The press must get across to American citizens the crucial importance of this election and the dangers of a Trump win. They don’t need to surrender their journalistic independence to do so or be “in the tank” for Biden or anyone else.
It’s now clearer than ever that Trump, if elected, will use the federal government to go after his political rivals and critics, even deploying the military toward that end. His allies are hatching plans to invoke the Insurrection Act on day one.
Not just trump. Any Republican president will use the federal government to go after his political rivals and critics. The entire GOP is an openly-fascist political arm of the billionaire class.
And let’s be clear. “Democrat” is simply sucking their fucking dick.
It doesn’t help that the media gamely both-sides every issue, even when the issue in question is not one that has two legitimate sides.
For example, it’s a story when women lose their rights and protections and bodily autonomy, when brown and poor voters lose their voting rights or have their representative power gerrymandered away, when powerful men violate the law and aren’t held accountable, etc.
There are two sides to these stories, but one of them is outside the bounds of the peace that makes civilization possible and when ‘the media’ decline to call that out, they’ve picked a side and it’s not the one that will sustain or defend a republic
A trump victory is great for ratings of mainstream media. They are fueled by trump hatred and it makes them billions.
“But… but… fairness! Both sides!”
Yeah, that’s the damage Fox News has done to our national discourse. As if all sides of the story are backed equally by facts.
To quote Gingrich, “As a political candidate, I’ll go with what people feel…” Because manipulating people’s feelings is easier than manipulating facts.
found the centrist
Fun Fact:
THE MEDIA ARE ALIGNED WITH THE FASCISTS
THERE IS NO INDEPENDENT MEDIA
This is objectively bullshit.
Not if you still watch TV
Most people aren’t that bright to begin with.
Almost no one is smart when stressed, scared, or worried about survival and basic needs.
A lot of people in the US are stressed and worried about basic needs.
So you have a lot of people who weren’t that sharp to begin with rolling with huge penalties because they’re scared and worried if they’re going to be able to pay their bills or be homeless.
It’s not a good situation.
Fixing it won’t be easy. Basic income, nationalized health care, breaking up monopolies would all help. But here we are.
“The Public” is not one thing. There’s plenty of people who “understand the risks of a Trump victory.” The fact that half of the public not only doesn’t, but desires a Trump victory is also not the fault of “The Media,” because we all have access to the same media.
People who are okay with Trump being in charge of anything are fascists, and that’s their fault.
Through the time, the media has changed. No so long ago, it was to inform the population of what was happening outside. The news freedom is important at this point. It allows everyone to build an opinion, and it’s a counter power to the state. The last decade saw a radical change in how we use the media. It’s for a good part of them about making money. Where money was critical to inform the population, this same money became critical to make profit. Internet accelerates the movement with the clicks and the views. The run to maximize the profit coming from the media ruined the quality of the articles behind the motto “more and shorter”.
This change has been coming since the 90s, ever since Reagan shut down the Fairness Doctrine in the FCC and the media cross-ownership rule.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_cross-ownership_in_the_United_States
After the 1996 Telecommunications Act, most of those rules were repealed and we began to see quick consolidation of media outlets. That’s why most newspapers and broadcast stations are owned by a single corporate parent. It has not led to greater competition and better journalism. Quite the opposite.
I am always excited when I see that someone else gets the 96 TCA and the horrific damage it has done
Almost nobody gets any news from anything that would be covered by the fairness doctrine, which was only a possible federal power due to the FCC being in control of allocating radio frequency.
Stop preaching like it would have made any difference at all, because it functional died with the rise of cable TV anyway, Reagan or no Reagan.
It absolutely made a difference because AM radio is still the primary source of news and opinion for all the rural fascists in their trucks…NOT cable tv. They hear it all day every day: two or three nationally syndicated shows along with two or three local right wing shows. The Fairness Doctrine’s repeal absolutely affected news media.
This entire thread is pure amateur hour. The ignorance on display here is very disheartening and speaks to how a lack of media literacy contributes to the larger dysfunction. People know something is wrong, they just have no idea why or how it’s gone wrong.
That’s an important factor, but another is the shift from print to the internet. With print you bought a paper then looked to see what was inside. You could know which papers had more reliable reporting. With the internet there’s no audience loyalty and most people are not paying, so they’re always desperate to get you to click on their article instead of someone else’s for the sake of the advertising views. So shock, outrage and clickbait win every time, not responsible reporting.
the “Press” is Capitalism ~ only clicks and impressions matter ~ the world can burn
I have little doubt that the country will end up as some version of Trump’s authoritarian state. The question is the timing.
I actually think that our best chance of avoiding it (in the long run) is another Trump victory. He will make those changes so abruptly that people will react far more strongly than if we slid into an authoritarian state gradually. I mean…think about the possibility of Trump having won in 2020. The DNC would have to accept that they need to nominate a truly progressive candidate, and people would be demanding change immediately. Instead, we’re justifying Biden/Harris again because they’re not Trump.
If he wins again he already has a plan and people working to have the military in the streets to slaughter protesters on day one. He is also planning to arrest/execute anyone that has tried to hold him responsible for anything. If he wins its game over for democracy full stop, he isn’t going to take a chance of going to prison again.
You won’t fight back and this entire site calls anyone who wants to fight back a violent troll so how bout shut the fuck up and do what the fascists tell you to do.
I don’t know what I said that gave you the impression I planned on laying down and letting a wanna-be fascist destroy this whole US experiment. I just think step one of the fight is making sure he does not regain power, and the simplest way to do that is everyone voting for the same opposition candidate. It sucks, but a divided electorate is a numbers game when close to half the US wants to see the other half destroyed (and eventually themselves destroyed - they just can’t see it past the hate for others). They all treat it like its Monday Night Football or some bullshit, “were going to make you cry and drink your tears” and then next season (election) we do it again. Problem is, if Trump wins we both lose because he and his traitors aren’t playing the same game, they mean to blow the whole god damn thing up. He isn’t running on a change of policy, he is running on making the US into Nazi Germany as fast as he can (just like his dad would have wanted).
So no, I’m not going to do what the fascist tells me to do. And I suggest instead of talking shit and going after someone that clearly should be on the same team as you, that your anger would be better directed at those helping the fascists come to power in the first place.
I actually think that our best chance of avoiding it (in the long run) is another Trump victory. He will make those changes so abruptly that people will react far more strongly than if we slid into an authoritarian state gradually.
Too late. He’s already normalized this behavior for too many people.
And on top of that, Democrats and liberals have normalized laying down like a bunch of pussies so it will be an easy victory for him.
If Trump won in 2020 we’d never have another real election. That’s the stakes now.
The DNC would have to accept that they need to nominate a truly progressive candidate
I think they’d rather die.
They literally would. And they will.
And unfortunately, that gives them power in undermining progressives.
Even applying the military? Come on guys. Really? I hate the orange fuck as much as anyone else but this makes us look silly.
That’s not hyperbole.
The Washington Post reported the plan includes immediately invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military for domestic law enforcement and directing the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue Trump adversaries.
Fucking Christ.
I only wish.
