Bergdahl, Benghazi, Global Warming, and the Census: a roundup on deception

[Continuing our series on deception in politics and public policy.]

The power of Big Brother is rooted in deception.

Most of the time, freedom is lost not because it is taken from people by force, but because people give it up; they give it up because they accept the lies told them by the political classes.

The Obama administration is putting into effect an energy policy that will (in the President’s own words regarding his cap-and-trade scheme)  cause the price of electricity to “necessarily skyrocket,” which will cripple the economy (hurting poor people most severely) and critically weaken the U.S. in its dealings with other nations.  The administration will probably get away with this, because lots of influential people have come to believe in Global Warming theory, despite the scientific evidence to the contrary.

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen news stories that accepted without challenge the following “facts”:

Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA officer by a Bush administration official. Restrictions on gun ownership reduce crime. The government keeps track of the percentage of people who are poor. Vote fraud is pretty much non-existent in this country, and voter ID laws are part of a conspiracy to stop African-Americans from voting. The 9/11 attacks in 2012 were not about the anniversary of 9/11, but about a video attacking Islam. Also, the First Amendment doesn’t apply to you if you make a video attacking Islam. Barack Obama’s record of personal achievement shows that he is really, really smart. The name of the Washington Redskins is racist. All so-called “white” people, along with all people of Asian-Pacific descent, are members of a privileged elite that includes the children of Ivy League legacies and millionaire donors. Hispanics are a category of human beings separate from other Americans. “White” people will soon lose their status as the country’s majority. Trayvon Martin was the victim of George Zimmerman, who was a white racist. Matthew Shepard was murdered—indeed, crucified—because he was gay. Also, science shows that people are born gay. One female college student in five is raped.  Women make 77% of what men make for the same work.

None of those claims is true. Each falsehood is promoted by the political elite.

A few recent stories that highlight the importance of deception in the Bergdahl and Benghazi scandals, Global Warming, and  the U.S. Census (rigging the Census to hide the effect of Obamacare, falsely putting Hispanics in a separate category from other Americans, falsely reporting the number of same-sex couples):

• Bergdahl:

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/06/04/soldier-army-told-us-to-lie-about-bergdahls-capture

Soldier: Army told us to lie about Bergdahl’s capture

http://www.nationalreview.com/campaign-spot/379725/administrations-cavalcade-lies-bergdahl-deal-continues-jim-geraghty

The Administration’s Cavalcade of Lies on the Bergdahl Deal Continues

By Jim Geraghty

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/06/04/chuck-todd-white-house-accusing-vets-of-swiftboating-bergdahl

Chuck Todd: White House Accusing Vets of Swiftboating Bergdahl

• Benghazi:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/378292/benghazi-constructs-victor-davis-hanson

Benghazi Constructs 
Much is still murky, but the Obama team was at the least guilty of negligence and deception.

By Victor Davis Hanson

http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/05/benghazi_conspiracy_hell_yes.html

Benghazi conspiracy? Hell yes!

By Victor Volsky

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/08/why-democrats-are-so-scared-of-benghazi.html

Why Democrats Are So Scared of Benghazi

By Ron Christie

• Global Warming:

http://triblive.com/opinion/editorials/6106425-74/climate-warming-nipcc#axzz34BBuWfp4
The changing climate: Here’s the reality [editorial]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterferrara/2014/06/09/president-obamas-plan-to-de-develop-america-shifts-into-high-gear/
President Obama’s Plan To “De-develop” America Shifts Into High Gear
By Peter Ferrara

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303480304579578462813553136
The Myth of the Climate Change ‘97%’
What is the origin of the false belief—constantly repeated—that almost all scientists agree about global warming?
By JOSEPH BAST and ROY SPENCER

• The U.S. Census

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/census-change-obamacare-105757.html
Right outraged at Census change

http://www.mediaite.com/online/census-bureau-changes-health-care-survey-questions-hiding-effects-of-obamacare/
Census Bureau Changes Health Care Survey Questions Hiding Effects of Obamacare

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2014/04/28/undermining-measurement.html
Undermining measurement
Altering census questions makes it harder to judge health-care law
[editorial]

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/upshot/more-hispanics-declaring-themselves-white.html?_r=0
More Hispanics Declaring Themselves White

http://online.wsj.com/articles/amitai-etzioni-the-census-bureaus-racial-straitjacket-1401405022
The Census Bureau’s Racial Straitjacket
In the 2010 survey, 53% of Hispanics said they were white. The next census may not let them.
By AMITAI ETZIONI

 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/05/13/census-struggles-to-reach-an-accurate-number-on-gay-marriages/
Census struggles to reach an accurate number on gay marriages

[…and an older article from the Freakonomics people:]
http://freakonomics.com/2011/09/29/census-bureau-cuts-number-of-same-sex-married-couples-in-half/
Census Bureau Cuts Number of Same-Sex Married Couples in Half