The Official Website of Michael Corthell

False equivalence is a logical fallacy (a propaganda technique and a favorite of conmen/women) in which an equivalence is drawn between two subjects based on flawed or false reasoning. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency. In common speak, a false equivalence is often called "comparing apples and oranges". Thomas Patterson of the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard University wrote about the false equivalency used by the media during the 2016 United States presidential election : ''False equivalencies are developing on a grand scale as a result of relentlessly negative news. If everything and everyone is portrayed negatively, there’s a leveling effect that opens the door to charlatans. The press historically has helped citizens recognize the difference between the earnest politician and the pretender. Today’s news coverage blurs the distinction.''

There is a real danger in democracy. It is the risk of the electorate being wrong about a candidate, and until now it wasn't an obvious risk (to many that is).  This mindset has been too prevalent in our era, ''My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge,'' and that has to change.

  “I've never understood America," said the king. "Neither do we, sir. You might say we have two governments, kind of overlapping. First we have the elected government. It's Democratic or Republican, doesn't make much difference, and then there's corporation government." "They get along together, these governments?" "Sometimes," said Tod. "I don't understand it myself. You see, the elected government pretends to be democratic, and actually it is autocratic. The corporation governments pretend to be autocratic and they're all the time accusing the others of socialism. They hate socialism." "So I have heard," said Pippin. "Well, here's the funny thing, sir. You take a big corporation in America, say like General Motors or Du Pont or U.S. Steel. The thing they're most afraid of is socialism, and at the same time they themselves are socialist states." The king sat bolt upright. "Please?&qu

Healthcare must shift to a prevention model.  The focus must be on positive diet and lifestyle changes. Healthcare systems must adopt a more preventative health approach based on the developing science behind the health benefits of plant-rich, nutrient-dense diets( 100% whole food plant based diet ) plus other lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and limiting stress.  After the pandemic, consumers will be more aware of the importance of their underlying health, and will increasingly understand that healthier food is needed to help support their natural defenses. With a much deeper understanding of nutrition , the global food industry must change immediately by offering a plant-based range of product options to support optimal human health. The healthcare industry can respond to this by promoting disease prevention. And, by the way, a healthy plant-based diet is good for the planet's health as well.

Seasons Change and So Do We by Michael Corthell Our first reaction to the unexpected change is usually quite negative. Feeling vulnerable and maybe even threatened, we can react badly.  In fact, we go through stages: Surprise (shock, wondering why this is happening to us.), Panic (how the changes will impact us and if we'll be able to handle them), and even Blame (we try to find safety and reassurance by shifting the blame to someone else). Bottom line ? We all need to know how to handle Change . ''Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.'' — Arnold Bennett What is the worst that can happen? Ask this question, then decide just how likely it is to happen. The next question is, ''How likely is it to happen?'' How much and what part of this change can you control? When change happens, figure out how if it's something you can control over, and just how much control you do ha

  Concerning Incitement The Supreme Court has held that "advocacy of the use of force" is unprotected when it is "directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action" and is "likely to incite or produce such action". The Supreme Court has also held that speech is unprotected if it constitutes "fighting words". Fighting words, as defined by the Court, is speech that "tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace" by provoking a fight, so long as it is a "personally abusive word which, when addressed to the ordinary citizen, is, as a matter of common knowledge, inherently likely to provoke a violent reaction". “True threats of violence” that are directed at a person or group of persons that have the intent of placing the target at risk of bodily harm or death are generally unprotected.

Those seeking to take control a country and its citizens always utilize fraud and deception to carryout their sinister agenda. Intolerance is a foundation of fascism and tyranny. Opposition is first silenced, and then either imprisoned, or banished. This formula has happened over and over throughout human history. This process usually starts on a small scale, but then gains more and more momentum as the movement gains traction and the opposition is systematically eliminated. Intolerance is the number one tool used by fascists seeking to subjugate a population through the elimination of freedom. These power mad people take hypocrisy to new levels by openly appearing to preach tolerance while actively attempting to suppress those disagreeing with them. See: The Paradox of Tolerance for more information 

Is there a real difference? by Michael Corthell The paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without any limits, its ability to be tolerant is eventually co-opted or destroyed by the intolerant. Karl Popper described it as the seemingly paradoxical idea that in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance. (see laws against hate speech ) Tolerance as defined by Dictionary.com says ''a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry''.   Acceptance is defined in the same dictionary as ''favorable reception; approval; favor''. So we can see that there is a big difference between the two. Many don't like the word tolerance. There’s something about it that makes us think 'putting up with' or 'dealing with.' Saying, ''I’m tolerant of Islam,'' can be interpr

''If a life event doesn't challenge you, it didn't change you.'' Adapting to Change The number one obstacle to positive changes is fear. Fear brought about moving out of our comfort zones. It boils down to the risk & reward equation. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. How about unexpected change? We need to prepare ahead of time. And the discipline to do that is the real challenge. It a lot like the necessity of home, auto and life insurance. The insurance of preparation for a changing and challenging life is the assurance that we will come out alright on the other side of any challenge to our comfy status quo. American is at a crossroads right now, undergoing a major existential crisis, however using the risk/reward formula we as a people can reap a fantastic reward by not only surviving it but from learning from it. What will that reward be (besides our continued freedom)? 

  ''...you know you can’t trust this President to do what’s right for this country. You can trust he will do what’s right for Donald Trump. He’ll do it now. He’s done it before. He’ll do it for the next several months. He’ll do it in the election if he’s allowed to. This is why if you find him guilty, you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters. Because right matters and the truth matters . Otherwise, we are lost.'' __________________________________ Adam Schiff delivered an emotional closing statement on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at the Donald Trump Impeachment trial in the Senate. He called Donald Trump “dangerous” and criticized him for listening to Rudy Giuliani over US intelligence agencies. Adam Schiff: ''This brings me the last point I want to make tonight, which is, when we’re done, we believe that we will have made the case overwhelmingly of the President’s guilt. That is, he’s done what he’s charged with. He withheld the money. He w

The events over the course of not only the past few days, but throughout the whole of our civilization's political history, highlight the danger of self serving politicians and their supporters. We all need to understand that some people, particularly public servants, will say all the right words at all the right times in order to get elected(especially to stay in power!). But in the end, we need to always judge their actions not their flowery intentions. It's actions, not words, that matter especially in keeping a Democratic Republic safe, secure and strong.

Michael Corthell The our whole nation and the world witnessed a gang of mostly Caucasian men breaking into the United States Capitol Building this week, primarily because they wrongly thought that the law belong to them only, and because many of us spent the Trump presidency thinking that Trump's true nature was either too ridiculous to fear, or would just pass and we'd get back to normal (we let our guard down).  But in the end, the saner, calmer majority, not the shrill voices of rebellion, remained standing and so did our Democracy.  This short moment of constitutional crisis should not lead us to forget or dismiss the extraordinary strength and eloquence  of our Constitution Republic, but it must heighten our resolve to more strongly safe guard our liberties. 

The devil tried to speak but was silenced. A burning, prideful (narcissism) banned him from heaven, though he once sat at God's right hand. In the end pride is the only true evil, and is the root of all sins. When he was finally allowed to speak his heart he replied, ''Pride is all I have.''