False Narrative

By Dan Butterfield

False Narrative is as the title implies focused on exploring three major aspects associated with false narratives.

The first area of exploration has to do with the longevity associated with false narratives. How these story lines often persists even after the original premise of the false narrative has been proven untrue. In fact, even when presented with the truth--what is remembered by a significant portion of society is the false narrative. (The Benghazi video lie--is one such example, where the public continues to believe in the false narrative rather than the truth.)

The second feature of false narratives relevant in todays Hot Button issue of Stolen Election, Russian interference, and collusion is--Vested Interest. How false narrative tend to spawn new false narratives. Vested interest is analogous to a gambler who cannot not walk away from the table--instead of quiting when they are down they double-down.

Last FN to be investigated is who creates false narrative. What requirements are necessary to foment false narratives--this is done in the chapter titled Hegemony.

Occam's Razor is predicated on a single guiding principle--relief.

By utilizing the principles of plausibility attributed to William of Ockham, OR is focused on addressing the frustration and anxiety that has led to so much anger regarding the Hot Button issues of the day.

OR seeks to accomplish this goal by using critical reasoning (not opinion) to create objective insights and context that permits the reader to reach their own informed conclusions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Sep 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781619847958

Book preview

Preface

False Narrative differentiates, based on longevity, false narrative from fake news and editorial license. It explores the issue of impact in respect to each type of narrative, that once debunked fake news or editorial license immediate lose their impact, yet false narratives continue to influence the public’s thinking—even after false narratives have been proven untrue.

The prefect example of this effect is illustrated by the Benghazi video narrative promoted by the Obama Administration as the cause for the 9/11/2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi—which claimed the lives of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and Information Officer Sean Smith.

Even when proven to be a fabrication—the video narrative remains lodged in the publics psyche. More troubling, the false narrative prevents society from seeing the true story.

Note: The true story behind the September 11th, 2012 attack on the American Consulate—9/11.

Beyond longevity False Narrative explores the perverse incentive, vested interest, creators of false narratives have to continue to promote these false storylines—even when they have been proven to be untrue. Much like a liar caught in a lie will continue to offer up additional lies in order to support their original lie.

To illustrate the vested interested concept False Narrative looks at the Old Guard Media’s false Hillary Clinton Landslide Victory storyline, which led to the false Stolen Election narrative which in-turn led to the false Jill Stein Rigged Machines narrative and ultimately the false Russian Interference storyline. Once the landslide victory storyline failed to materialize—the false narrative should have ended—it didn’t.

Last Occam’s Razor delves into how false narratives are created as well as who has the ability to generate these false storylines—in the Hegemony chapter.

Introduction

On 9/11 2012 the unsecured American consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked by Islamic extremists, Ansar al Sharia, ultimately costing the lives of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and Information Officer Sean Smith. Ironically, to this day what most Americans remember about the brutal event was the obscure video (Innocence of Muslims) the Obama administration blamed for the needless deaths of Stevens and Smith.

This is the power of false narratives—longevity. Once a storyline, especially a false narrative, is established it’s hard to dislodge.

Begrudgingly, President Obama and Secretary Clinton would eventually be forced to abandon the false video narrative they had concocted and admit the truth—Benghazi was actually a terrorist attack. Still, the false narrative had served its purpose. The video storyline had deflected the nation’s attention from the truth.

Even after the video narrative had been debunked, the full extent of the truth never emerged.

To inflict the maximum psychological damage to America, Ansar al Sharia had orchestrated their action to coincide with the anniversary of the worst assault on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor—the seminal date of 9/11.

More important: The President and State Department should have known the Benghazi consulate was vulnerable. Intelligence reports routinely pointed to escalating violence in the region; added to this hostile environment was the approaching seminal date of 9/11. The State Department should have taken some action to protect Messrs. Stevens and Smith. Sadly, nothing was done.

Furthermore, all that would have been necessary to prevent the senseless deaths of Stevens and Smith was for Secretary Clinton to transfer the two State Department members back to the secured embassy in Tripoli—at least until the seminal date had passed—she did nothing.

This should have been the real story of Benghazi—it was not.