“The “Mother” of American Conspiracies

“Big Lies” Are Not New, They’ve Long Been Part of the Authoritarian's Repertoire

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

We are in 2024, an election year, a year I call “the Year of the Precipice” for our democracy.  To better equip Americans to exercise their civic duty this year, we have begun a series in Democraticus examining important ways of thinking and belief systems that can have a major impact on our democracy’s future. 

The Next Thing- The “Big Lie”

It would be a fair statement, regardless of one’s political views, that Americans living today have witnessed the greatest conspiracy theory in our nation’s history to date.  It is the one coming from the 2020 election and has been dubbed the “Big Lie”. Not only is it possibly the largest and most destructive conspiracy theory in our history, arguably it has critically damaged American democracy due to our deficit critical thinking skills, lack of historical knowledge, and inability to see major change clearly. Hindsight is always 20-20 vision, but for a substantial number of Americans, the ability to see this “Big Lie” for the fraud it is has clearly been impaired.

So, when one examines the record of the erosion of Americans’ critical thinking ability, perhaps we should not be surprised as to what has happened to us in the last eight years. First, we have experienced non-stop lies, propaganda, and gas lighting on a nationwide basis from our elected leadership. Next, we have suffered the onslaught of most rampant, fast spreading conspiracy theories ever, culminating in a riotous insurrection at our Capitol to attempt what was essentially a failed coup d’état.

For that reason, it has been a “short walk” from constant exposure to gaslighting and various conspiracy theories to something even larger. That “something even larger” is the seismic political tremor and aftershock of the “Big Lie”. It is proof positive that once a people have been lied to constantly and thoroughly, their ability to discern truth from lies is greatly diminished, if not totally eviscerated.

What Sets “Big Lies” Apart from Other Lies

It may be no big surprise to learn that “big lies” are not new and have been used by authoritarians here and abroad over history.  A “big lie” is a “…propaganda technique used for political purposes, defined as a “gross distortion or misrepresentation of the facts, especially when used as a propaganda device by a politician or official body.”[1] But, what makes them so enormous is big lies are usually sinister in their intent and the magnitude of their impact on human belief and behavior, appearing from time to time in various nations’ histories as a significant force that creates a defining watershed moment for that nation, and in some cases (as we will see as happened with World War II), the world.

“The “Lost Cause”- One of Our First “Big Lies”

Sadly, big lies have been a part of United States’ history.  We are not new to “big lies”. For example, as historian and author Ty Seidule chronicles, in the years following the Civil War:

“The Lost Cause became a movement, and ideology, a myth, even a civil religion that would unite first the white South and eventually the nation around the meaning of the Civil War...this lie came at horrible, deadly impossible cost to the nation, a cost we are still paying today. The Lost Cause created a flawed memory of the Civil War, a lie that formed the ideological foundation for white supremacy and Jim Crow laws, which used violent terror and dejure segregation to enforce racial control.”[2] (emphasis mine)

According to Seidule, the lost cause myth (i.e., our nineteeth century “Big Lie”) was based on the premise that white southerners fought the Civil War, not to preserve slavery, but for other reasons like states’ rights, protective tariffs, to preserve the Southern way of life, and so on. Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind that became an Oscar winning film in 1940 was based on these lost cause myths which conveniently omitted slavery as the cause for the war. As the facts of history inarguably show, the only reason Southern states seceded and fought against the Union was slavery.

Seidule argues that the toxicity of the lost cause big lie has lingered for years in extreme beliefs that have impacted our collective morality and skewed our civic consciousness. Even Confederate president and West Point graduate Jefferson Davis made a case in his memoirs grounded in this big lie of the lost cause that slaves “were better off in slavery than free”.[3]

The Twentieth Century’s “Big Lie” Still Impacts Us Today

Until 2020, when asked about the “Big Lie”, an American knowledgeable about history would probably have pointed to Germany, where it is often called “Grosse Luge”- the Big Lie. And this Big Lie is indeed a sinister one. Erich Ludendorff, a World War I German general, involved in massive Western front offensives (with massive loss of German soldiers) that were intended to prevent Germany’s defeat in that war, is credited as the original “architect” of this big lie.

Following Germany’s surrender in 1918, Ludendorff wrote his memoirs, making sure he was vindicated from causing Germany’s loss. He created the “stab-in-the-back” myth that maintained that Germany did not lose World War I on the battlefield (which it did), it was lost due a conspiracy of Jews, communists, and weak German politicians (who wanted democracy, not the Kaiser’s autocracy and oligarchy). Once Ludendorff’s memoirs were published, Will and Denise Drace-Brownwell record what happened in their book about him titled The First Nazi:

“The average German, who knew nothing of the inside history of the conflict was fooled into believing that Ludendorff was a man of greatness, sabotaged only by swinish Jews. Over and over the memoirs told the same tale: The good character of the German Army and the nation was always maintained. Only the leftist politicians and the Jews were dishonorable. No German need blush while looking at the record of the military in this conflict. And of course, Ludendorff’s glowing reputation was held up as perfect.”[4] (emphasis mine)

Of course, the opposite was true, but many Germans had no idea of the truth.  So, they believed Ludendorff’s false account of Germany’s defeat. As the Brownwell’s explain,

“This required a massive rewriting of history. Cleverly, Ludendorff flipped several sequences to blame the Jews. The truth of what happened in 1918, before Ludendorff rewrote it, was simple. In 1918, Ludendorff lost the war with the Ludendorff Offensives, and then there were massive strikes that paralyzed the nation. Unable to advance and unable to win, Ludendorff begged for the politicians to make peace, then made the politicians take deadly responsibility for making that peace. To the delight of the German generals, the Pan-Germanic League, the plutocrats, and the extreme right…”[5]

Germany’s “Big Lie” Didn’t Stop with Ludendorff

From this point, the “sinister” characterization of a Big Lie truly begins to take hold. A young, Austrian war veteran (who fought for the Germans), bitter over Germany’s loss, named Adolf Hitler, was influenced by this thinking espoused in Ludendorff’s memoirs and its Big Lie. It affirmed Hitler’s negative view of Jews, Social Democrats, and Marxists (communists) that his belief that they were responsible for Germany’s defeat in World War I was correct. Writing about this Big Lie later in his book Mein Kampf (My Battle, Chapter 10), Hitler said:

“All this was inspired by the principle…that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously…”

“If you tell a lie big enough, and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Although it is disputed as to whether Hitler’s Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels said this,[6] the intent is clear. Certainly for Hitler, the intent of such a statement (or its facsimile) was not missed. Even before Hitler, the Brownwells point to Ludendorff as the person responsible for castigating the Jews as “…enemies for betraying these heroes (i.e., German soldiers in WWI). This story was told and retold, with great embellishments. And the final versions meant something deadly that few understood at the time.”[7] But, Hitler understood it well, picked up Ludendorff’s mantle, and the result of this big lie was the Nazi’s rise to power in Germany, a second world war, and the Holocaust. Big lies are not only deceptive, sinister, and evil, but they can also be cruel and destructive beyond imagination.

Big lies have not stopped with Hitler and his minions, or with Ludendorff, Jefferson Davis, and many others. They all found what Hitler’s Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels found- “the bigger lie, the more likely it is to be believed.”[8] Trump has often used big lies with great effect. He often uses them as a part of his gaslighting discussed earlier, beginning with the “birther” big lie he spread about Barak Obama not being born in the U.S., or that Obama was Muslim.[9]

Our Latest “Big Lie”

Fast forward to today where Americans have been experiencing our latest big lie- THE Big Lie, courtesy of former president Donald Trump. It began even before the 2020 presidential election with his pronouncements that he could not lose unless the election was “rigged”.[10] From November 2020’s election until the “Stop the Steal” January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, this “Big Lie” continued, growing ever louder and shriller with cries of voter fraud.

It continues today. Much of the supportive activity in response to this Big Lie has been empowered by most of the Republican Party’s acceptance of it. They have shown their willingness to buy-in to this Big Lie by their move at the state level (where they control many state legislatures) to enact “voter integrity” laws to reduce so-called voter fraud (which has been proven as non-existent- another lie). They also have shown their willingness to buy-in to this Big Lie by their willingness to not condemn the conduct of the Capitol insurrectionists. A large number of these Republicans have even been slow to admit or have refused to admit that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in this election.[11]  Today one’s willingness to accept this Big Lie has become a required credential of sorts for any Republican member of Congress, especially in the House of Representatives, by which they display their fealty to their party leader, Donald Trump.

After the 2020 Election, the Big Lie’s Impact Continues

Following the January 6^th insurrection, despite several Republicans stating the insurrection was fomented by Donald Trump, Republicans later decided not to support a non-partisan commission (similar to the non-partisan 9/11 Commission) to investigate it, failing a vote to bring it forward for debate in the Senate.[12] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formed a House Select Committee to investigate this insurrection and invited then House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to place five members of his delegation on it. McCarthy selected five, two of which (Banks, Indiana and Jordan, Ohio) were ardent Trump supporters who had voted not to certify the Electoral College’s 2020 election results. Speaker Pelosi rejected those two of McCarthy’s picks, resulting in him withdrawing all five of his selections.[13] Pelosi then chose another non-Trump Republican to join Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney on this Select Committee (Kinzinger, Illinois).[14]

This Select Committee began its investigation process, taking testimony at its first hearing from four police officers who participated in defending the Capitol against the insurrectionist’s January 6^th assault. Their testimony was chilling.[15] Committee’s Chair Bennie Thompson (D.-MS) stated "Nothing is off limits in this investigation", indicating that subpoenas would be issued for testimony before the Select Committee to gather information to learn the facts as to how this insurrection was planned, as well as who instigated and who at its highest level participated in it.[16]

Others were subpoenaed and testified before the Select Committee, while others refused to testify and were found in contempt of Congress for their refusal.  The Select Committee issued its final report in late 2022 providing clear and damning evidence pointing to Donald Trump’s centrality in his “stop the steal” Big Lie about the 2020 election outcome, as well as his role in then inciting of the Capitol insurrection to attempt blocking the peaceful transfer of power to the election winner, Joe Biden.

Impacts and Lessons Learned from this Big Lie

There are multiple lessons we can learn about the impact of this latest iteration of a Big Lie on Americans.  Today, Donald Trump has been indicted for his role in interfering in the 2020 election and is awaiting trial, subject to his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court pleading total presidential immunity from these charges.  As this process unfolds, it behooves us not to lose sight of the forces at work on us by those doubling down on and espousing this Big Lie as its deceptions continue for many Americans.  Many Americans still believe the 2020 election results were fraudulent[17] and  many believe the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection was instigated by the FBI.[18]  Why is that?

Such beliefs are the result of a concept called ideological arrogance”, a major outcome of this Big Lie.  As Lynch explains, ideological arrogance starts by reinforcing a person holding an ideological belief through which they think that “they know” things (secret truths, special knowledge, the real nature of reality) that “the others do not know”. This “us versus them” binary ideological arrogance “…makes itself immune to revision by evidence; it encourages in its adherents’ “active arrogance.” Active arrogance can take a big lie and convert it into convictions. Lynch defines convictions as:

“…not just something one ‘deeply believes’…A conviction is an identity-reflecting commitment. It embodies the kind of person you aspire to be, the kind of group you aspire to be a part of. Convictions inspire and inflame. And they compose our ideologies, our image of political reality…they function as political propaganda, as ways of propagating a particular worldview. That’s their political harm: they motivate and rationalize extremist action.”[19] (emphasis mine)

The Biggest Danger to Democracy- Power Matters More than Truth

These types of convictions energize a big lie causing the big lie to “defray the value of truth and the democratic value of its pursuit”, according to Lynch. Lynch expounds, saying:

“That’s because the lie functions not just to deceive, but to show that power matters more than truth…it shows the rules no longer really matter, because the liar has made people treat the lie as true. That’s the epistemic threat to democracy from big lies and conspiracies. They actively undermine people’s willingness to adhere to a common set of “epistemic rules”- about what counts as evidence and what doesn’t.”[20]

The Desired Outcome of the Authoritarian’s Disinformation Campaign

As one goes through a process of surrendering their critical thinking ability and thus, abandoning their civic literacy, first to lies, propaganda, gaslighting, then to conspiracies, and ultimately to convictions fueling large and violent conspiracies (i.e., the Big Lie), another dynamic is activated.   An individual’s freedom to think, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists. Radicalization and cult-like thinking can then come into play. 

We will explore them next.  Stay tuned…

We will continue exploring topics like this gone that are not given near enough time and emphasis in our civic education efforts, if they are even taught at all. Democracy is so important.  But it’s hard to keep, and it’s easy to lose.  It’s up to us, and only us, to protect it.  Support democracy, become a Democratist!  Spread the word!

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[1] Big Lie, Wikipedia, https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Big-lie

[2] Robert E. Lee and Me, A Southerner’s Reckoning With the Myth of the Lost Cause, pg. 30, Copyright 2020, St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271

[3] Robert E. Lee and Me, A Southerner’s Reckoning With the Myth of the Lost Cause, by Ty Seidule, pp 30-33, Ibid

[4] The First Nazi, Erich Ludendorff, The Man Who Made Hitler Possible, by Will Brownell and Denise Drace-Brownwell with Alex Rovt, pg. 193, Copyright 2016, Counterpoint Press, 2560 Ninth Street, Suite 318, Berkely, CA 94710

[5] The First Nazi, Erich Ludendorff, The Man Who Made Hitler Possible, by Will Brownell and Denise Drace-Brownwell with Alex Rovt, pg. 194, Ibid

[6] “Joseph Goebbels: On the “Big Lie”, Jewish Virtual Library, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/joseph-goebbels-on-the-big-lie-quote

[7]The First Nazi, Erich Ludendorff, The Man Who Made Hitler Possible, by Will Brownell and Denise Drace-Brownwell with Alex Rovt, pg. 194, Ibid

[8] The Cult of Trump, A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control, by Steven Hassan, pg. 108, Copyright 2019, Free Press, An Imprint of Simon & Shuster, Inc., 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

[9] The Cult of Trump, A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control, by Steven Hassan, pg. 108, Ibid

[10] “Trump: ‘The Only Way We’re Going to Lose This Election is if the Election is Rigged”, by Morgan Chalfant, The Hill, August 17, 2020, 7:22 PM EDT, https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/512424-trump-the-only-way--we-are-going-to-lose-this-election-is-if-the

[11] “Most Republicans Still Won’t Accept That Biden Won”, by Geoffrey Skelley, FiveThirtyEight, May 7, 2021, 6:00 AM, https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/most-republicans-still-wont-accept-that-biden-won

[12] “Senate Republicans Block A Plan For An Independent Commission on Jan. 6 Capitol Riot”, by Brian Naylor, NPR, May 28, 2021, 3:31 PM ET, https://www.npr.org/2021/05/28/1000524897/senate-republicans-block-plan-for-independent-commission-on-jan-6-capitol-riot

[13] “McCarthy Pulls His 5 GOP Members From 1/6 Committee After Pelosi Rejects 2 of His Picks”, by Annie Grayer and Jeremy Herb, CNN, July 21, 2021, 3:55 PM ET, https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/21/politics/nancy-pelosi-rejects-republican-from-committee/index.html

[14] “U.S. House Speaker Pelosi Names Republican Kinzinger to Jan. 6 Panel”, by Paul Cowan, Reuters, July 25, 2021, 7:53 PM CDT, https;//www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-pelosi-may-invite-repulican-kinzinger-onto-jan-6-panel-2021-07-25/

[15] “Officers Give Harrowing Testimony On Their Experience Defending the Capitol on Jan. 6”, by Brian Naylor, NPR, July 27, 2021, 3:12 PM ET, https://www.npr.org/2021/07/21/1019736664/jan-6-insurrection-hearing-police-nancy-pelosi-committee

[16] “Jan. 6 Select Committee to Meet On Next Steps, Move On Subpoenas”, by Libby Cathey, ABC News, July 28, 2021, 2:19 PM, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jan-select-committee-meet-steps-move-subpoenas/story?id=79118740

[17] “Almost a Third of Americans Still Believe the 2020 Election Result was Fraudulent”, by Ben Kamisar, June 20, 2023 10:50 AM CDT, www.nbcnews.com/meetthepressblog.com

[18] “A Quarter of Americans Believe the FBI Instigated Jan. 6 Attack, Poll Finds”, by Tim Jackman, Scott Clement, Emily Guskin, and Spencer S. Hsu, January 4, 2024 6:00 am EST, www.thewashingtompost.com

[19] “The Value of Truth”, by Michael Patrick Lynch, Boston Review, March 1, 2021, Ibid

[20] “The Value of Truth”, by Michael Patrick Lynch, Boston Review, March 1, 2021, Ibid