Lies, Incorporated: The World of Post-Truth Politics by Ari Rabin-Havt

Author:Ari Rabin-Havt [Rabin-Havt, Ari]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307279590
Amazon: 0307279596
Publisher: Anchor
Published: 2016-04-19T06:00:00+00:00

As long as Lott continues to provide statistical credence to their ideology, the right will embrace him with open arms. For more than a decade, other respected researchers have found his work to be suspect, but that has not limited his media stardom, public speaking engagements, or book sales. His data helps to justify the legislative whims of a multibillion-dollar industry.

“More guns, less crime” has become not only a book, but also a mantra for the gun rights movement. In the aftermath of tragedy, it provides a talking point to those seeking to justify the right to carry firearms. If only those in the theater, elementary school, or other sites of a mass shooting had access to guns these tragedies wouldn’t have occurred. There is no evidence in support of claims such as Aurora shooter James Holmes having chosen the specific theater in question because guns were banned. His diary shows evidence of him weighing the pros and cons of different targets. For example, he did not choose an airport because of security, and because if he did his actions might be considered terrorism, which “isn’t the message” he intended to send.66 Additionally, numerous studies, such as the one cited earlier from Mayors Against Illegal Guns, cast doubt on the theory that mass murderers choose the location of their kills by examining firearm policy.

Like many effective arguments from Lies, Incorporated, the principal use of John Lott’s research is the maintenance of a status quo. If one side claims a reduction in access to firearms improves public safety and a second claims more weapons makes us safer, this deadlock still produces the desired outcome. By becoming the gun rights community’s favorite academic, John Lott has developed a following in a community that uses his flawed research to justify this false worldview, helping to prevent any progress on the issue of gun safety.

In the next chapter we will see Lies, Incorporated use the creation of a mythology to disenfranchise voters they believe will oppose them at the ballot box. As with guns, a singular figure will rise to prominence in the conservative movement based on his ability to effectively distort the facts around a singular issue. And like with guns, unfortunately, Lies, Incorporated will succeed, with major consequences for our democracy.

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