The loss of shared reality is not gossip. It is not past history. It is real and it is the primary reason for the hyper partisan, social, and economic divide we're living in. As Maria Ressa has been pointing out for years, without facts, we lose truth.Without truth we lose trust. Without all three that result in a shared reality, the chances for a continued democracy are in jeopardy.
Maybe Alex Jones has had an epiphany. Jones has recently taken a highly critical stance against the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein-related files:
Google:
Allegations of a Cover-Up: Jones has accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI of engaging in an active cover-up. He reacted with visible distress to a July 2025 memo from the DOJ stating there was no evidence of a "client list" that would incriminate third parties, calling it "unmitigated disaster" and "absolute horses**t".
Criticism of the Trump Administration: Despite his long-standing support for Trump, Jones has stated that the administration is "overrun with corruption" regarding the Epstein case. He expressed deep disappointment that the administration appeared to be "running cover" for intelligence agencies rather than exposing the truth.
Targeting Specific Officials: He has specifically "torched" Attorney General Pam Bondi over her testimony regarding the Epstein files, alleging that she and the DOJ were redacting names to protect wealthy co-conspirators.
Historically, Jones has claimed to have been discussing Epstein's activities since 2008, although critics have noted that in 2015 he appeared unfamiliar with the details of the case. His current rhetoric frames Epstein not as a rogue actor but as an asset for a "propaganda matrix" designed to control and blackmail prominent individuals.
I used to listen to Alex Jones about twenty years ago, before he went off the deep end. He had good guests on his show back then, and one of them taught me how money is created. I wonder if he is taking the subsidies he sells, and that is what made him insane.
Thom, you’ve made an eloquent case for the kind of forceful, combative, inspiring leadership corporate/establishment Democrats are unable or unwilling to provide (that breed’s response to Zorhan Mamdani and Graham Platner speaks volumes). Last weekend’s No Kings protests confirm the nation’s thirst for honesty, decency, and genuine morality in our government. If current leadership can’t stand the heat, we must expel them from the kitchen and make way for the cooks we need.
What I am afraid of is the undercurrent. ONLY 8 million of us who give a damn? Say it ain't so, What happened to the other 5 -10 million?
(and, ashamedly, I am one of them. I will make up in part by participating next weekend in my home town). At 84, and gas at $6/gallon, it would have been difficult to get there.
But that is where we are at, folks. It came home to me: if I don't do it, who will?
People played the game about what they would do if they could go back in time and take care of Hitler before he reached for the final solution. No game needed---we have come to that point.
Old, sick, and demented TRump could do ANYTHING. Psychos and sickos are cheering him on. Tech Bros and Crypto Creeps want to own the Western Hemisphere and the billion people in it. The Technocracy they are paying Donold for is literally mapped out. Yesterday's great explanation from podcaster Kyle Kulinski:
I am afraid that if Trump gets a terminal diagnosis or sees that he may be impeached, he may do what Hitler did in March of 1945 with the Nero decree. Hitler ordered the destruction of Germany, an order that Albert Speer disobeyed shortly before the fall of the Nazi regime.
I'm not sure Trump's idiots would disobey an order to press the nukes button.
The corporate agenda requires us to be divided, deluded, and apathetic, and that requires that we hear only a narrative of their making. Reality may be said to have a liberal bias; so that leads them to present "alternative facts"--lies--to us so that we may become willing partners in, and slaves to, their dreams of ever-increasing wealth and power.
One big Republican concocted lie is American exceptionalism. The ridiculous idea that we are so special so privileged we can bomb and kill innocent people for their perceived betterment of the world. Oh, and collateral damage is another lovely phrase, oops sorry Iranian schoolgirls, shit happens. Seventy seven million voters bought the Trump GOP lies and most of them still support the malignant narcissist, pedophile, sick mother (expletive).
I am listening to Scene on Radio, season 6, detailing the only successful coup d’état in the US. Wilmington, NC in 1898. The Trump administration and the cadre of enablers used a virtually identical playbook to destroy a functioning city with a black majority and flip a state into the hands of openly white supremicists. Lies and propaganda figured heavily into this. It demonstrates that the very same arguments and lies used in 1898 continue to work today. Scene on Radio is an excellent podcast brought by the Kenan Center for Ethics at Duke U. I started with season 7 on capitalism and am working backward through their entire “library.” I recommend this scholarly resource.
Right you are. They just chose to take a deep dive into Wilmington because they were doing an autopsy of a successful coup d’état, but at state and local level. I believe they have covered other travesties during other seasons. I recommend their work.
The stock market was up 1,000 points yesterday so it’s not only the maggots that buy into right wing propaganda. Most people are eager to believe statements that reinforce their beliefs. As soon as it is heard and coincides with what they believe no further investigation is needed, so no amount of arguing with a maggot will amount to anything.
The first casualty in a coup to destroy freedom and democracy is always the truth, the media. Hitler was working with Goebbels in the 1920s. Roger Ailes was a media consultant for (then) President Nixon and told him, “we need Republican News” our own media. It was illegal then. Reagan killed The Fairness Doctrine and Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich made it possible for foreigner Rupert Murdock to buy up U.S. media. They got their “Republican News” in Fox News Network. And, surprise, it was run by none other than Roger Ailes. They got their biased propaganda network.
I totally agree with you Thom, the Republican Party should be called "the liars club".
The Dems have been very weak and allowed the lies to go on and on. Neither Biden nor Obama called out the lies and they could have done so with a weekly "fireside chat".
The media is owned by rightwing billionaires so they are all complicit
Instead of just attacking Trump we should expose the entire GOP. Even on "No Kings Day" we saw no signs that said "Down with the GOP", "Fox News Lies" etc.
Everybody is suspicious of the so called "news" especially with A.I. in the mix and a corrupt media. Brainwashing has been perfected by Trump, the Republican Party and the media.
The republicans are now all MAGA's, the decent members have been pushed out or quit.
The present "Republican Party" is a cult, it is very hard to change it, the poorest people in this country vote for them because they think the Dems are evil.
Our self imposed emperor is now presently sitting in on a Supreme Court hearing on arguments on birthright citizenship!
Wow, not too much intimidation! What’s he doing, making sure everyone remembers their job’s at steak?
I believe the military strikes on Iran and news about oil prices have done their job. Where’s Epstein in the headlines?
We are being bombarded by worse and worse news everyday to the point that we can’t even keep our minds on one specific injustice or wrong for more than a couple of weeks anymore.
I am disappointed. This article is not pertinent nor relevant to what is going on today, it is basically gossip, about the past and there is nothing we can do about it, except tsk, tsk.
Thank you Thom, for the wake up call. I have been too passive a media consumer even though I have very often wished that news anchors would call out bald-faced lies rather than just treating them as one point of view.
In the future, I will try to communicate my feelings or facts to such news sources.
This issue Thom raises gets to the core of what our mission must be. More precisely: One of the components of what we must do.
Dis-information, distortion, misdirection and the application of one or all these into false constructs are components of a layered strategy of deceit and self-service. Each layer of which needs a separate but interactive remedy and/or countermeasure.
Lies and distorted facts are indeed the power-source for the dark-side’s constructs. Unfortunately, some of these lies, for example, all black people are looking for a free-ride, are pre-planted by history and lurk in the collective psyches of larger sections of the body-politic.
These only need to be tended, fed and cultivated for harvest when needed.
Others need to be concocted and fabricated (like Daddy Bush’s made for TV show with the fake Kuwaiti nurse) to energize the grift.
As such, one whole progressive cadre is needed to focus upon cutting, at the root, cultivation of the former, and contriving of the later.
To now, the tearing up at the roots and exposing the man behind the curtain has been left to the ones who then will also have to propagate a progressive counter-stroke approach. This weakens the efficacy of either or both needed actions.
However, there has arisen – primarily on TV and some internet video – excellent lie exposure vehicles – think S. Colbert, The Early Show.
What is lacking is enough of these lie detectors who must be multiplied and reconfigured for various age and regional focused audiences.
Two, this group MUST organize and coordinate their approach with an independent and separate group of folks – think of them as marketers – who will be developing an overall market strategy, creating the messaging plan, and framing these to fit the above-mentioned age and region groups.
Three, deliverers who can present themselves as non-aligned need to be in place and given a microphone to actively frame and deliver the messages. The sales team.
Essentially, the good guys have to take back control of the Progressive Brand. Right now, we are libitards, tree-huggers, femi-nazis, etc.
At the same time, we must deconstruct and sully the MAGA / right-wing brand. Too much attention is being paid in exposing the big money behind the MAGA movement. The American people are not seeking, nor will they buy, a history lesson or a tutorial in comparative economics as a solution to their concerns.
They are customers who wish to buy good leadership and a reasonably happy future.
I learned years ago from guys who knew what they were doing that it is NOT what you are selling…. IT IS WHAT THEY ARE BUYING.
Frankly, Progressives, at this time, with the possible exception of Bernie, have little clue about (a) how to approach the American citizen as a consumer of leadership, and, (b) how to deconstruct and take ownership of the competition’s brand.
Democracy asks something unusual of its citizens. It does not simply ask us to obey laws or follow leaders. It asks us to participate in governing ourselves. That is an extraordinary responsibility. It means that the health of a democracy depends not only on its leaders and institutions, but on the habits of mind of the people who live within it.
A democracy functions best when its citizens develop and demonstrate these qualities:
• a respect for truth
• a willingness to listen
• an understanding of how systems work
• a concern for future generations
• a spirit of cooperation rather than tribal conflict
These are not just political skills. They are forms of civic maturity.
A conscious citizen understands that democracy is not simply a contest for power between competing groups. It is a shared project in which millions of people must work together to solve problems that affect everyone. To do that well, we must understand something deeper about how human societies function: truth functions in society much like energy functions in the physical world.
In physics, energy allows systems to organize and function. When energy flows properly, complex structures can emerge—from galaxies to ecosystems to living organisms. Human societies work in a similar way. Truth is the informational energy that allows societies to coordinate their actions. It allows citizens to understand problems, evaluate solutions, and cooperate with one another.
You can think of truth as something like sunlight for a society. When sunlight reaches a forest, plants grow, ecosystems flourish, and life becomes more complex and interconnected. But if sunlight is blocked for too long, the system weakens. Plants die, organisms disappear, and the ecosystem begins to collapse.
Truth plays a similar role in human societies. When truth flows freely—through journalism, education, science, and open discussion—people can make informed decisions. Institutions become more effective. Cooperation becomes possible even among people who disagree. But when truth becomes distorted, manipulated, or ignored, the system begins to break down. Confusion replaces understanding. Tribal loyalty replaces shared problem-solving. Citizens begin reacting to narratives rather than realities. Over time, the ability of a democracy to function weakens.
This is why the cultivation of truth is not just a philosophical ideal. It is a practical requirement for a healthy democracy. A conscious citizen recognizes this responsibility. They do not assume that truth will always be obvious or easy to find. They understand that in a complex world, information must be evaluated carefully. Sources must be compared. Claims must be questioned. But they also understand something equally important: democracy depends on millions of people making that effort. In this sense, citizenship is not only a legal status. It is a practice. Each generation must learn how to participate in the shared search for truth that allows democratic societies to function. That is why civic education matters. And why we must begin preparing young citizens before they reach voting age.
Because in the end, a democracy does not rise above the level of consciousness of its citizens. And the future of our society will depend on how many of us choose to become conscious citizens.
The loss of shared reality is not gossip. It is not past history. It is real and it is the primary reason for the hyper partisan, social, and economic divide we're living in. As Maria Ressa has been pointing out for years, without facts, we lose truth.Without truth we lose trust. Without all three that result in a shared reality, the chances for a continued democracy are in jeopardy.
There would be no civilization without truth and trust. There would be no contracts. There would be no currency. Trump has to go, one way or another.
Maybe Alex Jones has had an epiphany. Jones has recently taken a highly critical stance against the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein-related files:
Google:
Allegations of a Cover-Up: Jones has accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI of engaging in an active cover-up. He reacted with visible distress to a July 2025 memo from the DOJ stating there was no evidence of a "client list" that would incriminate third parties, calling it "unmitigated disaster" and "absolute horses**t".
Criticism of the Trump Administration: Despite his long-standing support for Trump, Jones has stated that the administration is "overrun with corruption" regarding the Epstein case. He expressed deep disappointment that the administration appeared to be "running cover" for intelligence agencies rather than exposing the truth.
Targeting Specific Officials: He has specifically "torched" Attorney General Pam Bondi over her testimony regarding the Epstein files, alleging that she and the DOJ were redacting names to protect wealthy co-conspirators.
Historically, Jones has claimed to have been discussing Epstein's activities since 2008, although critics have noted that in 2015 he appeared unfamiliar with the details of the case. His current rhetoric frames Epstein not as a rogue actor but as an asset for a "propaganda matrix" designed to control and blackmail prominent individuals.
I used to listen to Alex Jones about twenty years ago, before he went off the deep end. He had good guests on his show back then, and one of them taught me how money is created. I wonder if he is taking the subsidies he sells, and that is what made him insane.
Thom, you’ve made an eloquent case for the kind of forceful, combative, inspiring leadership corporate/establishment Democrats are unable or unwilling to provide (that breed’s response to Zorhan Mamdani and Graham Platner speaks volumes). Last weekend’s No Kings protests confirm the nation’s thirst for honesty, decency, and genuine morality in our government. If current leadership can’t stand the heat, we must expel them from the kitchen and make way for the cooks we need.
Not true. We wuz screwed.
What I am afraid of is the undercurrent. ONLY 8 million of us who give a damn? Say it ain't so, What happened to the other 5 -10 million?
(and, ashamedly, I am one of them. I will make up in part by participating next weekend in my home town). At 84, and gas at $6/gallon, it would have been difficult to get there.
But that is where we are at, folks. It came home to me: if I don't do it, who will?
Our Hitler moment.....
People played the game about what they would do if they could go back in time and take care of Hitler before he reached for the final solution. No game needed---we have come to that point.
Old, sick, and demented TRump could do ANYTHING. Psychos and sickos are cheering him on. Tech Bros and Crypto Creeps want to own the Western Hemisphere and the billion people in it. The Technocracy they are paying Donold for is literally mapped out. Yesterday's great explanation from podcaster Kyle Kulinski:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pLZMsVWCgw
Impeach. Convict. Imprison. They want no rules for them and no democracy for us. Tell everyone you know. It's now or never. See you in the streets.
I am afraid that if Trump gets a terminal diagnosis or sees that he may be impeached, he may do what Hitler did in March of 1945 with the Nero decree. Hitler ordered the destruction of Germany, an order that Albert Speer disobeyed shortly before the fall of the Nazi regime.
I'm not sure Trump's idiots would disobey an order to press the nukes button.
Agreed. He will not go quietly with decency and sanity.
The title of Kyle's seven minute piece is: Greater America, Pete Hegseth ADMITS Trump is Trying to EXPAND USA with Imperialist Wars
The corporate agenda requires us to be divided, deluded, and apathetic, and that requires that we hear only a narrative of their making. Reality may be said to have a liberal bias; so that leads them to present "alternative facts"--lies--to us so that we may become willing partners in, and slaves to, their dreams of ever-increasing wealth and power.
So true.
One big Republican concocted lie is American exceptionalism. The ridiculous idea that we are so special so privileged we can bomb and kill innocent people for their perceived betterment of the world. Oh, and collateral damage is another lovely phrase, oops sorry Iranian schoolgirls, shit happens. Seventy seven million voters bought the Trump GOP lies and most of them still support the malignant narcissist, pedophile, sick mother (expletive).
I am listening to Scene on Radio, season 6, detailing the only successful coup d’état in the US. Wilmington, NC in 1898. The Trump administration and the cadre of enablers used a virtually identical playbook to destroy a functioning city with a black majority and flip a state into the hands of openly white supremicists. Lies and propaganda figured heavily into this. It demonstrates that the very same arguments and lies used in 1898 continue to work today. Scene on Radio is an excellent podcast brought by the Kenan Center for Ethics at Duke U. I started with season 7 on capitalism and am working backward through their entire “library.” I recommend this scholarly resource.
Not "only."
Check out Rosewood, Florida, Tulsa, lots more.
I held hearings in places like Logan, W.Va, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Matewan
Cripple Creek, CO. https://aflcio.org/about/history/labor-history-events/battle-cripple-creek.
Right you are. They just chose to take a deep dive into Wilmington because they were doing an autopsy of a successful coup d’état, but at state and local level. I believe they have covered other travesties during other seasons. I recommend their work.
The stock market was up 1,000 points yesterday so it’s not only the maggots that buy into right wing propaganda. Most people are eager to believe statements that reinforce their beliefs. As soon as it is heard and coincides with what they believe no further investigation is needed, so no amount of arguing with a maggot will amount to anything.
The first casualty in a coup to destroy freedom and democracy is always the truth, the media. Hitler was working with Goebbels in the 1920s. Roger Ailes was a media consultant for (then) President Nixon and told him, “we need Republican News” our own media. It was illegal then. Reagan killed The Fairness Doctrine and Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich made it possible for foreigner Rupert Murdock to buy up U.S. media. They got their “Republican News” in Fox News Network. And, surprise, it was run by none other than Roger Ailes. They got their biased propaganda network.
I totally agree with you Thom, the Republican Party should be called "the liars club".
The Dems have been very weak and allowed the lies to go on and on. Neither Biden nor Obama called out the lies and they could have done so with a weekly "fireside chat".
The media is owned by rightwing billionaires so they are all complicit
Instead of just attacking Trump we should expose the entire GOP. Even on "No Kings Day" we saw no signs that said "Down with the GOP", "Fox News Lies" etc.
Everybody is suspicious of the so called "news" especially with A.I. in the mix and a corrupt media. Brainwashing has been perfected by Trump, the Republican Party and the media.
The republicans are now all MAGA's, the decent members have been pushed out or quit.
The present "Republican Party" is a cult, it is very hard to change it, the poorest people in this country vote for them because they think the Dems are evil.
Our self imposed emperor is now presently sitting in on a Supreme Court hearing on arguments on birthright citizenship!
Wow, not too much intimidation! What’s he doing, making sure everyone remembers their job’s at steak?
I believe the military strikes on Iran and news about oil prices have done their job. Where’s Epstein in the headlines?
We are being bombarded by worse and worse news everyday to the point that we can’t even keep our minds on one specific injustice or wrong for more than a couple of weeks anymore.
All to distract from Epstein.
I am disappointed. This article is not pertinent nor relevant to what is going on today, it is basically gossip, about the past and there is nothing we can do about it, except tsk, tsk.
Thank you Thom, for the wake up call. I have been too passive a media consumer even though I have very often wished that news anchors would call out bald-faced lies rather than just treating them as one point of view.
In the future, I will try to communicate my feelings or facts to such news sources.
I try, but there aren't enough hours in the day.
This issue Thom raises gets to the core of what our mission must be. More precisely: One of the components of what we must do.
Dis-information, distortion, misdirection and the application of one or all these into false constructs are components of a layered strategy of deceit and self-service. Each layer of which needs a separate but interactive remedy and/or countermeasure.
Lies and distorted facts are indeed the power-source for the dark-side’s constructs. Unfortunately, some of these lies, for example, all black people are looking for a free-ride, are pre-planted by history and lurk in the collective psyches of larger sections of the body-politic.
These only need to be tended, fed and cultivated for harvest when needed.
Others need to be concocted and fabricated (like Daddy Bush’s made for TV show with the fake Kuwaiti nurse) to energize the grift.
As such, one whole progressive cadre is needed to focus upon cutting, at the root, cultivation of the former, and contriving of the later.
To now, the tearing up at the roots and exposing the man behind the curtain has been left to the ones who then will also have to propagate a progressive counter-stroke approach. This weakens the efficacy of either or both needed actions.
However, there has arisen – primarily on TV and some internet video – excellent lie exposure vehicles – think S. Colbert, The Early Show.
What is lacking is enough of these lie detectors who must be multiplied and reconfigured for various age and regional focused audiences.
Two, this group MUST organize and coordinate their approach with an independent and separate group of folks – think of them as marketers – who will be developing an overall market strategy, creating the messaging plan, and framing these to fit the above-mentioned age and region groups.
Three, deliverers who can present themselves as non-aligned need to be in place and given a microphone to actively frame and deliver the messages. The sales team.
Essentially, the good guys have to take back control of the Progressive Brand. Right now, we are libitards, tree-huggers, femi-nazis, etc.
At the same time, we must deconstruct and sully the MAGA / right-wing brand. Too much attention is being paid in exposing the big money behind the MAGA movement. The American people are not seeking, nor will they buy, a history lesson or a tutorial in comparative economics as a solution to their concerns.
They are customers who wish to buy good leadership and a reasonably happy future.
I learned years ago from guys who knew what they were doing that it is NOT what you are selling…. IT IS WHAT THEY ARE BUYING.
Frankly, Progressives, at this time, with the possible exception of Bernie, have little clue about (a) how to approach the American citizen as a consumer of leadership, and, (b) how to deconstruct and take ownership of the competition’s brand.
D. Laghezza
Why has Jone not been completely shut down. Thought he was "bankrupt." Have his toadies paid off all his debts? Guess I'll ask Claude.
Why Truth Is the Lifeblood of Democracy
Democracy asks something unusual of its citizens. It does not simply ask us to obey laws or follow leaders. It asks us to participate in governing ourselves. That is an extraordinary responsibility. It means that the health of a democracy depends not only on its leaders and institutions, but on the habits of mind of the people who live within it.
A democracy functions best when its citizens develop and demonstrate these qualities:
• a respect for truth
• a willingness to listen
• an understanding of how systems work
• a concern for future generations
• a spirit of cooperation rather than tribal conflict
These are not just political skills. They are forms of civic maturity.
A conscious citizen understands that democracy is not simply a contest for power between competing groups. It is a shared project in which millions of people must work together to solve problems that affect everyone. To do that well, we must understand something deeper about how human societies function: truth functions in society much like energy functions in the physical world.
In physics, energy allows systems to organize and function. When energy flows properly, complex structures can emerge—from galaxies to ecosystems to living organisms. Human societies work in a similar way. Truth is the informational energy that allows societies to coordinate their actions. It allows citizens to understand problems, evaluate solutions, and cooperate with one another.
You can think of truth as something like sunlight for a society. When sunlight reaches a forest, plants grow, ecosystems flourish, and life becomes more complex and interconnected. But if sunlight is blocked for too long, the system weakens. Plants die, organisms disappear, and the ecosystem begins to collapse.
Truth plays a similar role in human societies. When truth flows freely—through journalism, education, science, and open discussion—people can make informed decisions. Institutions become more effective. Cooperation becomes possible even among people who disagree. But when truth becomes distorted, manipulated, or ignored, the system begins to break down. Confusion replaces understanding. Tribal loyalty replaces shared problem-solving. Citizens begin reacting to narratives rather than realities. Over time, the ability of a democracy to function weakens.
This is why the cultivation of truth is not just a philosophical ideal. It is a practical requirement for a healthy democracy. A conscious citizen recognizes this responsibility. They do not assume that truth will always be obvious or easy to find. They understand that in a complex world, information must be evaluated carefully. Sources must be compared. Claims must be questioned. But they also understand something equally important: democracy depends on millions of people making that effort. In this sense, citizenship is not only a legal status. It is a practice. Each generation must learn how to participate in the shared search for truth that allows democratic societies to function. That is why civic education matters. And why we must begin preparing young citizens before they reach voting age.
Because in the end, a democracy does not rise above the level of consciousness of its citizens. And the future of our society will depend on how many of us choose to become conscious citizens.