What is the actual “unfortunate truth?” It is the relentless barrage of lies and twisted, self-serving, short-sighted propaganda we are subjected to by the energy sector, the private health insurance sector and the conservative talking-head sector.
A couple of the latest salvos can be found locally in the Tribune-Star. One was a full-page advertisement from the group Energy Citizens and the other was Diana West’s pitiful attempt to advocate for Rush Limbaugh’s rights.
The ad claims “Another unfortunate truth about Congress’s climate bill” will be the loss of 2 million jobs. Besides being another lie, it baits us with passive-aggressive terminology and partisan coding. These communication strategies have dominated the “no-change” sectors’ efforts to dig in like ticks against reforms intended to improve the lives of all Americans and make us a more civil society, create a fairer, more robust economy and advance our role as a responsible, cooperative global neighbor and leader.
This is not baseless criticism. Using tactics employed by health insurance companies, the American Petroleum Institute created Energy Citizens and directed them to hold rallies, put ads in papers and disrupt progressive energy reform. They have a list of places to target and Indiana is on that list. The “evidence” cited in these taser tactics of predicting massive job losses and high gas prices if Congress has its way is the result of “research” done by Charles River Associates International. Why doubt their evidence or research? It is widely known that Charles River Associates has been producing flawed research for many years to support the claims of those in the energy and conservative business sectors (see U.S. Chamber of Commerce).
Charles River Associates uses a proprietary research method that resists objective scrutiny while cherry-picking data that ensures the results their clients want. It has done the same thing to fight environmental protection policies, citing extreme projections, well beyond those of government or academic research (10 to 14 times more extreme), of damages to agricultural industries, dramatic food cost increases, etc. All of this is designed to scare people and fabricate opposition to policies that might derail their clients’ gravy train.
As for West, she views aggressive rebuking and containment of those in her camp, such as Limbaugh, as a violation of free expression. Necessary to her indignant outrage is neglecting that the allegations and commentary about Limbaugh and the others are true! These people are guilty of knowingly trying to dupe American citizens out of their birthrights and as a result should be treated like the carpetbaggers and vandals they are.
Perhaps the message in all this is to be smarter about what you believe, especially when the stakes are high, investigate your sources and remember that trust is the mother of deceit. Marian Wright Edelman points out that “We do not have a money problem in America. We have a values and priorities problem.” Our government is us. It is not some foreign conglomerate shipped in to tell us what to do. We dictate the values and the priorities and task them to solve problems accordingly. While the control big-money interests have over our government suggests otherwise, their money would have much less influence if more Americans were in agreement over the issues, held politicians accountable and we all treated the truth with respect.
— Don Rogers
Terre Haute
Flashpoint
FLASHPOINT: Unfortunately, the truth is often twisted
- Flashpoint
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FLASHPOINT: Is this really the best we can do?
As you know if you pay attention to national affairs, the United States faces a perfect fiscal storm at the end of this year.
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FLASHPOINT:Bipartisan vs. Nonpartisan
During the primary election season there was much discussion regarding whether bipartisanship is a positive or negative attribute as it relates to the work of the United States Congress.
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FLASHPOINT: School libraries essential for reading achievement
If the situation were not so serious, it would be laughable. How can we improve reading achievement if we make it more difficult to put books in the hands of our children?
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FLASHPOINT: Lugar warns of 'unrelenting partisan mindset'
I would like to comment on the Senate race just concluded and the direction of American politics and the Republican Party.
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FLASHPOINT: Is money a problem in politics? Depends on where you sit
The role of money in politics needs to be better understood. Does it make the political system work better, or is it a problem — and if so, how much of one?
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FLASHPOINT: ‘Private’ clubs should be exempt from smoking bans
Over the past several years I have watched the Vigo County Council, followed by the City Council, and lastly the legislature of the great state of Indiana, wrestle with a smoking ban.
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FLASHPOINT: Downtown developers should share more details on project
With all of the opinions being expressed about the fate of the 500 block of Wabash Avenue, one element is sorely missing: the details.
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FLASHPOINT: Be careful when making accusations of ‘racism’
Perhaps, in a way that he doesn’t understand, Attorney General Eric Holder is correct in accusing America of being cowardly about discussing issues of race.
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FLASHPOINT: Historic hotel demolition was shameful day for Terre Haute
In an April 13 article on the potential demolition of historic buildings at Fifth and Wabash for student housing, Mike Ellis says, “I love the old historic buildings and have always had a passion to see them saved and restored. I was an opponent of seeing the Terre Haute House come down and the new hotel go up,” he said. “I have been proven wrong with what that would do for Terre Haute.”
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FLASHPOINT: Notes on saving structural history
There are several reasons why the historic buildings adjacent and west of Roger’s Jewelers should be saved, and why our downtown needs to protect and embrace our remaining historic fabric. First and foremost, rehab and reuse saves our historic buildings for future generations to experience, and the more architectural authenticity our downtown preserves, the more admired and “walkable” it will become.
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FLASHPOINT: Can anyone hear the call from Farrington's Grove
On Friday, March 30, a dear friend was brutally attacked in broad daylight in an alley in the neighborhood I grew up in, on the edge of Farrington’s Grove.
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FLASHPOINT: We have the power to co-exist without violence or prejudice
Innumerable forces in our lives, and throughout our society, seem to have convinced us that immediacy is best. We have to do it now. We have to have it now. We must go there now. We need it now!
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FLASHPOINT: Issue surrounding Florida shooting fueled by race
I am writing as a mother and as president of the Terre Haute branch of the NAACP because there may be some who wonder why the shooting of Trayvon Martin has created such an uproar: “What exactly is the issue?”
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FLASHPOINT: Indiana — open for business
With the 2012 legislative session in the rearview mirror, the two-year work of the 117th General Assembly elected in November of 2010 is complete.
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FLASHPOINT: The Constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act
On March 26, the United States Supreme Court will begin three days of hearings with six hours of oral argument on the constitutional challenge filed by Indiana and 25 other states against certain sections of the federal health care law: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare.” This historic lawsuit will explore the limits of the power of Congress under the U.S. Constitution.
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FLASHPOINT: The burning questions of ‘Fahrenheit 451’
“Remember the firemen are rarely necessary. The public stopped reading of its own accord.” — Ray Bradbury, “Fahrenheit 451”
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FLASHPOINT: Wonderful place to be during a very hard time
University Hospital (Indianapolis), part of IU Health Group, is a wonderful place to be if you are seriously ill.
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FLASHPOINT: America’s energy brings America jobs
The increase in fuel prices affects many aspects of our daily lives.
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FLASHPOINT: Change coming to the Indiana Statehouse
The General Assembly is about to undergo a major face-lift. I’m not talking about new construction. I’m talking about destruction — partisan destruction, in fact.
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FLASHPOINT: White House rejects Keystone XL: Sad day for U.S. workers
Imagine a project that could create 20,000 American jobs during construction, and as many as half a million longer-term positions.
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FLASHPOINT: Graduation rates are up; great news for Indiana
As Hoosiers celebrate the conclusion of a truly remarkable Super Bowl experience, there is even more good news that should fill us with pride.
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FLASHPOINT: Tech trail leading us into a dense, digital forest
It seems the Southwest Parke schools are the latest to play the laptop lottery game.
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FLASHPOINT: Republicans enable war on middle class, unions
About six years ago at the pinnacle of the Bush/GOP Dictatorship, I began telling you that the wealthy and Corporate America were laying the ground work to politically, financially and physically take over America.
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FLASHPOINT: Howey ignores truth to advance his agenda
Brian Howey’s Jan. 8 column about the U.S. Senate race proves once again that he will not allow the facts or journalistic ethics to get in the way of attacking Richard Mourdock and promoting his chosen candidate, Dick Lugar.
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FLASHPOINT: Putting fairness first
This time of year, with chords of Auld Lang Syne still ringing in our ears, it’s not uncommon or unnatural to think of days gone by as being more desirable than the era we live in today.
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FLASHPOINT: What really motivates right-to-work proposal?
You may have heard about the upcoming “right-to-work” legislation before our lawmakers in the next session of “law making.”
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FLASHPOINT: The right-to-work debate: ‘Devil at Our Doorstep’
As the 2012 Indiana Legislative Assembly convenes, January will represent a tipping point for all Hoosiers’ individual freedoms as politicians and Big Labor draw battle lines to determine if Indiana will become the 23rd right-to-work state.
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FLASHPOINT: State’s House Democrats will offer alternative for job creation
As the leaders of single-party control in state government outline their agendas for the 2012 session of the Indiana General Assembly, it is easy to be cynical about their intentions in the months to come.
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FLASHPOINT: Community colleges must lead way in reshaping higher education
In the 1970s, I began what was three decades in the automotive industry. ... Today, in my position as president of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, I see higher education confronted with some of these same challenges.
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FLASHPOINT: There’s little right about ‘right to work’ proposal
The danger contained in these three simple words – “Right to Work” — is that they sound so innocent.
- More Flashpoint Headlines
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FLASHPOINT: Is this really the best we can do?
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