{"id":6583,"date":"2016-08-07T12:07:58","date_gmt":"2016-08-07T17:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/?page_id=6583"},"modified":"2022-08-26T13:02:33","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T18:02:33","slug":"deception-obfuscation-misdirection","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/deception-obfuscation-misdirection","title":{"rendered":"Deception, Obfuscation & Misdirection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image: Roy Lichtenstein<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most are familiar with the concept of FUD<\/strong>\u2014short for Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt<\/strong>. It summarizes a strategy often used in marketing<\/strong> and political propaganda<\/strong>. Its effects are pernicious<\/strong>, divisive<\/strong> and lead to exploitation<\/strong>. Examples abound. Fear is a strong motivator! <\/strong>To resist FUD one must understand how it is practiced using the principles of Deception, Obfuscation and Misdirection<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Deception<\/em><\/span> is just a polite way to say “Lie.”<\/strong> We all make statements that aren’t true. This is usually unintended. We are not trying to deceive. We self-correct and accept corrections from others. Lying implies knowledge of the truth and an intention to conceal it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"liar-jon-kyl\"An infamous example was a statement made on the floor of the US Senate by Jon Kyl<\/strong> during a budget showdown where he stated that, “Abortion is well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.<\/em>” This figure wasn’t just a little bit off, it was the exact opposite<\/strong> of the truth (3%). The next day his office released a terse retraction, “his remark was not intended to be a factual statement<\/a>.” What then was<\/em> his intention?! There are two possibilities, he was either aware of the truth and lied, or he didn’t care what the true figure was and just pulled it out of his ass! In short he is either a liar or a bullshitter<\/strong>, conduct unbecoming a US senator. (No longer in the Senate, Jon Kyl is\u2014you guessed it\u2014a lobbyist!)<\/p>\n

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See the slim volume On Bullshit<\/a><\/em> by Harry Frankfurt for more on Lies vs BS.<\/p>\n