Donald Trump, as usual, condemns the “liberal news media” as a “hoax”, as “fake news”, as journalists who are out to get him, as if it is the job of news media to be “nice” to Presidents and other political leaders.
If one went back to the past, ask Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and other Presidents how they reacted to constant harsh criticism from the media of their time periods.
Of course, they did not like it, but NONE of them acted the way Donald Trump has, which is a threat to democracy and freedom of the press!
The news media, often called “liberal”, is only called that because they refuse to support corruption, racism, nativism, misogyny, homophobia, corporate wrong doings, religious hypocrisy, and lack of ethics and morality among public figures.
They are out to report the truth, the facts, and take a lot of flack from those who choose to ignore the fact of their accuracy and honesty, with an occasional, human trait, error, but not intended, not endemic, and not evil spirited!
It was the news media that saved us during Watergate, and it is the news media that is doing heroic service in working to prevent a Trump dictatorship, which he would love to impose on the American people.
Journalists worldwide and in this nation have often sacrificed their safety and even lives, in their mission to inform, and nothing will stop them from their commitment and willingness to sacrifice for the common good!
RF: “It was the news media that saved us during Watergate, and it is the news media that is doing heroic service in working to prevent a Trump dictatorship, which he would love to impose on the American people.
“Journalists worldwide and in this nation have often sacrificed their safety and even lives, in their mission to inform, and nothing will stop them from their commitment and willingness to sacrifice for the common good!”
What has Your news media “saved us” from SINCE Watergate, Professor?
Did they save us from the “Kuwaiti Incubator Babies” Lie that Saddam’s marauding troops were throwing on hospital floors back just before OPERATION DESERT STORM?
Did they save us from the Hoax about Saddam’s WMDs and “mushroom clouds as proof” [how’d the NYT do on That story]?
Did they save us from the Scam of the “too-big-to-fail” financial ¢ri$1$ of 2008?
Did they [have they] save[d] us from the Sham of first Cheney/Bush the Lesser’s, then Obama’s, and now Trump’s “Forever War”?
If it weren’t for Your media, Trump probably would have never even gotten the Rep’s nomination in 2016, let alone the Electoral College vote. How much free media coverage did Your champions of Truth give him when he was still nothing but a failed developer and master bankruptcy artist, in addition, of course, to having a succession of Trophy Wives, and being his very own reality tv show Star?
And I can assure You that no journalist sacrifices her or himself for some mythical “common good.” The only people who sacrifice anybody for any so-called “common good” are those who are ready and willing to sacrifice Others to and for what they ~ the Sacrificing Officials ~ have determined to be that “common good.”
Jeffrey, you are correct on the blunders of the news media, no question!
Would you prefer the controlled media of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and other totalitarian nations?
No one said the situation has been ideal, but I still give the “liberal” news media, under constant attack by Trump, the credit they deserve, having exposed many evils that he has wrought upon us!
The old saying is “the truth shall set us free”, and with all their faults, thank goodness for the media doing a tough job, and getting no credit for it!
They are on the front lines, as much as those in health and public safety, are!
The media has its faults on occasion, but, they are doing a great job of holding Trump accountable for his poor response to the virus.
The sexist pig especially hates when women hold him accountable. You see that when he attacks Yamiche Alcindor, calling her questions “nasty”.
RF: “Would you prefer the controlled media of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and other totalitarian nations?”
Doctor, You have just demonstrated that that old Army principle in training, planning, intelligence, and operations that “There is no such thing as a stupid question” is false.
Given the views that i have repeatedly expressed on this forum, on what possible, conceivable basis would You even think to ask if i would prefer the controlled media of Russia, etc?
At the same time, i will also assert that the media in the US is also “controlled”: not by some Ministry of Truth, but by the six or seven corporate media conglomerates that have virtual total control of the news [Left, Right, and Muddled Middle]. To see that fact demonstrated, go back over the failures of the news media i listed. Just as there is a military-industrial-government complex, so also is there a mass media-techno-infotainment-government matrix. And all those folks do is pass out different-sugar coated varieties of the same Blue Pill.
RF: “No one said the situation has been ideal, but I still give the “liberal†news media, under constant attack by Trump, the credit they deserve, having exposed many evils that he has wrought upon us!”
I’m not sure which “evils” they have “exposed,” given that Trump is pretty open about what he is doing. What dastardly deeds has he done that anybody couldn’t know about just by following his tweets?
And of course he attacks them constantly; he constantly attacks anybody and everybody who disagrees with him on anything. The far more important thing is whether or not the media are reporting “News,” or are simply championing their own “Views” and Opinions.
RF: “The old saying is “the truth shall set us freeâ€, and with all their faults, thank goodness for the media doing a tough job, and getting no credit for it!
They are on the front lines, as much as those in health and public safety, are!”
Sure, the media is doing a tough job. It always has, especially when attempting to unearth the truth about what is really going on in Swampland, on Wall Street, over in our interminable War Zones, etc. And, as noted in my list, they have a rather dismal record of doing just that. And that didn’t start when Trump showed up.
Sorry, but they get no more credit from me than they deserve; which, at this point, is not much. For example: Not a single one has dared asked the question i’ve been asking: Who and or What is going to pay for all these multi-trillion relief, rescue, bailout, subsidy, and stimuli programs?
That is a question that is apparently forbidden to be asked by anyone of anyone.
My guess is that nobody is asking that question because nobody has an answer to it, and that nobody wants anybody to even think about it. Do You have an answer?
And, except for reporters actually going into ERs and ICU facilities [which are not many], the media is no where close to the same front lines that those in health care and public safety are.
Seconded, Leia.
The rest of us could care less who pays for the relief package. It’s something that helps people while they are out of jobs at this time. That’s the important thing right now.
Agreed, Former Republican. Sure am glad he’s not in Congress. Nothing would get done, as he obviously doesn’t want to pay for anything.
It’s Scrooge mentality.
How old are You, Former Republican? i sense You are ~ like me ~ a Boomer [i’m 74]. If You are, then You are like all Boomers and probably won’t be around when the bills come due [unless the bottom falls out this summer and fall].
However, there are Millennials and Gen Z and Xers who WILL be around when the bills come due. And i can assure You that those folks will care very much about it when the bills start coming in.
Southern Liberal and I are in our late 30s and we agree with the Boomers here.
i’ll ask You ~ PL and RD ~ the same question i asked FR: are You Boomers?
Then, paying those bills is simply not Your problem; is it?
Well, then: Whose problem will it be?
Or shall we pretend that the bills will never come due, and proceed on our ~ or more specifically ~ our Kids’ and Grandkids’ merry way down the Yellow Brick Road to hyperinflation, bankruptcy, the death of the dollar as the global “reserve currency,” and ultimately, a default on the national, sovereign debt?
You agree with the Boomers who say that who is going to pay for all this is not a problem that is going to have to be confronted and dealt with by Your generation at some point in the future?
Agree, Leia. He doesn’t really hate it for how much it costs. The real reason he hates it is because it helps people.
That nails it, Rational Lefty.
RL: “The real reason he hates it is because it helps people.”
Along with Doc’s stupid question, You have just added icing to the cake.
Is asking Who or What is going to pay for all this demonstrating that i “hate” it? Or simply asking a question that none of You [anywhere, from Swampland at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue, to Wall Street, to Your precious “liberal” media, to right here on The PP] has the gonads to ask Yourselves?
Well obviously it must be, at least by Your pontification.
To declare that my question about how helping people is actually going to happen [and actually be paid for] ~ so that people get actually helped, and not in the long run get screwed by their government and its owners and operators ~ to declare that as being “against helping people” is the height of arrogance and even worse ignorance than demonstrated by Doc’s qq about a controlled media..
And that goes for You, too, FR. And anybody who agrees with either of them.
Jeffrey, I notice you call me ‘Stupid”.
Long ago, I learned to accept the fact that “Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me”, so I am not fazed by your use of such language!
Maybe, just maybe, however, you should look in the mirror at what you have done with your life, and maybe work on your own faults and shortcomings, rather than have a constantly cynical attitude about everyone and everything!
I think for your own health and well being, it would be wise to avoid constant negativity in your life!
You noticed wrong, Doctor.
i didn’t call You stupid; i called Your question stupid. i assumed that You would recognize the distinction; but obviously i was wrong.
And please do not presume to tell me to “look in the mirror at what you have done with your life, and maybe work on your own faults and shortcomings, rather than have a constantly cynical attitude about everyone and everything!”
i do not have a “cynical” attitude about the things, people, and ideas that i have criticized/critiqued here. i have a very realistic attitude; based on a study of history, economics, government, and political theory and practice.
The only thing “negative” about my postings to Your blog is that it is almost always in virtually total disagreement with what You and Your followers have posted.
i actually find it all quite positive and enjoyable. For that i thank You.
Most young people share AOC’s views than Ayn Rand Paul’s views, therefore, most young people are not opposed to the relief package.
Precisely right, Pragmatic.
The troll needs get the hint that he should leave and never, ever come back! Nobody here is interested in his rants! Go back to Breitbart where he belongs!
Record number of 6.6 million people are out of jobs. Charity alone can’t help.
Dr. Fauci is getting death threats from right-wingers.
The rest of us second that, Southern Liberal.
I’ve heard that Dr. Birx is being attacked by a right-wing blog called Gateway Pundit.
Actually, 10 million are out of work, Southern Liberal, if you combine last week’s numbers reported with this week’s numbers.
We are in a Great Depression, and it could lead to 30-35 percent unemployment, compared to the 25 percent high in 1933 in the earlier Great Depression.
Of course, we have nearly three times the population of a century ago, so more people are being affected than ever before!
There will be no quick reversal of this, and since Trump made the situation worse by his slow and even now, uncaring actions, he will go down in history as not only the impeached President, but also the Second Great Depression President, and nothing will save his reputation with anyone who has common sense and decency!
Speaking of work, my office is switching to staggered schedules, beginning next week.
Democratic convention is scheduled for August.
I’m one of the many people who are having to telecommute.
We’re all stressed out enough already and the troll coming here just to fight isn’t helping matters any.
Nancy Pelosi is putting together a bipartisan committee that will have subpoena powers to scrutinize the Trump administration’s response to the virus and its management of the economic relief law.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/04/02/pelosi-trump-coronavirus-oversight/
Thank goodness for her! 🙂
Former Republican, I totally agree on the great leadership of Nancy Pelosi!
I would be very happy if nature would intervene and make Pelosi President to finish out the year, ushering in Joe Biden and a woman VP for next January 20, 2021!
In addition to Chris Cuomo, Brooke Baldwin is another CNN anchor who has tested positive for the virus.
LOL! Liberty is suing the media for criticizing the university’s foolish decision to keep the school open.
https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2020/04/09/liberty-university-pressing-charges-against-journalists/