"You Can't Face the Truth"

* The inability of some to face the truth is a topic that I have addressed quite often in this blog. I first discussed the issue in my second blog posting ("Some thoughts on world views and other matters"). I most recently discussed the issue in my last posting ("Odds and Ends," with reference to a quote from Proust). The issue has come up yet again; and as with my second posting, it involved a discussion with attorneys.

* I was speaking with two liberal (socialist?) attorneys about the ACA/Obamacare. I asked if they would at least agree that Obama lied about the ability to keep your own insurance. When they advised me that Obama did not lie (although everything he said did not pan out as predicted), I said that I could prove that he lied. The reaction was swift and severe. One started talking about Bush. The other, quite hostile and angry, insisted that I could not prove Obama lied. Furthermore, he took great offense when people falsely attacked his President. I was not given the opportunity to make my case.

* Attorneys, arguably, are part of the "intelligentsia" of society. But, as noted in the post "An Open Letter to Professor Stephen Hawking," intelligence is no match for liberal brainwashing. And what else would you call it really? After all, attorneys are taught to question. It is what attorneys do when cross-examining a witness. But questioning one's own beliefs - now that's a different ballgame altogether. Sadly, questioning the veracity of Obama is the equivalent of questioning their belief in G-d (or any other fundamental belief about the world) for these liberals. So, did Obama lie?

* Politifact called it the "lie of the year" for 2013. The Washington Post's fact checker gave Obama's promise about keeping your policy 4 pinocchios. (They have a 1 to 4 scale, with only the biggest lies getting 4 pinocchios.) Still not enough? NBC was told of internal White House memos from 2010, advising Obama that millions of Americans would lose their policies. However, Obama was not deterred and kept repeating his falsehood time after time after time. Finally, on November 4, Obama said "Now, if you have or had one of these plans before the Affordable Care Act came into law, and you really liked that plan, what we said was you can keep it if it hasn't changed since the law passed." Of course, Obama said nothing of the sort. He did say: "If you like your policy you can keep your policy. Period. No one will take it away from you."

* Ordinarily, the two above-referenced attorneys would have no difficulty in cross-examining a witness who gave two such conflicting statements about whether or not people could keep their policies. Sooner or later they would be asking the witness: "Were you lying when you said you can keep your policy, period? Or were you lying when you claimed that you qualified that remark and added 'if no changes were made to the policy?' Because the first remark was an absolute assurance with no qualifiers."

* It is quite upsetting to speak with people who reject the use of analytical thinking in favor of dogma. Think of all the political movements throughout history where masses of people were brainwashed to accept their leader's ideology. Now think of all the tens of millions of people who were murdered during the 20th century in the name of various political dogmas. So this favoring of dogma over truth is quite serious business. It reflects a willingness to be led down any path, by any popular, eloquent speaker, who may express ideas with which you generally agree. So what if those two attorneys, again, were part of a larger mob, and I dared to insult their leader? Would I be turned in to the authorities for blasphemy? Injured? Killed? As I write these words I cannot honestly say that I would feel safe in a crowd of such similarly-minded people.

* In fact, of the various episodes of discrimination that I have experienced (as a result of my religion, one time, and as a result of my disability, two times), the worst by far has been the mistreatment received as a result of my being a conservative Republican. Some just make fun of me, others act as if there is something wrong with me, and others still have told me to my face - with some vitriol - that they "hate Republicans."

* No one should finish reading this post and think that I am just talking about two attorneys. Far from it. As noted above, just look at the 20th century. Also, take a look again at the 1/26/14 post entitled "Liberals' Views of Conservatives" (regarding remarks by the New York Democratic State Governor as to whether conservatives were welcome in New York State). Take another look at the 8/2/2012 post entitled "Why I Am No Longer a Democrat" (concerning what four Democratic big city mayors had to say about the right of Chick-Fil-A to do business in their cities). So let me be clear - I am neither kidding nor intentionally overstating my fears and concerns about being cornered by a group of dogmatic people, similar in belief to the two attorneys discussed above.

* I have heard and read opinions by some about whether America should be divided into two countries - one "red" and one "blue." I am not in favor of that. I have even heard concerns expressed about whether America might be headed for a civil war. Needless to say, I am not in favor of that either. But just where are we headed when two otherwise bright attorneys would rather shout me down than hear the truth?