I’m an American. How do I know this? It is probably because I feel as if I can find no sense of common purpose or agreement among the people I live amongst, whether in the real or virtual world. But when I emerge from my solitude and really motivate myself to try, I find I can have a reasonable conversation with people even if they see the world through Fox News or MSNBC goggles. And as the conversation continues, I realize we really aren’t that far apart and that we can co-exist. I must conclude that the real problem is not my fellow American, but rather that “THEY’RE ALL LYING TO US”.
Who are “They”? They are primary communication outlets, traditional media, liberal elites, conservative moguls, online/social media, and, of course, politicians. The digital age has made us all pawns in the game of “surveillance capitalism” and the power of everything BIG: BIG corporations, BIG money, BIG stars, and BIG bullshit. And the quantity and speed at which information comes at us leaves us overwhelmed (known today as “TMI” or “too much information”) – am I really supposed to read and understand the “Electronic Communications Terms” so that I can conduct online banking or comprehend how the hell my health insurance deductible works?
I’ve unsuccessfully made a few prior attempts to get “regular” Americans back on the same page. First, I tried to understand American division by going to Democrat, Republican, and Tea Party meetings. It was hard to find commonality. The sense was that the world of BIG had pushed everyone to extremes. Then I went on Facebook to talk facts and reason with “Friends” in hopes of bringing folks off the extremes . . . but no one could even agree upon the facts . . . and I ended up losing Friends.
Thus, in phase 3 of my effort to unify Americans, I decided to follow the adage: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. I believe most of us have a healthy distrust/disdain for a large portion of BIG media, elites/moguls, corporations, and government, the groups that are all lying to us (okay, at least providing misleading and/or biased information or a platform upon which such information is distributed). BIG is augmented by SPEEDY dissemination of TMI via digital means to further overwhelm and ultimately divide us.
They’re All Lying to US (TALUS) will seek to inform & entertain you and engage you in discussions about the issues of everyday American life: political, social, cultural, and functional. TALUS will bypass BIG and SPEEDY, get us out of our respective media/social bubbles and provide a forum like 20th century in-person gatherings where citizens can converse and find commonality simply by being regular Americans.