Wednesday, April 28, 2010

See No Evil

I'd like to think that we, a species that has become more visual than intellectual, would see more clearly when presented with evidence in pictures. Alas, that is not the case and it cannot be. Why? It's because pictures lie.

Even before today's digital image creators and alternators, pictures could tell a lie. It was used by many, painter and photographer, to alter story or to create an illusion whether innocent or deliberate. But I submit that lying through pictures deliberate or not, can be evil, and evil promoting. Like it or not.

Erasing live electrical wires from a scenery to make it look more pretty is still a lie but, depending on the message, we can forgive the creator for the omission. Erasing historical fact, on the other hand, in order to drive the delusion of a reality which did or did not happen is an evil lie, because it denies people their existence. It was and is "free speech" they will tell you, it's their right to show what they see, so what they "see" they can express anyway they want to because it's "their truth" they say, so lump it. But by swallowing that bit of lump you are in part conspiring in the story, and are part of the evil which spreads the lie.

To say that you don't believe that there were and are murderous dictators despite the historical and photographic evidence, is one thing. To erase, alter or destroy those photographs and rewrite history because it does not show what you want, is denying the existence of people who lived and suffered and had a story of their own. In other words, it's a denial of their free speech. The picture of death is truth. To deny that death and violence was caused by a person or a group of people, by destroying, altering or by not publishing the evidence is an evil lie.

The strength of a totalitarian government is made possible especially by the willing collusion of the media, which perpetuates the evil lie. I present to you that we have come to the point where NO media is trustworthy of showing the truth. You have to check all facts and you have to investigate every visual effect you see, and search for ones which are not shown, to get the total picture of what is happening.

We are already bearing witness to the lies when the media refuses to tell or present evidence of truth from both sides.  Leaders of the media are especially to blame as they are the primary drivers of what is published and certainly have an agenda of evil if they don't present both sides. "Free speech" allows for expression of things as we see them, but it does not excuse willing biased presentation. I am sure there are plenty of journalists available and eager to present another view but are denied their "free speech" by the very same media which allows the lie to continue therefore encouraging ... Speak No Evil

Thanks for reading
Anni