When they lie, distort and provoke to turn the public against vulnerable people, they say their freedom of speech is sacrosanct. When we expose their tricks and manipulation, they attack us for daring to indoctrinate the public with our ‘biased’ interpretation of their shameless deceit.
But that of course is the way of the Con. From falsely invoking ‘God’ as their backer, committing crimes behind the cloak of the national flag, to extorting compliance in the name of a groundless neoliberal economic model, Con advocates have banked on retaining control through systemic misdirection.
We all have a duty to expose the Con whenever we can. Novels can reach many who would not read books on political criticism or follow documentary reports on the harm of demagoguery. They can stimulate reflections on what the real threats are to society, and facilitate wider group discussions about what ought to be done to counter the Con.
For any novel to engage, an intriguing and entertaining read is a prerequisite. Beyond that, as the story opens the mind to new perspectives and as yet unexplored possibilities, there is the opportunity to unmask the motives and techniques of diverse exponents of the Con. With the help of allegories, satires, and epic adventures, we can promote greater interest and understanding of what we must resist and overcome.
That is our Anti-Con mission.
