Michael Bacolas knows the effects of a smear campaign on his person and his business. "Back in 2007, I terminated two employees, Gregory William Lake & Sheryl Luana French, for theft, embezzlement, and check fraud. They retaliated with a major smear campaign against myself, my businesses, and my family," a disgusted Michael Bacolas of World Lending Services recounts.



Michael Bacolas thinks defamation and slander should have a more criminal element. "The police and law enforcement agencies have their hands tied as this is a 'civil' matter," Michael Bacolas confusingly states.



"It is the worst part of human kind, spreading false rumors and bearing false witness against your neighbors," Michael Bacolas calmly states.



A smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group. Sometimes smear is used more generally to include any reputation-damaging activity, including such colloquialisms as mud slinging, or shit-eating.



Michael Bacolas goes on to explain the root cause of the current smear campaign against World Lending Services and his family. "I'm a counselor by trade…I've worked in the behavioral health industry for several years. Counseling psychology and capitalism are two different animals," according to Michael Bacolas.



"Let me put it another way. When running a business, one cannot employ people based on an intrinsic need of helping people. That was my downfall. As a business owner, I must put the needs of the business first," Michael Bacolas points out.



Lesson learned, according to Michael Bacolas, "Never, and I mean never, hire the mentally ill," Michael Bacolas jokingly states.



The smear campaign is of such a sickening nature, Michael Bacolas won't comment on the specifics. "It's out there. Wow. The level of depravity people will sink to makes my stomach turn," Michael Bacolas actually got sick during this interview.



Common targets are public officials, politicians, and political candidates. Smear compaigns are often based on information gleaned from opposition research conducted by paid political consultants. To a lesser degree, the term can refer to an attempt to damage a private person's reputation; for example, during a trial, the opposing counsel may attempt to cast doubt on the reliability of a witness.



"I have retained an attorney and we're in the process of filing injunctions and filing suits for defamation and slander, not that I'll make any money from the suits, it's all about clearing my family and my business name," Michael Bacolas shares.



The concept of the smear campaign is related to the concepts of propaganda, media bias, yellow journalism, and other falsehood-related terms such as libel and pejoration. In extreme cases, smear campaigns may lead to widespread persecution, such as in the case of the Dolchstoßlegende before WWII.



"What blows my mind away is that I gave these people jobs, put food in their bellies, helped with the childcare of their children, and even let these people live at my house (big mistake), and they pay me back by first stealing from me. When they are caught, they then try to destroy me and my family. I'd like to think people aren't by nature satanic, but that's a hard one for me to swallow," Michael Bacolas pessimistically shares.



A smear campaign is an intentional, premeditated effort to undermine an individual's or group's reputation, credibility, and character. "Mud slinging", like negative campaigning, most often targets government officials, politicians, political candidates, and other public figures. However, private persons or groups may also become targets of smear campaigns perpetrated in schools, companies, institutions, families, and other social groups.



Smear tactics differ from normal discourse or debate in that they do not bear upon the issues or arguments in question. A smear is a simple attempt to malign a group or an individual and to attempt to undermine their credibility.



Smears often consist of ad hominem attacks in the form of unverifiable rumors and are often distortions, half-truths, or even outright lies; smear campaigns are often propagated by gossip spreading. Even when the facts behind a smear are shown to lack proper foundation, the tactic is often effective because the target's reputation is tarnished before the truth is known.



Smears are also effective in diverting attention away from the matter in question and onto the individual or group. The target of the smear is typically forced to defend his reputation rather than focus on the previous issue.



Smear tactics are considered by many to be a low, disingenuous form of discourse; they are nevertheless very common.



Michael Bacolas is fighting back. He's retained an attorney for his family and his businesses. What a good man.



Michael Bacolas is the proud father of Michael Bacolas Jr., Christopher Bacolas, Amanda Bacolas, Jennifer Bacolas, and Daniel Bacolas. He's happily married to Twalla Robertson. The family is behind him.

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