...then it becomes true. The same must be said for all of the nuances between truth and lies. The perception of an event will become the truth regardless of the facts of the event.
In other words, if enough people say that George W. Bush was the worst president in US history, then it will be true. Correspondingly, if enough people state that Barack Obama is a socialist, then it will be true.
It is at times like this that I am reminded of A Children's Story by James Clavell. Truth, as viewed by the children, is changed as much by repetition and by the reinforcement of the crowd (in this case, the students as they come to believe in the new teacher and then reinforce each other) as it is by the twisted logic employed by the teacher. Here, truth is relative to the person telling it and perspective is everything.
Yet, with all of that being said, were it not for my own desire and thirst for knowledge of history and social studies, I would know far more about the sordid personal life of Britney Spears than I would about the Bill of Rights and rules that set the basis for the freedoms I enjoy each day. Maybe I should devote my time to the study of UFO's. I would probably get more attention that way...
