The dictionary defines gaslighting as manipulating someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. For instance, in a relationship an abusive partner might manipulate the situation and claim the other partner is irrational often enough that the other person starts to believe that their rational behavior is actually irrational. I propose that this example is most evident in the mainstream media and their blatant manipulation of the public to protect progressive ideology. Conservatives have brought up issue after issue for years only for the media to tell them that they were/are crazy conspiracy theories. When the Republicans said that Biden would do everything he could to ban oil and gas production, the media shielded Biden and said that the presidential candidate Biden would in fact do the opposite. Then day one of his presidency he did exactly what conservatives said he would. The IRS targeted conservatives, the FBI targeted Republicans, and now we have even learned that the DNC conspired with social media empires. All of these were concealed by the media and any conservative that questioned them was labeled irrational and their arguments were accused of being void of facts. These events rot away the core institutions America is based on, but perhaps even worse are the events that are corrupting the very fabric of our society: our morality. The media is yet again covering up events and telling conservatives that they are yet again irrational for paying attention to evil, let alone questioning it. The Balenciaga scandal, the Epstein and Maxwell trials, and the anti-Semitic misdirection all highlight how truly morally bankrupt our society is becoming due to the embrace of moral relativism.
The recent movement towards parent’s rights in a classroom gained a lot of traction the past few years and a large part of that is due to sexual grooming of children. Parents started noticing the horrible books found in school libraries that had explicit sex acts including pedophilia. Parents noticed that many educators were pushing the sexualization of children who were not even in middle school yet. When we pushed harder at these groomers, the media stepped in and claimed it was not happening. And then the curtain was pulled back and we saw that high fashion had their own perversions with this as well. The Balenciaga photos only highlighted what we already knew: that there is a cultural rot in the moral fabric of America and when the ideology of progressivism and moral relativism is fully followed, there is no ability to call what Balenciaga did as wrong. The New York Times and Vogue are starting to push that the “Balenciaga controversy has gone too far” and that the right-wing outrage culture is making this a bigger issue than it truly is, going as far to say that it is really a conspiracy rather than fact. They are making this out to be a photo shoot that just barely crossed the line, and maybe it was a bit tasteless but art pushes lines. The New York Times is going as far as shaming their own readership in not being educated in the arts and not acknowledging that art is to push cultural bounds. They are condoning the use of sexualizing children for dollars in pockets. I will never back down from protecting the innocence of children and neither should America. It should never be deemed irrational to protect children. We are at another juncture in the cultural warfare and the media is encouraging Americans to pick the side of gaslighting, manipulation, and moral corruptness. Ask ourselves, how are we in the wrong to stand on the side of protecting children from sexual exploits?
The trials for Epstein and Maxwell were highly publicized and show how abhorrently perverse our society is becoming. Recently the Maxwell trial came to a close, and the spin the media put on the case was an obvious obfuscation of all of Epstein’s words and actions. To recap: Epstein sexually trafficked minors and Maxwell helped him. Epstein had very powerful connections and those people visited Epstein often. Epstein claimed to have “dirt” on all of these very powerful people and many of the victims claimed that they were victims of not only Epstein but also his very powerful connections. Epstein got an extraordinarily suspect non-prosecution agreement that according to the Miami Herald “essentially shut down an ongoing FBI probe into whether there were more victims and other powerful people who took part in Epstein’s sex crimes.” This is where the moral gaslighting involving Maxwell comes into play. For many years people have wanted to know who Epstein was trafficking these girls to; who were his clients and powerful people that were complicit in the sexual exploitation of minors? But as the demand for this list got louder, the media manipulated the story and said that Maxwell groomed and exploited the minors for Epstein. Not anyone else, just Epstein. The media has dropped their investigation on anyone else and has focused entirely on laying the blame on Maxwell and Epstein. No justice for the victims. No justice for those who exploited those minors. Instead, we are now called conspiracy theorists because we want to know who else was involved? The search for truth is now called conspiracy theorists’ lunatic ravings. How twisted and perverted is it that those wanting to end the sexual exploitation of minors are called conspiracy theorists? I can agree and be thankful that we caught the masterminds behind the sex trafficking but why are we stopping there? Stop acting as if I am the irrational one for staking the claim that anyone who is a sex offender (and especially those towards minors) should face justice.
With the decay of morality and the rise of the progressive agenda it isn’t difficult to see why there is a growing trend of anti-Semitism in this country. You would think we would learn a thing or two from history… But I digress. This anti-Semitism did not start with Nick Fuentes and Ye despite what you might be seeing in the media. Yes, their views are unacceptable and frightening to hear, but they are citizens and hold no power within our government. The media is distracting us from the anti-Semites who actually have power over policy and our government: people like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. But when confronted with their anti-Jewish beliefs and statements, the media produces puff pieces about how it is a “controversy” that is taken out of context or about how it is Islamophobia to attack them for their “pro-Palestine” views. This same media that does not routinely condemn and push for the cancellation of Tlaib and Omar over their anti-Semitic views cannot stop talking about Ye and encouraging society to cancel him. One group can actually vote on bills and budgets; the others can only wax poetic to whoever decides to actually listen to them. So please media, do not lecture me on the evils of anti-Semitism when you cannot devote any of your time to remove known anti-Semites from Congress. Do not lecture about the dangers of anti-Semitic language and propaganda when you have hung your hat on the Progressive ideal and the key players in their agenda. Agreed, Ye and Nick Fuentes should be shunned for their views, but to a much larger degree Rashida Tlaib’s and Ilhan Omar’s views should warrant even greater coverage and cancellation.
The concept of a moral compass pointing towards truth and honesty is now a compass more like the one of Jack Sparrows; one that points in the direction of selfish desire and power. The media has fallen prey to turning their backs on truth and seeking justice and embraced a progressive philosophy that espouses control in the name of care, cultural correctness in the name of sexualizing children, and gaslighting in the name of educating. Our country and its foundation are on the cusp of being gaslighted to death, and unless held accountable, the media and the Progressive left will slaughter the concept of morality for society’s “common good.”
Responses
Great essay Mr. Thomas! Absolutely spot on. Thank you.
A very good essay Mr. Thomas. You are spot on except in arguing that anyone’s “views are unacceptable.” They may be frightening to hear, but the answer is not to shun or silence, it is to either ignore bigoted remarks or refute them with facts and logic. And in the case or Reps. Omar and Talib, vote them out of office–not that it will happen given the state of our media and electorate. Free speech can be ugly, as can the thoughts behind some of it, but both are essential.
Thank you Steve. Just to clarify (because I agree with your comment), when I said their views are unacceptable I did not intend to mean that their views should be silenced by the force of government. I agree that free speech can be ugly. But I also believe that there is truth and morality. For instance, Advocating for the murder of a two year old is an unacceptable view and should be societally shunned but should be protected free speech (unless it is a direct threat to a specific person).