERPES disease, quickly I copied his email which is Dragabasolutionhome@gmail.com just to give him a test I spoke to him, he asked me to do some certain things which I did, he told me that he is going to provide the herbal cure to me, which he did, then he asked me to go for medical checkup after some days after using the herbal cure, behold I was free from the deadly disease, he only asked me to post the testimony through the whole world, faithfully am doing it now, please brothers and sisters, he is great, I owe him in return. if you are having a similar problem just email him on : Dragabasolutionhome@gmail.com or WhatApp: +2349074536486  

    ReplyDelete