Discerning fact from fiction

Perhaps you have heard different words used, that really say the same thing. I have heard them many times, and have used them myself too, from time to time.

Sometimes this quip can be used to inject a light-hearted and humorous tinge into what’s being said, usually with good effect! But the serious reality in today’s world is this stuff happens all the time and is done very deliberately.

Often it can be just harmless banter… or bragging between family and friends. In telling the ‘good story’ about our fishing trip, the snapper we caught was ‘close to 20 pounds’, not the 14 ½ it weighed in at! No harm done there.

The Hound in this very paper is right up there with the best of them when it comes to putting up some facts against the story! Governments and the seemingly endless bureaucrats, and other leeches that hover around the taxpayers’ purse, are rarely forthcoming with the facts. Masters at cover-ups and spin never are.

Now, from the global warming story (my apologies, I remember now, it was quietly changed to ‘climate change’) here’s a quote from the New York Times, September 1995, talking about the rising sea levels: “At the most likely rate of rise, some experts say, most of the beaches on the East Coast of the United States would be gone in 25 years.”

Hey, let’s not throw any shade on these “experts”. I have no doubts at all that if they are still alive, they will still be considered “experts” on climate change today! In other professions they’d be fired, but here they get to keep their credentials and titles. But we don’t want to ruin a good story, now do we. Here’s a random thought: what are the facts? Now that the 25 years have actually ticked on by, how many beaches have ‘gone’?

Obviously, the Obamas live totally carefree about any disaster from these imminent rising sea levels, despite much political rhetoric to the contrary. Their purchase of close to $12m luxury ‘digs’ on Martha’s Vineyard Island is testimony to that. Yep, nearly 30 acres of seaside paradise with its own beach, of course! They showed no concern at all about needing to wade through sea water to get to their front door.

Here’s another one from the many I could choose from. Despite the doom and gloom from Al Gore’s movie, the polar bear population has actually increased over the last 15 years. Recorded numbers are up more than 30% since 2005. And they can easily swim the 60 miles he whined about! But hey, we can’t be ruining a good story, or good movie, with some facts now, can we?

We surely live in a mixed up and strange world. In my younger days, I enjoyed watching the older classic western movies. It was all so simple back then – the good guys having it out with the bad guys.

In today’s world the people that search out the facts will most likely get labelled the bad guys, with other shaming labels thrown at them too. Or they will simply get blocked or ‘cancelled’.

Can’t be ruining a good story with the facts now can we!

So, the big question is – who can we trust? Think I’ll stay with the One who has never lied to me.

Keep well and God Bless.

To contact Colin Miller email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.