Gaslighting

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Uncle Al
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Gaslighting

Post by Uncle Al »

Copied from a friend, punctuation errors included :D
This is to all U.S. members, but it may/has happened in other countries.
This is happening in our country today.WHAT IS GASLIGHTING?The term originates in the systematic psychological manipulation of a victim by her husband in Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 stage play Gas Light, and the film adaptations released in 1940 and 1944. In the story, the husband attempts to convince his wife and others that she is insane by manipulating small elements of their environment and insisting that she is mistaken, remembering things incorrectly, or delusional when she points out these changes. The play's title alludes to how the abusive husband slowly dims the gas lights in their home, while pretending nothing has changed, in an effort to make his wife doubt her own perceptions. The wife repeatedly asks her husband to confirm her perceptions about the dimming lights, but in defiance of reality, he keeps insisting that the lights are the same and instead it is she who is going insane.Today we are living in a perpetual state of gaslighting. The reality that we are being told by the media is at complete odds with what we are seeing with our own two eyes. And when we question the false reality that we are being presented, or we claim that what we see is that actual reality, we are vilified as racist or bigots or just plain crazy. You’re not racist. You’re not crazy. You’re being gaslighted.New York State has twice as many deaths from Covid-19 than any other state, and New York has accounted for one fifth of all Covid-19 deaths, but we are told that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has handled the pandemic better than any other governor. But if we support policies of Governors whose states had only a fraction of the infections and deaths as New York, we’re called anti-science and want people to die. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.We see mobs of people looting stores, smashing windows, setting cars on fire and burning down buildings, but we are told that these demonstrations are peaceful protests And when we call this destruction of our cities, riots, we are called racists. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.We see the major problem destroying many inner-cities is crime; murder, gang violence, drug dealing, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, but we are told that it is not crime, but the police that are the problem in the inner-cities. We are told we must defund the police and remove law enforcement from crime-riddled cities to make them safer But if we advocate for more policing in cities overrun by crime, we are accused of being white supremacists and racists. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.The United States of America accepts more immigrants than any other country in the world. The vast majority of the immigrants are “people of color”, and these immigrants are enjoying freedom and economic opportunity not available to them in their country of origin, but we are told that the United States is the most racist and oppressive country on the planet, and if we disagree, we are called racist and xenophobic. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.Capitalist countries are the most prosperous countries in the world. The standard of living is the highest in capitalist countries. We see more poor people move up the economic ladder to the middle and even the wealthy class through their effort and ability in capitalist countries than any other economic system in the world, but we are told capitalism is an oppressive system designed to keep people down. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.Communist countries killed over 100 million people in the 20th century. Communist countries strip their citizens of basic human rights, dictate every aspect of their lives, treat their citizens as slaves, and drive their economies into the ground, but we are told that Communism is the fairest, most equitable, freest, and most prosperous economic system in the world. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.The most egregious example of gaslighting is the concept of “white fragility”. You spend your life trying to be a good person, trying to treat people fairly and with respect. You disavow racism and bigotry in all its forms. You judge people solely on the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. You don’t discriminate based on race or ethnicity. But you are told you are a racist, not because of something you did or said, but solely because of the color of your skin. You know instinctively that charging someone with racism because of their skin color is itself racist. You know that you are not racist, so you defend yourself and your character, but you are told that your defense of yourself is proof of your racism. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.Gaslighting has become one of the most pervasive and destructive tactics in American politics. It is the exact opposite of what our political system was meant to be. It deals in lies and psychological coercion, and not the truth and intellectual discourse. If you ever ask yourself if you’re crazy, you are not. Crazy people aren’t sane enough to ask themselves if they’re crazy. So, trust yourself, believe what’s in your heart. Trust your eyes over what you are told. Never listen to the people who tell you that you are crazy, because you are not, you’re being gaslighted.Sophocles said: "What people believe prevails over the truth."And that's what the media are trying to exploit.If you have read this far let me say one thing. I did not write the above and I am not sure who the author is.I sent this to you because you are hopefully smart enough to understand what is being done to you on a daily basis from many directions. I do not care about your political party affiliation. Just think through what you are being told. Don't listen with a deaf ear, or see with a blind eye. Question everything -- even things from people who you think you can trust. Question why you are being told whatever, by whoever. Question their motives. Question who benefits. Question if there is a hidden agenda behind the propaganda. Then do your own research, and use some of your own critical thinking skills to get to the truth. Listen with your heart AND with your mind.Sadly, 95% of the masses don't even know that they are being gaslighted. At least now you do...... [ P.S. : A friend sent this to me via my primary e-mail account.] Hope everyone find it interesting.
IMHO, I've been witnessing this phenomena for many years :(

Uncle Al
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by crfriend »

Uncle Al wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:07 pmCopied from a friend, punctuation errors included :D
Punctuation problems, formatting problems, an inability to wield the written language properly, gross factual errors, and a misunderstanding of the basic nature of statistical analysis include a few of the problems contained therein, but far from all of them.

I call "right-wing propaganda". Read it, but engage your analytical mind before doing so.

The takeaway from this should be, "Always keep an open mind, but be skeptical and be aware of who wrote something, and why it was written."
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by pelmut »

crfriend wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 10:29 pm .. gross factual errors...
Even the description of plot of the play is wrong.
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by Jim »

Someone may be gaslighted, but this rant has little relation to reality.

For example, I and several family members have been in Black Lives Matter protests. They were entirely peaceful. I've read that in about 5% of these protests some thugs use them as an opportunity for violent or destructive acts. These are not the peaceful protestors.
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by Fred in Skirts »

And the blind shall always be blind... They continue to not see what is happening to them.

Al, Great article!!
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by crfriend »

Fred in Skirts wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 11:21 pmAnd the blind shall always be blind...
Indeed, There are none so blind as those who will not see.
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by moonshadow »

The problem here is, it ignores the "gaslighting" engaged by the "other side". In the red states, you'd better be careful if you call out anything a Republican, or especially anything Trump does or says that strikes you as suspect.... you're flirting with danger.

I think the likely truth is these people just don't care, all of them. They've got the lower classes bickering and fighting amongst ourselves.

Do you honestly think Trump, Biden, or any of the others actually care about your hide...?

You want truth....

....dig in...

https://youtu.be/KLODGhEyLvk

The main point starts around 7:55

I'm surrounded by millions of people who are perfectly willing to crown 45 King, and they hang on his every word as the gospel truth.

I'm not saying Biden is any better, but at least most of those who voted for him admit they just wanted Trump out and don't really care for Biden either.... in other words, liberals may be a lot of things, but they've not exactly formed a new religion with a lying politican at the center.

Indeed, the evidence seems to indicate Trump Republican voters are perfectly willing to be ruled, the rest just want a leader. The way the people of his own party are terrified to stand up to him... what an American disgrace.

Can't pin that on liberals... hell, they can't agree on anything!
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by Faldaguy »

Sadly the examples seem to turn the wisdom in this piece on its head. The implied suggestions are flat out wrong in most instances, and the conclusion that 95% of the masses not knowing they've been lied to, falls flat on its face too as in even this nearly evenly split election, neither number approaches that percentage. I can agree with Moon's concluding line:
Indeed, the evidence seems to indicate Trump Republican voters are perfectly willing to be ruled, the rest just want a leader. The way the people of his own party are terrified to stand up to him... what an American disgrace.
And I will support the articles paragraph:
Just think through what you are being told. Don't listen with a deaf ear, or see with a blind eye. Question everything -- even things from people who you think you can trust. Question why you are being told whatever, by whoever. Question their motives. Question who benefits. Question if there is a hidden agenda behind the propaganda. Then do your own research, and use some of your own critical thinking skills to get to the truth. Listen with your heart AND with your mind
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

in even this nearly evenly split election,


I almost always agree with what Faldaguy posts, but this is a point we all need to be clear on. Donald Trump lost the 2016 popular vote by something like 2.5 million votes. This year he lost by 5.3 million votes, a record spread. That's hardly an evenly split electorate.
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by crfriend »

Pdxfashionpioneer wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 12:45 pm
in even this nearly evenly split election,

I almost always agree with what Faldaguy posts, but this is a point we all need to be clear on. Donald Trump lost the 2016 popular vote by something like 2.5 million votes. This year he lost by 5.3 million votes, a record spread. That's hardly an evenly split electorate.
There are just shy of 214 million registered voters in the US (213,799,467 according to the World Population Review), so even 5.3 million (which sounds like a lot) is only 2.5 (2.476 to be precise) percent separating the two -- large enough to be counted to be sure, but statistically in the noise band. Plus, the popular vote does not select the president, the Electoral College does, and that adds a lot of contamination to the mix.

Without a powerful alternate to the two major parties the US is going to be in this same situation four years from now, and four years after that, on out until it finally collapses.
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by moonshadow »

crfriend wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:01 pm until it [our system] finally collapses.
I'm betting this is the last one. But I must yield to the fact that you called it first....
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Re: Gaslighting

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moonshadow wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:05 pm
crfriend wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:01 pmuntil it [our system] finally collapses.
I'm betting this is the last one. But I must yield to the fact that you called it first....
This isn't a competition to see who calls it closest, it's merely an observation. The country is on an unsustainable path, and the immediate existential crisis is one of economic nature and the impoverishment of the working class -- and immediately on the heels of that there's the ecological disaster that we're already feeling the effects of.

What I will say is that if something goes wrong and we wind up with another four years of the current regime (including its policies) the place is done for. Let's just hope it doesn't take the planet with it economically the way it almost did in '08 or in a rain of nuclear fire from the sky.
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by Gusto10 »

Looking at the US from the other side of the Atlantic amd having lived in the US, all I can say is that in my humble opinion the US isn't as grand anymore as it used to be. The world and especially Europe has learned that they can't count on a word is a word anymore if it concerns the US. They have seen the lack of egards, the lack of empathy more clearly than ever. Where I first thuight it would be good to have a president without a political background in order to decrease the bureaucracy. Putting in his family as senior advisors was not a good thing to do. Yes he said as first pesident hello to Kim jun un and set foor on North Korean soil, yes the Arabs and Israeli started talking, but the world is more of a mess. If the Senate will retain a Republican majority Biden will be in a though spot and those who voted for him will not do so in 4 years. Gun control in the US does need a serious thought in order to prevent shoot outs in schools etc.
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Re: Gaslighting

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Gusto10 wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:25 pmIf the Senate will retain a Republican majority Biden will be in a though spot and those who voted for him will not do so in 4 years. Gun control in the US does need a serious thought in order to prevent shoot outs in schools etc.
In working the analysis, it's helpful to recall that both the "Democrats" and the "Republicans" answer to the same paymasters.

As far as gun control goes, that's so far down the list of problems that it doesn't even warrant mention at the moment. Here's the Big Three:
  1. The existential crisis of wealth inequity in the US,
  2. The existential crisis of access to health care in the US, and
  3. The ongoing ecological crisis of climate change.
In speaking with my aunt a few minutes ago she also suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 crisis also warrants inclusion in there.

The United States needs to solve (1) and (2) above before we can even think about helping tackle (3) -- and there are very powerful, very entrenched, interests standing in the way of all three. The United States is very much part of the problem at the moment, not part of the solution. Is it any wonder that hope is in rather short supply?
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Re: Gaslighting

Post by Ray »

That article is complete bo11ocks, and you would have to be a fool to give it any credence.

Yes, question what you are hearing, but do it in a calm rational analytical way, not as a knee jerk reaction.

To say that all of the media lies - all of it- is just irrational.

I note also the fear and loathing of communism. Fair enough - it doesn’t really work - but what saddens me is the resulting fear of socialism. That’s paranoia. Socialism - or large chunks of it - works well in economies. Most European countries have socialist elements in their economies. They are doing fine, thanks - and the poor and less well-off are not cast aside like in the US. Get free healthcare. It’s based on socialism. It’s what civilised nations should have.

Anyway, I suggest that the highlighted polemic is ignored for the drivel that it is.
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