I am rather ambivalent about Donald Trump's staunch--perhaps even strident--denunciation of the media, in general. On the one hand, a free media is essential to a free country. (Jefferson once intoned that if he were to have to choose between "a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government," he would not hesitate to choose the latter. On the other hand, there is no doubt that most of the media nowadays is bitterly opposed to Donald Trump. Why, just today, The Washington Post ran a story with the headline, "These Iowans voted for Trump. Many of them are already disappointed." Another story featured the headline, "For many Indians, Kansas shooting is a harsh warning about Trump's America". Still, I am not at all sure that President Trump is doing himself any favors by angrily denouncing the press (which can easily be interpreted as petulant). And he really should not speak of the media as "the enemy of the people," as that has clear Leninist undertones. Thoughts?
As I mentioned elsewhere - the King of the Birthers DOES NOT get to whine about "fake news". So far, we have the man who promised he had a "secret plan" for destroying ISIS doing what? Unless ISIS is spelled P-R-E-S-S, the dude seems to be pointing his guns in the wrong direction ... sad.
It's about time a high profile non-Democrat spoke out against left-wing media bias, and having the President doing this is a welcome change of pace. Leftists have taken over Academia, Hollywood, and the media, and they use these three channels to indoctrinate the youth. The right can't win a war of ideas when the odds are so stacked against them. That doesn't even include the demographic sabotage that has occurred in this country. Honestly, it's amazing that Republicans win anything, anymore. The well has already been so poisoned with Marxist filth.
Yes, a dictator always label the press the “Enemy of the People” when it is the enemy of the dictator. Trump is a narcissist, and craves only "news" that is effusive in its praise. He rejects documented facts as "fake" when the media is not worshipful, and he becomes hysterical when his own copious "fake" facts are exposed - His baseless self-pleasuring nonsense that 3-5 million invisible folks cast bogus ballots against him is just one instance among many. While the press has an essential, adversarial role to play in a free society (As capitalistic enterprises, their objective is to purvey truth to maximize profit) reportage becomes persecution when it is not supported by "real" facts, but by self-serving ”alternative" ones. Thus, "For many Indians, Kansas shooting is a harsh warning about Trump's America." That Trump is supported by neo-nazis and white supremacists is undeniable, and his illegal travel ban that targets folks from nations that have exhibited no propensity for terrorism in the US underscores inculcates fear. Racial attacks have been on the rise since Trump came to power. (The Southern Poverty Law Center data shows that within 10 days of Trump being elected president, 867 hate crimes took place.) That Trump has not taken a moment to denounce the depraved act in Kansas is not reassuring. I have no reason to pretend that "there is no doubt that most of the media nowadays is bitterly opposed to Donald Trump," because of folks who voted for him and are now disappointed are given a voice and allowed to speak truth to power. There are certainly a plethora of outlets that promote Trumpery as well. Few presidents are happy with their treatment by a free press, and it would be a serious warning to the Republic if they were. "A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both." James Madison, 1822......................................... Prescient, Jimmy. Bloody prescient. .
If you're going to QUOTE someone QUOTE them in full. He said "fake media is an enemy of the people" and I agree. Fake news is propoganda and propoganda disguised as news is the enemy of our republic.
"Mexico will pay for it!" It doesn't take a Trump® U scholar to recognize a scam - or, maybe it does.
"appear petulant"? take a look at the responses in this thread alone - "trumpeizda clan", "king of the birthers", "dictator" and "narcissist".... this is the mentality that the press is playing to and they are willing to believe the worst of anyone that isn't perfectly in line with their authoritarian agenda. the press will label him however they please, regardless of what he might say or do, and the ignorant will eat it up. such is the current state of the media, that they can play to the lowest common denominator and still be taken seriously. they market their product to the cult of victimhood, serving up a billionaire as their scapegoat. truth is immaterial in a world where appearance is everything.
I do agree with your sentiment; just not necessarily with your approach. The media (with a few exceptions) have, indeed, tilted toward the left; so what is now considered "mainstream" is at least center-left. But to brand the media as "the enemy of the people" sounds, itself, almost Marxist (or, more precisely, Leninist).
Obviously, Trump has a problem with the 1st Amendment of The Constitution. He has taken an oath to defend The Constitution, yet he is so clueless that he attacks the 1st Amendment daily. If the NYT told Trump that 1+1=2, Trump would denounce it as "Fake News". And, due to the Stockholm Syndrome that is effecting his followers, when Trump tells them 1+1=3 they believe him.
Okay. Fair enough. He said--and I am quoting now--"A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people, and they are they are the enemy of the people." Of course, that begs the question: Just what media outlets, exactly, are considered "the enemy of the people" by Donald Trump? Well, in a February 17, 2017 tweet, President Trump proclaimed that "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!" (Caps in original) This is downright blood-curdling! Moreover, the phrase, "enemy of the people," is so thoroughly tainted that it should probably never again be used, in any context. (There are some phrases that should forever be avoided, for one reason or another; and that is one of them.)
Fake news is the enemy of the people. News is supposed to inform not propogandize and editorialize. Our media is now Pravda.
Hardly. In the (erstwhile) Soviet Union, no other news outlet was available to the Russian people ( well, other than TASS--which is not exactly a fair arbiter of the news, either). But Americans have access to many alternative news outlets. So I would certainly not wish to ban some, simply because I did not agree with what they publish. (In fact, that sounds downright authoritarian.) And I would certainly not use a phrase that was once used by Vladimir Lenin--and before that, by the insurgents during the Reign of Terror, during the French Revolution (remember Robespierre?)--as my catchphrase.
The bulk of our media is of one mind and does the bidding of the left wing power structure, they are Pravda of America. They are not news they are propoganda
True. But I will reiterate that Americans have access to alternative media outlets. We are not captive to just ABC, CBS, NBC (including its offspring, MSNBC), The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
And those few alternative media's are under constant attack by the left. The bulk of our media is Pravda.
To the American Right... ...anything that is not deep into American conservative ideology...is Pravdalike. If the American right were not so dangerous...it would be a laughing stock!
The media are not in the business of ego-massaging or fawning adulation. Their job is to challenge, question, investigate and demand answers to sometimes uncomfortable questions. It has always been thus, and Trump's whining won't change a thing, or do him any favours other than inviting ridicule. Yes, the media often get things wrong, they display overt political affiliation but, again, this is nothing new and has been going on for centuries. The best way to respond to media attacks is to ignore them, rather than feeding them even more ammunition. Trump needs to learn that, but he appears to be a slow learner.
Do bear in mind that the press was denouncing Trump from the moment it became known he might run- and did so with insults, calling it a joke, before it happened. I'm not surprised they choose to defend that prejudice and ridicule they heaped on before the fact instead of admitting they were wrong. Takes a stand-up guy to do that.
Most of the country was denouncing the notion of Trump running for president (not Trump himself) when it became apparent he was doing it. The guy was dismissed by left, right, liberal, conservative and independent as totally unfit for the job. Personally, I think all those people were correct. The media certainly have nothing to apologize to Trump about. The media made Trump president. If anything, the media have an apology due to America and the world for helping get the guy elected to a job he should not have. But, since he has got it...I wish him well. I hope I am wrong about the amount of damage he will do while in office...and I hope he actually accomplishes some good.
It shows that Pravda wants to be the only game in town and in their dream world they can destroy any alternative media. It goes to intent.
And why would you suppose that the center-left media could "destroy" all others, and thereby become "the only game in town"? Remember, Fox News Channel--which hardly leans leftward--has a greater viewing audience than CNN and MSNBC combined...
