Yet I find it really difficult to separate genuine dissatisfaction with government from the anti-big government hype put out by Fox News, Glen Beck, and the Teapartiers’ other media allies. In fact, the entire mainstream media seems really skilled at deflecting this negativity towards Obama and the Democrats.

The De Facto Embargo on Objectivity

The one clear constant I see, across the political spectrum and through different administrations, is this increasing sense that the government chronically lies to us. I have received interesting feedback on three prior blogs about America’s status as a failed or semi-failed state. Thus far, the only firm conclusions I can draw are 1) Americans who follow world events are aware of our country’s declining status among world powers, 2) most Americans (including me) find failed statehood and/or collapse very difficult concepts to get our heads around, and 3) most of us sense we are not being told the truth about the US economy and body politic.

For example, the mainstream media tells us for two years that the economy is recovering, when it;s clearly not. They tell us unemployment is 9.7%, when we know the true number is 20% or more (that the government doesn’t include part timers unable to get full time work or people out of work for more than two years). They tell us that American cattle don’t carry mad cow disease, while whistle blowers produce compelling evidence that they do. And finally they tell us that oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, while independent geologists and engineers have photographic evidence that it hasn’t.

Being Lied to Breeds Anger and Mistrust

In my opinion the root cause of most of the hostility and suspicion towards government is Americans’ increasing difficulty filtering any meaningful information from the “spin” we are offered –  in the form mass distraction (aka infotainment), jingoistic propaganda, “massaged” statistical data, cover-ups, and frank lies. I think even Americans who accept Fox News as gospel recognize – at least some of the time – the corrupting influence corporations have on elections and government policy via campaign donations and “lobbying” (I’m sure lawmakers get lots of free pens and other perks – like doctors get from drug companies). Unfortunately Fox viewers don’t seem to recognize that corporate money has the same corrupting effect on the disinformation they receive from Fox News and other media outlets.

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Sam Vaknin’s criteria for a semi-failed state (see http://samvak.tripod.com/failedstate.html):

1. It maintains all the appearances of power, legitimacy and control but is actually a “political and societal zombie state” in its failure to perform the domestic governing functions expected of a national government. It only continues in power due to the absence of other alternatives.

2. Its citizenry is characteristically disgruntled, hostile and suspicious

3. It”s generally regarded by other countries with derision, fear and abhorrence.

4. It replaces rational reconstruction and policy making at home with Empire building.

5. Social fragmentation occurs as popular and local leaders, backed by angry and rebellious constituents, take matters into their own hands.

To be continued with a discussion of criteria 3-5 and implications for political activists.