Let's begin with the premise that what I'm about to say is a generality. There are always exceptions (usually minor) to any general truism; however, exceptions don't disprove the overall general statement... if the general statement is true. This one is true. We also need to accept the premise that this piece is an essay, not a scholarly research paper. Even though I've done the research, you won't find footnotes and a bibliography; they're simply too time-consuming. You may take my word for the accuracy of the info, or not. In either case, you certainly can do your own research... and you'll come to the same conclusions.
So, what is the biggest lie currently being told by Oligarchs in the Fed Gov't of the USA, the Corporate Media, and the advertising depts of mega corporations (Goldman Sachs is probably the most egregious offender in that last category)??? It's not that we're in a legitimate, constitutional "war" with someone. No, that's not it, but that was a close second. It's not that the fairly recent bailout of health insurance companies, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, improved health CARE in the U.S. Nope, that's not it. It's not that "inflation" is low and unemployment is decreasing. Although those all are lies, not one of them is the biggest lie.
The biggest lie (in my estimation) is that the U.S. economy is slowly improving. You see, when Oligarchs talk about the "economy", they're NOT talking about manufacturing, or jobs that have worth, or the expansion of the shrinking Middle Class, or an increase in the quality of life for the average American (which would be a reversal of the current situation). No, no, no. What they're talking about is this: the incomes of the super-rich are continuing to increase, and the whole process of Financialization is causing the GDP to grow...while manufacturing and decent jobs for the "little people" continue to shrink. That's the reality of our "improving" economy. Financialization does not produce anything except wealth for insiders. It's paper creation and paper shuffling. The idea began to take hold in the '70s, grew tremendously in the '80s and '90s (helped by deregulation of financial institutions), and exploded in terms of growth since the Millenium. AT THE SAME TIME, wages stagnated, manufacturing and jobs were exported, the Middle Class decreased in size, and oligarchical propaganda increased exponentially. It all continues today.
Along with "the biggest lie" is the associated lie/propaganda that the super-rich "create jobs". In general, that's simply not true; perhaps it was decades ago, but no longer. In this day & age, they ship manufacturing & jobs to Third World countries or China, they buy companies here and downsize them, and they merge companies and downsize them. They take some of their money and invest in bizarre financial instruments (securitized bundles) that are shuffled around by insiders and result in no production and no jobs. Worse, they've turned our economy (such as it is) into a giant casino.
All of the above has happened because of the fraudulent politics of both Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels. None of it is a "conspiracy". It's simply due to the common interests and objectives of the Oligarchs, their short-sightedness, and their greed. To them, it's just good business. Making it all possible has been the Edward Bernays style propaganda with which we've been bombarded for well over half a century. There's no question whatsoever that it has been wildly successful. Union busting, unconstitutional wars, deregulation (especially of financial institutions), so-called Free Trade agreements, our China Trade Policy, mega corporation lobbyists, Legislative Absolutism, Executive Absolutism (including Executive Orders), Judicial changing of the Constitution in place of Amendments, the Fed Reserve manipulating our currency, fractional reserve banking, the WTO, the IMF, etc., etc., ad nauseum all have contributed to not only the marginalizing of our system of gov't, but also to the ruination of our economy.
There is a better way, but first we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. Oligarchs rule this country; that's an axiom, accept it. More axioms: Republicans v. Democrats or "Conservatives" v. "Liberals" is a farce; Oligarchs choose, groom, and finance probably 99% of national political candidates; Oligarchs usually don't care who wins an election...they basically own any winner...through various means; the State-Corporate Complex essentially castrates or otherwise marginalizes any politician who isn't on board with the Oligarchs; the Game is rigged...and not in your favor; voting doesn't matter at all...there is no "lesser evil" anymore; those at the highest level in the Fed Gov't lie almost every day; those at the highest level in mega corporations lie every day; the Middle Class continues to shrink; we're rapidly moving to an economic Feudal Society; and finally, American politics is an utter fraud.
My best guess is that about 50% of our adult population already believes the above. I'm guessing that the 25% fanatical "Conservatives" (which means Neoconservatives nowadays) and the 25% fanatical "Liberals" (both of whom are still in a dead political paradigm strictly because of propaganda) don't believe any of it...or at least, don't believe most of it. Furthermore, they never will. Myopic on their part. The 50% of us who do believe it probably mostly feel that the situation is hopeless, that there's nothing significant to be done about it. I no longer think that. I now believe that it's possible to correct the situation with peaceful means...in big ways and in tiny ways. Unfortunately, it will take a tremendous, sustained effort...over a significant time period. Remember, no institutional system is carved in stone (so to speak). One doesn't have to be a fanatic to contribute to the peaceful change of an institution; one only has to want something better and be willing to work toward it...to whatever degree with which you're comfortable. As an East Indian activist once said, "...we be many, and they be few."...a big Amen to that. :)
Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails
