Thank you for this excellent view of the nuanced and intentional corrosion of our democracy, a process that has been going on long before Trump arrived on the scene. He merely helped rip the covers off the very stealthy and concerted efforts by the Right to undermine the institutions that support and defend a free and fair democracy – the media, academia, the judiciary.
I recently posted How Authoritarians Took Over the GOP (https://theamericanleader.org/storylines-historical-threads/how-authoritarians-took-over-the-gop/), a history of the last five+ decades that highlights several warnings that came from within the party as it slipped little by little beyond its conservative roots. The warnings were largely ignored by the media, which normalized the increasingly radical behavior on the Right.
Even today, many journalists continue to lag a step or two behind where events have led us. This is most evident in the persistent misuse of several important terms: “misinformation” instead of “disinformation” to describe the overt lies spread by Trump and his supporters; “conservative” rather than “radical”, “authoritarian”, or “fascist” when referring to the current members of the GOP (for more see https://theamericanleader.org/viewpoint/just-words-the-authoritarian-nationalist-freedom-caucus/) and the party itself; and “post-truth” – a catchy term, the use of which normalizes authoritarian efforts to tear apart our common understanding of the world.
Journalists who casually refer to “a post-truth world” are implicitly conceding that they’ve lost control of the narrative of common knowledge and purpose needed to sustain a democracy. I don’t think that’s their intent, however.
You’ve rightly pointed out that news organizations need to have the courage to tell the truth when it can matter most, regardless of the personal and business risks. I would add that they also need to be more rigorous in monitoring and updating the terminology they use to describe the current political landscape.
The grim truth is there’s a good chance Trump will win. We need to flip the U.S. House so we’ll have the majority in at least one chamber of Congress, to act as a check against Trump’s extremist agenda. Holding the Senate majority is going to be tough — with Democrats defending the seven closest seats — making the battle for the House a must-win.
And you can support worthy candidates without getting any more email!! Yes, really!
Sadly, Democratic donors waste millions of dollars giving too much to long-shot candidates, safe seats, or donating too late to make a difference.
What’s the solution? Oath is a fantastic resource that helps you donate most effectively. It’s the one-stop-shop for political giving that helps YOU maximize your impact.
And they protect your name and email – I’ve donated to a number of candidates via OATH and have not gotten even ONE subsequent text or email from ANY of the candidates. You will not be flooded with more pleas for money! What a relief!
And go here to turn the House Blue - https://app.oath.vote?ref=ZEI3HZQZ&p=fh – They show you where your donations can make the most difference, you select a total amount to donate, and they divvy it up.
Good people, pls. re-stack this so more people will see it.
We are grateful for your in-depth, savvy, sane and timely exposure of the violent MAGATS infesting Our Republic. May I ask a question you may not wish to answer directly, but:
We know that the NSA, et al, can and do track every email, text, phone call, tweet, message incoming and outgoing in the U.S. Which agency is responsible for paying a visit to these violent threats? The more they are permitted to post, the more feel emboldened to act out. WHY aren't they arrested and tried? This isn't "free speech": these are death threats. Thanks.
Thank you for this excellent view of the nuanced and intentional corrosion of our democracy, a process that has been going on long before Trump arrived on the scene. He merely helped rip the covers off the very stealthy and concerted efforts by the Right to undermine the institutions that support and defend a free and fair democracy – the media, academia, the judiciary.
I recently posted How Authoritarians Took Over the GOP (https://theamericanleader.org/storylines-historical-threads/how-authoritarians-took-over-the-gop/), a history of the last five+ decades that highlights several warnings that came from within the party as it slipped little by little beyond its conservative roots. The warnings were largely ignored by the media, which normalized the increasingly radical behavior on the Right.
Even today, many journalists continue to lag a step or two behind where events have led us. This is most evident in the persistent misuse of several important terms: “misinformation” instead of “disinformation” to describe the overt lies spread by Trump and his supporters; “conservative” rather than “radical”, “authoritarian”, or “fascist” when referring to the current members of the GOP (for more see https://theamericanleader.org/viewpoint/just-words-the-authoritarian-nationalist-freedom-caucus/) and the party itself; and “post-truth” – a catchy term, the use of which normalizes authoritarian efforts to tear apart our common understanding of the world.
Journalists who casually refer to “a post-truth world” are implicitly conceding that they’ve lost control of the narrative of common knowledge and purpose needed to sustain a democracy. I don’t think that’s their intent, however.
You’ve rightly pointed out that news organizations need to have the courage to tell the truth when it can matter most, regardless of the personal and business risks. I would add that they also need to be more rigorous in monitoring and updating the terminology they use to describe the current political landscape.
The grim truth is there’s a good chance Trump will win. We need to flip the U.S. House so we’ll have the majority in at least one chamber of Congress, to act as a check against Trump’s extremist agenda. Holding the Senate majority is going to be tough — with Democrats defending the seven closest seats — making the battle for the House a must-win.
And you can support worthy candidates without getting any more email!! Yes, really!
Sadly, Democratic donors waste millions of dollars giving too much to long-shot candidates, safe seats, or donating too late to make a difference.
What’s the solution? Oath is a fantastic resource that helps you donate most effectively. It’s the one-stop-shop for political giving that helps YOU maximize your impact.
And they protect your name and email – I’ve donated to a number of candidates via OATH and have not gotten even ONE subsequent text or email from ANY of the candidates. You will not be flooded with more pleas for money! What a relief!
Read about how OATH works - https://app.oath.vote/donor?ref=ZEI3HZQZ
And go here to turn the House Blue - https://app.oath.vote?ref=ZEI3HZQZ&p=fh – They show you where your donations can make the most difference, you select a total amount to donate, and they divvy it up.
Good people, pls. re-stack this so more people will see it.
We are grateful for your in-depth, savvy, sane and timely exposure of the violent MAGATS infesting Our Republic. May I ask a question you may not wish to answer directly, but:
We know that the NSA, et al, can and do track every email, text, phone call, tweet, message incoming and outgoing in the U.S. Which agency is responsible for paying a visit to these violent threats? The more they are permitted to post, the more feel emboldened to act out. WHY aren't they arrested and tried? This isn't "free speech": these are death threats. Thanks.