Does anyone even know what’s true anymore?

It wasn’t so long ago that Vice President Kamala Harris took to the pulpit to do what she does best – lecture everyone about the lack of “common humanity” being displayed in a world which, to her, had turned their backs starving Palestinians who were profoundly suffering. But was it even true? 

Someone in the Biden administration apparently believed it was because their solution was to airdrop aid into the Gaza Strip, in the form of 38,000 meals, some of which ended up in the sea as a result of the miscalculations of one plane. Yet, rather than elation, one Gazan man’s response was rejection of that provision while being filmed throwing the food into the garbage, because it was parachuted into Gaza by the U.S. Air Force. But why would any starving person care who supplied the very thing that could save his life? What’s true?  We really don’t know.

We’ve seen clips showing dead Gazan babies, who others claim are nothing more than life-like plastic dolls being used as props while parents, being filmed, weep over their little lifeless bodies. Many of us have seen bloodied Gazans with head bandages being taken away in gurneys only to jump off of them once they thought the camera had stopped rolling.  

Of course, everyone remembers the fake claims that Israel bombed al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, blaming the IDF for the death of 500. It turned out that a misfired Gazan rocket had been responsible for a hospital parking lot blast that ended up killing 50 of their own people.

Almost nothing we read or even see today can immediately be taken at face value, and the reason is that truthful reporting in no way serves the specific narrative and goals which must be embellished and doctored in order to spread hate and contempt for the enemy, who must be demonized at all costs – even if it comes down to out-and-out lying.

And why is that?  Because dishonest people have figured out that their greatest asset, in the war of public opinion that is being waged, can be won with the help of false and libelous accounts that end up being the most effective weapons. These carefully staged performances, videos or even unsubstantiated claims are meant to be salacious and damning in order for a willing audience to run with the wrong information and spread it around before it ever has a chance to be corrected. By then, many may have missed it or come to the conclusion that it is a pitiful attempt to squirm out of incriminating charges, choosing to believe the original erroneous version.   

If lying is the key to victory, then how adept and convincing one is, in putting forth their curated propaganda, remains the ultimate objective in winning over hearts and minds. And that is exactly what is going on!

One example is the Arab news service, Al Jazeera, originating from Qatar, which has been accused of lying and acting as a propaganda arm for Hamas, spreading incitement according to Arab-Israeli journalist, Yoseph Haddad. Claiming they employ technology to doctor footage that is used to their advantage, Haddad states that they are no different from ISIS and other terrorists who must be condemned and stopped.

A couple of weeks ago, Al Jazeera falsely reported that “IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari had resigned from his position.” Why would they do that, only to be debunked and proven disreputable? Because it was part of a calculated series of lies that began to spread, claiming that “mass resignations” have been occurring within high-ranking officials in the military, as if to say that their consciences wouldn’t allow them to participate further into the conduct of this war. “Despite being false, these reports were shared vigorously on posts throughout social media sources including Reddit, Threads, X and Facebook.”

Others were exposed to these same reports through London-based media, Middle East Eye along with the Turkish website, TRT World. Together, both sources have over 3.7 million followers. Not only were the reports not true, but original texts were changed to make the claims sound even more shocking by suggesting that these personnel didn’t want to be “implicit in genocide.” 

Of course, it was predictable that these posts would eventually be retracted, and although Al Jazeera did that, it was only after “the false information had reached over 31,000 views.” No worries, though. Surely all 31,000 will also receive word that the report was inaccurate. 

While there are no illusions as to why the media is involved in this kind of dishonest reporting, inasmuch as they want to sell their stories, the question is, “Does the public prefer to hear lies, embellishments and falsified versions of news that have been altered and reconstructed to reflect a political or ideological bias, rather than the unadulterated truth which reflects an accurate accounting of what is honestly happening?”

Because if there is a market for fictional depictions that reflect what the public hopes to hear, then this kind of fraudulent reporting will continue to garner popularity and be widely disseminated, but if this is not what most people want to hear, then it’s up to them to reject the corruption and manipulation of news which is being flooded into homes throughout the world. 

We are living at a time when technology and artificial intelligence have become useful tools in facilitating deception, doing a terrible disservice to humanity which is being cynically played as part of a systematic exploitation in order to elicit the desired response. It’s nothing more than mind control in all of its glory. 

But for free thinkers and honest brokers to remain untainted, there must be a firm pushback against this type of devious maneuvering and contriving which is a clever tactic in an attempt to change public perception. If you think about it, the power of the media has the ability to foment hatred, cast blame upon the innocent, cause war to be more imminent, champion evildoers and even gain sympathy for those who are lying in the hope of being the beneficiary of misguided pity.

Regrettably, fact checkers are just as guilty, if not more, when it comes to holding the media accountable, because they, too, have been caught cooking the books. 

In a Heritage Foundation article entitled, “Fact Check: Fact-checkers falsely claim they are fact-checkers, the author summarizes his commentary by saying, “Taking a look at their pattern of practice will give you a pretty good idea of what the industry really is all about and why you should be instantly skeptical when presented with a ‘fact check’ from any corporate media source. They perform a dirty job that doesn’t require much skill or honesty, but it is nonetheless an effective one for advancing their left-wing causes.”

While truth may not always be comfortable or convenient, it still is the best way to retain integrity, credibility and the honest reflection of reality – all of which continue to have my vote!