“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” –John Wooden

Hypocrisy. A word that has such a powerful meaning, yet is rarely reflected upon, especially in modern America.

Merriam’s Dictionary defines Hypocrisy as:

Feigning to be what one is not or feigning to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.

Former US Vice President Al Gore urges us all to reduce our carbon footprint, yet he regularly flies in a private jet. Former drug czar William Bennett stresses the importance of temperance but is reported to be an habitual gambler. Pastor Ted Haggard preached the virtues of “the clean life” until allegations of methamphetamine use and a taste for male prostitutes arose. Eliot Spitzer prosecuted prostitution rings as attorney general in New York State, but he was later found to be a regular client of one such ring.

Or, more to the point of today, the way in which the radical left is screaming about integrity, morality, acceptance, free speech and liberty, all while breaking the law, being deceitful and close-minded, and infringing on the free speech and rights of those they disagree with, and that is the very definition of hypocrisy. I will likely be seen as a bigot or fascist for calling out their obvious contradiction.

One of the more prominent examples for today’s discussion is the way that many who very recently identified as Libertarian or Anarchist are now calling for closed borders and the suspension of the rights of their political opponents, in direct opposition to their previous beliefs, all while still claiming to be what they clearly, by definition, are not.

We have grown to a place in this country, or some would argue manipulated or driven to a place in this country, where one’s feelings now take precedent over the facts. We are told, or rather led to believe, that what we feel matters more than the truth. And when we start to break down what all are beginning to recognize about mainstream media (among many other institutions), it becomes clear why that climate is being created.

Not long ago, most felt secure in the thought that the nightly news was keeping them informed, holding powerful individuals accountable, and asking the tough questions. Yet, we now know that is not the case, if ever it was. The Fake News narrative was the last grasping effort of a dying medium, to convince the public that there is only one true voice in America, and that is mainstream media, and all the rest are lying, cheating Russian spies, or whatever the ridiculous concoction of lies is at the moment.

Once that failed, the only option left on the table was to cast doubt on everything, in a very Brave-New-World –type confusion. Once inside this newly created Hopeful echo chamber of misinformation, the talking heads began to validate your feelings, even in the face of all the factually revealing information being pumped out by Independent media. Essentially saying,

Yes you were right to doubt those alt media guys, you were smart enough to not trust those pesky facts”

“Believe in your feelings, and trust that we will always validate those feelings…”

This is due largely to the fact that the story being sold by MSM is one of comfort and pacification. Leading people to believe that their government only wants what’s best for them, and only seeks to protect them. And deep down, this is what most want, a sense of safety, even a false one. Yet, the truth is always a bit more dark and complex. But, as they say, Ignorance is bliss.

We have been pushed here for a reason. Knowing they were failing, knowing that people were become aware of their deception, they drove Americans to a place where they would choose to check out and just decide to put their trust in the big news network simply due to frustration and confusion. Now MSM can quite literally pump out false stories with zero facts, and many will take it at face value, while doubting any actual fact presented by alt media, all due to this created apathy.

So we find ourselves at a point when it is not only seen as okay, but has been validated and justified by corporate media to hold two contradicting stances if it FEELS right in the moment, be it politically or personally, and it is seen not as hypocrisy, but virtue; not as uncertainty, but compassion and understanding.

What should be seen as incompetence or insincerity, is now the American way.

This is simply the cherry on top of the deep-seeded level of hypocrisy that has embedded its way into the very psyche of the American mind.

Today on The Last American Vagabond we are discussing hypocrisy, both within our culture, and our daily lives. Joining me is Jaslynn Ball, one of the most passionate and driven on-the-ground activists I have had the pleasure of working with. She is a health and natural birth advocate and has worked on a number of campaigns and recently created “Californian’s Building Common Grounds” group. Jaslynn is a member of NorCal freedom fighters, and is a proponent of the RaiseYourRights.Org initiative.

Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/03/researchers-medical-errors-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-united-states/?utm_term=.0aecbba0e3d0, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-hypocrisy/, http://www.businessinsider.com/death-risk-statistics-terrorism-disease-accidents-2017-1