You Are Being Lied To

You Are Being Lied To, Russ Kick (ed.), The Disinformation Company Ltd., 2001

Subtitled "The Disinformation Guide to Media Distortion, Historical Whitewashes and Cultural Myths", this is a huge compendium of articles, some previously published, some original, that document, in extreme detail, the variety of ways in which the American people are the victims of outright lying.

One of the justifications of the NATO bombing of Kosovo were reports of hundreds of thousands of civilians buried in mass graves. Later independent investigation concluded What Mass Graves? It seems to be standard operating procedure for the FBI to "lose" key pieces of evidence in high profile cases, ranging from the JFK assassination to the Oklahoma City bombing (and the case of Timothy McVeigh). Former POW Sen. John McCain has waged his own battle to stop the release of any more information on those listed as missing in action or those who may have been left behind in Vietnam. Former President Jimmy Carter considered human rights to be a cornerstone of his administration, despite continuing to send arms to right-wing dictatorships in El Salvador, Indonesia and Guatemala.

According to explosives experts, the ammonium nitrate bomb used in the Oklahoma City bombing could not have caused all that damage by itself. Another contribution punches large holes in the story that former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was murdered by a lone gunman. After the Columbine shooting, everyone was quick to blame Marilyn Manson or easy access to guns; nobody seems to mention that one of the shooters was taking Luvox, a prescription anti-depressant which can cause mania in some people. There were many myths attached to America's entry into World War II; for instance, that Pearl Harbor was a surprise, that the Allies fought to liberate the death camps, only the Axis nations committed war crimes, World War II was inevitable and "good". The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous were taken from a Protestant evangelical group called the Oxford Group Movement. Among the ingredients in aspartame (NutraSweet) are methanol, which converts to formaldehyde, then fermic acid (ant sting poison) and petrochemicals, like gasoline.

Far from being a watchdog against such a state of affairs, the mass media frequently aids and abets such untruths. One could be forgiven for thinking that America has become a place where for any public figure or organization to tell the truth all the time is the aberration. There is something in this book to upset everyone. To begin to cut through the lies and manipulation of daily life, this is the place to start. It is very highly recommended.