Lying in politics reached a new low last week when United States Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said he had to ‘create stories’ in order to get the attention of the media, even if that meant demonising innocent people who have already suffered more than most.
When Vance’s false story about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio emerged from the bowels of the MAGA-verse and on to the world stage in the Trump-Harris debate, at first it seemed like just another comically stupid senior moment from the orange candidate, but this has since emerged as a key racist plank in the Republican campaign for the presidency, and for control of the US Senate.
Vance’s main role is to translate and justify the most extreme nonsense which emerges from Trump’s mouth, distracting attention when necessary, but he’s also a threat in his own right, having been installed by billionaire nutjob and mentor Peter Thiel as the heir apparent, and proven his ability to twist himself into whatever shape is required in the pursuit of power.
These are people who well understand the maxim that ‘a lie is halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on’.
With their true plans for the people of America so unpalatable they can’t be mentioned, the Trump-Vance campaign is entirely built on fear and untruths, and the rest of the world is taking notes.
Truth overboard
Here in Australia, we have a history of going along with big American lies, most notably the fictitious weapons of mass destruction that justified the invasion of Iraq.
Less ambitious lies from both the Labor and Liberal camps have also driven federal elections in recent years, including imaginary death taxes and mediscare campaigns, but for these to work they generally need to have at least some relationship to reality (it has to feel like the kind of thing the other party might do, based on their past behaviour).
John Howard took things a big step backward with children overboard, and now – emboldened by the American example – we’re entering a not-so-brave new world where pretty much anything goes, aided by newfangled AI deep fakes and social media, along with old villains such as the Murdoch media.
Labor’s latest response is their Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill 2024.
Digital deception
Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland told parliament the bill ‘positions Australia to be at the forefront of tackling this growing international problem – one which threatens to undermine our civic discourse and democratic engagement and participation’, by making digital platforms accountable for mis- and disinformation on their services.
In the Senate last week, the Opposition was having none of it. Liberal senator Alex Antic said the proposed legislation was Orwellian. ‘The bill appears to be effectively aimed fairly and squarely at alternative internet platforms that defy the government approved narrative,’ he said.
‘Is this all about Twitter, X? Why is the establishment so against X? Why is this government so against Elon Musk?’
Hmm, maybe it’s something to do with the fact that Trump’s buddy Musk is personally sharing QAnon conspiracies and other extreme right lies and misinformation to millions of people on a daily basis?
Tasmanian Liberal senator Claire Chandler developed the Orwellian theme, saying ‘if the government doesn’t think social media companies are censoring enough of the content they don’t like, the minister will be able to personally order investigations and even public hearings on any misinformation topic determined by the minister…
‘The constant attacks on freedom of speech that come from this Labor government are a huge concern,’ she continued. ‘The risk of people being allowed to speak freely, and maybe get their facts wrong from time to time, pales in comparison with the risks of government and big tech telling you what you can say and when you can say it.’
Unfortunately Labor’s proposed bill will do nothing to stop lying in politics, or in political advertising. Maintaining that outrageous situation is something both major parties will die in a ditch for, it seems.
Speaking of dying and ditches, the US vice-presidential debate will be of unusual interest this year, with the lies and misdemeanors of J.D. Vance expected to be entertainingly skewered by his opponent, Governor Tim Walz, on live television on 1 October.
Hopefully the truth will be the winner, for once.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning film-maker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
