The power of ads

[freethought]

Since I'm up all night anyway, I figure I might as well post away.

I've seen three articles about the power of political ads (partisan or 3rd party)in the last 10 days that indicate that 1. we as a nation are in serious trouble and 2. that we need to make legal changes so that it is easier to take legal action, and win, against these types of ads/claims. (I'm actually scared that I wrote that, since it goes against all the free speech protections that I hold dear)

Here are the articles

1. Washington Post article on the power of political "misinformation."

2. A story on ideology trumping facts. (insert "no shit" joke here)

3. And Newsweek with the biggest lies of 2008

 

[editec]

Free speech should NOT be the freedom to slander or libel people.

Now I realize that one can spin a half truth into a lie easily enough, but we're reaching the stage where blantent lies without a shred of truth to them ALSO get a pass and that is NOT okay.

Some of these most egregious liars should be horsewhipped for the damage they're doing to the commonweal, folks.

I realize it isn't easy to always know what the truth is, but that IS what courts are for, isn't it?