I’ve pretty much stopped watching (and listening) to what is considered the “main stream media” because I’m convinced they’re giving Donald Trump so much free air time simply to create “excitement” to push up ratings. I’ve been saying for years that it appears to me that our so-called “news” outlets are more into creating news than reporting news. What’s driving my thoughts on this subject today is the reporting I heard (briefly) yesterday on the latest “scandal” where apparently Ruth Bader Ginsburg expressed her true feelings about Mr. Trump. What I heard was Trump’s response, so I have to assume Ms. Ginsburg’s remarks were not complimentary. Trump was (as usual) calling her names. I was listening to MSNBC (on my XM radio while driving my car) and I couldn’t help but think that the commentators, even on MSNBC, are almost like programmed robots.
First you hear the “scandal” – or whatever topic they’re “discussing,” (I maintain “we the people” are under a constant barrage of brainwashing by the “liberal media”) – then they provide you (as the listener – or viewer) with two totally partisan (hacks) pundits that put the spin from the right or the left on the subject. And, I have to admit here, the pundits (hacks) representing the “right” seemingly are better prepared to push the narrative. In this particular instance – I can’t remember who was “representing” the “left” – but their argument was totally defensive. I pictured myself in their place and wondered why they didn’t, at the very minimum, ask why Ms Ginsburg’s speaking out about Trump was worse than Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas participating in the Koch Brothers’ summit meetings – you know, where all the billionaires converge in their attempt to turn America into a corporatist fascist state? To me the hypocrisy is stark. It kind of summarizes my disgust with the democrats and the so-called “liberal media” that have allowed Fox “news” (and their “followers”) to have convinced a large number of Americans that liberals (like Ms.Ginsburg) are the problem.
I have to agree that it would be better for all Supreme Court Justices to remain as neutral (politically) as they can – of course, they have their fundamental beliefs like anyone else – and to avoid the media. But, again, it irks me that the “right” is allowed to get away with condemning Ginsburg for speaking out, yet the corporatists on the Court cavort with the right wing cabal and nothing is said. To me, Scalia and Thomas at a Koch Brothers “convention” is far worse than Ginsburg speaking her mind!
This follows close behind the latest “scandal” regarding Hillary Clinton and the email server issue. I really have to wonder if anyone else will be asked to submit tens of thousands of their emails to the government to be scrutinized. We know, for instance, that both of Mrs. Clinton’s predecessors in the Bush/Cheney administration exchanged “classified” information in private email accounts but neither were ever asked to submit ALL of their emails for scrutiny. We also know that Jeb Bush had a private email server when governor of Florida. Wouldn’t it be interesting to read all of his emails as himself and his secretary of state were manipulating the voting in Florida so that his brother could become president. And, of course, all these people who are now claiming that Ruth Bader Ginsburg would have to recuse herself if she’s in the position to hear a “Clinton v Trump” case following the election were completely silent regarding Scalia and Thomas helping to vote in George W Bush – and, we all know what the real consequences of that decision was.
I’ve been disgusted with our media more than ever since I saw that their dereliction of duty was leading to the possibility that someone like Trump might actually win the White House. I have written ad nauseum about the damage Bush/Cheney did to this nation – it’s really difficult to quantify because we are a resilient people and we “keep on keepin on,” but both militarily and economically the damage was severe. Barack Obama has managed to kind of “stabilize the ship,” but the bigger problems still exist – and, they’re getting worse. For example, if “we the people” are unable to reverse the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision and re-establish the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 it’s just a matter of time until the corporatacracy “wins.”
There’s estimated to be something along the lines of 15,000 lobbyists in Washington DC. It’s common knowledge that when a congress person loses their job, they simply move across the street to a lobbying firm into a job that usually pays as much as 10 times their congressional salary. It’s also public knowledge that these lobbyists have essentially “bought” the majority of our Congress persons and our nation’s political process has thusly been corrupted to the CORE! Our “liberal media” turns a “blind eye” to all of this.
The reason Trump did so well on the republican side and Bernie Sanders did well on the democratic side is that a large segment of the American population is disgusted with the level of corruption in our government. Sanders very eloquently pointed out the issue of income inequality that has been growing since the day Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. I have friends who complain about this (the inequality in incomes and also the demise of unions) and then turn around and vote for republicans. I wrote in my previous post about a good friend of mine who is a Fox “news” devotee who is going to vote for Trump for “moral” reasons. Honestly, when I heard him say that, I was speechless. He said to me, “no matter what you say you’re not going to change my mind.” (Actually, at that point, I hadn’t said anything – obviously, he’d had a similar conversation with someone else prior to our meeting) I can understand him not being enamored with Mrs. Clinton (although his reasoning was straight from the mouths of O’Reilly and Hannity), but to vote on “moral” reasons for Donald Trump is – well, again, I’m struggling to find words.
That gets me back to my main thought, which is the hypocrisy (on steroids) of the Trump campaign and it’s enabling treatment by the “liberal media.” I’ve heard Trump refer to Mrs. Clinton as “Crooked Hillary.” Not once after hearing that have I heard one pundit point out the absurdity of Donald Trump referring to ANYONE with that “moniker.” If that’s not the “pot calling the kettle black” I don’t know what is! Come on Donald, show us your taxes! (that’s just for starters) If Trump manages to make it to the election without disclosing his taxes he should be disqualified just for that (of course, would that make Gingrich or whomever decides to be his running mate the candidate?). Then there’s “Trump University,” There’s the three or four bankruptcies and three wives. (I’m throwing that in just in case my friend would read this to help him with his morality judgement) I’d love to see Trump turn over all of his emails just to make sure he’s not “crooked.”
Have you ever been to a casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City? If you have, did you notice the type of people “running the show” – so to speak? I’d love to see all of Donald Trump’s business dealings vetted to the degree Hillary Clinton has been “vetted” – both her public life and her private life. I almost get angry when I hear Trump refer to her as “Crooked Hillary” and the commentators say NOTHING. To me, it’s disgraceful that we’ve even gotten to this point with someone like Trump running for president. It couldn’t happen without complicity from the so-called “liberal media” – I’ve actually stopped watching and listening to MSNBC (with occasional relapses) because of their willingness to allow Trump to dominate their air space. I’d love to see how much FREE publicity he’s received just from them. The man has repeatedly made racist, misogynist, and outright absurd remarks that imply fascist tendencies while making baseless comments about his opponents (it’s now down to him and Mrs. Clinton) and our media continues to let him “get away with it.”
The fact that Fox “news” has “made up” with Trump is no surprise to me, but the reality of MSNBC (and presumably other cable “news” outlets) kissing up to him is what is so disturbing. I can guarantee you, as I’m writing this, the right wing “establishment” (that Trump so effectively ran against in the primaries) is “educating” him on how he’s going to run his campaign. I’m sure he realizes by now that he can’t “self fund” a run for the presidency and he needs their money and their endorsements. (Personally, I hope any politician who endorses him gets the opportunity to work on K Street shortly after the next election) Likewise, the “never Trump” movement among republicans, I’m sure, now realizes they have to work with him in order to make sure they keep their jobs. Kind of an awkward situation, but totally predictable. It’s all about the POWER and the MONEY.
With the help of our enabling media, all the racist comments, the misogynist remarks, the ridiculous foreign policy comments, concerns about his taxes, concerns about his business practices (crooked?), and his phony attempts to claim he’s a “Christian” will all be “water under the bridge.” The American public proved after the Bush/Cheney debacle that they (I have to say “we” because we’re all part of this) have “short term memory issues.” The rest of the world is watching in almost shock – and, the damage that a Trump presidency would conceivably cause will last beyond my lifetime. The right wing of the republican party has been doing to our nation, since the election of Ronald Reagan, what people like Trump (and the last republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney) do to their businesses. They bleed out all the assets and leave the remnants of what they inherited (or, in the case of business, purchased) in a heap of worn out infrastructure and a mountain of debt. They (and their associates) walk away with the money and that’s all that matters. Evidently, corporations in control is what will “Make America Great again.” The great irony of all this is that people like my friend keep voting for them (republicans) based on “moral” reasons – republicans claim to be “pro-life.” It’s worked since 1980, why change now?