Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

A Nation Where Lies Outnumber Truths
Glen Ford, BAR executive editor
17 Jan 2007
🖨️ Print Article

by Glen Ford

Lies so permeate the assumptions on which U.S. public discourse is based, the truth often finds no place in the conversation. The biggest concentration of lies and liars can be found on corporate TV ‘news’ broadcasts.

A Nation Where Lies Outnumber Truths

It becomes ever more difficult to hold a coherent conversation in the United States, so saturated is daily discourse with lies. It’s like a minefield of lies out there – too many to map. But, here are some key phrases to look out for when attempting to avoid lies.

Any sentence that includes the words, “War on Terror” is rooted in a lie. There is no such thing as a War on Terror, and never has been. War, itself, is organized terror. That’s why international law finally got around to making it a crime to wage war against peace, an offense for which a number of Nazis were hanged, after World War Two. Like them, George Bush wages a terrifying war against peace – under the guise of a lie with no end.

War on Drugs.” Another never-was, never-will-be phrase. The United States is the illegal and legal mind- and body-altering drug empire of the world. So, if the U.S. were waging a war on drugs, it would be attacking itself daily. The real domestic war is a war on Black people. The casualties number in the millions, making up half the U.S. prison system.

If there were a real war on drugs, the fiercest battles would be taking place somewhere widely referred to as “the American Heartland.” American Heartland is a liars term, one that really means a place that’s overwhelmingly white. It’s also where methamphetamines rule, but no one is waging a War on Drugs, there. Not enough Black people.

“Pretty soon, outright fascists will simply be called ‘conservatives.’”

Here’s another lying phrase: “Good news on Wall Street.” So-called news people throw that lie around all the time. Good news for who? When Wal-Mart succeeds in further depressing the wages of working people, its stock on Wall Street goes up. That may be good news for Wal-Mart, but its not good news for most of the rest of us. In fact, every time so-called news people proclaim there’s “Good news on Wall Street,” they are, by definition, lying to most of the audience.

 “Conservative” – that’s a liar’s word if there ever was one. What it really means is a person or party on the right of the political spectrum. In the U.S., that spectrum keeps going further and further rightwards. Pretty soon, outright fascists will simply be called “conservatives.” Maybe they already are.

 “Liberal” is also a lie. I can prove it. They call Hillary Clinton a liberal. They’re lying.

 “Strongman” is a lying word used by the corporate media to denote a foreign leader that the United States doesn’t like. In reality, the U.S. hopes that the “Strongman” is really a weak man, so they can overthrow him – which always requires a whole lot of lying.

Finally, the lying-est word in the American vocabulary: "News." The so-called news is full of words and phrases that are, in fact, lies. In that kind of environment, there's no place for the truth. For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Jake Johnston
    Where Does the Money Go? A Look at USAID Spending in Haiti
    12 Feb 2025
    The Trump administration is dismantling USAID, intending to absorb its mission into the State Department. USAID's engagement with Haiti demonstrates the insidious nature of the agency and how…
  • Judi Rever
    Paul Kagame’s Foray in Eastern Congo Leaves Thousands Dead and Sparks Fears of a Broader war
    12 Feb 2025
    Rwanda’s brutal assault on Goma has unleashed more agony for the Congolese, who are already traumatized by three decades of war.
  • Ramzy Baroud
    Politics or Empty Rhetoric? Examining Trump’s Call for Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza
    12 Feb 2025
    Donald Trump recently made several statements declaring his intent to commit a full-scale ethnic cleansing of Palestine's Gaza Strip. However, this idea, like many others, may be unfeasible and…
  • Black Agenda Radio
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio 2.7.2025
    07 Feb 2025
    This week, we speak to a journalist about the recent fires in Los Angeles County that destroyed the lives and homes of many, including a Black community located in Altadena. First, we get an update…
  • Congo protesters
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Turmoil in Congo Creates Public Dispute Between South Africa and Rwanda Presidents
    07 Feb 2025
    Maurice Carney is Executive Director of Friends of the Congo . He joins us from Washington to provide an update on the crisis in Congo. Since he last appeared on Black Agenda Radio the capital city…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us