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Gaslighting Everything
Townhall.com ^ | November 12, 2021 | Erick Erickson

Posted on 11/12/2021 12:05:42 PM PST by Kaslin

The term "gaslighting" comes from the 1938 British play "Gas Light." In the play, a woman's husband pushes her to the edge of sanity by insisting their gas lighting is not dimming. In fact, it is dimming. Gaslighting is a manipulation tactic meant to convince people the things they see and know are not actually happening.

In the last four years, Democrats railed against then-President Donald Trump for gaslighting America. Trump would, in fact, often say things that were not true, and many of his supporters would go along with him. Now, however, it is the Democrats' turn and neither they nor their friends in the press seem too concerned. In fact, it appears much of the mainstream media is assisting in the gaslighting.

Back in 1933, MGM produced a propaganda film for President Franklin Roosevelt to support Roosevelt's plan to end the Great Depression by causing inflation. "As you probably know, the first step in the inflation plan puts 3 billion additional dollars in circulation. This will make money more plentiful, hence less valuable. With money less valuable, the purchasing power of the dollar will naturally drop. Therefore, the cost of living will be forced up." That was from 1933.

In the Great Depression, wages had fallen sharply and prices had collapsed. That is not the case now. Inflation was, at least at the time, presumed to be a good thing. Now, inflation is not a good thing and prices are skyrocketing. The Biden administration is gaslighting America by claiming dumping $3 trillion into the economy will actually stop inflation. Exactly the opposite will happen. Inflation already is happening with all the money already dropped into the economy.

At a basic level, if we presume the government gives everyone $500 to buy an Xbox, either the supply will be wiped out immediately or the price will skyrocket to maintain a reasonable supply. That is inflation. The Biden administration has dumped so much money into the economy that prices have skyrocketed to balance out the supply and demand curves. We have inflation.

Repeatedly, the Biden administration has claimed wages are going up. This too is gaslighting. Wages have barely increased, and inflation has far outpaced wages. Therefore, the purchasing power of each dollar now buys less than what a dollar bought just six months ago. It amounts to a wage cut.

The Biden administration is also gaslighting us on fuel prices. The official line is that oil is a global market and there is little the president can do. Take out even last year during the pandemic when no one traveled. Two years ago, fuel prices were lower.

Progressives in the Biden administration have willfully worked to make fuel costs higher. Until it hit their polling, Democrats openly said fuel prices needed to be higher to reduce demand for fossil fuels. The Biden administration canceled pipeline plans, canceled exploration leases on federal land and drove up regulatory costs for petroleum producers. These policies have contributed to the current fuel scarcity. When Trump was president, the United States was a net exporter of energy. Now we are left begging OPEC to produce more.

Through all of this, the American media has largely been complicit. Just the other day, MSNBC tweeted out an article claiming inflation was good for us. Others in the press have said inflation would be great to make Americans spend less. Others argued the shortages are a good thing because if Americans buy less, then less will be produced, and that is good for the climate.

At this point, Democrats seem almost willfully trying to lose the 2022 midterm elections. After the Virginia elections, Democrats doubled down on accusing voters of racism. Voters in Virginia elected the first black lieutenant governor for the state and the first Hispanic attorney general. But the talking heads in the press said it was just further proof of racism while still denying "critical race theory" is a thing.

Time and time again, Democrats have opted not to be truthful, but to instead advance a counterfactual narrative with the help of the press. Then they send the mob for the boy who points out their emperor has no clothes. With truth in short supply, they scream, "But Trump!"


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2022election; bidenadmin; bidenflation; demonrats; gaslighting; midterms2022
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1 posted on 11/12/2021 12:05:42 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Trump would, in fact, often say things that were not true, and many of his supporters would go along with him.

Proof of this Erick?

Surely you can name at least one example?

No?

So... you are a liar like your beloved PedoJoe and Whore.

You wanted them, you got them.

ENJOY!

2 posted on 11/12/2021 12:09:23 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (add a dab of lavender in milk, leave town with an orange and pretend you're laughing with it)
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To: Kaslin

Is not gaslighting and propaganda much the same thing?
Whatever it may be called, it is abuse of the first amendment.
The second amendment exists for correcting such abuse IMO.


3 posted on 11/12/2021 12:10:01 PM PST by right way right (May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our only true hope. )
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To: Kaslin

Please, Erick Erickson, list for us a few of the many things Trump would, in fact, often say that were not true.


4 posted on 11/12/2021 12:10:17 PM PST by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: Kaslin

Democrats complaining about non-Democrats lying are like Stalin or Mao complaining about other nations jailing innocents.


5 posted on 11/12/2021 12:13:37 PM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear; Jim W N

He thoroughly ruined an otherwise fine article with that extremely stupid statement.

Yes, name JUST ONE example!

Trump was the straightest shooter non-politician in office in my lifetime.


6 posted on 11/12/2021 12:16:17 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“…in any great disaster, there's a Harvard man in the middle of it.” ~ Thomas Sowell)
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To: Kaslin

Back in 1933, MGM produced a propaganda film for President Franklin Roosevelt to support Roosevelt’s plan to end the Great Depression by causing inflation. “As you probably know, the first step in the inflation plan puts 3 billion additional dollars in circulation. This will make money more plentiful, hence less valuable. With money less valuable, the purchasing power of the dollar will naturally drop. Therefore, the cost of living will be forced up.” That was from 1933.

Classic example where leftists reverse cause and effect. Dollars are neither goods nor services. Having more dollars does not create more goods or services.


7 posted on 11/12/2021 12:28:51 PM PST by Flick Lives (The future is a quiet world)
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To: Kaslin

The recent use of “gaslighting” was restarted by Republicans and conservatives during the Obama administration.


8 posted on 11/12/2021 12:30:10 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Kaslin
In the last four five years, Democrats railed against then-President Donald Trump for gaslighting America.

Trump would, in fact, often say things that were not true, and many of his supporters would go along with him.

Such as?

Now, however, it is the Democrats' turn and neither they nor their friends in the press seem too concerned. In fact, it appears much of the mainstream media is assisting in the gaslighting.

I guess he's a slow learner for just now noticing this.

9 posted on 11/12/2021 12:32:13 PM PST by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that most of the media is hate & agenda driven, not truth driven.)
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To: Kaslin

Bill Whittle describes this years back:

You’re not crazy. The Obama Administration will just keep GASLIGHTING you until you think you are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aw3df-LpbY


10 posted on 11/12/2021 12:34:50 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

After reading that asinine statement, I stopped right there. I don’t read stuff premised on b#ll sh#t.


11 posted on 11/12/2021 12:34:58 PM PST by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: Kaslin

re: “In the last four years, Democrats railed against then-President Donald Trump for gaslighting America. Trump would, in fact, often say things that were not true, and many of his supporters would go along with him.”

I was just “gas-lighted” in this article ...


12 posted on 11/12/2021 12:58:05 PM PST by _Jim (Save babies)
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To: KC_Conspirator
" The recent use of “gaslighting” was restarted by Republicans and conservatives during the Obama administration."

I never really liked the term "gaslighting". It's along the lines of "he lacked candor". I think it's an attempt to sugar coat the truth. The correct term is LYING.

13 posted on 11/12/2021 1:08:58 PM PST by precisionshootist
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To: Kaslin

14 posted on 11/12/2021 1:30:19 PM PST by caww ( )
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To: precisionshootist

The massive amounts of distortions to make people believe things that were just not true. Every month with the “unexpected” bad economic reports, year after year.


15 posted on 11/12/2021 2:52:23 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Kaslin

SUEE!


16 posted on 11/12/2021 2:54:22 PM PST by jacknhoo ( Luke 12:51; Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
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To: precisionshootist
Not quite.

Gaslighting goes beyond lying and into the land of brainwashing.

You are being told that what you see, hear, smell, taste and touch is not real and reality is what ever the party wants you to accept as real.

17 posted on 11/12/2021 3:22:15 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (add a dab of lavender in milk, leave town with an orange and pretend you're laughing with it)
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To: Kaslin

Classic Friday-news-dump stream-of-unconsciousness bullshit from a NeverTrumper. Remove it. BEG to have it removed.


18 posted on 11/12/2021 4:46:29 PM PST by StAnDeliver (Each of you have at least ONE of these in your 401k: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J, and MERCK)
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To: Kaslin

Sure thing Never Trumper.

Go suck eggs.


19 posted on 11/12/2021 7:16:02 PM PST by sauropod
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To: KC_Conspirator
The massive amounts of distortions to make people believe things that were just not true. Every month with the “unexpected” bad economic reports, year after year.

And how much can we, living in a supposedly free and democratic society, objectively check the verity of what our supposedly Free press tells us?

20 posted on 11/12/2021 8:46:49 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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