One of these days I would like to sit in a journalism class and have some one who is supposedly skilled at the job of the journalist explain to me how ‘bothersiderism” came about. Building a false equivalency and worshiping at the alter of straw men used to be considered terrible sins committed by those whose arguments had no real substance. They are now standard tools of the trade in what passes as modern news reading/reporting aka “journalism.”
Donald Trump was in a tuxedo, standing next to his award: a statue of a palm tree, as tall as a toddler. It was 2010, and Trump was being honored by a charity — the Palm Beach Police Foundation — for his “selfless support” of its cause.
His support did not include any of his own money.
Instead, Trump had found a way to give away somebody else’s money and claim the credit for himself.
Trump had earlier gone to a charity in New Jersey — the Charles Evans Foundation, named for a deceased businessman — and asked for a donation. Trump said he was raising money for the Palm Beach Police Foundation.
The Evans Foundation said yes. In 2009 and 2010, it gave a total of $150,000 to the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a small charity that the Republican presidential nominee founded in 1987.
Then, Trump’s foundation turned around and made donations to the police group in South Florida. In those years, the Trump Foundation’s gifts totaled $150,000.
Trump had effectively turned the Evans Foundation’s gifts into his own gifts, without adding any money of his own.
On the night that he won the Palm Tree Award for his philanthropy, Trump may have actually made money. The gala was held at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, and the police foundation paid to rent the room. It’s unclear how much was paid in 2010, but the police foundation reported in its tax filings that it rented Mar-a-Lago in 2014 for $276,463.
No wonder Trump sees charity as a “pay for play, what’s in it for me” enterprise. His Foundation is a scam. That’s not surprising though. All of his ventures are scams. Speaking of which, has any one seen his wife recently who appears to have a long career as an undocumented worker?
Then, there’s the “basket of deplorables” scandal which pales in comparison to this which is a list of the 258 people that Trump has insulted which details specifically what he’s called them off the top of his head and with no accompanying evidence. Most are definitely projection since the list include the words failure, loser, liar, crooked, and things that describe Donald Trump’s career and character down to the last letter. This is in no way compares to the huge, long list and case that Hillary Clinton has made showing how white supremacists and the Alt-Right have taken over much of the Trump Campaign’s events and infrastructure. Nor does it make any catalog of real evidence and the word “deplorable” is actually fairly tame compared to what they really, truly do believe as substantiated by opinion polls.
Henry Giroux a noted professor and author of many books has penned a new one on the old school authoritarianism demonstrated in word and deed by Republican Candidate Donald Trump. This is by far more important and something that the media should explore rather than the side effects of some one’s bout with pneumonia and a right wing conspiracy theory that sounds like a Victorian novel’s description of consumption. Donald Trump embraces the philosophy of our totalitarian past. Much like that past, our current totalitarian is being enabled by the incompetency of the so-called fourth estate.
Missing from most of the commentaries by mainstream media regarding the current rise of Trumpism is any historical context that would offer a critical account of the ideological and political disorders plaguing U.S. society. A resurrection of historical memory in this moment could provide important lessons regarding the present crisis, particularly the long tradition of white racial hegemony, exceptionalism, and the extended wars on youth, women, immigrants, people of color, and the economically disadvantaged. As Chip Berlet points out, what is missing from most media accounts are traces of history that would make clear that Trump’s presence on the American political landscape is the latest expression of a long tradition of “populist radical right ideology—nativism, authoritarianism, and populism . . . not unrelated to mainstream ideologies and mass attitudes. In fact, they are best seen as a radicalization of mainstream values.” Berlet goes even further, arguing that “Trump is not an example of creeping totalitarianism; he is the injured and grieving white man growing hoarse with bigoted canards while riding at the forefront of a new nativist movement.” For Adele M. Stan, like Berlet, the real question that needs to be asked is: “What is wrong with America that this racist, misogynist, money-cheating clown should be the frontrunner for the presidential nomination of one of its two major parties?” Berlet is on target when he suggests that understanding Trump in terms of fascism is not enough. But Berlet is wrong in suggesting that all that the Trump “clown wagon” represents is a more recent expression of the merger of right-wing populism and racist intolerance. History does not stand still, and as important as these demagogic elements are, they have taken on a new meaning within a different historical conjuncture and have been intensified through the registers of a creeping totalitarianism wedded to a new and virulent form of savage capitalism. Racism, bigotry, and xenophobia are certainly on Trump’s side, but what is new in this mix of toxic populism is the emergence of a predatory neoliberalism that has decimated the welfare state, expanded the punishing state, generated massive inequities in wealth and power, and put into place an ethos in which everybody has to provide for themselves. America has become a society of permanent uncertainty, intense anxiety, human misery, and immense racial and economic injustice. Trump offers more than what might be called a mix of The Jerry Springer Show and white supremacist ideology; he also offers up domestic and foreign policies that point to a unique style of neo-fascism, one that has deep roots in American history and society. What is necessary in the current political moment is an analysis in which the emergence of a new form of totalitarianism is made visible in Trump’s rallies, behavior, speeches, and proposals.
One example can be found in Steve Weissman’s commentary in which he draws a relationship between Trump’s casual racism and the rapidly emerging neo-fascist movements across Europe that “are growing strong by hating others for their skin color, religious origin, or immigrant status.” Weissman’s willingness to situate Trump in the company of European radical right movements such as Jean-Marie Le Pen’s populist National Front, Greece’s Golden Dawn political party, or Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s Liberal Democratic Party of Russia provides a glimpse of what Trump has in common with the new authoritarianism and its deeply racist, anti-immigration, and neo-Nazi tendencies.
Unfortunately, it was not until late in Trump’s presidential primary campaign that journalists began to acknowledge the presence of white militias and white hate groups at Trump’s rallies, and almost none have acknowledged the chanting of “white power” at some of his political gatherings, which would surely signal Trump’s connections not only to historical forms of white intolerance and racial hegemony but also to the formative Nazi culture that gave rise to genocide. When Trump was told that he had the support of the Ku Klux Klan—a terrorist organization—Trump hesitated in disavowing such support. Trump appears to have no issues with attracting members of white hate groups to his ranks. Nor does Trump seem to have issues with channeling the legitimate anger and outrage of his followers into expressions of hate and bigotry that have all the earmarks of a neo-fascist movement. Trump has also refused to condemn the increasing racism at many of his rallies, such as the chants of angry white men yelling, “If you’re an African first, go back to Africa.” Another example of Trump’s embrace of totalitarian politics can be found in Glenn Greenwald’s analysis of the mainstream media’s treatment of Trump’s attack on Jorge Ramos, an influential anchor of Univision. When Ramos stood up to question Trump’s views on immigration, Trump not only refused to call on him, but insulted him by telling him to go back to Univision. Instead of focusing on this particular lack of civility, Greenwald takes up the way many journalists scolded Ramos because he had a point of view and was committed to a political narrative. Greenwald saw this not just as a disingenuous act on the part of establishment journalists, but as a failure on the part of the press to speak out against a counterfeit notion of objectivity that represents a flight from responsibility, if not political and civic courage. Greenwald goes further, arguing that the mainstream media and institutions at the start of Trump’s campaign were too willing, in the name of objectivity and balance, to ignore Trump’s toxic rhetoric and the endorsements and expressions of violence.
Let’s look and listen to excerpts from his basket of deplorables which is at least 50% if not more of his supporters.
Additionally, there are lots of polls that show that he’s got a huge number of deplorables along with his staff which appears filled with Binders full of Bigots. So Hillary Clinton–and her staff’s–current bout with pneumonia is much more important than seeing Donald Trump’s Taxes, Donald’ Trump’s real health status, Donald Trump’s actual charitable givings and his Foundation’s records, etc.
Nearly half of Trump’s supporters described African Americans as more “violent” than whites. The same proportion described African Americans as more “criminal” than whites, while 40 percent described them as more “lazy” than whites.
In smaller, but still significant, numbers, Clinton backers also viewed blacks more critically than whites with regard to certain personality traits. Nearly one-third of Clinton supporters described blacks as more “violent” and “criminal” than whites, and one-quarter described them as more “lazy” than whites.
Clinton is relying heavily on black voters to help her win the White House, and her victory over Sanders in the early state nominating contests was due in part to her overwhelming lead among African Americans.
When asked about where they wanted to live, 36 percent of Trump supporters said, “I prefer to live in a community with people who come from diverse cultures,” compared with 46 percent of Cruz supporters, 55 percent of Kasich supporters and 70 percent of Clinton supporters.
Trump’s supporters were more likely to be critical of affirmative action policies that favor minorities in school admissions or in hiring.
Some 31 percent of Trump supporters said they “strongly agree” that “social policies, such as affirmative action, discriminate unfairly against white people,” compared with 21 percent of Cruz supporters, 17 percent of Kasich supporters and 16 percent of Clinton supporters.
To be sure, not all Trump supporters expressed negative attitudes about blacks. No more than 50 percent of his supporters rated blacks negatively, relative to whites, on any of the six character traits in the poll.
Yet when their answers to the poll questions were compared with responses from supporters of other candidates, Trump supporters were always more critical of blacks on personality traits, analysis of the results showed.
The trend was consistent in the data, even when the results were filtered to include only white respondents to remove any impact that a different racial mix between Clinton and Trump supporters might play in the poll.
The Trump supporters’ views on affirmative action and neighborhood diversity do not necessarily reflect racial bias alone, said Michael Traugott, a polling expert and professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, who is not publicly supporting either Trump or Clinton. Rather, the results could also suggest anxieties about economic insecurity and social standing.
Trump, whose supporters are mostly white, has promised to return manufacturing jobs to the United States, crack down on illegal immigration and pull out of global trade deals that he says have hurt American workers.
“The support for Trump is indicative of the support for the type of policies he is advocating,” said Lawrence Brown, a professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore who writes about racism and has supported Sanders.
A survey taken this May found that about two-thirds of Trump supporters believe Obama is a Muslim.
PPP National Poll, May 6–9 2016
The same poll found 59 percent of Trump supporters believe Obama was not born in the United States.
PPP National Poll, May 6–9 2016
These views are incorrect but are also racist and xenophobic. They are rooted in the idea that a black man with an atypical name could not be a U.S.-born Christian but must be a secret Muslim born in Africa.
So when Hillary Clinton says half of Trump supporters hold bigoted views, she may be understating the issue.
Survey data shows that significant chunks of Trump supporters hold even more extreme beliefs.
A poll of 16,000 Americans conducted by Reuters in June found that 40% of Trump supporters believed that blacks were more “lazy” than whites and nearly 50% believed blacks were more “violent” than whites. (A smaller percentage of Clinton supporters held these views.)
A national poll of 2000 people taken in January by YouGov found that one-third of Trump supporters believe the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, one of the most shamefully racist programs in American history, was a good idea.
Clinton also mentioned homophobia. A PPP poll of South Carolina voters in February found that a substantial portion supported banning LGBT people from the United States.
PPP South Carolina Poll, February 14–15
In the same poll, 16 percent of Trump supporters admitted they believed that “whites are a superior race,” while an additional 14 percent said they were “not sure.”
PPP South Carolina Poll, February 14–15
The national YouGov poll from January found that 20 percent of Trump supporters disagreed with Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed southern slaves.
The polling data reveals that there is a substantial number of Trump supporters who are bigoted, intolerant, or worse.
This one deserves a bold and a repeat. Yes, folks, there are Trump supporters that still think slavery is just okily dokily.
The national YouGov poll from January found that 20 percent of Trump supporters disagreed with Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed southern slaves.
Open and acknowledged racism is, today, both seen as a disqualifying and negligible feature in civic life. By challenging the the latter part of this claim, Clinton inadvertently challenged the former. Thus a reporter or an outlet pointing out the evidenced racism of Trump’s supporters in response to a statement made by his rival risks being seen as having taken a side not just against Trump, not just against racism, but against his supporters too. Would it not be better, then, to simply change the subject to one where “both sides” can be rendered as credible? Real and serious questions about intractable problems are thus translated into one uncontroversial question: “Who will win?”
It does not have to be this way. Indeed, one need not even dispense with horse-race reporting. One could ask, all at once, if Clinton was being truthful, how it will affect her chances, and what that says about the electorate. But that requires more than the current standard for political media. It means valuing more than just a sheen of objectivity but instead reporting facts in all of their disturbing reality.
I think there in lies the crux of the matter. Is it not the duty of a reporter to report “facts in all of their disturbing reality?” I think when you can make a credible case that one of the candidates running for the free world is a white nationalist with a huge disturbing following and campaign structure filled with folks that subscribe to conspiracy theories, and white supremacy, and that there are all kinds of other deplorables, then, journalists are compelled to report the truth instead of create false equivalencies.
Bothersiderism my fat, lilly white old lady ass!!!
I spent all day yesterday and today seething at the main stream media. Their false equivalency between Hillary & Trump is shameful. Should this go South for Hillary it will lie at the feet of the MSM that hasn’t had the guts to call Trump out and stay with it.
Why aren’t the racist, sexist, white nationalist, xenophobes, that are his campaign leaders, not being challenged and exposed?
Why hasn’t there been a demand by the MSM to see his tax returns?
Why hasn’t the MSM been all over his personal sexism and racism been totally vetted?
Why hasn’t the financial fraud in every aspect of his business been vetted?
Why hasn’t his love of dictators and his cozy relationship to Putin been properly vetted?
The list goes on and on. This morning I fired off emails to MSNBC for their front page article attacking Hillary. They’ve become almost as despicable as Fox News, but theirs is an exercise in bothsiderism, which is ridiculously out of balance. I’m so frustrated with all of this I could spit.
Ditto, why haven’t they been doing their jobs? Guess they are duplicates of congress cause they haven’t done nothing either.
You know they look the other way when it comes to Trump. Why didn’t they confront him when he was talking about the size of his penis on stage a few months ago. Maybe something is wrong there, weather it’s working right. He might have a drip or something, and we need to find out about his hair, maybe he needs less sun, or a transplant in that brain of his, or something. No joke, he doesn’t get to have any privacy, or special treatment because he steps up all the time talking about it.
In a normal election cycle, a candidate making an offhand racist remark about a sitting US senator would be a big news story.
In a normal election cycle, a candidate making an offhanded lie about the state of his personal finances would be a big news story.
To be totally honest, even in a normal election cycle a candidate exhibiting total confusion about the mechanics and merits of monetary policy probably wouldn’t be that big of a news story but it would at least get some attention.
I don’t know of, nor can I imagine in my wildest dreams, a Hillary Clinton supporter who will be swayed by the irresponsible reporting that is prevalent. Conversely, I can’t imagine a single Trump supporter who will be convinced not to vote for him. At this stage of the game, we need to continue to work to get out the vote and make sure that we get our people out to the polls. People who support Trump are either bullies or people to whom bullies appeal. That includes the so called journalists who are gleeful about Hillary’s illness; the Schusters, Cillizzas, etc. Don’t read their stuff because they know they can’t sway anyone, they just want to bully Clinton supporters. They are weak men who enjoy upsetting people. I’m tuning out the noise and doing what Hillary is doing, staying the course. Stick to the plan and she will win.
*Get well soon, Hillary. Judging by the Commander in Chief Forum, you’re going to need to be on the top of your game for the debates.*
Eeks – David Schuster is back? I’m not sure which link to find this rumor. I have an unfortunate and strange compulsion to see what dweebs like Schuster and Tucker Carlson are saying when they make the news.
I read some of that yesterday and if they did that it would be the equivalent of giving themselves a lethal injection. Hillary raised 140 million dollars for the DNC and her campaign last month. They will stay with Hillary to the finish line. And she will be victorious.
What’s Going on With America’s White People?
Trump’s rise put a sudden spotlight on the troubles of white working-class Americans. A conversation with some of those who’ve been tracking them up close
That was a long read, but I was fascinated by the researchers and the writer\thinkers, not more journalists. Over the summer of reading different posts and articles, I was coming to the conclusion that this angry group that Trump attracts has been written off by Congress and others. Trump lies about being able to bring back jobs. I hope I won’t have to live through Trump blowing up the economy.
I think they’ve been tricked by Republicans and all these attacks on Republican establishment attract them. Unfortunately, the Alt Right is gaming them too and Trump is definitely exploiting them.
It’s the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec) and the Koch Brothers Money at work. They have been investing at the state level of politics, and passing all these laws and bills, and making it seem like it’s all the immigrants taking jobs, or that’s it Obama fault that the economy isn’t working…………It is working, but they don’t want to push for hard working people, no they are pushing for those at the top to get control, and to treat workers like peons, and convince our citizens that we aren’t doing good. Right here in Boise, there are delays after delays in various projects, because they need skilled workers, and guess what they aren’t here. Where in the hell are they you might ask. In other words, the republicans give them jobs, but then tell the workers that they don’t have the resources to finish the job……what kind of bullshit is that? All workers should be provided with tools and skills to support them to complete the job. There is some false information going around to the white workers all over this country. They are trying to set it up failure, to make them look like they have solutions and answers, but we have seen time and time again they don’t, even if they could, they refuse, because since day one they were committed to destroying our President. I could be wrong, but that’s my opinion.
When listening to any of the Trump surrogates, the line is all the same. The reason for all woes in the world are due to Obama and Clinton. Every question is answered by “Clinton is the reason…” It’s like they have all been prepped to answer questions using the same line and the same rhetoric. This is classic marketing with keeping a brand and a message consistent. Its robotic. No issue is addressed, there are no policies revealed. Its all about Hillary hate. The country is in trouble and I am afraid for her. I truly am.
MSNBC and CNN did have David Farenthold on today, but it was just a quick oasis in the midst of the hand-wringing over Hillary being sick and not telling everyone instantly.
It’s not uncommon and it’s not unusual for people with severe allergies to get pneumonia or severe bronchitis. She has severe allergies and she’s keeping a break neck schedule and is likely a bit run down from that schedule. I have severe allergies that OTC meds will not touch. I take shots to keep myself from getting severe bronchitis. Even now, with shots weekly, I have a touch of bronchitis.
Thank you joanelle……I live in the allergy capital of the world so it doesn’t help any, but I’m fine. It will take a lot more than bronchitis to keep me down. Hillary is a trooper to keep going with pneumonia, but it is possible to have pneumonia and not know you have it, especially if you struggle with severe allergies and are nagged by a constant cough. She’s tough, they said this morning she will be back on the campaign trail by Friday. That’s our Girl!!!
We have had a fire for several weeks,called the Pioneer Fire, and it’s the worst one currently in our country. I can’t breath very well when I wake up, and go for a walk, it’s thick, or when I walk in the cool of the afternoon, it is effecting my health. So I haven’t been on my walking schedule. Going to try in the next 20 minutes.
This afternoon CNN was giving Trump praise for “staying on message” and not going after Hillary’s health TODAY. But he’s been implying and his followers have been saying for months that Hillary has “Parkinson’s”. He stays “on message” for 24 hours and they praise him.
What is wrong with the MSM? Do they live in a bubble where this stuff just hits and bounces off without them ever noticing?
Eric Alterman had the best explanation of the false equivalency trend. He posited that the right wingers started “working the refs” by yelling and screaming over any unfavorable treatment in the media, no matter how well deserved (http://bit.ly/2caTpjL). That move was successful in getting journalists to pull their punches on the right and to try to find stupid, irrelevant “equivalencies” from the left for ever mild criticism of the right.
I guess they thought they’d stave off criticism from the right by taking this stance, but it’s backfired on them to the point where nobody trusts the media any more.
I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t want to keep making the effort to figure out why the media is so awful, with very rare exceptions which are mostly in the print media. If Hillary loses, it will be far too late for it to even matter why they are, or for anyone in the media to promise to improve it. Peter Daou suggests that people like us are too apt to think that some of these media are really on our side and are just not doing their job effectively; he says that we would be surprised at how many of them want Trump’s agenda. So you have journalist propagandists; Hillary-hating journalists; long-time right-wing journalists who try to hide it; and then a few utterly iincompetent ones, or those who want to be part of the longstanding Hillary hating club.
We are going to have to win this election over the backs of the right-wing and the media. The media will not help us, they will end up trying to destroy our side. I do have some hope for Anderson Cooper in the debate, but not the others. We just have to hope that there are still enough people in this country who will not let the media tell them whom to vote for, and who are willing and capable of making up their own minds. If not, we have a totalitarian state one way or the other. If Hillary can win, she might actually be able to do a few things to get the media back to some small level of honesty and fairness. The media will scorn her for it, of course.
Some of the most iconic photos of Adolf Hitler show him at his most intense, eyes alight with frenetic energy as he addresses an audience or salutes a crowd.
Equally haunting, however, are another set of images that are oft-forgotten: In the years preceding World War II, news outlets from home magazines to the New York Times ran profiles of the Nazi leader that portrayed him as a country gentleman — a man who ate vegetarian, played catch with his dogs and took post-meal strolls outside his mountain estate.
These articles were often admiring — even after the horrors of the Nazi regime had begun to reveal themselves, says Despina Stratigakos, an architectural historian at the University at Buffalo.
Her new book, “Hitler at Home,” will be published Sept. 29 by Yale University Press. It recounts how the Führer’s inner circle worked throughout the 1930s to reinvent his image from a solitary oddball with few family ties to a statesman of fine taste and morals.
“They were able to engineer a complete transformation of Hitler’s public persona,” says Stratigakos, interim chair of architecture in UB’s School of Architecture and Planning. “They accomplished this by focusing on his private life — by showing him playing with his dogs and with children, and at home in architectural spaces designed to evoke a feeling of warmth. By the end of the 1930s, news stories around the world described him as a caring, gentle individual with great taste in home décor.”
“It was dangerous because it made him likeable,” Stratigakos said. “After reading these stories, people would feel like they knew the ‘true’ Hitler, the private man behind the Führer mask, and that maybe this person was not as bad as all of the news coming out of Europe seemed to suggest.”
She notes that while many historians have dismissed Hitler’s personal life as irrelevant, his private persona was in fact painstakingly constructed to further his political ends.
Please note this one in particular:
On Aug. 20, 1939, the New York Times Magazine published an article describing the day-to-day life at Hitler’s mountain chalet.
This was 12 days before Germany invaded Poland and started World War II, nine months after the violent anti-Jewish pogroms of Kristallnacht, and six years after the first Nazi concentration camp opened at Dachau.
The article commented that Hitler’s estate on the Obersalzberg, a mountain retreat near the Austrian border, was “furnished harmoniously, according to the best of German traditions.” Unstained wainscoting and handwoven rugs combined to “create an atmosphere of quiet cheerfulness” in the Führer’s study, the New York Times reported.
Hitler had a tomato garden and a fondness for chocolate, the story said. He was a man “who can eat a gooseberry pie or a well-done pudding with relish.” He liked to take an afternoon nap.
A 1938 profile in Homes and Gardens, a British magazine, was similarly descriptive. The piece, a three-page feature on the same estate, related that the home was “bright” and “airy,” with a jade green color scheme. It noted that Hitler “had a passion for cut flowers,” and considered his gardeners, chauffeur and air-pilot not as servants, but as “loyal friends.”
“All kinds of publications — from serious political journals to LIFE and even American Kennel Gazette, a dog magazine — were covering this story about the ‘real’ Hitler,” Stratigakos said. “In 1934, the German Press Association reported that images of Hitler at home playing with his dogs or with children were the most popular images purchased by the media in Germany and abroad.”
This research uses media framing theory to evaluate coverage of Hitler published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Christian Science Monitor between January 1930 and April 1933. Nearly 3,500 articles appearing in the three papers contained at least brief mentions of Hitler, but far less offered substantial information about the perceived scope of his political influence. An analysis of more than 400 articles revealed “credible” frames that focused on his persuasive appeal, popular support, and political clout. It also revealed “non-credible” frames that undermined his perceived influence by emphasizing his nonpolitical background, his Austrian heritage, and the idea that his party’s relative popularity within Germany would fade before he could effect any lasting change. The majority of articles published prior to his appointment as chancellor in January 1933 contained non-credible frames, a trend that continued throughout his first month in office. But after the Nationalist bloc earned a slim majority in the Reichstag following the elections held in early March 1933, the number of articles containing credible frames increased, suggesting that he was consistently framed as a credible power only after it was suspected that Germany’s system of parliamentary democracy would soon end.
The Sky Dancing banner headline uses a snippet from a work by artist Tashi Mannox called 'Rainbow Study'. The work is described as a" study of typical Tibetan rainbow clouds, that feature in Thanka painting, temple decoration and silk brocades". dakinikat was immediately drawn to the image when trying to find stylized Tibetan Clouds to represent Sky Dancing. It is probably because Tashi's practice is similar to her own. His updated take on the clouds that fill the collection of traditional thankas is quite special.
You can find his work at his website by clicking on his logo below. He is also a calligraphy artist that uses important vajrayana syllables. We encourage you to visit his on line studio.
One of these days I would like to sit in a journalism class and have some one who is supposedly skilled at the job of the journalist explain to me how ‘bothersiderism” came about. Building a false equivalency and worshiping at the alter of straw men used to be considered terrible sins committed by those whose arguments had no real substance. They are now standard tools of the trade in what passes as modern news reading/reporting aka “journalism.”
Henry Giroux a noted professor and author of many books has penned a new one on the old school authoritarianism demonstrated in word and deed by Republican Candidate Donald Trump. This is by far more important and something that the media should explore rather than the side effects of some one’s bout with pneumonia and a right wing conspiracy theory that sounds like a Victorian novel’s description of consumption. Donald Trump embraces the philosophy of our totalitarian past. Much like that past, our current totalitarian is being enabled by the incompetency of the so-called fourth estate.
I think there in lies the crux of the matter. Is it not the duty of a reporter to report “facts in all of their disturbing reality?” I think when you can make a credible case that one of the candidates running for the free world is a white nationalist with a huge disturbing following and campaign structure filled with folks that subscribe to conspiracy theories, and white supremacy, and that there are all kinds of other deplorables, then, journalists are compelled to report the truth instead of create false equivalencies.
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I spent all day yesterday and today seething at the main stream media. Their false equivalency between Hillary & Trump is shameful. Should this go South for Hillary it will lie at the feet of the MSM that hasn’t had the guts to call Trump out and stay with it.
Why aren’t the racist, sexist, white nationalist, xenophobes, that are his campaign leaders, not being challenged and exposed?
Why hasn’t there been a demand by the MSM to see his tax returns?
Why hasn’t the MSM been all over his personal sexism and racism been totally vetted?
Why hasn’t the financial fraud in every aspect of his business been vetted?
Why hasn’t his love of dictators and his cozy relationship to Putin been properly vetted?
The list goes on and on. This morning I fired off emails to MSNBC for their front page article attacking Hillary. They’ve become almost as despicable as Fox News, but theirs is an exercise in bothsiderism, which is ridiculously out of balance. I’m so frustrated with all of this I could spit.
Very good questions!!!
Ditto, why haven’t they been doing their jobs? Guess they are duplicates of congress cause they haven’t done nothing either.
You know they look the other way when it comes to Trump. Why didn’t they confront him when he was talking about the size of his penis on stage a few months ago. Maybe something is wrong there, weather it’s working right. He might have a drip or something, and we need to find out about his hair, maybe he needs less sun, or a transplant in that brain of his, or something. No joke, he doesn’t get to have any privacy, or special treatment because he steps up all the time talking about it.
Know what I mean?
Donald Trump gave an interview this morning that should be shocking — but we’re numb
http://www.vox.com/2016/9/12/12887522/donald-trump-interview-shocking-numb
What an idiot for trying to make people believe that crap!
I don’t know of, nor can I imagine in my wildest dreams, a Hillary Clinton supporter who will be swayed by the irresponsible reporting that is prevalent. Conversely, I can’t imagine a single Trump supporter who will be convinced not to vote for him. At this stage of the game, we need to continue to work to get out the vote and make sure that we get our people out to the polls. People who support Trump are either bullies or people to whom bullies appeal. That includes the so called journalists who are gleeful about Hillary’s illness; the Schusters, Cillizzas, etc. Don’t read their stuff because they know they can’t sway anyone, they just want to bully Clinton supporters. They are weak men who enjoy upsetting people. I’m tuning out the noise and doing what Hillary is doing, staying the course. Stick to the plan and she will win.
*Get well soon, Hillary. Judging by the Commander in Chief Forum, you’re going to need to be on the top of your game for the debates.*
I want to slap Cillizza and that Schuster rumor was off the wall. I thought he’d been drummed off of all news sites for his attack on Chelsea?
Eeks – David Schuster is back? I’m not sure which link to find this rumor. I have an unfortunate and strange compulsion to see what dweebs like Schuster and Tucker Carlson are saying when they make the news.
Dak – I see a reference to Schuster and the rumor the DNC wants to drop HRC. hahahahaha riiiiiight
That wouldn’t alienate women, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, LGBTQ or anything would it?
I read some of that yesterday and if they did that it would be the equivalent of giving themselves a lethal injection. Hillary raised 140 million dollars for the DNC and her campaign last month. They will stay with Hillary to the finish line. And she will be victorious.
There is a scream inside me, and I’d like to let it out on Schuster!
Yes, get well Hillary!! (Anyone else having difficulty with slow responsiveness on the page?)
What’s Going on With America’s White People?
Trump’s rise put a sudden spotlight on the troubles of white working-class Americans. A conversation with some of those who’ve been tracking them up close
Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/problems-white-people-america-society-class-race-214227#ixzz4K4QjV3rQ
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook
That was a long read, but I was fascinated by the researchers and the writer\thinkers, not more journalists. Over the summer of reading different posts and articles, I was coming to the conclusion that this angry group that Trump attracts has been written off by Congress and others. Trump lies about being able to bring back jobs. I hope I won’t have to live through Trump blowing up the economy.
I think they’ve been tricked by Republicans and all these attacks on Republican establishment attract them. Unfortunately, the Alt Right is gaming them too and Trump is definitely exploiting them.
It’s the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec) and the Koch Brothers Money at work. They have been investing at the state level of politics, and passing all these laws and bills, and making it seem like it’s all the immigrants taking jobs, or that’s it Obama fault that the economy isn’t working…………It is working, but they don’t want to push for hard working people, no they are pushing for those at the top to get control, and to treat workers like peons, and convince our citizens that we aren’t doing good. Right here in Boise, there are delays after delays in various projects, because they need skilled workers, and guess what they aren’t here. Where in the hell are they you might ask. In other words, the republicans give them jobs, but then tell the workers that they don’t have the resources to finish the job……what kind of bullshit is that? All workers should be provided with tools and skills to support them to complete the job. There is some false information going around to the white workers all over this country. They are trying to set it up failure, to make them look like they have solutions and answers, but we have seen time and time again they don’t, even if they could, they refuse, because since day one they were committed to destroying our President. I could be wrong, but that’s my opinion.
Yup. Bait and switch.
Why Donald Trump gets a pass
Clinton laments a media double-standard but it’s the voters who are grading on a curve.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/why-donald-trump-gets-a-pass-228009#ixzz4K4RearmL
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook
Charles Blow nails it again:
That was very good.
Yeah, I ended up singing: A tisket, a tasket, Trump is going to loose his ass come Nov 8.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/12/there-were-five-phantom-donations-in-the-files-of-donald-trumps-foundation-heres-what-we-know/?postshare=1391473698673815&tid=ss_tw
When listening to any of the Trump surrogates, the line is all the same. The reason for all woes in the world are due to Obama and Clinton. Every question is answered by “Clinton is the reason…” It’s like they have all been prepped to answer questions using the same line and the same rhetoric. This is classic marketing with keeping a brand and a message consistent. Its robotic. No issue is addressed, there are no policies revealed. Its all about Hillary hate. The country is in trouble and I am afraid for her. I truly am.
Yea. Some of them are angry and well armed and not very good at self control.
MSNBC and CNN did have David Farenthold on today, but it was just a quick oasis in the midst of the hand-wringing over Hillary being sick and not telling everyone instantly.
Hill is the third person I’ve heard of just this week suffering from pneumonia, strange- it’s not that common, is it?
It’s not uncommon and it’s not unusual for people with severe allergies to get pneumonia or severe bronchitis. She has severe allergies and she’s keeping a break neck schedule and is likely a bit run down from that schedule. I have severe allergies that OTC meds will not touch. I take shots to keep myself from getting severe bronchitis. Even now, with shots weekly, I have a touch of bronchitis.
I’m sorry to hear that, mouse. I’m guessing this weather we’ve been having doesn’t help matters. Take care😔
Thank you joanelle……I live in the allergy capital of the world so it doesn’t help any, but I’m fine. It will take a lot more than bronchitis to keep me down. Hillary is a trooper to keep going with pneumonia, but it is possible to have pneumonia and not know you have it, especially if you struggle with severe allergies and are nagged by a constant cough. She’s tough, they said this morning she will be back on the campaign trail by Friday. That’s our Girl!!!
Take good care Joanelle….ourbodies need TLC.
Indeed they do, Fannie, couldn’t agree more
We have had a fire for several weeks,called the Pioneer Fire, and it’s the worst one currently in our country. I can’t breath very well when I wake up, and go for a walk, it’s thick, or when I walk in the cool of the afternoon, it is effecting my health. So I haven’t been on my walking schedule. Going to try in the next 20 minutes.
This afternoon CNN was giving Trump praise for “staying on message” and not going after Hillary’s health TODAY. But he’s been implying and his followers have been saying for months that Hillary has “Parkinson’s”. He stays “on message” for 24 hours and they praise him.
What is wrong with the MSM? Do they live in a bubble where this stuff just hits and bounces off without them ever noticing?
And here is your msnbc Mark Halperin show: She (Hillary Clinton) better hope she doesn’t get sick again? He’s a dry and stringy bastard.
https://t.co/Tg7vCriHtm
Another good one about about how the media was shocked by the deplorables comment but didn’t check out the stats behind it from Coates.
Ohio reporter shares things deplorables say and write to him.
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/09/ohio-reporter-shares-deplorable-messages-some-of-trumps-basket-case-fans-have-sent-him/#.V9cDSzDUTgw.facebook
Eric Alterman had the best explanation of the false equivalency trend. He posited that the right wingers started “working the refs” by yelling and screaming over any unfavorable treatment in the media, no matter how well deserved (http://bit.ly/2caTpjL). That move was successful in getting journalists to pull their punches on the right and to try to find stupid, irrelevant “equivalencies” from the left for ever mild criticism of the right.
I guess they thought they’d stave off criticism from the right by taking this stance, but it’s backfired on them to the point where nobody trusts the media any more.
I mean nobody, we smell the passing of their gas far away.
Thx … Great read!
I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t want to keep making the effort to figure out why the media is so awful, with very rare exceptions which are mostly in the print media. If Hillary loses, it will be far too late for it to even matter why they are, or for anyone in the media to promise to improve it. Peter Daou suggests that people like us are too apt to think that some of these media are really on our side and are just not doing their job effectively; he says that we would be surprised at how many of them want Trump’s agenda. So you have journalist propagandists; Hillary-hating journalists; long-time right-wing journalists who try to hide it; and then a few utterly iincompetent ones, or those who want to be part of the longstanding Hillary hating club.
We are going to have to win this election over the backs of the right-wing and the media. The media will not help us, they will end up trying to destroy our side. I do have some hope for Anderson Cooper in the debate, but not the others. We just have to hope that there are still enough people in this country who will not let the media tell them whom to vote for, and who are willing and capable of making up their own minds. If not, we have a totalitarian state one way or the other. If Hillary can win, she might actually be able to do a few things to get the media back to some small level of honesty and fairness. The media will scorn her for it, of course.
I’m taking out my frustration by calling into Florida for Hillary
Gotta get a Florida win.
If you saw that Deplorables cartoon and wondered with the green thong was, you have to read this:
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/feed/donald-trump-pepe-the-frog-and-white-supremacists-an-explainer/?utm_campaign=feed_share_btn&utm_medium=share&utm_source=tw
https://m.mic.com/articles/143778/is-pepe-meme-racist#.frtDYyhKk
Unbelievable.
and for my last word on this:
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2015/08/034.html
Please note this one in particular:
http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1363/unrecognized-potential-media-framing-of-hitlers-rise-to-power-1930-1933