Most people in America…claim to love America. Ask them why, you’re likely to hear about “freedom,” and “free market,” and “opportunity,” and most of all “democracy.“ These aspects of the American ideal are not only important….they are intertwined. For example: without free speech and free press…democracy, cannot function for the benefit of the people. As Thomas Jefferson once said “An informed citizenry is the bulwark of democracy.“ Imagine a country where all the people are not informed, because the press is stifled (or just ineffective) and public information/education is restricted (or again, ineffective). Now imagine that the people in that country can’t even discuss the issues that are facing them. They not only don’t have any information…they can’t discuss the issues at all, because their speech is prohibited.

What good would DEMOCRACY do those people? People who cannot even vote for what is in their best interests…because they cannot DETERMINE what is in their best interests…because they are so easily manipulated and confused and have no way to tell LIE from TRUTH.

Welcome to the America of today…courtesy of the far-right movement, who claim so often to care for “country first.”

That’s right: since the start of the Bush administration, conservatives in America have done their level best to ensure that this country does not have an “informed citizenry.“ Their own media apparatus sells Republican Party press releases as “news“…and any legitimate news organization that publishes any facts that reflect poorly on conservatives, are denounced as “liberally biased,” regardless of what the truth is.

Any plan or action instituted by Democrats (or any liberal or moderate organization) is summarily rejected regardless of what good it might do for the people of this country. Massive propaganda campaigns are set up to utilize fear and disinformation so that the people of this country will actually do the “dirty work” for the conservatives. I repeat: the people are convinced and coerced to act against their OWN BEST INTERESTS.

You’ve Seen These Strategies: ONE) label your opponents as strange/scary/un-Christian/un-American/weak/elitist/communist. TWO) Fill the airwaves with “news” and pundits reporting to have “facts“…and present your deceptions to the people (you wouldn’t believe how many will accept lies without questioning).

And there is a THIRD, no so much new as “newly-perfected” strategy: organize mobs of people, staged to appear as a “natural populist uprising“…using paid members of your organization and whatever extremist wing-nuts you can scrounge up. Train these people to disrupt anyone who even attempts to communicate facts…to shout over anyone who they disagree with…to interrupt anyone trying to become an “informed citizen.”

Current examples:

Harold Meyerson details this “policy of disruption” and cites an amazingly fitting quote from the poet William Butler Yeats: “ The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. “ The people lacking conviction… are the local constituency . The citizens in the areas where these town halls have taken place are largely liberal. Why aren’t THEY at the meetings? Some of the disrupted town halls are in predominantly African-American districts…similarly, why aren’t THEY at the meetings? Because they are not attending and becoming more informed…the meetings are largely attended by local seniors…and the hooligans bused in by lobbyists and conservative-action groups, many of whom often DON’T EVEN LIVE IN THE DISTRICT .

“ The people lacking conviction… . The citizens in the areas where these town halls have taken place are largely liberal. Why aren’t at the meetings? Some of the disrupted town halls are in predominantly African-American districts…similarly, why aren’t at the meetings? Because they are not attending and becoming more informed…the meetings are largely attended by local seniors…and the hooligans bused in by lobbyists and conservative-action groups, many of whom often . The “protesters” you see in the clips making the rounds? A lot of them were wrangled by the group Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, a group led by controversial former hospital CEO Rick Scott…and using the services of CRC Public Relations. Remember CRC? They’re the ones who brought you the series of shameful lies that have come to be known as the “swiftboat” attacks…where an honored war veteran was disgracefully made out to be a coward by this amoral, unethical, and shameless PR firm.

They’re the ones who brought you the series of shameful lies that have come to be known as the “swiftboat” attacks…where an honored war veteran was disgracefully made out to be a coward by this amoral, unethical, and shameless PR firm. Other mobs were coordinated, bused, and “trained” by a group called FreedomWorks led by former Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey. The “training memo” they released told their members to “ stand up and shout out and sit right back down ” and even though they would not be the majority in the meetings (the vast majority of people in America SUPPORT the reform plan AND the public option), they should spread out so the presenter is “ made to feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least the audience, opposes the socialist agenda of Washington. “ They were told to interrupt the presenter and ANY CITIZEN who tried to ask questions or make comments…especially comments supporting the plan. It is worth noting that one of the FreedomWorks Board members…is the founder of the “ Cancer Centers of America…he was also the president of International Capital & Management Co., an organization specializing in making hospitals more efficient and cost-effective. “ That’s right – another health care/insurance executive trying to get US to vote against OUR interests…and in favor of preserving the industry’s bad practices and high profit margins.

” and even though they would not be the majority in the meetings (the vast majority of people in America the reform plan the public option), they should spread out so the presenter is “ “ They were told to interrupt the presenter and who tried to ask questions or make comments…especially comments supporting the plan. It is worth noting that one of the FreedomWorks Board members…is the founder of the “ “ That’s right – another health care/insurance executive trying to get to vote against interests…and in favor of preserving the industry’s bad practices and high profit margins. You can forget about the major networks and media helping you out. CBS reported on the disturbances…but neglected to mention that these protests were sponsored by corporate lobbyists, PR firms, and conservative action groups (that are in bed with corporate lobbyists). Of course, if their goal was an “informed citizenry” then they should have mentioned it, but they are either afraid of being called “liberally-biased,” or the corporate executives who OWN their news organizations didn’t want you to know the whole story. Strangely, the major news networks also didn’t focus on the LARGE demonstrations of SUPPORT for the reform plan…mentioned in this newspaper…and in this article…and here’s another rare mention of the OVERWHELMING public support for the public option.

afraid of being called “liberally-biased,” or the corporate executives who their news organizations didn’t want you to know the whole story. Strangely, the major news networks also didn’t focus on the demonstrations of for the reform plan…mentioned in this newspaper…and in this article…and here’s another rare mention of the public support for the public option. White House Press Secretary Gibbs…and others who have been paying attention…realize that this is not the first time this tactic has been employed. In Florida in 2000, it was decided that the recount of the thousands of remaining ballots would be performed to determine the outcome of the Presidential election. This resulted in what is known as the “Brooks Brothers Brigade:” it was intended to look as if a group of “concerned citizens” stormed the building where the recount was being held because they were “defending their democracy.” In reality…almost all the “protesters” were RNC employees and insiders who did nothing more than to shut down a LEGAL RECOUNT by making public officials afraid for their safety. AND THAT…is NOT democracy. Here, Rachel Maddow recounts the event and even shows a picture of the “protesters” and identifies each on by name and their relationship to the Republican Party.

There’s a fly in the conservatives’ ointment, though…and they have become so entrenched within their own ideals and their own supporters…that they don’t even see it. People may be fooled by the name-calling and labeling tactics…people may well be deceived into thinking their right-wing newscasts are real and that their pundits’ information is reliable…but when people see an angry mob shutting down a town hall meeting and preventing others from speaking: they see extremists. See, if there is one thing Americans are sensitive to…it is being allowed to speak. Everyone in this country believes, right or wrong, that they deserve to be heard. And so, if they want to lose the support of EVEN MORE of conservatives, and EVEN MORE of the independents…they should just keep busing their angry, fake “mobs” to disrupt civil discourse. They should just keep right on showing us that, for them, it is anything but “country first.” Read here, here, and here…and see how easy they’ve made it for Obama, the DNC, and other Democrats to paint their people as ignorant, crazed, fringe lunatics who are dangerous to our democracy…all they have to do…is show the clips. Need a visual aid? Watch House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in Utica, New York…and watch for the senior, an older woman, attempting to participate in her country’s future…and watch her face as she is rudely interrupted…the Republicans should try to imagine how angry THE REST OF US get when we see this taking place:

NOTE: If you look for this clip on YouTube, you will find it titled “Outraged Average Citizen Confronts House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Says Hoyer’s Lying” by some group called ConservativeNewMedia, “Your Lying to Me” posted by FoxNewsElectionHQ, and “Dem Protester Confronts Steny Hoyer Over Health Care @ Town Hall” posted by Story Balloon. “Average Citizen” and “Dem?” I don’t think so…that Don Jeror, head of the local Tea Party group of anti-government extremists, white supremacists, and goofballs who’ve forgotten to take their meds…so let’s not make it out like he’s “just some average democrat.” It’s appropriate that he put “patriots” in quotation marks on his sign…because there is nothing patriotic about what he is doing.