Whenever I find myself listening to the current President talk, I find it hard to believe that it is not a piece of performance art. He says things over and over that are generally not true and is convinced people will just believe him.
For example he keeps referring to his phone call with the Ukrainian president as a perfect call. First that means nothing since what is a perfect call. Second in that call and the abridged transcript, he clearly did some things that were far from perfect like requesting investigations as favors. Third, we don't have the actual transcript, just an abridged version.
The people who heard that call were alarmed and it led to a whistleblower complaint, the actual transcript being classified and put on a special server and ultimately to this impeachment.
Should he be removed from office for the call? That is open to debate but the call wasn't perfect.
His comment about the economy are exaggerated and his depiction of where we were under his predecessor are actually ludicrous. Since the 2008/2009 financial crisis we have seen a fairly consistent recovery, falling unemployment, rising stock prices, improved economics. Most of that has continued but he has increased the deficit, spent additional millions on defense and hurt farmers and manufacturing as well as some consumers with his tariffs. Is the economy good. Yes, generally but it is not perfect or the best ever unless you are one of his rich cronies who has more profits, less environmental requirements and tremendously increased income inequality.
Working people have less benefits, less old age security, less health care and generally reduce salaries as they have found lower paying jobs.
Its perfect for a few and otherwise you struggle to get by.
I gather some people buy into his lies and many others just ignore them since they are afraid of his clout in their primaries.
The media is a large part of the problem as some have become pure propaganda and the others try to balance their reporting when the scales are simply not working.
The attacks on the media are working as our free press have failed being brave.
I just wish the truth was told.
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Friday, January 17, 2020
Thursday, September 12, 2019
The Internet has made us Stupid
I was watching something on the Internet the other day talking about the top things many Americans believe that aren't true.
It was a bit scary in many respects but based on some results of "man on the street" interviews, many were not that surprising (yes a lot believe big foot exists).
However one statistic, based on a Pew Study was scary.
Almost 50% of Americans believe that major media just makes up false stories.
Yes I've heard the dontard carry on about fake media, but I didn't realize he was believed by so many.
I'm not talking about fringe news outlets either, but network news and respected newspapers.
I realize they use deceptive headlines and other tricks to catch your interest but even those publications you see on the checkout line turn out to use deceptive headlines but actually in the story stick to actual facts mostly.
Yes some of the stuff you see on social media is just false but that is from tainted sources.
I blame the Internet but it is also the constant attacks we see on some cable news and of course the dontard.
It explains a lot if that many people simply ignore factual news reports and rely on propaganda.
Its also scary.
https://www.journalism.org/2019/06/05/many-americans-say-made-up-news-is-a-critical-problem-that-needs-to-be-fixed/
It was a bit scary in many respects but based on some results of "man on the street" interviews, many were not that surprising (yes a lot believe big foot exists).
However one statistic, based on a Pew Study was scary.
Almost 50% of Americans believe that major media just makes up false stories.
Yes I've heard the dontard carry on about fake media, but I didn't realize he was believed by so many.
I'm not talking about fringe news outlets either, but network news and respected newspapers.
I realize they use deceptive headlines and other tricks to catch your interest but even those publications you see on the checkout line turn out to use deceptive headlines but actually in the story stick to actual facts mostly.
Yes some of the stuff you see on social media is just false but that is from tainted sources.
I blame the Internet but it is also the constant attacks we see on some cable news and of course the dontard.
It explains a lot if that many people simply ignore factual news reports and rely on propaganda.
Its also scary.
https://www.journalism.org/2019/06/05/many-americans-say-made-up-news-is-a-critical-problem-that-needs-to-be-fixed/
Monday, May 27, 2019
Not News
We don't have as much fake news as we have meaningless news.
There are things that actually have an impact on our lives and then there are things that are of interest to a very small number of people which have taken over what should be real news.
Example, real news would be whether or not the President committed an impeachable offense. If he did it should result in impeachment.
What is being covered is the ins and outs of the politics and how the American people would react.
Guilt or innocence is not a matter of popularity, or at least it shouldn't be.
Most of the coverage I see and hear isn't so much about actual news as about, for lack of a better term, meta news.
An event like tariffs can spawn a million stories when the story is really simply what tariffs were imposed and how does it impact us.
We are so interested in filling air space that we have to predict how people will react conduct polls to see how we reacted and then critique the polls to predict how they might impact the next election.
So much is going to happen between now and then that I'm pretty sure this is just space filler.
Some fake news is in fact mingled in there, but the problem is that so much meaningless news can overcome what is real.
Is the Supreme Court going to overturn Roe vs Wade, will they even hear a case about it.
We love to speculate and predict, but its not really news.
Its nothing at all.
There are things that actually have an impact on our lives and then there are things that are of interest to a very small number of people which have taken over what should be real news.
Example, real news would be whether or not the President committed an impeachable offense. If he did it should result in impeachment.
What is being covered is the ins and outs of the politics and how the American people would react.
Guilt or innocence is not a matter of popularity, or at least it shouldn't be.
Most of the coverage I see and hear isn't so much about actual news as about, for lack of a better term, meta news.
An event like tariffs can spawn a million stories when the story is really simply what tariffs were imposed and how does it impact us.
We are so interested in filling air space that we have to predict how people will react conduct polls to see how we reacted and then critique the polls to predict how they might impact the next election.
So much is going to happen between now and then that I'm pretty sure this is just space filler.
Some fake news is in fact mingled in there, but the problem is that so much meaningless news can overcome what is real.
Is the Supreme Court going to overturn Roe vs Wade, will they even hear a case about it.
We love to speculate and predict, but its not really news.
Its nothing at all.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Well It Didn't Go On Forever
The report has been delivered to the Attorney General and what is going to be released to the public is the question that needs to be answered.
We will now spend time arguing over what should or should not be released, unless of course the entire thing is released.
That would also not stop the ongoing questions and speculation about what didn't get into the report or what is in the supporting documentation.
When we are still speculating about who assassinated Kennedy, whether the Moon landing was real and what happened to Amelia Earhart, the odds that the report will put an end to ongoing speculation and recriminations is unlikely.
We do live in a time of media circuses and while real circuses have lost their appeal, the media ones go on and on.
There are still organizations that want to prove that one or both of the Clintons should be in jail.
Maybe they should, but there is no evidence of anything criminal, even if there is plenty of evidence of some bad judgment and some infidelity.
If we start making those things crimes very few of us would still be free.
The bad judgment is a killer.
We will now spend time arguing over what should or should not be released, unless of course the entire thing is released.
That would also not stop the ongoing questions and speculation about what didn't get into the report or what is in the supporting documentation.
When we are still speculating about who assassinated Kennedy, whether the Moon landing was real and what happened to Amelia Earhart, the odds that the report will put an end to ongoing speculation and recriminations is unlikely.
We do live in a time of media circuses and while real circuses have lost their appeal, the media ones go on and on.
There are still organizations that want to prove that one or both of the Clintons should be in jail.
Maybe they should, but there is no evidence of anything criminal, even if there is plenty of evidence of some bad judgment and some infidelity.
If we start making those things crimes very few of us would still be free.
The bad judgment is a killer.
Monday, March 11, 2019
Loose cannons
Its hard to achieve much when you have no discipline.
You also have to be realistic.
Its important to understand that the press an media are almost never your friend. They may seem like it at times if playing you up gets them what they want, but they generally want to get readers or listeners or watchers, so if that can be achieved by throwing you to the wolves, expect to get bitten.
A lot of new congress people are finding that out.
Its worse in todays era when anybody can shoot out a message without much thought in a tweet.
Once its out there its done.
If it at least is on message it can't do much harm.
If it is related to infighting or promoting a fringe view, it isn't going to be helpful
You also have to be realistic.
Its important to understand that the press an media are almost never your friend. They may seem like it at times if playing you up gets them what they want, but they generally want to get readers or listeners or watchers, so if that can be achieved by throwing you to the wolves, expect to get bitten.
A lot of new congress people are finding that out.
Its worse in todays era when anybody can shoot out a message without much thought in a tweet.
Once its out there its done.
If it at least is on message it can't do much harm.
If it is related to infighting or promoting a fringe view, it isn't going to be helpful
Monday, July 30, 2018
Media
Saw a recent poll where most Americans are in favor of helping the farmers hurt by our tariff wars.
I don't think they should be hurt either, but of course it still represents a type of social welfare program that the dontard and his supporters oppose.
The fact that what they do and what they say is contradictory is not surprising.
It isn't even entirely their fault since they get fed so much bad information.
One of the trends in America over the last couple of decades has been the infusion of "conservative" media.
Some think this was a reaction to the "liberal" media but it really depends on where you think the American media was.
Trying to report facts without opinion was the old standard. Opinions were identified as such in editorials or Op-eds.
Fact based reporting was by definition non-political, but it was viewed by some as liberal bias.
Of course some examples of news stories that seemed to have a liberal bias could be found, there are many many news stories out there written by many different people. You can find examples of almost anything, but to argue there was a liberal conspiracy is actually giving liberals too much credit.
What may be true is that the way journalism was taught and practiced tended to focus on actual events, not opinions.
This has changed with the advent of some clear opinion media. CNN which was our first cable news channel was deemed conservative although that is of course a matter of opinion.
We see FOX which is nothing but opinion and more insidiously we see local newspapers being controlled more and more by groups pushing an agenda.
Certainly, having a political position is every one's right, but opinion should be labeled as such not hidden in news stories.
At last not as a policy.
I don't think they should be hurt either, but of course it still represents a type of social welfare program that the dontard and his supporters oppose.
The fact that what they do and what they say is contradictory is not surprising.
It isn't even entirely their fault since they get fed so much bad information.
One of the trends in America over the last couple of decades has been the infusion of "conservative" media.
Some think this was a reaction to the "liberal" media but it really depends on where you think the American media was.
Trying to report facts without opinion was the old standard. Opinions were identified as such in editorials or Op-eds.
Fact based reporting was by definition non-political, but it was viewed by some as liberal bias.
Of course some examples of news stories that seemed to have a liberal bias could be found, there are many many news stories out there written by many different people. You can find examples of almost anything, but to argue there was a liberal conspiracy is actually giving liberals too much credit.
What may be true is that the way journalism was taught and practiced tended to focus on actual events, not opinions.
This has changed with the advent of some clear opinion media. CNN which was our first cable news channel was deemed conservative although that is of course a matter of opinion.
We see FOX which is nothing but opinion and more insidiously we see local newspapers being controlled more and more by groups pushing an agenda.
Certainly, having a political position is every one's right, but opinion should be labeled as such not hidden in news stories.
At last not as a policy.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Terrorism and Media
Whenever there is a terrorist attack you wonder what can we do to prevent future ones.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem like we can do much against things conducted by a single individual with no obvious ties to a terrorist organization.
Even those who have passing ties are not likely to be stopped, I believe the number of suspects far outweighs our ability to monitor them.
The only thing we can do is not to overreact to them, taking away the publicity the attacks are designed to create.
Of course that isn't likely to happen since our media is pretty sure to provide exactly what the terrorists organizations crave, publicity to make them look powerful and help them recruit.
In a country with a free press there is no way to prevent this and it makes more attacks more likely.
The victims were innocent and certainly didn't deserve this. Their families deserve our sympathy and prayers and to be left to grieve.
I doubt the media circus will allow that.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem like we can do much against things conducted by a single individual with no obvious ties to a terrorist organization.
Even those who have passing ties are not likely to be stopped, I believe the number of suspects far outweighs our ability to monitor them.
The only thing we can do is not to overreact to them, taking away the publicity the attacks are designed to create.
Of course that isn't likely to happen since our media is pretty sure to provide exactly what the terrorists organizations crave, publicity to make them look powerful and help them recruit.
In a country with a free press there is no way to prevent this and it makes more attacks more likely.
The victims were innocent and certainly didn't deserve this. Their families deserve our sympathy and prayers and to be left to grieve.
I doubt the media circus will allow that.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
All Together Now
We are trapped in an environment where it is set up as a win or lose option. Take the current health care debate or whatever is actually going on.
Passing a Republican bill to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act is now the goal, no matter how terrible some of what it does is.
Now you may argue about how to control costs of Medicaid and you may want to allow younger, healthier people to have cheaper options, but those objectives are probably achievable in a bipartisan discussion without trying to only score political talking points.
Now is everything in the proposed plan bad? It can't be, that would be just as hard as making everything good. It is a series of ideas, some good, some bad thrown together in a back room without much public input designed simply to pass a repeal and replace bill.
Of course it then has to pass the House and that is by no means certain.
Now this isn't just about health care. The general idea of having elected representatives is that we have multiple points of view represented and everyone (or at least everyone with enough votes) gets to provide input.
So in tax reform what are we trying to reform? Some argue that business is taxed at too high a rate and some argue the code is too complex. On the other side the fairness of the system is in question, as some wealthy people pay much less than what some think they should. However, whatever type of reform package might get cobble together it will not be bipartisan and won't address all the concerns.
This us vs them is simple and popular as we now demonize the other party and its adherents.
Well, we all live in this great country and are born, live, raise families, work and try to be happy.
The hate isn't real, its created at the top and by some of the media. We need to demand they stop.
Passing a Republican bill to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act is now the goal, no matter how terrible some of what it does is.
Now you may argue about how to control costs of Medicaid and you may want to allow younger, healthier people to have cheaper options, but those objectives are probably achievable in a bipartisan discussion without trying to only score political talking points.
Now is everything in the proposed plan bad? It can't be, that would be just as hard as making everything good. It is a series of ideas, some good, some bad thrown together in a back room without much public input designed simply to pass a repeal and replace bill.
Of course it then has to pass the House and that is by no means certain.
Now this isn't just about health care. The general idea of having elected representatives is that we have multiple points of view represented and everyone (or at least everyone with enough votes) gets to provide input.
So in tax reform what are we trying to reform? Some argue that business is taxed at too high a rate and some argue the code is too complex. On the other side the fairness of the system is in question, as some wealthy people pay much less than what some think they should. However, whatever type of reform package might get cobble together it will not be bipartisan and won't address all the concerns.
This us vs them is simple and popular as we now demonize the other party and its adherents.
Well, we all live in this great country and are born, live, raise families, work and try to be happy.
The hate isn't real, its created at the top and by some of the media. We need to demand they stop.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Media Sheep
Our media has become the enemy of the American people in the way they operate.
One of the problems is that many Americans tend to be either lazy or stupid, it doesn't matter which, and seldom get past the headlines.
So the media wants headlines that grab their attention and print some pretty outrageous sounding things in them.
Now take the latest delusional episode in our dumbed down America.
Stories about the Trump campaign interactions with the Russians during the actual campaign have been pushed off the front pages by completely unfounded allegations about wiretapping of Trump tower. Now no reasonable person thinks that happened, including the traitor in charge of the FBI, but now that its in the headlines it is circulating as a thing.
Similar to the long campaign against Hillary Clinton, the allegations don't have to be true, they just have to be out there to permeate the public.
Now of course the purpose here is to deflect the attention from where it should be to something else, not win an election, and it is working.
We see the intelligence committee saying they will include this as part of their investigation, which is of course silly since not a shred of evidence exists about it.
However, bringing people in and asking them about it will give it additional credibility.
Meanwhile the focus on the actual wrongdoings gets buried.
The improper interactions with the Russians.
The media has become sheep, easily led because they don't know what the alternative is.
They need to become wolves.
One of the problems is that many Americans tend to be either lazy or stupid, it doesn't matter which, and seldom get past the headlines.
So the media wants headlines that grab their attention and print some pretty outrageous sounding things in them.
Now take the latest delusional episode in our dumbed down America.
Stories about the Trump campaign interactions with the Russians during the actual campaign have been pushed off the front pages by completely unfounded allegations about wiretapping of Trump tower. Now no reasonable person thinks that happened, including the traitor in charge of the FBI, but now that its in the headlines it is circulating as a thing.
Similar to the long campaign against Hillary Clinton, the allegations don't have to be true, they just have to be out there to permeate the public.
Now of course the purpose here is to deflect the attention from where it should be to something else, not win an election, and it is working.
We see the intelligence committee saying they will include this as part of their investigation, which is of course silly since not a shred of evidence exists about it.
However, bringing people in and asking them about it will give it additional credibility.
Meanwhile the focus on the actual wrongdoings gets buried.
The improper interactions with the Russians.
The media has become sheep, easily led because they don't know what the alternative is.
They need to become wolves.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Our fantasy world
Some people just don't like reality.
Maybe at certain times everybody likes fantasy better.
I understand it and its certainly pleasant enough to get caught up in a book or a movie and escape reality for a bit.
However, its important that we address reality at least some of the time.
I was watching a guy walking up and down the street yesterday talking with no one else around.
Now, I think he was on his cell phone and just out for a walk.
Years ago I would have been sure he was a loony. (not sure that is PC)
We have people out in the real world looking for imaginary Pokemon.
We have media and speakers who promote a totally fantastic view of the world.
There were always people who believed in alien abductions and conspiracy theories etc.
However we now have some media promoting a fictional view of the world 24 hours a day.
It makes them money and its a bit entertaining, but it just isn't real.
Its a problem and in our democracy there really isn't a solution.
It would be nice if media accepted some civic responsibility but profit drives what they do and if they stopped someone else would step in.
Its not unique to this country, the BREXIT vote in England was based on a lot of fantasy about the EU.
Its so ingrained now that there is a belief that people speaking the real facts are engaged in a conspiracy and cover up.
I still think a majority of us have a decent grasp of reality and the adults will prevail.
God help us if I am wrong.
Maybe at certain times everybody likes fantasy better.
I understand it and its certainly pleasant enough to get caught up in a book or a movie and escape reality for a bit.
However, its important that we address reality at least some of the time.
I was watching a guy walking up and down the street yesterday talking with no one else around.
Now, I think he was on his cell phone and just out for a walk.
Years ago I would have been sure he was a loony. (not sure that is PC)
We have people out in the real world looking for imaginary Pokemon.
We have media and speakers who promote a totally fantastic view of the world.
There were always people who believed in alien abductions and conspiracy theories etc.
However we now have some media promoting a fictional view of the world 24 hours a day.
It makes them money and its a bit entertaining, but it just isn't real.
Its a problem and in our democracy there really isn't a solution.
It would be nice if media accepted some civic responsibility but profit drives what they do and if they stopped someone else would step in.
Its not unique to this country, the BREXIT vote in England was based on a lot of fantasy about the EU.
Its so ingrained now that there is a belief that people speaking the real facts are engaged in a conspiracy and cover up.
I still think a majority of us have a decent grasp of reality and the adults will prevail.
God help us if I am wrong.
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