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Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics
A stunning investigation of the history of organized misinformation in politics.In today’s post-truth political landscape, there is a carefully concealed but ever-growing industry of organized misinformation that exists to create and disseminate lies in the service of political agendas. Ari Rabin-Havt and Media Matters for America present a revelatory history of this industry—which they've dubbed Lies, Incorporated—and show how it has crippled legislative progress on issues including tobacco regulation, public health care, climate change, gun control, immigration, abortion, and same-sex marriage. Eye-opening and indispensable, Lies, Incorporated takes an unflinching look at the powerful network of politicians and special interest groups that have launched coordinated assaults on the truth to shape American politics.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
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October 13, 2017
Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics by Ari Rabin-Havt and Media Matters for America
“Lies, Incorporated” is a fascinating look at organized misinformation in politics that impede progress. Host of The Agenda and author Ari Rabin-Havt exposes an industry that purposely lies to advance the agenda of their clients. This book covers hot topics that range from tobacco to gay marriages. This insightful 258-page book includes the following ten chapters: 1. The Birth of Lies, Incorporated: Tobacco, 2. Tobacco’s Sequel: Climate Change, 3. Lie Panel: Health Care, 4. Growth in a Time of Lies: Debt, 5. On the Border of Truth: Immigration Reform, 6. Two Dangerous Weapons: Guns and Lies, 7. One Lie, One Vote: Voter I.D. Laws, 8. Shut That Whole Lie Down: Abortion, 9. A Lie’s Last Gasp: Gay Marriage, and 10. Defeating Lies, Incorporated.
Positives:
1. A well-written, well-researched book.
2. A fascinating topic, a political industry dedicating to manipulating the truth.
3. Clear and concise which adds to the enjoyment of reading. The book has a good rhythm.
4. Doesn’t waste time getting to the main point of this book. “This is because lies, along with money and lobbying, constitute three essential elements that distort our policy-making process.” “Our democracy has been hacked, manipulated by political practitioners who recognize that as long as there is no truth, there can be no progress.”
5. Examples of key legislative cases that impact our political process. “The most prominent case was 2010’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which held that the federal government could not restrict independent political spending by nonprofit corporations.”
6. Discloses the impetus behind lobbyists. “In 1971, future Supreme Court justice Lewis Powell wrote a memo to Eugene B. Sydnor, Jr., chairman of the Education Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recommending a shift in strategy by the business community to a more aggressive posture, opposing government regulation, consumer advocates, and unions.”
7. Great examples of major issues and the political machines behind the misinformation. “The Tobacco Industry Research Committee was created to cast doubt on scientific consensus that smoking cigarettes causes cancer, to convince the media that there were two sides to the story about the risks of tobacco and that each side should be considered with equal weight.”
8. The extent of how far the misinformation machine is willing to go to move their products/agenda. “What made this strategy morally reprehensible was that the companies knew from the moment they launched their effort that cigarettes were killing millions of people.” “The tobacco industry’s goal was clear: it would sabotage public knowledge.”
9. A fascinating look at the climate change misinformation machines. “The simplest explanation for this ideological alliance is money. The pockets of the fossil fuel industry run deep. Exxon alone has contributed tens of millions of dollars to dozens of conservative organizations whose work obfuscates the truth about global warming.”
10. In defense of scientific consensus. “While there have been debates about specific data points, the overall theory that temperatures remained fairly constant on earth over 1,900 years and then suddenly spiked as humans began to dump carbon into the atmosphere is accepted as true, with near scientific certainty.”
11. A look at Obama’s “death panels”. “Fact-checkers and the mainstream media repeatedly debunked the death panel claim in an attempt to remove it from the conversation. Forty news organizations, including the Associated Press, issued fact checks of Palin, showing she was wrong.”
12. Is there really growth in a time of debt? “Those inclined to believe Reinhart and Rogoff’s conclusions have continued to cling to the idea that cutting the deficit is a critical and immediate need, despite evidence to the contrary.”
13. The misinformation on immigration reform. “It was during this period that conservative think tanks, most notably the Heritage Foundation, reinvigorated their campaign of lies and falsehoods about immigration.”
14. The common bond of the misinformation machine. “Like those opposed to confronting climate change, or passing gun safety legislation, they knew that if you can tell enough lies, you can halt progress.”
15. Guns and lies don’t mix. “The text of the bill did not matter, and pro-gun supporters continually and baselessly claimed that the background checks in Manchin-Toomey would create a federal registration of firearms.” “Contrary to Lott’s suggestion that more guns equaled less crime, a fair-minded, unmanipulated look at the available data demonstrated the opposite of Lott’s conclusions.”
16. A look at voter I.D. Laws. “The GOP screams voter fraud when they lose elections, often making claims such as that “dogs and dead people”11 voted. What they’re really saying is that too many people of color voted. Voter I.D. requirements tip the scales back in their favor.”
17. What’s really behind voter “fraud”. “But beyond decreasing confidence in our electoral process, these stories of voter fraud have been used for much more nefarious ends: encouraging the passage of policies that result in voter suppression.”
18. The hot-button issue of abortion in perspective. “This provably incorrect lie about conception not resulting from rape provides evidence for two components of the right’s efforts to stop abortion. First, it allows pro-lifers to argue that rape exceptions are unnecessary because it happens so rarely. Second, it implies that rapes rarely occur at all.” “Scientific research studies have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer.”
19. The lies behind gay marriage. “The conservative movement’s objection to same-sex marriage and gay culture in general is deeply rooted in conservative Christian dogma.”
20. A section on how to defeat the lies. “News organizations and reporters need to be held accountable when they give equal weight to scientists talking about climate change and industry-funded deniers.”
Negatives:
1. A stronger section on how to defeat the lies was warranted.
2. Lacks visual material to complement the excellent narrative.
3. No formal bibliography.
In summary, what an interesting and insightful read this was. Ari Rabin-Havt succeeds in meeting my expectations of introducing the key players behind the misinformation industry and their goals. Most of the hot-button issues are covered and there is something of interest for everybody. The only thing that keeps this book from five stars is the lack of supplementary visual material that would have complemented the excellent material. A lot of fun, I recommend it!
Further recommendations: “Merchants of Doubt” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Science” by Sherry Seethaler, “Reality Check” by Donald R. Prothero, “The Fox Effect” by David Brock, “Weaponized Lies” by Daniel J. Levitan, and “The War on Science” by Shawn Lawrence Otto, “The Death of Expertise” by Tom Nichols, and “Democracy in Chains” by Nancy MacLean.
“Lies, Incorporated” is a fascinating look at organized misinformation in politics that impede progress. Host of The Agenda and author Ari Rabin-Havt exposes an industry that purposely lies to advance the agenda of their clients. This book covers hot topics that range from tobacco to gay marriages. This insightful 258-page book includes the following ten chapters: 1. The Birth of Lies, Incorporated: Tobacco, 2. Tobacco’s Sequel: Climate Change, 3. Lie Panel: Health Care, 4. Growth in a Time of Lies: Debt, 5. On the Border of Truth: Immigration Reform, 6. Two Dangerous Weapons: Guns and Lies, 7. One Lie, One Vote: Voter I.D. Laws, 8. Shut That Whole Lie Down: Abortion, 9. A Lie’s Last Gasp: Gay Marriage, and 10. Defeating Lies, Incorporated.
Positives:
1. A well-written, well-researched book.
2. A fascinating topic, a political industry dedicating to manipulating the truth.
3. Clear and concise which adds to the enjoyment of reading. The book has a good rhythm.
4. Doesn’t waste time getting to the main point of this book. “This is because lies, along with money and lobbying, constitute three essential elements that distort our policy-making process.” “Our democracy has been hacked, manipulated by political practitioners who recognize that as long as there is no truth, there can be no progress.”
5. Examples of key legislative cases that impact our political process. “The most prominent case was 2010’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which held that the federal government could not restrict independent political spending by nonprofit corporations.”
6. Discloses the impetus behind lobbyists. “In 1971, future Supreme Court justice Lewis Powell wrote a memo to Eugene B. Sydnor, Jr., chairman of the Education Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recommending a shift in strategy by the business community to a more aggressive posture, opposing government regulation, consumer advocates, and unions.”
7. Great examples of major issues and the political machines behind the misinformation. “The Tobacco Industry Research Committee was created to cast doubt on scientific consensus that smoking cigarettes causes cancer, to convince the media that there were two sides to the story about the risks of tobacco and that each side should be considered with equal weight.”
8. The extent of how far the misinformation machine is willing to go to move their products/agenda. “What made this strategy morally reprehensible was that the companies knew from the moment they launched their effort that cigarettes were killing millions of people.” “The tobacco industry’s goal was clear: it would sabotage public knowledge.”
9. A fascinating look at the climate change misinformation machines. “The simplest explanation for this ideological alliance is money. The pockets of the fossil fuel industry run deep. Exxon alone has contributed tens of millions of dollars to dozens of conservative organizations whose work obfuscates the truth about global warming.”
10. In defense of scientific consensus. “While there have been debates about specific data points, the overall theory that temperatures remained fairly constant on earth over 1,900 years and then suddenly spiked as humans began to dump carbon into the atmosphere is accepted as true, with near scientific certainty.”
11. A look at Obama’s “death panels”. “Fact-checkers and the mainstream media repeatedly debunked the death panel claim in an attempt to remove it from the conversation. Forty news organizations, including the Associated Press, issued fact checks of Palin, showing she was wrong.”
12. Is there really growth in a time of debt? “Those inclined to believe Reinhart and Rogoff’s conclusions have continued to cling to the idea that cutting the deficit is a critical and immediate need, despite evidence to the contrary.”
13. The misinformation on immigration reform. “It was during this period that conservative think tanks, most notably the Heritage Foundation, reinvigorated their campaign of lies and falsehoods about immigration.”
14. The common bond of the misinformation machine. “Like those opposed to confronting climate change, or passing gun safety legislation, they knew that if you can tell enough lies, you can halt progress.”
15. Guns and lies don’t mix. “The text of the bill did not matter, and pro-gun supporters continually and baselessly claimed that the background checks in Manchin-Toomey would create a federal registration of firearms.” “Contrary to Lott’s suggestion that more guns equaled less crime, a fair-minded, unmanipulated look at the available data demonstrated the opposite of Lott’s conclusions.”
16. A look at voter I.D. Laws. “The GOP screams voter fraud when they lose elections, often making claims such as that “dogs and dead people”11 voted. What they’re really saying is that too many people of color voted. Voter I.D. requirements tip the scales back in their favor.”
17. What’s really behind voter “fraud”. “But beyond decreasing confidence in our electoral process, these stories of voter fraud have been used for much more nefarious ends: encouraging the passage of policies that result in voter suppression.”
18. The hot-button issue of abortion in perspective. “This provably incorrect lie about conception not resulting from rape provides evidence for two components of the right’s efforts to stop abortion. First, it allows pro-lifers to argue that rape exceptions are unnecessary because it happens so rarely. Second, it implies that rapes rarely occur at all.” “Scientific research studies have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer.”
19. The lies behind gay marriage. “The conservative movement’s objection to same-sex marriage and gay culture in general is deeply rooted in conservative Christian dogma.”
20. A section on how to defeat the lies. “News organizations and reporters need to be held accountable when they give equal weight to scientists talking about climate change and industry-funded deniers.”
Negatives:
1. A stronger section on how to defeat the lies was warranted.
2. Lacks visual material to complement the excellent narrative.
3. No formal bibliography.
In summary, what an interesting and insightful read this was. Ari Rabin-Havt succeeds in meeting my expectations of introducing the key players behind the misinformation industry and their goals. Most of the hot-button issues are covered and there is something of interest for everybody. The only thing that keeps this book from five stars is the lack of supplementary visual material that would have complemented the excellent material. A lot of fun, I recommend it!
Further recommendations: “Merchants of Doubt” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Science” by Sherry Seethaler, “Reality Check” by Donald R. Prothero, “The Fox Effect” by David Brock, “Weaponized Lies” by Daniel J. Levitan, and “The War on Science” by Shawn Lawrence Otto, “The Death of Expertise” by Tom Nichols, and “Democracy in Chains” by Nancy MacLean.
March 21, 2021
I suppose if I had read this a few years ago when this copy was gifted to me by a friend, I could have read it with more outrage and less indifference. It now feels stale and out of date.
Since at least the end of World War Two every generation has become the most lied to people in history. This is not because the impulse to lie has become that much more frequent, it is that the ease of designing, organizing and distributing deliberate lies has gotten better. The ubiquity of instant messaging is now an old part of this process.
The political utility of the smear campaign is old. In fact, the author, Ari Rabin-Havtis wrong about the origins of by design and for pay lies built to cause confusion and distraction is many years older than he suggests. Going back to Adam Smith, he cautioned the original students of capitalism that when the propertied interests join together to change public policy, they will lie.
Examples of using the deliberately cautious language of science to spread confusion can be traced back to topics as old as lead in paint, piping, and gasoline. Mine owners spent decades denying that coal dust and black lung are related. In fact, the person who sent me this book wanted to deny the cause effect relationship between tobacco and cancer on the basis of “having a specific etiology”.
By the time of Lies Incorporated, the creators of public policy lies could trade on doubt. There is no need to write an actual lie about some policy choice, all you have to do is invoke the doubts citing topic from the early over selling of Star Wars Anti Missile systems, Chlorofluorocarbon and anything related to Green technology and the liars can depend on the memory of those doubts to infect any argument based on reason.
In an the last few years America enthroned a President who lied as a matter of course, who double down on every lie. He could take as given that his supporters are indifferent to his obvious lies as just a matter of letting the liar lie, because that is who he is. We now have at least one open believer in Qanon in Congress and otherwise bright elected officials cashing in on having created doubts based on lies, now want to write policy based on the fact that manufactured concern about vote fraud, rather than proven vote fraud is sufficient to justify a plethora of voting restrictions.
We are way passed anything in Lies Incorporated.
With the advent of narrow caste media, our on-line choices, ranging from what podcasts we like to what products you buy directly drive the media we are offered to see. You liked this in the past, you will like this in the future, and an entire on-line audience is divided among custom made echo chambers. You can get nothing but agreement on whatever belief, strange or reasonable you may hold. The audience Is not assumed to be looking for information, only confirmation. Breaking out of the channels made for you is an act of conscious will and not merely one of clicking there instead of here. Both choices take you to the same limited part of the menu. Understand, this is not an intentional conspiracy. It is an unintended consequence of the notion that the best way to increase sales is to direct buyers to where they will see the specific ads they most want to see. The rest is a side effect.
The single most counter-intuitive and ominous statement in the book is very nearly a cast-off observation. Among the largest group to be found adhering to various manufactured political lies and conspiracy theories are the educated. A basic belief that upholds American freedom is that a free market of ideas and an educated public will flush out the bad arguments. If the education is not creating critical thinking and the free market is incidentally designed to narrow cast information, the liars can find and exploit people needing competing information, The free market of ideas, is not operating freely and audiences, seeking only positive feedback cannot make informed choices.
Since at least the end of World War Two every generation has become the most lied to people in history. This is not because the impulse to lie has become that much more frequent, it is that the ease of designing, organizing and distributing deliberate lies has gotten better. The ubiquity of instant messaging is now an old part of this process.
The political utility of the smear campaign is old. In fact, the author, Ari Rabin-Havtis wrong about the origins of by design and for pay lies built to cause confusion and distraction is many years older than he suggests. Going back to Adam Smith, he cautioned the original students of capitalism that when the propertied interests join together to change public policy, they will lie.
Examples of using the deliberately cautious language of science to spread confusion can be traced back to topics as old as lead in paint, piping, and gasoline. Mine owners spent decades denying that coal dust and black lung are related. In fact, the person who sent me this book wanted to deny the cause effect relationship between tobacco and cancer on the basis of “having a specific etiology”.
By the time of Lies Incorporated, the creators of public policy lies could trade on doubt. There is no need to write an actual lie about some policy choice, all you have to do is invoke the doubts citing topic from the early over selling of Star Wars Anti Missile systems, Chlorofluorocarbon and anything related to Green technology and the liars can depend on the memory of those doubts to infect any argument based on reason.
In an the last few years America enthroned a President who lied as a matter of course, who double down on every lie. He could take as given that his supporters are indifferent to his obvious lies as just a matter of letting the liar lie, because that is who he is. We now have at least one open believer in Qanon in Congress and otherwise bright elected officials cashing in on having created doubts based on lies, now want to write policy based on the fact that manufactured concern about vote fraud, rather than proven vote fraud is sufficient to justify a plethora of voting restrictions.
We are way passed anything in Lies Incorporated.
With the advent of narrow caste media, our on-line choices, ranging from what podcasts we like to what products you buy directly drive the media we are offered to see. You liked this in the past, you will like this in the future, and an entire on-line audience is divided among custom made echo chambers. You can get nothing but agreement on whatever belief, strange or reasonable you may hold. The audience Is not assumed to be looking for information, only confirmation. Breaking out of the channels made for you is an act of conscious will and not merely one of clicking there instead of here. Both choices take you to the same limited part of the menu. Understand, this is not an intentional conspiracy. It is an unintended consequence of the notion that the best way to increase sales is to direct buyers to where they will see the specific ads they most want to see. The rest is a side effect.
The single most counter-intuitive and ominous statement in the book is very nearly a cast-off observation. Among the largest group to be found adhering to various manufactured political lies and conspiracy theories are the educated. A basic belief that upholds American freedom is that a free market of ideas and an educated public will flush out the bad arguments. If the education is not creating critical thinking and the free market is incidentally designed to narrow cast information, the liars can find and exploit people needing competing information, The free market of ideas, is not operating freely and audiences, seeking only positive feedback cannot make informed choices.
March 14, 2017
It is tough to rate this 4 stars, indicating "I liked it", because this is a book that angers.
The book explores the industry that has arisen to spread fear-uncertainty-and-doubt with pseudo-science to achieve political or monetary ends. Specific lobbyists and individuals are focused on who make a living out of generating false studies whose aim is not to determine any scientific truth, but to confuse the general public so that powerful groups can get their way, and their money.
Much time is spent on the efforts (and individuals) that the Tobacco industry used long ago to try to deny the health impacts of tobacco. Some of these same individuals now spin their efforts on denying climate change, confusing the issues surrounding guns, or creating stories of 'death panels' in the American Care Act.
Fact checking websites, as well as a hefty dose of skepticism, are necessary in this atmosphere of alternative facts and rampant corruption. What seems missing is any governmental controls that lead to accountability.
The book explores the industry that has arisen to spread fear-uncertainty-and-doubt with pseudo-science to achieve political or monetary ends. Specific lobbyists and individuals are focused on who make a living out of generating false studies whose aim is not to determine any scientific truth, but to confuse the general public so that powerful groups can get their way, and their money.
Much time is spent on the efforts (and individuals) that the Tobacco industry used long ago to try to deny the health impacts of tobacco. Some of these same individuals now spin their efforts on denying climate change, confusing the issues surrounding guns, or creating stories of 'death panels' in the American Care Act.
Fact checking websites, as well as a hefty dose of skepticism, are necessary in this atmosphere of alternative facts and rampant corruption. What seems missing is any governmental controls that lead to accountability.
October 27, 2016
Definitely a left-leaning book. I found it interesting, but lacking detail. I'd like to hear more specific examples. At some points it became painful to listen to as he went over the same point a number of times and the argument had been made multiple times already.
I wouldn't read it again.
I would like to read a version that dealt with the whole picture instead of the politically myopic look of just one side.
I wouldn't read it again.
I would like to read a version that dealt with the whole picture instead of the politically myopic look of just one side.
February 12, 2017
rating it one star because it just made me angry at the world
August 20, 2016
Required reading for citizenship in the United States. Reading this book informs voting, policy discussions, and political involvement. The root of the problem lies in an intertwining of excessive money and frozen,greedy ideology; together, these two elements form social arsenic for citizens and the results are already becoming damning to us and those outside U. S. borders (I'm thinking of ACD).
Rabin-Havt chronicles faulty gun policies, fossil fuel corruption, tobacco deceptions, immigration ruses, healthcare corruption, gerrymandering, laundering, abortion myths, and more.
Citizens, think! Read! Know the issues! Vote responsibly (not merely for selfish interests but for the benefit of our communities)!
Rabin-Havt chronicles faulty gun policies, fossil fuel corruption, tobacco deceptions, immigration ruses, healthcare corruption, gerrymandering, laundering, abortion myths, and more.
Citizens, think! Read! Know the issues! Vote responsibly (not merely for selfish interests but for the benefit of our communities)!
December 22, 2019
I picked up this book at a screening of "The Brainwashing of My Dad" which was co-hosted by the author. The timing of this couldn't have been more on point, being published a few months prior to the now infamous 2016 Presidential election. By the time I got around to reading this in 2019, most of the ideas expressed here have become so engrained in our politics that nothing was very surprising, although I suspect it would have seemed a bit more insightful if I had read it when I first got it instead of letting it sit on my shelf for 3 years. While the ideas are not particularly groundbreaking, the detail in which they're explored goes a long toward towards really driving home the point of just how disastrous our media diet really is. In some ways this book made me angry and full of despair, as much of it rings true and suggests that we are heading in the wrong direction. On the other hand, it's promising to see this issue being acknowledged and exposed, which gives me hope that perhaps the truth does still have a fighting chance.
May 18, 2018
While I hope that the blue side of the political spectrum is less guilty of egregious lies, this book would have been more credible if Rabin-Havt had included examples of liberal Lies Incorporated. Surely there are some?
For example, the widely cited 97% support for anthropogenic climate change as been questioned.
Many people chose to face the penalty for not having insurance rather than pay insurance premiums not because of the death panels, but because the penalty was lower than the cost of insurance and they did their own risk-benefit analysis.
Don’t undermine your argument by not being balanced.
For example, the widely cited 97% support for anthropogenic climate change as been questioned.
Many people chose to face the penalty for not having insurance rather than pay insurance premiums not because of the death panels, but because the penalty was lower than the cost of insurance and they did their own risk-benefit analysis.
Don’t undermine your argument by not being balanced.
May 21, 2018
It's pretty scary how much of our public discussion on important issues are based on pure lies disseminated by people who want to sway public opinion in their preferred direction, even if it means basing the argument on completely debunked lies. This book does not pretend to be unbiased, but even so, highlights several key players in the recent past who have succeeded in confusing the public and as a result harmed thousands of people. Important issues such as early knowledge on the harm of cigarette smoking, the non-existent death panels in the Affordable Health Care legislation, pregnancy resulting from rape, and much more are discussed.
supplemental reading list
supplemental reading list
February 19, 2020
What the author calls Lies, Incorporated is a network of special interest groups and politicians who have created and disseminated coordinated assaults on the truth to shape American political agendas. They out and out lie using misinformation and faulty so-called scientific studies to perpetuate their lies repeating them over and over even after the information has proved to be false. He shows how this has worked by siting many examples such as the smoking-cancer controversy, climate change, gun control, immigration and abortion. This is an eye-opening read and should be required reading for everyone.
July 12, 2021
Outdated and hopelessly one-sided, as if deliberate lies are not also part of the left wing playbook. And I say this as a liberal by the way.
Read
January 4, 2018If you're interested in how so many non-partisan, scientific issues came to divide the contemporary body politic into fierce, warring camps, this is the book to read. For the well-informed, the book will provide chapter and verse for many of the outrageous truth-claims. For the gullible, a blow-by-blow unmasking of your most cherished talking point--though many, maybe most, won't believe it.
Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics should be required reading for every American.
Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics should be required reading for every American.
February 28, 2017
I confess, I did not read the entire book, primarily skimming, because a) it was preaching to my choir, and b) I already knew almost all of the revelations in it: That a HUGE industry exists to foment fake news, with bogus "research" and biased "polls" with leading questions.
If there is any untold story here, it is that this is overwhelming the play ground of the Right and Alt-Right, although Industry (e.g., Big Tobacco) also participates.
The fountain of disinformation from Lies, Incorporated routinely targets ACA, climate change, LGBTQ issues, and promotes fantasies about voter "fraud". On and on.
So why did I lay the book down? In addition to the two reasons stated above, c) my stomach churned, and d) my blood pressure soared. The current administration seems intent on ruining the health of US citizens by ripping ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, and the EPA apart. I didn't need to give them a head start on me.
If there is any untold story here, it is that this is overwhelming the play ground of the Right and Alt-Right, although Industry (e.g., Big Tobacco) also participates.
The fountain of disinformation from Lies, Incorporated routinely targets ACA, climate change, LGBTQ issues, and promotes fantasies about voter "fraud". On and on.
So why did I lay the book down? In addition to the two reasons stated above, c) my stomach churned, and d) my blood pressure soared. The current administration seems intent on ruining the health of US citizens by ripping ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, and the EPA apart. I didn't need to give them a head start on me.
August 23, 2016
I have two different fact-checking websites bookmarked on my computer because I want to fact-check the fact-checkers, so this book was not written for me. I think it was written for a mildly engaged American who watches the local and world TV news of their area affiliate station, if they still exist. Or perhaps for naïve youth who get their news from Facebook friends and never consider the source.
This book referenced website articles, documentaries, reporting on research papers and non-fiction books to compile and distill their stories. Some sources I know to be more reliable than others but I didn’t have the desire to search for the references of the original work, partly because I’ve researched most topics more than it seems they have. They started with Big Tobacco, an easy entry for current readers, then moved onto climate change, federal debt, abortion, immigration and other hot-button issues of today. Their bias is overtly Liberal, which they disclose in the introduction, but are more concerned with the organizations and individuals who continue to lie or distort the truth rather than the individuals who simply have a different view of the every shrinking pool of agreed upon facts. I do find Conservative think tanks and organizations tend to cling to outdated research or outrageous lies more often (I didn’t need to be reminded about how raped women’s bodies can stop their own pregnancies), but I would have respected the book more if they outed some Liberal organizations as well.
I will recommend this book to Americans looking to become more engaged in politics only as a first step. The reader must do a little work on their own in future: always look at the credentials of a speaker or interviewee (and interviewer), see if the institution is overtly biased, see who is funding the research, see what other researchers say on the subject… in general look at multiple reports from multiple sources on any subject and be prepared to change your mind.
This book referenced website articles, documentaries, reporting on research papers and non-fiction books to compile and distill their stories. Some sources I know to be more reliable than others but I didn’t have the desire to search for the references of the original work, partly because I’ve researched most topics more than it seems they have. They started with Big Tobacco, an easy entry for current readers, then moved onto climate change, federal debt, abortion, immigration and other hot-button issues of today. Their bias is overtly Liberal, which they disclose in the introduction, but are more concerned with the organizations and individuals who continue to lie or distort the truth rather than the individuals who simply have a different view of the every shrinking pool of agreed upon facts. I do find Conservative think tanks and organizations tend to cling to outdated research or outrageous lies more often (I didn’t need to be reminded about how raped women’s bodies can stop their own pregnancies), but I would have respected the book more if they outed some Liberal organizations as well.
I will recommend this book to Americans looking to become more engaged in politics only as a first step. The reader must do a little work on their own in future: always look at the credentials of a speaker or interviewee (and interviewer), see if the institution is overtly biased, see who is funding the research, see what other researchers say on the subject… in general look at multiple reports from multiple sources on any subject and be prepared to change your mind.
July 2, 2016
Lies, Incorporated: I was curious to read this for the names of the people who turned lying into the biggest profit generator of all time. Those who put the propaganda machines of the past in the back seat and directing our thinking in falsehoods and downright lies. The author states than "Misinformation is damaging to those who read and absorb it. Once a lie--no matter how outrageous--is part of the consciousness of a particular group, it is nearly impossible to eliminate, and like a virus it spreads uncontrollably within the affected communities." Those he sighted within this book have advocated policies which "causes real and unnecessary pain for millions of people." In the eyes of world is the new American way. Some of the people in here make me want to scream others make me want to cry. What has happened to the political scene in America since WWll is pathetic.
What is even more amazing is the way the public accepts the lies as truth. Ari Rabin-Havt points out that before the Internet, you had to do some serious research to find the truth behind the reporting, the 'spin' and the motivating circumstances. Today, we hear it from Fox and accept it as truth without checking the facts available through the Web.
I hope in the wake of the 'Brexit' of Great Britain leaving the European Union, that people do their research on the claims of all politicians running for office, or on any proposed charter, amendment, bill, or other legislative or local referendum that affects our lives. And look closely at the people running, who's behind them, what motivates them and how would the result directly affect you?
Think people! Look at everything with a skeptical eye...no one deserves to be told a lie...yet, many, far too many accept a lie as the truth.
What is even more amazing is the way the public accepts the lies as truth. Ari Rabin-Havt points out that before the Internet, you had to do some serious research to find the truth behind the reporting, the 'spin' and the motivating circumstances. Today, we hear it from Fox and accept it as truth without checking the facts available through the Web.
I hope in the wake of the 'Brexit' of Great Britain leaving the European Union, that people do their research on the claims of all politicians running for office, or on any proposed charter, amendment, bill, or other legislative or local referendum that affects our lives. And look closely at the people running, who's behind them, what motivates them and how would the result directly affect you?
Think people! Look at everything with a skeptical eye...no one deserves to be told a lie...yet, many, far too many accept a lie as the truth.
May 15, 2016
Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics is Ari Rabin-Havt and Media Matters effort to inform the American public so we can spot political propaganda and no longer fall prey to a corporate media that treats politics like a sporting event or entertainment. Media no longer bothers to fact-check the talking heads they invite on the air. They treat political issues rather like Siskel and Ebert movie reviews with a pro and con view, and no conclusions reached. They invite an R and a D, a Con and a Lib, a Scientist and an industry shill; and leave it up to their audience to sort out who is lying to protect their power and profits and who is telling the truth. There is a whole industry of think tanks, PR firms and junk science "institutes" with centers in all 50 states churning out lies and disinformation meant solely to stymie debate and prevent coordinated action even though action on some of our most pressing problems may already be overdue if we are to avoid disaster.
This is a beautifully documented book that should be required reading for all US voters.
Review copied from my review on Amazon.com
June 14, 2016
Grrrr....This book spells out what we already know. It's hard to trust the "media" to give unbiased facts about major social issues. The author gives many examples of debunked studies and so-called experts on policy issues who continue to be invited to media outlets to engage in debates just because they offer lively arguments with other talking heads. We (I'm guilty of it, too.) prefer to listen to 'news' that supports our beliefs.
Lies, Incorporated is the well-funded, pro-industry public affairs machine that creates enough confusion so as to cripple any effective policy change. Your average citizen is never going to do the research necessary to find out who is putting money into the pockets of talking heads. It's frustrating.
I like to read non-fiction books to learn something about my world. The problem is I often am left feeling disgusted and helpless. Despite my grumblings, I think this is a good book.
Lies, Incorporated is the well-funded, pro-industry public affairs machine that creates enough confusion so as to cripple any effective policy change. Your average citizen is never going to do the research necessary to find out who is putting money into the pockets of talking heads. It's frustrating.
I like to read non-fiction books to learn something about my world. The problem is I often am left feeling disgusted and helpless. Despite my grumblings, I think this is a good book.
August 5, 2016
In spite of the rather click bait-esque title, the author does a good job of systematically laying out the ways in which lies are purposefully manufactured and disseminated in order to fulfil certain ideological and/or political goals. The book itself does come across as biased, although the author would likely argue that it only seems that way because it refuses to give equal weight to the lies of the conservative side. The great irony however, as the author points out, is that the book won't be read or even considered by those who participate in 'Lies, Incorporated', since the people that create these lies don't actually care what the truth is. All in all, an interesting read, although it does seem unlikely to be able to contribute to its stated goal of getting rid of 'post-truth politics.'
April 20, 2016
Confusion and "zombie lies"
This was an excellent book in helping to understand the power and goals of lies in politics. Lies are basically used to create confusion and to maintain the status quo. There is actually an industry designed to create misinformation, and if nothing else it is a distraction which keeps real debate on the issues from taking place. Even after research has been debunked, it continues to have power. Once a lie is in the mainstream, there will continue to be a large number who will believe it...even when proven wrong. We must change our culture which accepts lying as normal. We are more upset by calling someone a liar than the lie itself.
This was an excellent book in helping to understand the power and goals of lies in politics. Lies are basically used to create confusion and to maintain the status quo. There is actually an industry designed to create misinformation, and if nothing else it is a distraction which keeps real debate on the issues from taking place. Even after research has been debunked, it continues to have power. Once a lie is in the mainstream, there will continue to be a large number who will believe it...even when proven wrong. We must change our culture which accepts lying as normal. We are more upset by calling someone a liar than the lie itself.
May 8, 2024
This is an informative read that identifies lobby groups and hired guns that deliberately work their way into the print media to confuse the American public. It gives a history of these doubt merchants beginning with work for the tobacco industry and fossil fuels industries to present day work for a variety of political and social special interests who encourage doubt in our fundamental institutions for financial and political gain at the expense of others. It shows how they attack truth and fuel the political divide in this country. If you care about the truth, this is an important read.
November 30, 2016
This is a book about the power of lies in our politics, as found in the information we receive on tobacco, climate change, health care, guns and other important issues. The author names the people and organizations that promulgate the lies, the media that gives them a platform, and describes how difficult it is to overcome lies once people accept them as "truth".
May 5, 2016
A must-read, along with Jane Meyer's Dark Money. The only way to combat the erosion of democracy is to become aware, think critically about what you're being told, and vote accordingly. Thanks to the authors of these important books for enlightening us!
May 22, 2016
I knew most of this already but there a lot of people who don't and should read this book.
May 16, 2016
Everybody needs to read this book.
June 5, 2016
Interesting book about pervasiveness of lies in our current political discourse. Most interesting is how lies even debunked remain part of the discussion on a host of large issues.
June 12, 2016
Well researched overview of how too many issues are deadlocked by well-financed campaigns of lies on issues like gun control, immigration, and climate change.
September 13, 2016
A book for anyone interested in knowing the truth about our politics.
November 3, 2016
Easy to understand. It is interesting how Lies are presented as facts.
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