Hey, friends – I'm thinking of writing a book about the fact that capitalism is the enemy of the truth, and I'm hoping you'll help. To start with, I want to try to categorize all the different types of lies that flourish in a capitalist system (and, if possible, to find documented examples). Here's what I've got so far:
- False advertising
- Illegal false advertising of products/services
- “Puffery” and other bullshit advertising techniques that are legal but still lying
- Ghost-writing (i.e., lying about who wrote something)
- Dishonest job listings
- Misclassifying employees to avoid paying minimum wages, etc.
- False job listings to lure in and enslave workers
- False wage/benefit listings (e.g. remote work)
- Industrial misinformation campaigns (think cigarettes, lead paint, NFL concussions, global warming, etc.)
- Disinformation-for-hire and “reputation management”
- Blatant gaslighting (“Today's fantasy football experience is brought to you ad-free after a message from our sponsors”)
- Propaganda & selective reporting in the news
- “Advertorials”
- Editorial corruption
- Dishonest product listings
- “Sales” that aren't really sales
- Review-bombing, product-switching, etc.
- Lying as a job requirement (sales, customer service, etc.)
It's a long list, but I feel like I'm still missing, like, a hundred other examples. Any help would be greatly appreciated!