Friends of Liberty, we have reached a point where we must apply a healthy skepticism to anything reported by our Government or the Mainstream Media. They are shameless and unapologetic in their lies and deceptions.

The latest trick is to release higher than expected numbers for new unemployment claims. This raises the unemployment tally for a few days. Then the real numbers are released and they are revised downward. Unemployment goes from 10.2% to 10.0% and this is hailed as progress, a sure sign the economy is in recovery.

The GDP in the 3rd Quarter was first reported by the Government as a positive 3.2%. This was hailed as proof Obama’s stimulus is working. The figure was later revised down to 2.8% and finally, just recently revised to 2.2%. Whereas, the news of the 3.2% growth was on the front page of all the major newspapers and network news broadcasts, the revision occupied a small space on the business pages of newspapers, buried deep in the back.

The GDP in the 4th Quarter has just been reported at a staggering 5.7% growth. Again, there are deceptions in this number as well. Fourth Quarters are always skewed because end of year inventories are counted as “domestic product”, even though they are not sold. It remains to be seen whether these inventoried goods will be sold at rates which sustain this growth rate. You can bet the 4th Quarter GDP will be revised downwards in the next month.

Even when not manipulated, GDP numbers in general are not reliable indicators of the private sector economy since Government spending is such a huge factor in the calculation. GDP is calculated from CIG (C: consumer spending, I: capital investment, G: Government spending). Government spending is included since it is assumed there had to be ‘domestic product’ taxed to provide that revenue. If a large portion of the Government spending comes from borrowed or printed money, the meaning of GDP lost.

Another trick the media uses is to highlight any decrease in the rate of increasing unemployment. The economy can lose a half million jobs one month, then when it only loses 200,000 the next month it is hailed as recovery. The net result is an increase in unemployment, but the decrease in the rate of increase is deemed good news. Of course, it is not explained that way. Not one of these reports can point to actual jobs created, to a reduction in those out of work.

This is similar to a trick used in George Orwell’s 1984. In the book, when the Government had to cut rationing of some commodity, the Ministry of Propaganda would not say, “Chocolate Rations cut to 8 oz per month.” The story would say, “Chocolate rations increased to 8 oz per month.” Anyone who noticed they previously received 10 ounces was told they were mistaken or they must have accidentally received more than their fair share. 

In Orwell’s police-state society the Ministry of Propaganda controlled history and went so far as to alter historical documents, newspapers, etc to reflect the current version of truth. Many people undoubtedly noticed the alterations, but no one questioned them for fear of being identified as a conspirator, full of wrong-think.

Today, the Obama Administration is pushing for something called Net Neutrality, with the Government regulating the distribution and eventual content of the Internet. I admit it would be nearly impossible to physically alter every print newspaper in the country, but if you control the Internet, how hard would it be for an invasive program to find this data and alter it? And if no one in the media is willing to see—much less publish—the physical evidence of lies, where does that leave us? Who or what are we to believe? The Administration or our own lying eyes?

Jim Clonts

www.jimclonts.com