Today the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee demonstrated that they will actively fight back against Republicans’ false narratives. House Republicans, led by Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), have insisted they had evidence of the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation against Republicans. Jordan has claimed to have “dozens and dozens of whistleblowers…talking about what is going on, the political nature at the Justice Department.”
Yep. Clowns. Therein lies the challenge for Democrats.
If you present good data in a written report, in a non-clownish manner, well, Americans won't read it. For example, today's letter from HCR. Excellent letter that I had to study twice over a nearly 20 minute period of real concentration.
What MAGAt will concentrate on anything that long ? Much less read for that long?
Republicans will always be attracted to the clown show on podcast, Fox, and AM radio through right wing media masters of simplification and demonization.
HCR does make a difference. She and her growing army of rationality among the Clowns do matter. But, is it enough? I am not sure at all.
Clowns are pretty attractive to a child-like mind.
This is the Achilles heel of democracy. Almost everyone has the right to vote, including clowns and those to whom clowns appeal. Democracy cannot succeed without an educated population. In local areas throughout the country, clowns are attempting, with some success, to dismantle the systems which provide the education without which democracy fails. Ms. Spiess is correct in saying 'Don't bother, they're here.'
I never knew where to look to learn the original meaning of woke. I assumed it meant awakened to one’s programmed mind. Being eager to question what you believe. I’d like to know the origin though and why it makes some folks so mad they have to squash it.
To answer your question, one must follow the history of this term "woke". See: https://theconversation.com/where-woke-came-from-and-why-marketers-should-think-twice-before-jumping-on-the-social-activism-bandwagon-122713 The difference has to do with the connotation as applied by those groups who resent education as a whole. As in "you think you're so smart just because you're "edumacated". It implicates Fear of those who are well educated and prone to use proper English in their speaking. An example : See Florida for the past few years to better understand my differentiation of the terms Awakened and Woke. Awakened implies a degree of awareness of that which true and accurate. I hope this helps you in understanding that "Woke" is currently used in derogatory sense by extremists in their vernacular.
And yet, in 1860, Americans—very few of whom had finished what we call high school, and only an infinitesimal slice who had gone to a college—elected Abraham Lincoln, who never went to high school himself. And they elected him again in 1864.
To me education doesn’t mean that a person has gone to high school or college. It means can they read, have they been paying attention and have they learned to think for themselves and remain open to new ideas. Can they tell a liar from an honest person? Have they learned the value of love?
In the words of one comedian, whose name I forgot because I saw a clip of his routine on social media, social media allows dummies to find each other.
Then again, we found HCR and each other, too so I think we're learning how to deal with social media, though we as a society still have a long way to go.
They had very political papers, broadsheets, churches, rumors…and a form of shared ‘group think’ where you might be killed if your were different, or killed by indifference more likely. We were enlightened in the 1700’s for a few, a very few.
He won the electoral college but he did not win the popular vote in 1860. And there were several other candidates besides Lincoln and Douglas who received electoral votes in that election. After Lincoln's two successors (Johnson and Grant), the clowns once again took over.
The National Interstate Electoral Vote Compact, whereby States agree to give their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote is a more likely solution than an Amendment to rid us of the Electoral College. Right now, that movement only lacks States representing about 76 more Electoral votes.
If you mean the high school curriculum, I don't know--I'm not an expert in education. But in the mid-19th century I'm pretty confident that only a small minority of students went to high school, much less finished.
I wish I had that number…teachers might be HS grads. And even earlier they might only go to go for a small portion, so if you look at days in school it’s a few hundred…and ‘The three R’s’. Not pirating…Rrrr;s
We I was in HS in the early 70’s only 3/4 of students graduate, and and only one generation before for working class folks 8th grade was the end for many, 1/2? We still had eighth grade graduation ceremonies in San Jose in 1972.
“Democracy cannot succeed without an educated population.” Precisely why Republicans insist on dumbing down and unwoking our nation, why they oppose Critical Race Theory and are banning books that enlighten about others’ experiences and Otherness . They are catering to the lowest common denominator—which they are creating in the racist image of themselves.
Machiavelli said this in his DISCOURSES ON LIVY, which I consider more important than THE PRINCE. His preference is for an urban-based republic in which the electorate is highly educated.
The discourses on Livy, overall, is useful as an instructional manual on the root narrative of republicanism. My other takeaways, perhaps I'll not offer unless asked.
Dan Thanks for correcting me. Of course Big Mac was writing about a republic with a highly educated elite. There is of course the United States republic.
The corporate media and "entertainment" industries are very responsible (and controlled, I imagine) by those wanting to dumb our citizens and children down, drown them with fear, apocalypse, violence, and misinformation on an addictive level—ad nauseam.
"Similarly with CRT, impenetrable academic discourse at the elite level is translated to child-friendly truisms, with the same aim — to change behavior. And so the notion that the most important thing about a child is that she is white, and this makes her part of an oppressive system purposely designed to hurt her new friend, who is black, is how this comes out in an actual real-life scenario. And she has to account for her indelible “whiteness”, just as Catholic kids have to account for their sins. CRT has its own words and values, and they are instilled from the beginning: racism, systems, intersectionality, hegemony, oppression, whiteness, privilege, cisgender, and “doing the work,” as CRT convert Dr. Jill Biden would say.
To give an example from an elementary school in California, a teacher in a math class,
asked all students to create an “identity map,” listing their race, class, gender, religion, family structure, and other characteristics. The teacher explained that the students live in a “dominant culture” of “white, middle class, cisgender, educated, able-bodied, Christian, English speaker[s],” who, according to the lesson, “created and maintained” this culture in order “to hold power and stay in power.”
David As we explore the history of ‘diversity’ and discrimination, I suggest the biblical admonition: “Let she/he who is without sin cast the first stone” THEN proceed with the exploration.
I would if I didn't think this stuff hurts our party, as well as the people who get indoctrinated. I'm a lefty--voted for Bernie Sanders in the '16 primary, and wanted to in '20, but I was too worried about beating tfg, and voted accordingly.
But the hair on the back of my neck goes up when I hear the phrase "white privilege," and in my own analysis, privilege is far more a matter of money than of skin color. I've read Hillbilly Elegy, which is full of "poor white trash" that have no privilege whatsoever, except that if they can actually afford a car, they are less likely to be pulled over by the cops.
Additionally, one of the things that has kept Blacks down all these years but gets NO recognition from Democratic policy-makers is companies importing people from abroad to take jobs. By 1980, meatpacking was a largely Black metier, and the workers were making good middle class wages. By that decade's end, it was largely immigrant, toiling under atrocious conditions for barely above minimum wage. You can read about that and many other, similar atrocities in the recent book, Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-Year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, by Roy Beck.
the author backs his thesis with a thorough (yet highly readable) review of the academic economic literature (296 footnotes), along with articles from Black perioicals, statements of Black leaders beginning with Frederick Douglass, whose sons were downwardly mobile due to mass immigration, and findings of gov't commissions on immigration reform, the last of which was run by the Black Texas DEmocrat, Barbara Jordan, who made her name on the Watergate Committee.
While children are quick to spot what's different about other children in order to be socially dominant, that doesn't mean they capable of understanding the many and subtle causes of prejudice and racism. So I find your elementary math class example to be extreme. My understanding is that CRT is about awareness and subtleties, not about power, and certainly not about the kind of power exercised on an elementary school playground. However, if you are saying that you can't fight indoctrination with counter indoctrination I would agree.
Academic elites have criticized CRT as being less than elite. But from what I've read I do think that it can have some value at the middle school and higher levels. At those levels a student can grasp and understand different cultural norms and values, or at least begin to understand that others have had different experiences than you have had. It's about empathy, keeping an open mind, and questioning your own cultural and religious values and contradictions, and seeing indoctrination for what it is. It's about prejudice and cultural and racial differences and yes, privileges, and being adult enough and awake enough to see the origins of hatred.
I was quoting Andrew Sullivan on all this. CRT is taught in different ways, but one of the things that Sullivan was criticizing is when kids are taught that if their skin is white they are the oppressors.
This sort of thing just seems stupid. I first encountered a black kid in first grade. I saw that she was different, but it didn't occur to me to think in terms of her being better or worse than a white person, nor did it occur to me that I might want to dominate her, or anyone else for that matter, for any reason. She was the only black kid in the school I went to then. In fourth grade I was in a school that had multiple black kids, and again, I failed to see any sort of hierarchy where one color was better or worse than another, and I suspect that if kids aren't taught this sort of thing they aren't going to come up with it on their own.
I also encountered kids of east Asian extraction as early as nursery school. One such was a best friend from nursery school through elementary school.
I DO think that empathy should be taught--that kids should be taught early to be conscious of other kids' feelings, that it's a positive thing to avoid making others feel bad, and if they feel bad for some reason, do what you can to help them feel better. All that without drawing attention to race or skin color unless there's some local problem in that regard.
Of this is true but you are missing a big piece…there’s a reason why testing and ‘standards’ and national testing at that, is a ‘conservative’ value—they cut arts, social sciences, and focus on ‘edconomic’ values like STEM. And reduce reading to decoding. And engineering to coding. Headstart, VISTA, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, real education starting with a love of learning, finding the joy for you and yours, arts and music, fun first, gaining responsibility, becoming a member of a society which, by your voice, you will regenerate! That’s education, the rest is training, and training is for dogs and horse…
Absolutely right, Jack. It's the uneducated and "under" educated who have gotten control of the GOP and they are sending the likes of Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert, Paul Goser and George Santos to Washington. Just read that the Texas Education Agency is about to take over Houston ISD, one of the largest school districts in the state. What is already bad is about to get worse. Will Texans ever value public education?
There are many fine and highly intelligent people who didn’t go to college or get their GED. Mtg and her cronies are mis-educated, not necessarily uneducated or undereducated.
What’s his name fully intends to MIS-educate the children of our country. Lie to them in other words and withhold important information.
I wouldn’t want my child to think that just because she went to school and college that means she’s smart.
Yep, I know some too, but I was speaking in general. Texas is so far down the line of states funding education $ per student, it’s pathetic. Egregious considering the enormous budget surplus the state has and Abbott wonders what to do with it.
“All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, by American minister and author Robert Fulghum was first published in 1986. Apparently MAGAS were so brilliant they all skipped Kindergarten
Wel, Winston Churchill may not have actually said “The best argument against democracy is a five minute interview with the average voter,” but Jordan Klepper’s interviews are pretty damn persuasive.
Yes, I know you’re really right, but those Klepper interviews (shakes head gloomily). Democrats may be fighting back, but they need to take a page from Mehdi Hassan’s excellent tips on how to win arguments. I haven’t read his book yet, but he did a great interview with Charlie Sykes last week on the Bulwark podcast pointing out effective (mostly foreign) interviews with Trump & Trumpers that set them back on their heels. Jamie Raskin, for one, is quite good at it, and I expect Dan Goldman will be as well, and we’ve already seen Katie Porter’s chops.
Didn't Churchill also say something about democracy being the worst possible political system to have 'until we find something better.' I guess that's why we must put up with extremists on both sides.
Thanks, Gailee. I was about to post a similar citation from the Churchill Foundation. The "quote" often posted is a partial quote. Churchill included it in what he said but it is clear that he was referring to something that was already in use. "Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…" Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
Nice try but no cigar: "Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…" Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
Education is the key, but I wouldn’t send my children to Florida to receive it. Since most everyone gets
their information from third-party sources, out of necessity due to the limited amount of time they have to spend to educate themselves (a practical concern for all of us), it is critical to find reputable sources to digest information for us. Therein lies the problem. Bad sources, bad information. Good sources, good information. Fox News, PBS. Jim Jordan, HCR. This is why for a certain segment of the population “clown” sources are more fun and exciting then serious reflective thought from serious, thoughtful people.
That's why we need Toastmasters clubs, to teach Roberts Rules of Order and confidence and effective speaking in public. It also builds skills in getting along with others. My dad joined so he could improve his interviewing for jobs. I joined to be in a productive social meleu I wasn't sure of my spelling, so I looked it up and found a proper definition which I like l: from rugby, all the forwards joined together in an organised way [
You know Mike, the more I look at disinformation campaigns and their history, the more I realize that humanity has a decided “clown” faction. I have come to see it as a “follow the money” exercise, because power, and control-the-narrative-to-control-the-masses endeavors always begin and end with money. Those with the character trait of “shameless” can quite easily exploit other humans’ need to belong and to have faith that someone can make all the bad shit in their lives better - or at least blamed on someone else. It’s like we are in a mind-control war, and we are just figuring out how to combat it, slow though it may be. Bravo Jerry Nadler and Stacey Plaskett. Let’s all call Jordan’s office and request the hearings ASAP!
I have always thought (circus) clowns were creepy. These clowns today are actually scary because of what they are doing to democracy. A number of my friends have switched off from the news and, in conversation with me, dismiss my words with a wave of the hand and head and just say "they are a joke". NOT!
Heather always says "follow the money" and I believe her, and others I read. The Republicans have sold out to the almighty Devil of the Dollar.
Sally The problem with these ‘clowns’ is that they seem to proliferate. I am reminded when, as a kid, I watched with fascination the ‘clown car’ in which clowns kept coming out of a small car. Today’s clowns seem to be spewing out of a Boeing 747.
I know it's tempting to get very discouraged about the number of "clowns" who are wielding power and "dumbing down" education. And yes, Jordan Klepper's interviews are a bit scary. But we can't stop there. If we lump all the "not us" groups together as "dumb clowns," we are missing great opportunities to make a difference.
I am heartened by a growing network of grassroots organizations of Democrats around the country, many of them who are working at the community level, encouraging people to learn about how the government can help them with the daily problems of hard scrabble lives - if good people are elected....and then encouraging some of those good people to run. I'm learning about them from Jessica Craven's Chop Wood and Carry Water substack, as well as from weekly meetings of Markers for Democracy. It's a great way to not get stuck in despair over what we read and see....and to really make a difference by getting involved: donating, participating, supporting. We have a choice!
It is normal to become discouraged, but not normal to allow that discouragement to overtake or overwhelm. What is so irksome and dismaying is the number of adults in Congress acting out like adolescents. Of course, the MEDIA loves to focus on the crazies. They are celebrated far too often; often too regularly. For me, they create a great deal of embarrassment and shame for our country. I blanch at the comments made by certain Republican personalities. The plus side to the media coverage is how we at the very least know how "they" misbehave.
And we have that with our youngest, the GEn Zers, participating at every single turn. These very bright young adults from every walk of life, are bound by what horrors they’ve experienced and what they continue to see. Bless this group and their mighty efforts to bring change!
Grassroots efforts are where the Democrats have failed. As a result, Republicans have been able to stack many state legislatures. Democrats must make up for lost time and opportunity. Democrats also must begin to herald the huge successes under Biden's administration. What is that old axiom, "Blow your own horn if no one else will"?
Look up coulrophobia and learn that 1 in 10 adults are frightened of clowns and growing numbers of children are fearful of them. Since the days of films like It and Joker, evil clowns have become more insidiously frightening...
There are few studies but the articles are interesting. I do not know how to post the links.
Even as toddlers, my kids hated clowns. We didn't condition them to dislike them, they didn't trust them and always kept their distance. Hopefully, not being attracted to clown shows will be an innate trait in the majority of adults too. I know it's a big turn off for me too
You joke Wlliam, but that was some pretty stunning testimony when it finally came out. Just the thought of the Commander In Chief with that sort of self control. Someone yet may need to put that up on a billboard. (If there was a meme I never saw it).
I must admit my shock (without "awe"!) at the large population of pre-adolescent dumbified (I know, not a real word!) people within the Republican Party. I guess I/we should be pleased and comforted that most of them concentrate into one central core of asinine stupidity.
Well said Mike. There are those who will do the work, for the people, and others who refuse to govern, who are satisfied with a false narrative, or a quick lie, or a philosophy that will fit on a baseball cap. What made me see red was the "deep state" reference. That's a Rush Limbaugh slur from 30 years ago! Good enough for clowns though I guess.
I hope you are also watching The MidasTouch Network podcasts. These folks are intelligent lawyers! I think HCR would agree. I follow them along with HCR. Well worth watching!
Exactly, and they are no longer content with a night out and a brew at the local pub, after which they fade away. The “rabble” have become louder, probably because they are used by the monied powerful or are the monied powerful. Consider our Repub House. What better example…
This really comes down to media campaigns and retail politics…they have the money but we have the facts, and need to capture the emotions as well…what would make your life better?
This diabolical charade will connect with some non-MAGA voters unless the media skewers it. Democrats’ get-tough approach is essential to make that happen.
Today's post by HCR is another excellent example of her fact-based reporting of the Anti-Democratic / Anti-American position and efforts of today's GOP. Yet, none of it will get the kind of coverage it deserves on main stream media. Beyond her expertise as a historian she is also one of the best journalists today with her ability to pull content together into an understandable narrative.
Perhaps this assembled group should discuss how to promote HCR for a slot on MSNBC, TV or radio show, or other higher-image venue where her brilliant coverage of today's issues could get far more public visibility. We here are truly grateful for her exemplary work but, if we could just get her more visibility. Any ideas?
Even if it were possible to arrange for Professor Richardson to sit beside Tucker Carlson himself and rebut his BS on Fox nightly during prime time, it would be casting pearls before swine. And anything short of that is preaching to the choir. Better to allow Jim Jordan and his ilk to hang themselves with all that rope their minions so kindly provided when they handed the Reptilians their slim House majority.
(PS: Please forgive us, Dr. Richardson, for taking such liberties with your valuable time. It's just too much fun to resist. Thanks for today's great letter.)
There’s nothing wrong with preaching to the choir if it makes it more likely they will all get to the polls on Election Day and thus chorus “Hallelujah” on the day after.
Amen. Plus, preaching to the choir puts the ideas out where everyone in the room can hear them. And as a member of this choir, the preaching gives me energy to keep writing those postcards.
Exactly. Let's not throw HCR into this lying mass.., a snakepit.. to be dis-emboweled in front of our naked eyes! This is not a 'David vs Goliath' match. Goliath at least had some stature (towering appearance). This 'viscous pool of lying scum' has none of that. What we must never forget, is that we too (HCR & Co.) could be compromised. So far, so good. Within that "pool of scum" doth exist a few very clever creatures capable...as we have seen(!!) of "weaponizing" an entire nation of tail-gators. Most of whom, un-wittingly, remain at their beck-and-call. Let's not, friendly readers here, be astonished when a traitor to our noble cause surfaces amongst us. A Lindsey Graham, for example. Haahaahaa.., You pick one :)).
Yes, our own "Jockstrap Jim" Jordan. So named, it's said, because he could frequently be seen wandering the halls of congress wearing one as a face mask in 2022. (Which, it's rumored, he filled out nicely, befitting both his personality and his intellect I might add :-)
I've had similar thoughts, but truth seems to have lost out to the machinations of capitalism. Unless there is enough sensationalism (I include MSNBC, too) there will not be enough viewers to support the expense of production.
Personally speaking, sub stack Newsletters have become the alternative I hoped for. Even though I can only afford 3 subscriptions at a time, I feel well informed and in the company of compassionate, wise, ahead-of-the-curve insights.
With limited time to cover the many newsletters, tv, NPR, et alii, I was glad to see footage of the committee hearing where Jordan was called out on the 'witness' situation, and also an interview with one of the authors of that 300+ page report, both on MSNBC. And it's good to be able to catch BBC News on my NPR station, WBUR.
Interesting point! Perhaps major networks have administrations that have gone to the dark side! You NBC and CBS…mickie mularkey as an analyst… seriously!
Agreed! I support them both - I like the music on GBH and the news and commentary on both. BUR tends to repeat too much of late, so I put CRB on to calm my nerves.
I really don't know. It's doubtful they'd show anything that would show Jordan in an unfavorable exchange with another committee member. I avoid Fox for all but sporting events that might not be available elsewhere.
“Isn’t it ironic...” (speaking of quotes) ... Big Money (commonly? referred to as BM) is the Evil that we all fear, despise, cuddle, and swoon over? I mean, even Trump hates BM - in the form of George Soros, but loves Rupert’s BM.
We, the People, need to find affordable alternatives and promote them, repeat them, honor them, and mimic them.
I’d like to see her on a regular basis on PBS Newshour. It’s the only unbiased national news - even my quite-conservative husband turns it on every night.
Cathy, I respectfully suggest that PBS is no longer unbiased. It is "Republican Lite." It, too, is financed by corporations and donors which advocate for a certain perspective on American life. You might note that most of its political opinion interviews are by Republicans. Often, Pres Biden's most current actions are overlooked.
I too watch The News Hour because it is a more sensible presentation, but it does not delve deeply into the issues of the day. In fact it has a tendency to replace news with interviews and non-political items of interest.
I do not think there is a truly objective media source at present unless it is Democracy Now, but its format is not too palatable.
You are right about any single media source not being objective enough. IMO, it is an impossible task. Because "news" is now in the same category as entertainment. It has to "sell". It has to attract eyeballs so advertisers will pay the price.
We watch the NewsHour less now. Just because by that time of day, most of the "news" is old. We have begun reading the same info at 7:00 AM EST.
I don't have a sense that there is any PBS bias one way or the other. If anything I think they sometimes work too hard to be "fair". I just think that like most legacy news programs they don't do enough real muck raking.
On the other hand, every one of the reporters on this PBS show adamantly explain to their "interviewees" that the 2020 election was NOT stolen and they openly challenge lying politicians who try to frame Jan 6th as anything other than an insurrection. Navaz is particularly tough. Nick Schifrin does some of the best reporting on the tube. There are some really dedicated folks at this outlet. But by 6:00 pm, it's just old news and I am hungry for dinner.
What we do sometimes enjoy more on that show are some of the human profiles. Stories about unique individuals. Some of which bring me to joyous tears.
That being said, I think if we rely on one news program and one or two channels we are missing most of the news out there. Which is why I read this letter as the first item with coffee :) Then on to Hubbell, Joyce Vance, Diane Francis, Robert Reich, and many more via my customized Google News harvester. Stories from around the globe from more outlets than I have time to list. And now, more coffee....
Your interest in news sources, Bill, objectivity, clarity, journalism and the facts is necessary in society and for the citizen to be knowledgeable and engaged. I believe it is also necessary for compatriots to be wary of stereotyping and making assumptions about others without solid information. The standards of accuracy we think our government needs to maintain as well as historians, journalists and the people we trust represent solid guidelines for our own communications. I took the opportunity to share my thoughts with you as I thought our exchange about your opinion of people associated with the MAGA movement was unfinished. Salud.
We get it the next day at 4 pm, unfortunately. It usually doesn't matter though. She's so great and such an improvement over Charlie Rose! The whole show is excellent.
I agree! It does come on late here but I record it on my DVR and replay the next day. Christiane is one intelligent woman and doesn't back down. I also impressed that she can pronounce the names of people from other countries so easily and naturally. She is a Warrior for truth and justice in my opinion.
Stewart's interview is the best thing I'll watch all day, perhaps all year. He is magnificent. The Republican from Oklahoma (I forget his name) doesn't even know what an anecdote is. He keeps saying something like, "That's not an anecdote. It really happened." Stewart just keeps pressing on, clearly and forcefully.
Yes, magnificent. The clip ended when the Oklahoma guy said that protecting kids from drag shows was OK but doing something about children dying from gun violence was not. Because gun rights “shall not be infringed”, whereas free speech is not protected with that same language in the Constitution. Stewart called that hypocrisy. I would call it a pretty childish argument, too, but that’s textualism for you.
PBS’s News Hour stopped being relevant as a news outlet when they allowed people they interviewed to spout whatever they wanted instead of answering the questions that they were asked. The founders would be horrified at allowing people being interviewed the forum to spout misinformation rather than answering the questions that they prefer not to answer. They could stop this BS quite easily by informing the people they were going to interview that if they wanted to be on the program they had to answer the questions truthfully otherwise no airtime. They have plenty of canned pieces that they can use to fill in for missed interviews, or they could simply state for their audience that the reason that they didn’t have the interview with Gym Jordan was that he refused to answer the questions that he was asked.
PBS acts like they are afraid they would not get Republicans to show up if they knew they would face probing questions. I, too, am disgusted at how much spouting they accept instead of an answer.
PBS is not as "public" in its funding anymore. Everytime I hear, "and viewers like you" I think of all the very rich Republicans ccontributing who are NOT like me.
"Because PBS is commercial-free, many people mistakenly believe public funding provides the bulk of our resources. In fact, federal funding provides only about 15% of the revenue for the public television system. That's an investment of $1.35 per taxpayer per year.
Hope: Just this week on the NewsHour we saw a gripping interview with Florida's New College students talking about their emotional and intellectual responses to what DeSantis's moves to wreck real higher education will do to the school. We've seen reports on what the Dobbs decision has done to women. We hear from experts and politicians every night. I cringe when a right-wing or MAGA politician gets interviewed, but it only demonstrates to me how wide the coverage is and forces me to learn better how to stomach the crazies. I can't fathom what you see as "Republican lite." Donor money has to come from deep pockets or we couldn't have reports directly from Ukraine or East Palestine, Ohio, by NewsHour reporters. And I'm always glad for the cultural news because it gives balance that can ward off despair at the political news.
Well, Melinda, the polls by Amy Walter are one example. I'm sorry I missed the New College interviewees, though. Contributions from the Koch's many enterprises color content, or at least did so when David was alive and sponsoring NOVA. Am I right that the politicians we hear from are mostly Republican? So it seems to me. I recall the days when two pols from opposite sides argued on the same interview, rather than someone grandstanding and going relatively unchallenged.
And yes, donor money comes from deep pockets and I wish it didn't. That used to be the reason for public financing and its support of neutrality, but Republican legislation has deemed that unnecessary. However, those deep pockets are prone to support Republican issues which keep the cash in those pockets. If one were to choose any 3 sponsors, for example, and investigate their leanings, I think the majority would turn up red.
When was the last time there was in-depth investigation of the causes of immigration from the countries involved, or the wide gap in affordable housing, or the continued frustration of environmental protection by the world's corporations—all the issues which are leaving huge swaths of population behind and dying? Or exposure of the trend of religious absolutism and its connection to to the rise of fascism? The Newshour won't touch those "far-left" issues.
I still watch, Melinda, because I like the cultural news, too. And Geoff and Amna are lovely people.
I agree with you, Hope. Plus Newshour is PUBLIC broadcasting that is available for free. It isn’t perfect, but the best option available to the masses; just wish more people would tune in!
Thank you, MaryPat. I continued to listen to the interview regarding Leonard Leo's windfall from dark money vis-a-vis his court-packing of conservative judges, especially on the SupremeCourt.
Hope, you expressed it perfectly, as far as you went. I am less forgiving. Judy Woodruff et.al. have led The News Hour in a diametrically opposite direction from that set by by McNeil and Lehrer originally. You will never again see the likes of a Bill Moyers offer up such scathingly unbiased journalism unless the entire management team at TNH is replaced. Somewhere around two years ago I gagged my way through my last episode of that program when they cut to a fifteen minute segment covering a school lunch program in Chicago when the rest of the media was totally engaged in the atrocity committed at the nations capitol on January 6th. So much need for a gutsy counterpoise on nightly TV to both Fox AND MSNBC. The News Hour has deserted us in a most cowardly way, and is as guilty as Murdoch of tuning their coverage to the needs of a select segment of the audience, namely "those that don't even want to think about it", in the interest of preserving ratings.
With respect, I think there is only so much that can be presented in 50 minutes. Two phrases you used don't resonate with me: "scathing unbiased journalism" and "as guilty as Murdoch".
Unbiased journalism, IMHO, should be factual. If it is by nature "scathing" in its truthfulness, great. But it is not the job of a good journalist to jack up our temperatures. Just the facts, please.
And putting Woodruff and PBS in the same sentence and sentiment as Murdoch and Fox is just ridiculous.
You will be happier at MSNBC. They have the chariot in the race with Fox. PBS doesn't have the ability to be all things. But the Newshour has excellent accurate reporting from the likes of Navaz, Bennett, Schifrin, Yang, Solomon and more. The science stories from Myles O'Brien are outstanding.
I don't watch it every night. But the NewsHour is as close to independent journalism as we have and I respect their less than perfect efforts.
Bill, with respect in return, I disagree. I watched the News hour over decades, and religiously. I saw the torch passed from Jim Lehrer to Judy Woodruff. That happened at roughly the same time House Republicans were threatening a major defunding of that program and as you must know, that represents a large chunk of their budget, or at least did at the time. And again, that's about the time TNH became a much more "tepid" presence.
Regarding your comment "Unbiased journalism, IMHO, should be factual. If it is by nature "scathing" in its truthfulness, great. But it is not the job of a good journalist to jack up our temperatures. Just the facts, please." I am in absolute agreement. But if you ever watched Bill Moyers' presentations on TNH you will recall his very direct presentation of the facts and meticulous avoidance of editorializing. "Scathing" in that the political flim flam that passes for "reality" in today's media absolutely wilts in the face of such intelligent journalism. And please, don't confuse a legitimate "jacking up of temperatures" that results from good journalism's exposing the facts with the basic model employed by Fox, which is that inflammation is their business model.
No, Bill, I will decidedly NOT be happier with MSNBC as I believe I implied. I watch them all from time to time just for a sanity check.
And finally, if "....putting Woodruff and PBS in the same sentence and sentiment as Murdoch and Fox...." sounds harsh to you, that's fine. This is a forum based on the free exchange of opinions. I believe I laid out my case for making that association. I respect your opinion.
Jim Lehrer and Bill Moyers made powerful impressions on me. I grew up listening to them. I was in awe of them. Pretty hard acts to follow. Thanks for the feedback.
I feel same and have had same experience with The News Hour. It seems to me that part of the issue (as usual) is $$$$$$$. Networks compete for dollars. Capitalism at its finest. Now that access to information has exploded beyond 3 networks, competition is fierce. Couple greed with lies and ya got Murdoch et al sowing seeds to destroy democracy.
LeMoine, When it comes to television news, I far prefer PBS News Hour to any other network. As it happened though, on January 6th, I happened to be watching the congressional proceedings on the "Chicken Little Network" (CNN). Suddenly they switched to their outside cameras, and they were showing protesters on the Capitol lawn. I had not been aware of any protest up to that point. I found it interesting that at the instant that violence broke out at the barricades, the CNN narrative changed completely. It seemed that indeed, the sky was falling. There was no more mention of protest, only criminal behavior, coup, and seditionists. When I think of Mike Pence, I will always think of that fly on his head during that debate. But when business resumed, I saw a Mike Pence that I have never seen before or since. He was absolutely furious. He was obviously focused on completing his duty that day. Sadly, I saw him in an interview this year. I felt sorry for any college students that had "my book" as their phrase in a drinking game. It was pathetic.
Newshour is all I have watched for years. Unfortunately I have been feeling the same. I still tune in daily because it is the best of them all. How I miss Mark Shields.
I listen to CBC’s “As It Happens” podcast every weekday evening. (WAMU’s broadcast is too late for me at 11 pm.) I often hear more knowledgeable and insightful interviews about current events in this country there than on any US offerings.
I am saddened and also relieved to learn that others feel the same way I do about PBS: it has gradually swung from objective reporting to more right wing reporting. I think I started to notice it when they began reporting on and showing clips of the former president more than the current one. I stayed in denial for quite some time. It has been painful to watch but PBS is preferable to the other shows I can pull in on my extremely limited (by choice) cable service.
NPR is a bit better than PBS, maybe because there are no videos….)
About 2 years ago I turned off all news. When it started becoming more and more obvious there was bias, spins on network news weren’t adding up with what I read, and I never watched “bought” news at all. They are all compromised at some level. I will watch clips of interviews on occasion for clarity sake. CSPAN for the January 6th hearings. I read anywhere from 30 to 50 articles a day, and get updates from various publications both inside and out of the U.S. Why do you think Biden struggles with approval ratings? Because the poll questions can be interpreted however the pollsters want to their opinions reflected. Plus, usually just Bananas Republicans or Democrats are polled, ignoring independent voters. Not all polls, it’s never all or never none. They have their place, but very few and far between show an accurate representation of what most people believe.
MAGA is a minority of Americans, yet it seems like all conservatives are MAGA. Or Democrats can’t find their backsides with both hands. Neither of these are true. It’s imagery that makes it seem true.
In conclusion, Jim Jordan and his Apple Dumpling gang couldn’t put a book report together on “The Hardy Boys Mysteries” or perform a credible investigation on the origins of spaghetti 🍝. This committee’s “work” is exactly what I expected, a 3rd rate side show in a Circus of Frauds.
And now, speaking of clowns, one of my favorite movie scenes; Uncle Buck punches the clown who shows up at his young nephew’s birthday party drunk from the night before’s bachelor party.
Gift subscriptions, even though, sadly, the people who could benefit the most from HCR’s commentary and history lessons would ignore them.
But since she is a valuable, and constant, source of very good Democratic talking points and rebuttals to Republican propaganda, gift subscriptions to the DNC, state and town Democratic committees, and to members of your congressional delegation of any party might be productive. Gift subscriptions to sympathetic, or not, friends, neighbors, and family members could go a long way to motivating Democrats and liberal independents to get to the polls on Election Day. You might even change a Republican mind or two. It’s probably best to ask first.
I think that's a great idea, Ralph. Besides helping to change some minds and stimulate participation (as in voting), it might attract some diversity to the LFAA comments section.
While there is comfort in knowing that others are as alarmed as we are at the current drift of history (as HCR has brilliantly laid it out for us), and reminders and suggestions as to how we can all take concrete steps to defeat the authoritarian GOP are no doubt useful, we (most of us) nevertheless do a lot of preaching to the choir and -- frankly -- whining. I know for sure I've whined here a few times. (Am I whining now?)
I have also noticed that the occasional provocative comment posted here by someone who is clearly not in the choir often generates -- when not totally ignored -- rudeness and dismissiveness, rather than even a small effort to engage or educate. Sure, BOTs should be ignored, but when there is clearly a live person - however apparently benighted - trying to participate in "our" conversation, we should take the trouble to engage in good faith, as this alone might change some minds on the other side.
I'm worried that open, honest and polite debate is a disappearing art on all sides.
Watch The Problem with Jon Stewart episode on gun violence and interview with Oklahoma state Sen. Dahm. Very interesting exchange that aptly demonstrates the difficulty. I have experienced this same phenomenon when trying to share HCR’s Letters with far right family members. There is no logic. There is no reason.
I listened. It is not a debate on Dahm’s side. He only manifests typical Republican ignorance. There has to be logic in a debate, knowledge of the subject and sticking to the point of view you are espousing. I saw none of that in Dahm. Stewart, on the other hand, was a true debater to the degree possible given the situation.
Well sure, Peter, but most people think of themselves as "humane" (probably even the worst Maga-delirium sufferers), there is always a limit to patience (as there should be) and intelligence (whether natural or unnatural) is much more complicated than IQ, though we all think we can know it when we see it. I suspect these definition-defying virtues are well-distributed, even among people who were raised badly through no fault of their own.
I see the same problem around here, western NC, with crazy driving. It becomes " I can do anything thing I want anywhere I want even pass a stop school bus".
This behavior reminds me of trump pushing other heads of state out of his way so he can be in front.
We see crazy driving every time we are out here in Salem, Oregon. And yes, we have seen an increase in incivility partially because death star gave carte blanche to anyone just inching to be uncivil. We have a friend who, because he has done some commercial fishing, has spent some time with the other side who sit on their tails in bars and proclaim long and loud how awful liberals are. They are angry white men who no longer have the top position just because they are white men. He just posted a long description of their mindset this week. They are unreachable. We now have to pay attention to every election, especially local ones where nut cases are trying to destroy public schools and in some places (looking at you Stubby DeSatan) higher education.
Indeed! Not only rage, but a sense of "rules don't apply to me"
My husband drives the Dan Ryan Expressway.to work. He'd often comment that DAILY he'd see someone blow a stop light or stop sign.
Nowadays, I have seen much worse. I have witnessed people pull out from behind a line of cars, drive in the opposite side of the road, to pull ahead of the first car so to be the first car able to make a left turn. I have seen this happen 3 times in one month.
Last week, my husband told me that on his commute, he was about the 6th car in line at a red light. The car in front of him decided to pull out of the line, drive into the adjacent same direction but empty lane, THROUGH the red light. "Too bad" they didn't look in their rear view. Behind my husband was a CPD squad. Who then also pulled out and went after them. (Husband said he was cheering in the car!)
Marj, I can’t forget it either. I could hardly believe my eyes. The way he stuck out his chest and tugged on his lapels as if affronted and insulted by the nobodies blocking his way to the photo op.
David, the "occasional provocative comments" that you refer to; there are a couple of people (regulars) that do make comments that run contradictory to the choir, along with some who seem to be from the stance of engaging in forum pr**k fencing and pot stirring creating argument for the sake of argument. It is hard to engage with someone who is either basing their stance on fabrications and lies, or who is so deeply imbedded in a philosophy that they can't view another perspective.
I have seen "new faces" who start by asking and engaging in a reasonable manner, but end up going off the deep end rather quickly (two that spring to mind are Geoffrey and Gandolf) while others that drop by are simply trolling for engagement. One, who shares your given name, is someone that I vehemently disagree with but also has posted some very good thoughts that bear consideration.
I have tried, within my personal network, to talk with people who are firmly wedded to the RepubliQan talking points who frequently rebut my positions with "remember that everything you think about us being uninformed, we think of you in the same way" (for the more polite ones). The not so polite ones? I get "Libtard" and "DeSantis '24; he's doing the right things." You cannot reason with unreasonable people.
As Ally above has posted, sometimes there are polite debates. (An example is there are religious people and atheists' both in this community.) However, as she has stated there is a troll ( or 2) who seems intent upon riling people up, and who always, always, ALWAYS has to have the last word. Frequent commenters generally ignore him, but every now and then someone goes for the bait.
Seriously, I wonder why they are here, and I sometimes suspect that "they" might be one and the same person. Why pay the $50, they aren't going to chance any viewpoints on here?
I have likened their posts to the old "landline heavy breathers" of the past. There appears to be some cheap thrill derived by working people up.
I have had similar thoughts about having opposing thoughts commenting here. I appreciate you expressing that here and doing it well. Discussions within the crowd are very comforting but don’t get us very close to solutions. Those of you on here who write well are greatly appreciated.
I appreciate your comments. I want to engage in civil discourse with people who hold different views and I live in a very “red” part of the country. I have extended family members who hold right-wing views, so I’ve had the opportunity to engage with them on current affairs. One of my concerns in doing so is that by doing so, I am giving more oxygen to radical right-wing opinions. Every time they speak the words or hear the words, the viewpoints are reinforced. Unfortunately, reinforcement of those radical views overrides the history of our relationship.
I am very interested in finding a way to have civil dialogue with my family and neighbors. I wonder if a strategy similar to motivational interviewing would be helpful?
Jeanne, I just looked up "motivational interviewing". Looks useful if you can do it without slipping back into normal debate or losing your cool. Might be pretty hard for me, not sure.
I suppose I am lucky that I live in Italy where USA politics is (understandably) less closely followed or felt than Italian politics. Here there is as much division between left and right as there is in the USA, but some civility remains and no one is ready to make a point by pulling out a gun. Politics generally is taken with a grain of salt and seen as a form of humorous entertainment. Also, because Italians think that most politicians are just crooks anyway, they have something they can all agree on.
We could ask Joann Freeman, who specialises in pre Civil War US history to help us find examples of flim flam politics that were thwarted by democratic leaning citizens.
Seperately, I don't enjoy saying this next bit. Before the last election I started chasing down personal histories of the House Republicans, checking their home towns, churches, school sports for sex scandals because I studied child abuse years ago and I smelled a rat. It's a dirty subject and I got tired of it because I too often found what I was looking for, and it weighed too heavily on me, so put it away in disgust. I didn't think anyone would believe me. Basically, I suspect many of the House Representitives who support Trump have been compromised, perhaps blackmailed into performing badly in government. I suspect they were conned by Epstein and made vulnerable to Putin. I mentioned this very briefly soon after the 2016 election. It sounds rather like a wild accusation and I have no proof. It's just a gut feeling, and it's sickening, but I wish someone more able than I would check it out and help get us out of this tragedy.
Noted and understand your squeamishness. “We go high and they go low” as Michelle Obama said. My thought bubble thinks of the “low” and wonders: How can we go “toe to toe” while keeping our values in tact? My spirits got a real lift when I read Heather’s account of the hearing. Agree that somehow this approach must be amplified.
One of the reasons the R running in our newly formed 6th district lost is that he had an abortion scandal in his background and of course, he touted his anti abortion credentials. I also note the state legislator in I think Tennessee who pushed the anti drag bill and lo, here is a picture of him in drag which btw, many males think is great. Years ago, despite the protests of some of us who knew what would happen, during homecoming week we had a cross dressing day. The girls, save one exception, wore backward baseball hats and flannel shirts. Then we had those males who strutted around all day dressed as women with, not surprise here, full bosoms. There were no protests from the sanctimonious in the community either. One of my male colleagues told me how neat this was also. Pfft.
I've given thought to the Halloween school parades my (now in their 30s) children had at their schools. There was always a few boys dressed as girls. Always. They stood out because in the older grades (this was K-6th school) most of the boys donned that black shroud and ghoul masks.
I recently saw a meme that said that these "Conservatives" so worried about the drag shows might want to take a look at all those kiddie beauty contests where they really sexualize the little girls.
Oh, I agree about the sexualization of little girls too.....sickening. We have a famous drag show in Portland which has gone on for years, Darcelle. I have been once with two much younger friends who spent the evening watching my reaction. Afterwards, they asked me what I thought and I told them that Darcelle needed new jokes. There is a venue here in Salem that has drag shows, I think. I don't know how they fare as we do have a bunch of self righteous so called Christians here in Salem who are busy judging other people's lives instead of taking the logs out of their own eyes.
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell reported on the news HCR shared in this letter on his show last night, with Rep. Dan Goldman as guest.
Rachel Maddow - her "Ultra" podcast provides historical background to the current "America First" movement. Yes, it is over-produced and overly-dramatic, but it is also chilling, especially given the current news.
To my limited knowledge, Alex Wagner has done the only in-depth reporting on the New College of Florida story; going on location to interview students. This story is a thread in the fabric of this most recent "America First" movement.
The first time I heard of Timothy Snyder was when he appeared on MSNBC a few years ago - I believe he was interviewed by Rachel Maddow.
Main stream media has its problems, always has. The New York Times, Washington Post, the major TV networks - all deserve a somewhat skeptical eye, but they could be a hell of a lot worse. Or nonexistent.
ALEX WAGNER is delivering clear & illuminating reporting in the 6 pm Slot. I record her work product, watch later & acknowledge her detailed & compassionate delivery. 🙏
Much agreed. I got rid of my CATV back in the 1990's, seeing no value in it except for a few special programs on Discover, or the History Channel. The Internet itself bears crtitical reading, false statements are sometimes inserted into Wickipedia and other places that are ordinarily reliable.
It's always the same mantra.....check sources, check sources, check sources.... for origins of statements, facts or theories before accepting or rejecting anything. These days you can't be sure....until you've done the work to check it out. Tiring stuff unfortunately but its basic research technique N°1
"Check sources" 100 times over Stuart 🙏. Producers with capable, mobile, Production Teams in different locations are needed. Of course, "locations" need not be physical in 2023. Situational Awareness reporting requires HCR's level of historical context,. That's the easy part. HC'Rs got it.
I wonder if they've abandoned the parts of our psyche that create cognitive dissonance. Most of my former cohort do not seem to be experiencing dissonance in any way.
So true Wayne, regarding "false statements" being inserted, quoted, "accepted" as fact, etc. And, often made by people calmly convinced of such being 'correct'. The masses (our citizenry) of which we are all part of are generally a peaceful lot. Content with living here in the US of A, as opposed to moving to Rumania or somewhere. The trouble then being the politician who gains attention, riles up the peace, starts a fight in the bar room, and fails to be thrown out on his/her arse into the parking lot and told to GTHO of here! And before we know it, we're in Viet-Nam, Syria, Iraq, Afgan.., U-name -it. Isn't it great, seriously, that here in this natiion we (members of the masses) can have the relatively open debates without being thrown into some gulag prison camp.
Wouldn't recommend it. A few years ago, I saw an old taped "debate" between a young Noam Chomsky and William F. Buckley Jr., and Buckley never stopped talking, and kept changing the subject. It was no debate at all, and at least once, Chomsky asked directly, "Are you going to let me respond?" I'm sure conservatives saw it as a big "win" for Buckley, but anyone who has ever debated, or argued in good faith, could not see it as anything but a travesty.
It would be the same thing if Heather were up there against, say, Jordan, who would just shout and abuse her.
So true. I remember in 1997 I happened to watch an episode of Bill O'Reilly (I had just returned to the US after 3 years in Japan, and had no idea who he was). I was flabbergasted at the way he treated his "guest" and at how nothing of substance was said. I'm sure this strategy has only gotten worse over time.
As citizens of a democratic republic, we Americans should all want to read HCR's Letters. But most seem happily ignorant and easily manipulated by false narratives. It makes me very sad for the future of my country, and the world.
According to email records presented in court and sworn testimony by FNC executives, FNC believes that their future as a profitable business depends on their delivery of the lies their viewers want to hear. FNC viewers aren’t just couch potatoes being fed false information by nefarious pundits. They are active participants in choosing lies over reliable information. To pass them off as victims of FNC pundits lets MAGAts off the hook. The willfully ignorant cannot be educated, so it’s a waste of effort to try to bring them around. The only hope is to outvote them and pass (and aggressively enforce) laws reducing systemic unfairness in American legal, economic, and political life.
Well said. You also cannot reason with unreasonable people. As you so eloquently state, they are "active participants in choosing lies over reliable information." What you've left out is that the poison doled out by F"N"C is designed to feed anger and hate into their "sincerely held beliefs" (of white supremacy, subornation of women, religious persecution) because it feeds their souls.
Have you communicated with HCR about her interest in appearing and or writing for MSM? Are efforts in that area being pursued by her team? She may be the best starting point when considering such an endeavor.
She's too busy. She is writing for History as well as for us. She interviewed President Joe Biden for us. WE need to be her disciples, spreading her good words.
"GZERO With Ian Bremmer" would be a good launching with HCR on one of Ian's in-depth interviews. Ian, who is accurate & tech savy, does Podcasts as well. Check Out GZERO Media (Knows Media & Will Travel -----Digitally.) Not MM; far from it.
"When avarice takes the lead in a state, it is commonly the forerunner of its fall.”
Alexander Hamilton By way of South Africa’s “Daily Maverick” (Sent by a friend, not my own birilliance, but it applies.) Also - maybe each of us could forward her column to the idiots who run the R party. Flood inboxes. Print out the column and mail it to DeSantis. Write a hit song with "All lies and jest" from "The Boxer" as the main theme. Send postcards to MTG with diatribes on them. Sign the Move on Petitions. Or just sit back and recall that the reason history helps us is that we know the nation has been here before and managed somehow to figure out that the nonsense has to stop for a while. History is NOT BUNK.
🤣🤣🤣 I suspect Fox News would treat HCR exactly the same way Empty's spokesperson treated a msm interviewer: with a rude, vulgar dismissal and an equally vulgar denial that facts even matter any more.
A few, very few Republicans are as Democrats, fighting back members of the Republican Party, the Party itself and the Fox News (!) Channel. Take Charlie Sykes, for instance.
‘Charles Jay Sykes is an American political commentator who is currently editor-in-chief of the website The Bulwark. From 1993 to 2016, Sykes hosted a conservative talk show on WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Among others he has taken on Paul Ryan and Fox News (!) In a recent issue of the Bulwark, he exposed Ryan and Republicans like him as few others could.
‘Paul Ryan has been nothing if not consistent.’
‘After Donald Trump’s election, Ryan made the calculation that it was better to be in the room than to defy a president he knew was manifestly unfit.’
‘To publicly criticize Trump, the former speaker told Mark Leibovich in 2018, would just be counterproductive.
He tends to speak of the commander in chief as if he were sharing a coping strategy on dealing with a Ritalin-deprived child. “It boomerangs,” Ryan says of being too critical of Trump. “He goes in the other direction, so that’s not effective.” He added, “The pissing match doesn’t work.”
So he opted to stay in the room, telling Leibovich that he preferred to tell Trump how he felt in private, rather than speaking out about his recklessness, racism, and serial lies. Staying quiet meant that Ryan would stay relevant, stay in the game, and, as he told himself, stop all sorts of awful things from happening.’
‘He was hardly alone. Wrote Leibovich:
He joins a large group of Trump’s putative allies, many of whom have worked in the administration, who insist that they have shaped Trump’s thinking and behavior in private: the “Trust me, I’ve stopped this from being much worse” approach. “I can look myself in the mirror at the end of the day and say I avoided that tragedy, I avoided that tragedy, I avoided that tragedy,” Ryan tells me. “I advanced this goal, I advanced this goal, I advanced this goal.”
‘I locked in on the word “tragedy.” It sets the mind reeling to whatever thwarted “tragedies” Ryan might be talking about. I asked for an example. “No, I don’t want to do that,” Ryan replied. “That’s more than I usually say.”
‘This was, of course, the basis of Ryan’s Faustian bargain, but it also reflects a mindset that has come to dominate our politics, especially in the GOP.’
‘The right’s political culture now relies on this hive-mind rationalization that masquerades as a philosophy: That you can serve the greater good by staying silent — in the room — and therefore relevant.’
‘Some of this is just simple moral cowardice; a lot of it is grift, but it’s not just Paul Ryan. In-the-roomism is a deeply internalized ethos — or perhaps anti-ethos — that has shaped the Republican party’s serial compromises, capitulations, and sellouts.’
‘In this mindset, speaking out or taking a stand is foolish, because it means you lose your place at the table and your leverage. (Just look at what happened to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger!) It’s the story that conservatives have been telling themselves for years now, and you can find it in virtually every corner of the right’s interlocking ecosystems.’
‘Last year, National Review’s Rich Lowry insisted that Cheney was making a mistake by speaking so forcefully about the January 6th insurrection, because she would lose her ability to influence the future of the Republican party. As I wrote back then, in a piece headlined “The Doom Loop of Relevance”:
‘This is, of course a familiar argument: it’s the age-old rationalization of courtiers, time servers, and trimmers of all sorts, who convince themselves that the Greater Good is served by staying in the room.
And they tell themselves that they need to stay in the room, so they that can sound the alarm, but they refuse to sound the alarm so they can stay in the room.’
‘But this logic is inevitably circular. Lowry argued that Cheney should not warn the party against being crazy . . . because that lessens her ability to influence the party to be less crazy. But if she denounces lies and sedition she will lose a seat at the table where the party decides whether it will embrace lies and sedition.’
‘So conservatives convinced themselves that the savvy move is to stay in that room, no matter what it costs.’
**
‘As we now know, Paul Ryan took the same approach to his role as a member of the Fox Corporation board as he did to the Trump presidency. He stayed in the room.’
‘During my conversation with Ryan last week, I asked him whether he had a responsibility to push back against the lies pushed out by Fox news.
“I do,” he said. “I have a responsibility to offer my opinion and perspective, and I do that, but I don’t go on TV and do it, right? So I offer my perspective, my opinion, often. I’ll just leave it at that. Okay?”
That turned out to be true. The court filings by Dominion Voting System this week revealed just how active Ryan was — behind the scenes. From the filing:
‘As a Board Member, Ryan believed that the period immediately following the 2020 Presidential Election was a pretty important inflection point, not just for the company Fox, but for the country and for the conservative movement itself and shared this view as a fiduciary with Rupert and Lachlan.
( Q. And you thought it was in Fox News interest to separate out these fringe claims of voter fraud, correct? A. Yeah, that's my fiduciary duty. ).
He confirmed that the inflection point was not just one day; it was the whole time in the post-election November/December timeframe. Ryan knew that these conspiracy theories were baseless and that Fox should labor to dispel conspiracy theories if and when they pop up.
Ryan also understood that when events occur, Fox can clearly amplify that news being made by covering it. Ryan believed there ought to be a listing of all the allegations and then all the evidence or the validation or invalidation of those [election fraud] allegations just for the viewers sake, and suggested as much to Fox's senior management. . . . Ryan told Rupert and Lachlan "that Fox News should not be spreading conspiracy theories.’
‘The former speaker clearly had the ears of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.’
‘Ryan gave Lachlan and Rupert plenty of suggestions with respect to programming, as well as suggestions regarding content and show hosts. Id. 410 :8-22 . Specifically, he told the Murdochs that Fox should be pivoting at this key inflection point during November 2020 through January 2021 consistently advising them to move on from Donald Trump and stop spouting election lies…
On December 6 , 2020, Paul Ryan texted Rupert and Lachlan, telling them, we are entering a truly bizarre phase of this where [Trump] has actually convinced himself of this farce and will do more bizarre things to delegitimize the election. I see this as a key inflection point for Fox, where the right thing and the smart business thing to do line up nicely. He called for Fox to put forth solid pushback (including editorial) of Trump's ] baseless calls for overturning electors...’
**
‘But this is the problem with being a thought leader. Sometimes you have to lead. In Ryan’s case that would have meant getting up from the table and telling the folks outside the room that Fox was lying and endangering democracy. But once again he decided to stay silent; and he regarded his reticence as savvy and virtuous.’
‘This was the point I was trying to make in the May 2021 open letter to Ryan that he claimed he had never read or heard of.’
‘Paul, your position right now is unique [I wrote]. You are not just the former vice-presidential nominee of your party and the former speaker of the House. You sit on the board of directors of the media company that is shaping and distorting the future of the movement to which you have given your life….
‘What brighter red lines could possibly be crossed? If this isn’t the moment to draw your own line, what would be?
If you want to make a difference, isn’t this the moment? If you want to change your legacy, isn’t this the time?’
‘When I asked him directly about red lines last week, he explained why he wanted to stay in the room.
PR: I want to see the conservative movement get through this moment. And I think Fox is a big part of the constellation of the conservative movement. [crosstalk]
‘CS: Is it the solution or the problem?’
‘PR: Oh, no, I think it’s gonna have to be a part of the solution if we're going to solve the problem in the conservative movement.
Ryan seems to believe that he has exercised his fiduciary responsibilities by speaking confidentially with the Murdochs.’
‘That, however, is far from clear.’
‘Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, a professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management told CNN this week, that board members like Ryan had a responsibility to do a lot more than they did.’
“The duties of loyalty and diligence are NOT to the management but to the owners,” Sonnenfeld said. “By silently going along with misconduct about which they are aware, all directors, including Paul Ryan, are guilty of complicity through their complacency.”
**
‘By staying on the board, Ryan seems to be telling himself, he will be able to steer the network away from the craziness, and from batshit crazy lies about the election.’
‘But here’s the thing: He didn’t.’(Bulwark) See link below.
It reminds me, Fern, of testimony at the post war trials (Nurenberg) of the lesser Nazis (N-2,3,4,5....etc) who "were only obeying orders" and, regardless, they were "only" paper pushers in the "final solution" and of course had no idea of the finality of the paperchain.
Clowns one might say....more like Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker. Not funny at all and highly dangerous either through their intentional blindness or the their unwillingness to see reality and speak out. They epitomize the "three wise monkeys" . The "death march" they facilitate and instrumentalize is not intended for themselves but for us. However, any newly arrived dictator would tell you that now he is in power he'll liquidate the "useful idiots" who helped get him there....along with a few others.
Thank you for posting this, Fern. This quote so describes the republikan’s circular logic: “And they tell themselves that they need to stay in the room, so they that can sound the alarm, but they refuse to sound the alarm so they can stay in the room.”
Another thought from your shared article occurs to me. ? Thought leader ? Leaders don't think their way to solutions; they take actions on their thoughts, principles, etc. Thought for the 'sake' of thought is no more than mental flagellation, to put it as tastefully and delicately as I wish to, and not leadership - not even remotely.
Vivian SL, Thank you for your encouragement. We are attentive to the Letters and to one another. This is a place of learning for all of us, for sharing, support, friendship and some laughter. Cheers!
‘He stayed in the room…’! So he could keep sucking on the crazy billionaires’ teats who fund the drive to autocracy! Nah, Pauly boy! By staying in the room you are covered by the stench of the amoral trump and the damage he has done to our democracy!
So much arrogance to believe once they start that slippery slide into the deep dark abyss that they will somehow be able to claw their way out of it. They use the cloak of Christianity to hide their dirty deeds, especially to themselves. When did their precious savior’s humility become invisible to them? Despicable.
The Bulwark is well worth the $10/month subscription. After reading HCR & Robert Hubbell 1st thing in the morning, I always look forward to Charlie Sykes’ “Morning Shots” dropping mid- morning, followed by Jonathan Last’s “The Triad” late morning. And the comments on the Bulwark site are always terrific.
Will this ever end is all I can think right now. Trump just seems to have been the key to open the Pandora's box of rot, grift, conspiracy and who knows what all.
This is why Trumpism exists.... to bring our shadows into the light, ....horrific stuff, and all too easy to project! On this page, we are thoughtful readers, an audience bubble, but we are living within a hellish landscape of escalating violence, ..... I am feeling at a loss of what we can do to bridge the crevasse ??? (But I did take the time with ‘Indivisible’ to write ‘personal’ letters to registered voters in Georgia ☺️)
In your question “ bridge the crevasse”, you have provided the answer as well. Bridge the crevasse. If the mire is not removable, engineers build a bridge and move on. All who pass over witness the answer and are aware their feet weren’t muddied. Build the bridge pass over the quagmire. Leave it in your rear view mirror.
Well Judy, good question. To me, It's an ill wind that blows no good. The election of DJT provided the super-highway for all (almost all) our vices, misconceptions, hatreds, extremist bents, and u-name-it, to kind of surface. Hasn't it? In our world, there will always be "wind" and we will have to deal with it as long as we live. But. How we deal with it makes the words .., "Build back better" appropriate. A lot of the 'wind' is sexual in nature, which arouses the prurient interests and a lot of it is around capitalism/democracy/religion, so it's not dying down soon. It will.
As the Delegate of the Virgin Islands Stacy Plaskett cannot vote in the House although she can participate in discussions. Virgin Islanders also cannot vote in US Presidential Elections.
Stacy Plaskett is a super star and a second class citizen.
Agreed, and all of those other territorials and members of indigenous tribes. Stacy Plaskett is a very visible example of the many "US citizens" who are denied the very fundamental right
Having seen her several times on MSNBC, always with sane statements about policy, I wonder if the Republicans don’t want to give statehood to Puerto Rico lest it produce more representatives to show them up.
Stuart And Mozart would attract a more boisterous crowd for his slap stick comedies than for his operas. It took a while, but Mozart is more remembered for his operas than his slap stick.
I am still awaiting Trump’s comic book account of his presidency. Possible title: PULSATING WITH PUTIN, or NO NO NATO.
It's OK and necessary to continue rebutting Republican dissinformation -- but it's exhausting and must not be the area of primary focus. The only real line of attack at this juncture is to identify the levers of actual power and use them -- relentlessly . . .
Once in a while, I run across a piece from Brian Taylor Cohen, who does a masterful job taking apart the idiocy of the Republicans. And for a laugh, there's Randy Rainbow.
Check out activist Tokyo Sand’s PoliticalCharge.org. As passionate an activist as Jessica Craven at Chop Wood Carry Water, Tokyo Sand’s posts are well researched, loaded with resources, and shared with positivity and small action steps focused on getting you the information you need to take charge of your political activism. Her weekly recap is my favorite as it contains a roundup of the week’s best political cartoons.
Thanks for that link! I'm looking for replacements to NYT and WaPo from which I have unsubscribed--those two are just too pricey for the paucity of deep dive news and the now palpable lean to the right in their outlook.
Lena Loved the cartoons, which sharply summarize the week’s low points. Also see The Week’s daily cartoons which provide a different perspective on the same steaming s++t.
It takes a certain amount of intelligence to have a functioning sense of humor. A concrete thinker, which describes many MAGAs, doesn't really have a sense of humor. And, sadly, concrete thinkers are much less able to understand the complexities of important issues, or that what the Repubs in these so-called hearings are presenting is just utter theater and nonsense.
I notice that comedians are always among the brightest. Wanted Al Franken for president when the country desperately needed a good laugh and a bright president. Unfortunately there was Roger Stone (again).
Virginia I remember George Murphy, a Hollywood song and dance man, who was elected senator from California. He added zest to the boring senatorial debates. I remember meeting him once. He was wearing an electric blue suit. Some years later we had another Hollywood has been from CA—Ronald Reagan. Not as funny.
J I offer a bottle of wine to the first person who can recount a joke that emanated from Trump. I believe that his sense of humor matches DeSantis—zero. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you must be a brittle bastard.
A valid observation, Mr. Wheelock! drumpf's only attempts at humor are usually cruel and profoundly unamusing. Well, unamusing to normal, compassionate people. Tfg's fanboys and girls somehow think he has a GREAT sense of humor. There's just no accounting for taste.
No, Fern, I am content to be a Cretin. I would, however, speaking of the populous herein at large, like very much like to see more of the humor you are so capable of. I think you are a starter.
Jim Jordan is just as arrogant, ignorant, and preposterous as was Joseph McCarthy. His claims are are just as outrageous and just as cynical as the disgraced former Senator from Wisconsin.
Nadler and Plaskett are making the absolutely necessary case that Jordan and the Republicans are the ones intent on weaponizing the Government. There is only one job for Democrats until the next election, to expose the real agenda of the right wing of the party so that independents are repelled without it becoming a "plague on both your houses" situation.
That means there has to be a Democratic shining light of hope, and a warrior of righteousness. Can't be the same person.
"That means there has to be a Democratic shining light of hope, and a warrior of righteousness. Can't be the same person." Jamie Raskin comes to mind, Georgia!
Before MAGA it could have been one person. But I fear the Warrior is going to have to get in the swamp and it will be an ugly and dirty and bruising fight to call out Jim Jordan and his cohorts and the other MAGA crazies--It also is too big a job for one person to do both. There has to be someone who who has a clear and constant focus on legislation to better the average American and to sound that message in the purest tones. And then you need the scrapper to call bullshit on the crazies.
What I see as the critical issue is that Democrats have to get a huge fraction of independents on their side to secure a large and stable enough majority to get to 60 in the Senate to beat the filibuster and enough in the House to push through major legislation. That can't happen if enough independents stay home because of the "plague on both your houses" issue. And that is a big risk that gets run if it is a single person.
Morning, Ally! On a side note, I think Adam Schiff and Katie Porter from California are both planning to run for U.S.. Senate. Do you have a preference as to which one you would choose if you lived in California? Either one would make great warriors!
I'm with you on this, and I do live in California! Although I think that Barbara Lee's announcement that she is also running may complicate things...especially if the Xtian Nationalists come up with a credible Republican candidate.
Evening, Stuart! Miss not reading your excellent comments. I have not been able to maintain the time slot we used to converse on way back when. That said, I like being able to catch up with you every now and then these days. Hope you are well.
The turning worm, Oleg Deripaska, Russian Oligarch and "friend of Putin behind much of the "troubles" in Ukraine is now saying that Putin will run out of Money in 2024........rats leaving the proverbial sinking ship?
Stuart Putin has so much money that Fort Knox could borrow billions from him. Of course Russians are being squeezed by Peter the Grape’s futile and expensive imperial ventures.
What I can't fathom is that their base will yell "Commie!" or "Socialist!" at the Democrats (not knowing the difference between the two, sigh) and then speak warmly of A COMMUNIST!
"...clips for Fox." Exactly, Peter. And idiocy is no impediment to the consumers of Faux. Could these operatives succeed in reaching enough people? Or are enough people waking up (coming to appreciate wokeness)? Time will tell, I guess.
As I recall, Jim Jordan supervises (and often anonymously tweet-panders) via the "House Judiciary" (ha... just about typed "Louse") Twitter feed. If you compare his personal and the gov feed, the syntax and messaging are very similar if not identical. There is no "House Judiciary" twitter feed, it's Jordan's anonymized messaging.
It's so refreshing to see the Democrats flex some intellectual muscle, raising the spirit of Sen. Welch, who asked McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir..."
"The official Republican House Judiciary Twitter account responded vaguely: “Cherry-picked leaks. Partial transcripts. All to disparage brave whistleblowers. Democrats should be ashamed.”
Unfortunately, simple statements like this are easy for people to understand.
Compare the above sentence to Dr. Richardson's letter today, which, I had to read twice to get all of the threads straight.
The sad part about Republican messaging is, of course it is false, but, it is all couched in 5th grade, short sentence, English and delivered in video or am radio so no effort in reading needed.
That Mike has been immortalized in our community by an old school Republican conservative lifelong teacher. She suffered no bullshit wool pulling and referred to such political shenanigans as “fifth grade pap.” The language of imbeciles.
Modern witches don't like the term "warlock" for a male which, claiming it is derived from an older word, "waerloga" (spelling approximate) which means "oath breaker".
A wiff of Salem nontheless, I fear, Cathy; a touch of 1640s England with Matthew Hopkins, self-styled ‘Witchfinder General’ and Salem's John Hathorne with distinct political overtones of dominance and control.
“Send in the clowns.
Don’t bother, they’re here.”
Evelyn,
At every circus, who gets the most attention?
Yep. Clowns. Therein lies the challenge for Democrats.
If you present good data in a written report, in a non-clownish manner, well, Americans won't read it. For example, today's letter from HCR. Excellent letter that I had to study twice over a nearly 20 minute period of real concentration.
What MAGAt will concentrate on anything that long ? Much less read for that long?
Republicans will always be attracted to the clown show on podcast, Fox, and AM radio through right wing media masters of simplification and demonization.
HCR does make a difference. She and her growing army of rationality among the Clowns do matter. But, is it enough? I am not sure at all.
Clowns are pretty attractive to a child-like mind.
This is the Achilles heel of democracy. Almost everyone has the right to vote, including clowns and those to whom clowns appeal. Democracy cannot succeed without an educated population. In local areas throughout the country, clowns are attempting, with some success, to dismantle the systems which provide the education without which democracy fails. Ms. Spiess is correct in saying 'Don't bother, they're here.'
Splendid post!! Ignorance is the root of all evil. Educated not indoctrinated. Awakened not woke.
I considered awakened and woke to be pretty much synonymous, is there an edge that I don’t see since I rarely hob nob with the “top tier.”
I never knew where to look to learn the original meaning of woke. I assumed it meant awakened to one’s programmed mind. Being eager to question what you believe. I’d like to know the origin though and why it makes some folks so mad they have to squash it.
To answer your question, one must follow the history of this term "woke". See: https://theconversation.com/where-woke-came-from-and-why-marketers-should-think-twice-before-jumping-on-the-social-activism-bandwagon-122713 The difference has to do with the connotation as applied by those groups who resent education as a whole. As in "you think you're so smart just because you're "edumacated". It implicates Fear of those who are well educated and prone to use proper English in their speaking. An example : See Florida for the past few years to better understand my differentiation of the terms Awakened and Woke. Awakened implies a degree of awareness of that which true and accurate. I hope this helps you in understanding that "Woke" is currently used in derogatory sense by extremists in their vernacular.
And yet, in 1860, Americans—very few of whom had finished what we call high school, and only an infinitesimal slice who had gone to a college—elected Abraham Lincoln, who never went to high school himself. And they elected him again in 1864.
To me education doesn’t mean that a person has gone to high school or college. It means can they read, have they been paying attention and have they learned to think for themselves and remain open to new ideas. Can they tell a liar from an honest person? Have they learned the value of love?
I am so pleased to be part of this HCR community. The many comments sooth my anger and frustration. But can we get her blogs to go viral?
I copy and paste them on Facebook and share to Public!
They didn't have social media in 1860.
Yes, this is the kicker, imo. With social media, everyone is given a platform and bullhorn.
In the words of one comedian, whose name I forgot because I saw a clip of his routine on social media, social media allows dummies to find each other.
Then again, we found HCR and each other, too so I think we're learning how to deal with social media, though we as a society still have a long way to go.
They had very political papers, broadsheets, churches, rumors…and a form of shared ‘group think’ where you might be killed if your were different, or killed by indifference more likely. We were enlightened in the 1700’s for a few, a very few.
He won the electoral college but he did not win the popular vote in 1860. And there were several other candidates besides Lincoln and Douglas who received electoral votes in that election. After Lincoln's two successors (Johnson and Grant), the clowns once again took over.
And Hilary won the popular vote. This is what is so important. The electoral college needs to go.
The National Interstate Electoral Vote Compact, whereby States agree to give their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote is a more likely solution than an Amendment to rid us of the Electoral College. Right now, that movement only lacks States representing about 76 more Electoral votes.
Andrew Johnson was a sorry excuse for a president--a clown, if you will.
The curriculum was different then, and more intense, packed into four years, and then students went off to work.
If you mean the high school curriculum, I don't know--I'm not an expert in education. But in the mid-19th century I'm pretty confident that only a small minority of students went to high school, much less finished.
I meant the first four years of school, which was the most the average student completed, like my grandmother who was born in the late 1880s.
I wish I had that number…teachers might be HS grads. And even earlier they might only go to go for a small portion, so if you look at days in school it’s a few hundred…and ‘The three R’s’. Not pirating…Rrrr;s
We I was in HS in the early 70’s only 3/4 of students graduate, and and only one generation before for working class folks 8th grade was the end for many, 1/2? We still had eighth grade graduation ceremonies in San Jose in 1972.
“Democracy cannot succeed without an educated population.” Precisely why Republicans insist on dumbing down and unwoking our nation, why they oppose Critical Race Theory and are banning books that enlighten about others’ experiences and Otherness . They are catering to the lowest common denominator—which they are creating in the racist image of themselves.
Machiavelli said this in his DISCOURSES ON LIVY, which I consider more important than THE PRINCE. His preference is for an urban-based republic in which the electorate is highly educated.
The discourses on Livy, overall, is useful as an instructional manual on the root narrative of republicanism. My other takeaways, perhaps I'll not offer unless asked.
Dan Thanks for correcting me. Of course Big Mac was writing about a republic with a highly educated elite. There is of course the United States republic.
Hollywood makes movies (not films) geared to 14 year old boys. It is the same principle.
The corporate media and "entertainment" industries are very responsible (and controlled, I imagine) by those wanting to dumb our citizens and children down, drown them with fear, apocalypse, violence, and misinformation on an addictive level—ad nauseam.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
"Similarly with CRT, impenetrable academic discourse at the elite level is translated to child-friendly truisms, with the same aim — to change behavior. And so the notion that the most important thing about a child is that she is white, and this makes her part of an oppressive system purposely designed to hurt her new friend, who is black, is how this comes out in an actual real-life scenario. And she has to account for her indelible “whiteness”, just as Catholic kids have to account for their sins. CRT has its own words and values, and they are instilled from the beginning: racism, systems, intersectionality, hegemony, oppression, whiteness, privilege, cisgender, and “doing the work,” as CRT convert Dr. Jill Biden would say.
To give an example from an elementary school in California, a teacher in a math class,
asked all students to create an “identity map,” listing their race, class, gender, religion, family structure, and other characteristics. The teacher explained that the students live in a “dominant culture” of “white, middle class, cisgender, educated, able-bodied, Christian, English speaker[s],” who, according to the lesson, “created and maintained” this culture in order “to hold power and stay in power.”
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/dont-ban-crt-expose-it-2d9
David As we explore the history of ‘diversity’ and discrimination, I suggest the biblical admonition: “Let she/he who is without sin cast the first stone” THEN proceed with the exploration.
I would if I didn't think this stuff hurts our party, as well as the people who get indoctrinated. I'm a lefty--voted for Bernie Sanders in the '16 primary, and wanted to in '20, but I was too worried about beating tfg, and voted accordingly.
But the hair on the back of my neck goes up when I hear the phrase "white privilege," and in my own analysis, privilege is far more a matter of money than of skin color. I've read Hillbilly Elegy, which is full of "poor white trash" that have no privilege whatsoever, except that if they can actually afford a car, they are less likely to be pulled over by the cops.
Additionally, one of the things that has kept Blacks down all these years but gets NO recognition from Democratic policy-makers is companies importing people from abroad to take jobs. By 1980, meatpacking was a largely Black metier, and the workers were making good middle class wages. By that decade's end, it was largely immigrant, toiling under atrocious conditions for barely above minimum wage. You can read about that and many other, similar atrocities in the recent book, Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-Year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, by Roy Beck.
the author backs his thesis with a thorough (yet highly readable) review of the academic economic literature (296 footnotes), along with articles from Black perioicals, statements of Black leaders beginning with Frederick Douglass, whose sons were downwardly mobile due to mass immigration, and findings of gov't commissions on immigration reform, the last of which was run by the Black Texas DEmocrat, Barbara Jordan, who made her name on the Watergate Committee.
While children are quick to spot what's different about other children in order to be socially dominant, that doesn't mean they capable of understanding the many and subtle causes of prejudice and racism. So I find your elementary math class example to be extreme. My understanding is that CRT is about awareness and subtleties, not about power, and certainly not about the kind of power exercised on an elementary school playground. However, if you are saying that you can't fight indoctrination with counter indoctrination I would agree.
Academic elites have criticized CRT as being less than elite. But from what I've read I do think that it can have some value at the middle school and higher levels. At those levels a student can grasp and understand different cultural norms and values, or at least begin to understand that others have had different experiences than you have had. It's about empathy, keeping an open mind, and questioning your own cultural and religious values and contradictions, and seeing indoctrination for what it is. It's about prejudice and cultural and racial differences and yes, privileges, and being adult enough and awake enough to see the origins of hatred.
I was quoting Andrew Sullivan on all this. CRT is taught in different ways, but one of the things that Sullivan was criticizing is when kids are taught that if their skin is white they are the oppressors.
This sort of thing just seems stupid. I first encountered a black kid in first grade. I saw that she was different, but it didn't occur to me to think in terms of her being better or worse than a white person, nor did it occur to me that I might want to dominate her, or anyone else for that matter, for any reason. She was the only black kid in the school I went to then. In fourth grade I was in a school that had multiple black kids, and again, I failed to see any sort of hierarchy where one color was better or worse than another, and I suspect that if kids aren't taught this sort of thing they aren't going to come up with it on their own.
I also encountered kids of east Asian extraction as early as nursery school. One such was a best friend from nursery school through elementary school.
I DO think that empathy should be taught--that kids should be taught early to be conscious of other kids' feelings, that it's a positive thing to avoid making others feel bad, and if they feel bad for some reason, do what you can to help them feel better. All that without drawing attention to race or skin color unless there's some local problem in that regard.
Of this is true but you are missing a big piece…there’s a reason why testing and ‘standards’ and national testing at that, is a ‘conservative’ value—they cut arts, social sciences, and focus on ‘edconomic’ values like STEM. And reduce reading to decoding. And engineering to coding. Headstart, VISTA, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, real education starting with a love of learning, finding the joy for you and yours, arts and music, fun first, gaining responsibility, becoming a member of a society which, by your voice, you will regenerate! That’s education, the rest is training, and training is for dogs and horse…
Absolutely right, Jack. It's the uneducated and "under" educated who have gotten control of the GOP and they are sending the likes of Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert, Paul Goser and George Santos to Washington. Just read that the Texas Education Agency is about to take over Houston ISD, one of the largest school districts in the state. What is already bad is about to get worse. Will Texans ever value public education?
There are many fine and highly intelligent people who didn’t go to college or get their GED. Mtg and her cronies are mis-educated, not necessarily uneducated or undereducated.
What’s his name fully intends to MIS-educate the children of our country. Lie to them in other words and withhold important information.
I wouldn’t want my child to think that just because she went to school and college that means she’s smart.
Yep, boy do I agree
Many do but many are also the greedy bastards, I know some, from a distance these days…
Yep, I know some too, but I was speaking in general. Texas is so far down the line of states funding education $ per student, it’s pathetic. Egregious considering the enormous budget surplus the state has and Abbott wonders what to do with it.
“All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, by American minister and author Robert Fulghum was first published in 1986. Apparently MAGAS were so brilliant they all skipped Kindergarten
Love that
Wel, Winston Churchill may not have actually said “The best argument against democracy is a five minute interview with the average voter,” but Jordan Klepper’s interviews are pretty damn persuasive.
Churchill actually did say, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for every other form that has been tried."
Yes, I know you’re really right, but those Klepper interviews (shakes head gloomily). Democrats may be fighting back, but they need to take a page from Mehdi Hassan’s excellent tips on how to win arguments. I haven’t read his book yet, but he did a great interview with Charlie Sykes last week on the Bulwark podcast pointing out effective (mostly foreign) interviews with Trump & Trumpers that set them back on their heels. Jamie Raskin, for one, is quite good at it, and I expect Dan Goldman will be as well, and we’ve already seen Katie Porter’s chops.
I just discovered The Cafe by Al Jazeera! which he has part of for the 3rd season. Here it begins. https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/2011/7/15/the-cafe
Didn't Churchill also say something about democracy being the worst possible political system to have 'until we find something better.' I guess that's why we must put up with extremists on both sides.
Here is information regarding who originally said it, https://richardlangworth.com/worst-form-of-government
Thanks, Gailee. I was about to post a similar citation from the Churchill Foundation. The "quote" often posted is a partial quote. Churchill included it in what he said but it is clear that he was referring to something that was already in use. "Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…" Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
From the International Churchill Society webpage https://winstonchurchill.org/
They make me heave; weaponized ignorance on display.
Shooting from the hip here, but I cast my vote for HL Mencken as the author of this quip.
Nice try but no cigar: "Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…" Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
From the International Churchill Society webpage https://winstonchurchill.org/
Education is the key, but I wouldn’t send my children to Florida to receive it. Since most everyone gets
their information from third-party sources, out of necessity due to the limited amount of time they have to spend to educate themselves (a practical concern for all of us), it is critical to find reputable sources to digest information for us. Therein lies the problem. Bad sources, bad information. Good sources, good information. Fox News, PBS. Jim Jordan, HCR. This is why for a certain segment of the population “clown” sources are more fun and exciting then serious reflective thought from serious, thoughtful people.
That's why we need Toastmasters clubs, to teach Roberts Rules of Order and confidence and effective speaking in public. It also builds skills in getting along with others. My dad joined so he could improve his interviewing for jobs. I joined to be in a productive social meleu I wasn't sure of my spelling, so I looked it up and found a proper definition which I like l: from rugby, all the forwards joined together in an organised way [
You know Mike, the more I look at disinformation campaigns and their history, the more I realize that humanity has a decided “clown” faction. I have come to see it as a “follow the money” exercise, because power, and control-the-narrative-to-control-the-masses endeavors always begin and end with money. Those with the character trait of “shameless” can quite easily exploit other humans’ need to belong and to have faith that someone can make all the bad shit in their lives better - or at least blamed on someone else. It’s like we are in a mind-control war, and we are just figuring out how to combat it, slow though it may be. Bravo Jerry Nadler and Stacey Plaskett. Let’s all call Jordan’s office and request the hearings ASAP!
I have always thought (circus) clowns were creepy. These clowns today are actually scary because of what they are doing to democracy. A number of my friends have switched off from the news and, in conversation with me, dismiss my words with a wave of the hand and head and just say "they are a joke". NOT!
Heather always says "follow the money" and I believe her, and others I read. The Republicans have sold out to the almighty Devil of the Dollar.
Sally The problem with these ‘clowns’ is that they seem to proliferate. I am reminded when, as a kid, I watched with fascination the ‘clown car’ in which clowns kept coming out of a small car. Today’s clowns seem to be spewing out of a Boeing 747.
Yes, bring on the hearings of the witnesses, in the Nadler/Plaskett Report, MLRGRMI!
I know it's tempting to get very discouraged about the number of "clowns" who are wielding power and "dumbing down" education. And yes, Jordan Klepper's interviews are a bit scary. But we can't stop there. If we lump all the "not us" groups together as "dumb clowns," we are missing great opportunities to make a difference.
I am heartened by a growing network of grassroots organizations of Democrats around the country, many of them who are working at the community level, encouraging people to learn about how the government can help them with the daily problems of hard scrabble lives - if good people are elected....and then encouraging some of those good people to run. I'm learning about them from Jessica Craven's Chop Wood and Carry Water substack, as well as from weekly meetings of Markers for Democracy. It's a great way to not get stuck in despair over what we read and see....and to really make a difference by getting involved: donating, participating, supporting. We have a choice!
https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-carry-water-33-c87?r=eznl2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
https://mailchi.mp/9eec5854a1a2/mfd-news-12-kirsten-gillibrand-next-50-event-ny-actions-zooms-resume?e=e91036c2eb
It is normal to become discouraged, but not normal to allow that discouragement to overtake or overwhelm. What is so irksome and dismaying is the number of adults in Congress acting out like adolescents. Of course, the MEDIA loves to focus on the crazies. They are celebrated far too often; often too regularly. For me, they create a great deal of embarrassment and shame for our country. I blanch at the comments made by certain Republican personalities. The plus side to the media coverage is how we at the very least know how "they" misbehave.
Grassroots democracy and a few good leaders are what our democratic republic needs for its survival.
And we have that with our youngest, the GEn Zers, participating at every single turn. These very bright young adults from every walk of life, are bound by what horrors they’ve experienced and what they continue to see. Bless this group and their mighty efforts to bring change!
Grassroots efforts are where the Democrats have failed. As a result, Republicans have been able to stack many state legislatures. Democrats must make up for lost time and opportunity. Democrats also must begin to herald the huge successes under Biden's administration. What is that old axiom, "Blow your own horn if no one else will"?
Look up coulrophobia and learn that 1 in 10 adults are frightened of clowns and growing numbers of children are fearful of them. Since the days of films like It and Joker, evil clowns have become more insidiously frightening...
There are few studies but the articles are interesting. I do not know how to post the links.
Yes. We should fear these clowns.
You're right. There's that murder case in Florida where a woman dressed as a clown shot and killed her surprised victim when she opened the door.
The stuff of nightmares only grows, Jack.
Just like the adage goes, Rinse and Repeat; often
Even as toddlers, my kids hated clowns. We didn't condition them to dislike them, they didn't trust them and always kept their distance. Hopefully, not being attracted to clown shows will be an innate trait in the majority of adults too. I know it's a big turn off for me too
And we know who the head clown is. I wonder if he tried to grab the steering wheel on the clown car
You joke Wlliam, but that was some pretty stunning testimony when it finally came out. Just the thought of the Commander In Chief with that sort of self control. Someone yet may need to put that up on a billboard. (If there was a meme I never saw it).
I must admit my shock (without "awe"!) at the large population of pre-adolescent dumbified (I know, not a real word!) people within the Republican Party. I guess I/we should be pleased and comforted that most of them concentrate into one central core of asinine stupidity.
Well said Mike. There are those who will do the work, for the people, and others who refuse to govern, who are satisfied with a false narrative, or a quick lie, or a philosophy that will fit on a baseball cap. What made me see red was the "deep state" reference. That's a Rush Limbaugh slur from 30 years ago! Good enough for clowns though I guess.
Mike. you nailed it. What a sad commentary on our citizenry.
I hope you are also watching The MidasTouch Network podcasts. These folks are intelligent lawyers! I think HCR would agree. I follow them along with HCR. Well worth watching!
Exactly, and they are no longer content with a night out and a brew at the local pub, after which they fade away. The “rabble” have become louder, probably because they are used by the monied powerful or are the monied powerful. Consider our Repub House. What better example…
Great post on Republican clowns, couldn't agree more especially with the line on clowns appealing to a child-like mind.
This really comes down to media campaigns and retail politics…they have the money but we have the facts, and need to capture the emotions as well…what would make your life better?
You are so right!
Soon to be "The Tears of the Clowns" #SmokeyRobinson
So true, Christopher.
https://youtu.be/4heHLbchPKk
Salud.
🗽
Sondheim's most poignant lyric.
But lethal. Not humorous.
Such destructive clowns.
This diabolical charade will connect with some non-MAGA voters unless the media skewers it. Democrats’ get-tough approach is essential to make that happen.
Sondheim's most poignant lyric...
Like many, I find clowns to be scary, and not the least bit entertaining.
In place of a clown car they had to rent a clown bus to fit them all in.
A perfect response using one of the most poignant songs ever. Thank you.
I have always found clowns to be rather creepy and scary. Seldom funny and often pathetic .
Now I know why.
Same
Today's post by HCR is another excellent example of her fact-based reporting of the Anti-Democratic / Anti-American position and efforts of today's GOP. Yet, none of it will get the kind of coverage it deserves on main stream media. Beyond her expertise as a historian she is also one of the best journalists today with her ability to pull content together into an understandable narrative.
Perhaps this assembled group should discuss how to promote HCR for a slot on MSNBC, TV or radio show, or other higher-image venue where her brilliant coverage of today's issues could get far more public visibility. We here are truly grateful for her exemplary work but, if we could just get her more visibility. Any ideas?
Even if it were possible to arrange for Professor Richardson to sit beside Tucker Carlson himself and rebut his BS on Fox nightly during prime time, it would be casting pearls before swine. And anything short of that is preaching to the choir. Better to allow Jim Jordan and his ilk to hang themselves with all that rope their minions so kindly provided when they handed the Reptilians their slim House majority.
(PS: Please forgive us, Dr. Richardson, for taking such liberties with your valuable time. It's just too much fun to resist. Thanks for today's great letter.)
There’s nothing wrong with preaching to the choir if it makes it more likely they will all get to the polls on Election Day and thus chorus “Hallelujah” on the day after.
Amen. I’ve been in choirs since I was in 4th grade - we need to hear truth preached, as well.
Suzanne ! WE ALL ! Need the TRUTH !! PREACHED, to Us ALL. . Then We NEED to Follow IT !! It would pull MANKIND, Out of the GARBAGE Pit of This EARTH!
Amen. Plus, preaching to the choir puts the ideas out where everyone in the room can hear them. And as a member of this choir, the preaching gives me energy to keep writing those postcards.
Drew Nelson
Hallelujah Morning
https://youtu.be/zuRU5jFp8oY
Hallelujah!
Fully agree, Ralph. Time for the choir to resoundingly hit a high note, in unison!
Exactly. Let's not throw HCR into this lying mass.., a snakepit.. to be dis-emboweled in front of our naked eyes! This is not a 'David vs Goliath' match. Goliath at least had some stature (towering appearance). This 'viscous pool of lying scum' has none of that. What we must never forget, is that we too (HCR & Co.) could be compromised. So far, so good. Within that "pool of scum" doth exist a few very clever creatures capable...as we have seen(!!) of "weaponizing" an entire nation of tail-gators. Most of whom, un-wittingly, remain at their beck-and-call. Let's not, friendly readers here, be astonished when a traitor to our noble cause surfaces amongst us. A Lindsey Graham, for example. Haahaahaa.., You pick one :)).
Hear, Hear!
(or is it "Here, Here!" ?)
Amen! LeMoine Surlamont, you speak the truth!
I would love to see that split screen!
Oh I so pray that Gym Jordan and his ilk really do hang themselves. It’s a vision I would revel in. Isn’t that sad? I never used to hate anyone...
Yes, our own "Jockstrap Jim" Jordan. So named, it's said, because he could frequently be seen wandering the halls of congress wearing one as a face mask in 2022. (Which, it's rumored, he filled out nicely, befitting both his personality and his intellect I might add :-)
I've had similar thoughts, but truth seems to have lost out to the machinations of capitalism. Unless there is enough sensationalism (I include MSNBC, too) there will not be enough viewers to support the expense of production.
Personally speaking, sub stack Newsletters have become the alternative I hoped for. Even though I can only afford 3 subscriptions at a time, I feel well informed and in the company of compassionate, wise, ahead-of-the-curve insights.
With limited time to cover the many newsletters, tv, NPR, et alii, I was glad to see footage of the committee hearing where Jordan was called out on the 'witness' situation, and also an interview with one of the authors of that 300+ page report, both on MSNBC. And it's good to be able to catch BBC News on my NPR station, WBUR.
Seeing the reporting of Jim Jordan is cringe-worthy. If only such coverage could be increased, perhaps many eyes (and ears) would open.
Interesting point! Perhaps major networks have administrations that have gone to the dark side! You NBC and CBS…mickie mularkey as an analyst… seriously!
The only thing I would differ with you on is that I prefer GBH :)
Just Kidding, I love BUR as well.
Agreed! I support them both - I like the music on GBH and the news and commentary on both. BUR tends to repeat too much of late, so I put CRB on to calm my nerves.
Did Fox show it?
I really don't know. It's doubtful they'd show anything that would show Jordan in an unfavorable exchange with another committee member. I avoid Fox for all but sporting events that might not be available elsewhere.
“Isn’t it ironic...” (speaking of quotes) ... Big Money (commonly? referred to as BM) is the Evil that we all fear, despise, cuddle, and swoon over? I mean, even Trump hates BM - in the form of George Soros, but loves Rupert’s BM.
We, the People, need to find affordable alternatives and promote them, repeat them, honor them, and mimic them.
"BM" seems such an appropriate allusion for most of these folks, don't cha think?
"I certainly do". "You Live you Learn".
I’d like to see her on a regular basis on PBS Newshour. It’s the only unbiased national news - even my quite-conservative husband turns it on every night.
Cathy, I respectfully suggest that PBS is no longer unbiased. It is "Republican Lite." It, too, is financed by corporations and donors which advocate for a certain perspective on American life. You might note that most of its political opinion interviews are by Republicans. Often, Pres Biden's most current actions are overlooked.
I too watch The News Hour because it is a more sensible presentation, but it does not delve deeply into the issues of the day. In fact it has a tendency to replace news with interviews and non-political items of interest.
I do not think there is a truly objective media source at present unless it is Democracy Now, but its format is not too palatable.
You are right about any single media source not being objective enough. IMO, it is an impossible task. Because "news" is now in the same category as entertainment. It has to "sell". It has to attract eyeballs so advertisers will pay the price.
We watch the NewsHour less now. Just because by that time of day, most of the "news" is old. We have begun reading the same info at 7:00 AM EST.
I don't have a sense that there is any PBS bias one way or the other. If anything I think they sometimes work too hard to be "fair". I just think that like most legacy news programs they don't do enough real muck raking.
On the other hand, every one of the reporters on this PBS show adamantly explain to their "interviewees" that the 2020 election was NOT stolen and they openly challenge lying politicians who try to frame Jan 6th as anything other than an insurrection. Navaz is particularly tough. Nick Schifrin does some of the best reporting on the tube. There are some really dedicated folks at this outlet. But by 6:00 pm, it's just old news and I am hungry for dinner.
What we do sometimes enjoy more on that show are some of the human profiles. Stories about unique individuals. Some of which bring me to joyous tears.
That being said, I think if we rely on one news program and one or two channels we are missing most of the news out there. Which is why I read this letter as the first item with coffee :) Then on to Hubbell, Joyce Vance, Diane Francis, Robert Reich, and many more via my customized Google News harvester. Stories from around the globe from more outlets than I have time to list. And now, more coffee....
Your interest in news sources, Bill, objectivity, clarity, journalism and the facts is necessary in society and for the citizen to be knowledgeable and engaged. I believe it is also necessary for compatriots to be wary of stereotyping and making assumptions about others without solid information. The standards of accuracy we think our government needs to maintain as well as historians, journalists and the people we trust represent solid guidelines for our own communications. I took the opportunity to share my thoughts with you as I thought our exchange about your opinion of people associated with the MAGA movement was unfinished. Salud.
Thanks for your elucidation, Fern. As always very poinient and timely.
Christiane Amanpour does press interviewees for answers to difficult questions on international affairs.
She is terrific, with the additional clarity of doing her show from London. And Michelle Martin. Alas it comes on pretty late.
We get it the next day at 4 pm, unfortunately. It usually doesn't matter though. She's so great and such an improvement over Charlie Rose! The whole show is excellent.
I agree! It does come on late here but I record it on my DVR and replay the next day. Christiane is one intelligent woman and doesn't back down. I also impressed that she can pronounce the names of people from other countries so easily and naturally. She is a Warrior for truth and justice in my opinion.
Many, many podcasts available, as well as watching actual hearings.
Also, check out John Oliver and Jon Stewart.
Speaking of Jon Stewart...he's a master of these interviews.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCuIxIJBfCY
Stewart's interview is the best thing I'll watch all day, perhaps all year. He is magnificent. The Republican from Oklahoma (I forget his name) doesn't even know what an anecdote is. He keeps saying something like, "That's not an anecdote. It really happened." Stewart just keeps pressing on, clearly and forcefully.
Yes, magnificent. The clip ended when the Oklahoma guy said that protecting kids from drag shows was OK but doing something about children dying from gun violence was not. Because gun rights “shall not be infringed”, whereas free speech is not protected with that same language in the Constitution. Stewart called that hypocrisy. I would call it a pretty childish argument, too, but that’s textualism for you.
Thanks for pointing us to Stewart. Brilliant mind.
Wow! Perfectly illustrative of a clown running circles and spinning around a topic. A circus show!
Wow! Thank You MK
I will..Thank you
PBS’s News Hour stopped being relevant as a news outlet when they allowed people they interviewed to spout whatever they wanted instead of answering the questions that they were asked. The founders would be horrified at allowing people being interviewed the forum to spout misinformation rather than answering the questions that they prefer not to answer. They could stop this BS quite easily by informing the people they were going to interview that if they wanted to be on the program they had to answer the questions truthfully otherwise no airtime. They have plenty of canned pieces that they can use to fill in for missed interviews, or they could simply state for their audience that the reason that they didn’t have the interview with Gym Jordan was that he refused to answer the questions that he was asked.
PBS acts like they are afraid they would not get Republicans to show up if they knew they would face probing questions. I, too, am disgusted at how much spouting they accept instead of an answer.
PBS is not as "public" in its funding anymore. Everytime I hear, "and viewers like you" I think of all the very rich Republicans ccontributing who are NOT like me.
"Because PBS is commercial-free, many people mistakenly believe public funding provides the bulk of our resources. In fact, federal funding provides only about 15% of the revenue for the public television system. That's an investment of $1.35 per taxpayer per year.
https://www.pbs.org › sustaining-pbs
Hope: Just this week on the NewsHour we saw a gripping interview with Florida's New College students talking about their emotional and intellectual responses to what DeSantis's moves to wreck real higher education will do to the school. We've seen reports on what the Dobbs decision has done to women. We hear from experts and politicians every night. I cringe when a right-wing or MAGA politician gets interviewed, but it only demonstrates to me how wide the coverage is and forces me to learn better how to stomach the crazies. I can't fathom what you see as "Republican lite." Donor money has to come from deep pockets or we couldn't have reports directly from Ukraine or East Palestine, Ohio, by NewsHour reporters. And I'm always glad for the cultural news because it gives balance that can ward off despair at the political news.
Well, Melinda, the polls by Amy Walter are one example. I'm sorry I missed the New College interviewees, though. Contributions from the Koch's many enterprises color content, or at least did so when David was alive and sponsoring NOVA. Am I right that the politicians we hear from are mostly Republican? So it seems to me. I recall the days when two pols from opposite sides argued on the same interview, rather than someone grandstanding and going relatively unchallenged.
And yes, donor money comes from deep pockets and I wish it didn't. That used to be the reason for public financing and its support of neutrality, but Republican legislation has deemed that unnecessary. However, those deep pockets are prone to support Republican issues which keep the cash in those pockets. If one were to choose any 3 sponsors, for example, and investigate their leanings, I think the majority would turn up red.
When was the last time there was in-depth investigation of the causes of immigration from the countries involved, or the wide gap in affordable housing, or the continued frustration of environmental protection by the world's corporations—all the issues which are leaving huge swaths of population behind and dying? Or exposure of the trend of religious absolutism and its connection to to the rise of fascism? The Newshour won't touch those "far-left" issues.
I still watch, Melinda, because I like the cultural news, too. And Geoff and Amna are lovely people.
I agree with you, Hope. Plus Newshour is PUBLIC broadcasting that is available for free. It isn’t perfect, but the best option available to the masses; just wish more people would tune in!
Here is Alex Wagner's incredible interview of New College students on campus.
https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/reality-of-rich-academic-culture-at-new-college-defies-desantis-belittling-smears-164382789960
Thank you, MaryPat. I continued to listen to the interview regarding Leonard Leo's windfall from dark money vis-a-vis his court-packing of conservative judges, especially on the SupremeCourt.
I enjoy Reuters. 'Just the facts Mamm'.
Me too. I watch it on ROKU and appreciate the world view.
But not free. Already getting the Times.
Hope, you expressed it perfectly, as far as you went. I am less forgiving. Judy Woodruff et.al. have led The News Hour in a diametrically opposite direction from that set by by McNeil and Lehrer originally. You will never again see the likes of a Bill Moyers offer up such scathingly unbiased journalism unless the entire management team at TNH is replaced. Somewhere around two years ago I gagged my way through my last episode of that program when they cut to a fifteen minute segment covering a school lunch program in Chicago when the rest of the media was totally engaged in the atrocity committed at the nations capitol on January 6th. So much need for a gutsy counterpoise on nightly TV to both Fox AND MSNBC. The News Hour has deserted us in a most cowardly way, and is as guilty as Murdoch of tuning their coverage to the needs of a select segment of the audience, namely "those that don't even want to think about it", in the interest of preserving ratings.
With respect, I think there is only so much that can be presented in 50 minutes. Two phrases you used don't resonate with me: "scathing unbiased journalism" and "as guilty as Murdoch".
Unbiased journalism, IMHO, should be factual. If it is by nature "scathing" in its truthfulness, great. But it is not the job of a good journalist to jack up our temperatures. Just the facts, please.
And putting Woodruff and PBS in the same sentence and sentiment as Murdoch and Fox is just ridiculous.
You will be happier at MSNBC. They have the chariot in the race with Fox. PBS doesn't have the ability to be all things. But the Newshour has excellent accurate reporting from the likes of Navaz, Bennett, Schifrin, Yang, Solomon and more. The science stories from Myles O'Brien are outstanding.
I don't watch it every night. But the NewsHour is as close to independent journalism as we have and I respect their less than perfect efforts.
Bill, with respect in return, I disagree. I watched the News hour over decades, and religiously. I saw the torch passed from Jim Lehrer to Judy Woodruff. That happened at roughly the same time House Republicans were threatening a major defunding of that program and as you must know, that represents a large chunk of their budget, or at least did at the time. And again, that's about the time TNH became a much more "tepid" presence.
Regarding your comment "Unbiased journalism, IMHO, should be factual. If it is by nature "scathing" in its truthfulness, great. But it is not the job of a good journalist to jack up our temperatures. Just the facts, please." I am in absolute agreement. But if you ever watched Bill Moyers' presentations on TNH you will recall his very direct presentation of the facts and meticulous avoidance of editorializing. "Scathing" in that the political flim flam that passes for "reality" in today's media absolutely wilts in the face of such intelligent journalism. And please, don't confuse a legitimate "jacking up of temperatures" that results from good journalism's exposing the facts with the basic model employed by Fox, which is that inflammation is their business model.
No, Bill, I will decidedly NOT be happier with MSNBC as I believe I implied. I watch them all from time to time just for a sanity check.
And finally, if "....putting Woodruff and PBS in the same sentence and sentiment as Murdoch and Fox...." sounds harsh to you, that's fine. This is a forum based on the free exchange of opinions. I believe I laid out my case for making that association. I respect your opinion.
Jim Lehrer and Bill Moyers made powerful impressions on me. I grew up listening to them. I was in awe of them. Pretty hard acts to follow. Thanks for the feedback.
I think you have a point about “ a segment of the audience, namely ‘those that don't even want to think about it.’”
I feel same and have had same experience with The News Hour. It seems to me that part of the issue (as usual) is $$$$$$$. Networks compete for dollars. Capitalism at its finest. Now that access to information has exploded beyond 3 networks, competition is fierce. Couple greed with lies and ya got Murdoch et al sowing seeds to destroy democracy.
LeMoine, When it comes to television news, I far prefer PBS News Hour to any other network. As it happened though, on January 6th, I happened to be watching the congressional proceedings on the "Chicken Little Network" (CNN). Suddenly they switched to their outside cameras, and they were showing protesters on the Capitol lawn. I had not been aware of any protest up to that point. I found it interesting that at the instant that violence broke out at the barricades, the CNN narrative changed completely. It seemed that indeed, the sky was falling. There was no more mention of protest, only criminal behavior, coup, and seditionists. When I think of Mike Pence, I will always think of that fly on his head during that debate. But when business resumed, I saw a Mike Pence that I have never seen before or since. He was absolutely furious. He was obviously focused on completing his duty that day. Sadly, I saw him in an interview this year. I felt sorry for any college students that had "my book" as their phrase in a drinking game. It was pathetic.
Newshour is all I have watched for years. Unfortunately I have been feeling the same. I still tune in daily because it is the best of them all. How I miss Mark Shields.
I agree with you. It's been that way for quite a few years now.
I listen to CBC’s “As It Happens” podcast every weekday evening. (WAMU’s broadcast is too late for me at 11 pm.) I often hear more knowledgeable and insightful interviews about current events in this country there than on any US offerings.
I am saddened and also relieved to learn that others feel the same way I do about PBS: it has gradually swung from objective reporting to more right wing reporting. I think I started to notice it when they began reporting on and showing clips of the former president more than the current one. I stayed in denial for quite some time. It has been painful to watch but PBS is preferable to the other shows I can pull in on my extremely limited (by choice) cable service.
NPR is a bit better than PBS, maybe because there are no videos….)
About 2 years ago I turned off all news. When it started becoming more and more obvious there was bias, spins on network news weren’t adding up with what I read, and I never watched “bought” news at all. They are all compromised at some level. I will watch clips of interviews on occasion for clarity sake. CSPAN for the January 6th hearings. I read anywhere from 30 to 50 articles a day, and get updates from various publications both inside and out of the U.S. Why do you think Biden struggles with approval ratings? Because the poll questions can be interpreted however the pollsters want to their opinions reflected. Plus, usually just Bananas Republicans or Democrats are polled, ignoring independent voters. Not all polls, it’s never all or never none. They have their place, but very few and far between show an accurate representation of what most people believe.
MAGA is a minority of Americans, yet it seems like all conservatives are MAGA. Or Democrats can’t find their backsides with both hands. Neither of these are true. It’s imagery that makes it seem true.
In conclusion, Jim Jordan and his Apple Dumpling gang couldn’t put a book report together on “The Hardy Boys Mysteries” or perform a credible investigation on the origins of spaghetti 🍝. This committee’s “work” is exactly what I expected, a 3rd rate side show in a Circus of Frauds.
And now, speaking of clowns, one of my favorite movie scenes; Uncle Buck punches the clown who shows up at his young nephew’s birthday party drunk from the night before’s bachelor party.
Even NPR plays too nice.
But does it make a dent in his understanding of the attack on our democracy by those who claim to be conservatives?
Gift subscriptions, even though, sadly, the people who could benefit the most from HCR’s commentary and history lessons would ignore them.
But since she is a valuable, and constant, source of very good Democratic talking points and rebuttals to Republican propaganda, gift subscriptions to the DNC, state and town Democratic committees, and to members of your congressional delegation of any party might be productive. Gift subscriptions to sympathetic, or not, friends, neighbors, and family members could go a long way to motivating Democrats and liberal independents to get to the polls on Election Day. You might even change a Republican mind or two. It’s probably best to ask first.
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents worth to “Any ideas?”
I think that's a great idea, Ralph. Besides helping to change some minds and stimulate participation (as in voting), it might attract some diversity to the LFAA comments section.
While there is comfort in knowing that others are as alarmed as we are at the current drift of history (as HCR has brilliantly laid it out for us), and reminders and suggestions as to how we can all take concrete steps to defeat the authoritarian GOP are no doubt useful, we (most of us) nevertheless do a lot of preaching to the choir and -- frankly -- whining. I know for sure I've whined here a few times. (Am I whining now?)
I have also noticed that the occasional provocative comment posted here by someone who is clearly not in the choir often generates -- when not totally ignored -- rudeness and dismissiveness, rather than even a small effort to engage or educate. Sure, BOTs should be ignored, but when there is clearly a live person - however apparently benighted - trying to participate in "our" conversation, we should take the trouble to engage in good faith, as this alone might change some minds on the other side.
I'm worried that open, honest and polite debate is a disappearing art on all sides.
Watch The Problem with Jon Stewart episode on gun violence and interview with Oklahoma state Sen. Dahm. Very interesting exchange that aptly demonstrates the difficulty. I have experienced this same phenomenon when trying to share HCR’s Letters with far right family members. There is no logic. There is no reason.
I listened. It is not a debate on Dahm’s side. He only manifests typical Republican ignorance. There has to be logic in a debate, knowledge of the subject and sticking to the point of view you are espousing. I saw none of that in Dahm. Stewart, on the other hand, was a true debater to the degree possible given the situation.
Hear, hear!
But open, honest and polite debate does call for humanity, patience and natural intelligence...
Well sure, Peter, but most people think of themselves as "humane" (probably even the worst Maga-delirium sufferers), there is always a limit to patience (as there should be) and intelligence (whether natural or unnatural) is much more complicated than IQ, though we all think we can know it when we see it. I suspect these definition-defying virtues are well-distributed, even among people who were raised badly through no fault of their own.
Incivility has become normalized-thanks, I believe, in great part, to tfg and his cohort.
I see the same problem around here, western NC, with crazy driving. It becomes " I can do anything thing I want anywhere I want even pass a stop school bus".
This behavior reminds me of trump pushing other heads of state out of his way so he can be in front.
We see crazy driving every time we are out here in Salem, Oregon. And yes, we have seen an increase in incivility partially because death star gave carte blanche to anyone just inching to be uncivil. We have a friend who, because he has done some commercial fishing, has spent some time with the other side who sit on their tails in bars and proclaim long and loud how awful liberals are. They are angry white men who no longer have the top position just because they are white men. He just posted a long description of their mindset this week. They are unreachable. We now have to pay attention to every election, especially local ones where nut cases are trying to destroy public schools and in some places (looking at you Stubby DeSatan) higher education.
Myopic binary thinking: Narrow minded ignorance. Knowingly so.
You describe my former cohort very well. Unreachable indeed.
I will never forget that clip of tfg doing that. That summarized his entire sordid self.
I literally just traded in my car for a bigger vehicle due to the insane road rage and incivility on the roads. I felt I needed more protection.
Indeed! Not only rage, but a sense of "rules don't apply to me"
My husband drives the Dan Ryan Expressway.to work. He'd often comment that DAILY he'd see someone blow a stop light or stop sign.
Nowadays, I have seen much worse. I have witnessed people pull out from behind a line of cars, drive in the opposite side of the road, to pull ahead of the first car so to be the first car able to make a left turn. I have seen this happen 3 times in one month.
Last week, my husband told me that on his commute, he was about the 6th car in line at a red light. The car in front of him decided to pull out of the line, drive into the adjacent same direction but empty lane, THROUGH the red light. "Too bad" they didn't look in their rear view. Behind my husband was a CPD squad. Who then also pulled out and went after them. (Husband said he was cheering in the car!)
Marj, I can’t forget it either. I could hardly believe my eyes. The way he stuck out his chest and tugged on his lapels as if affronted and insulted by the nobodies blocking his way to the photo op.
David, the "occasional provocative comments" that you refer to; there are a couple of people (regulars) that do make comments that run contradictory to the choir, along with some who seem to be from the stance of engaging in forum pr**k fencing and pot stirring creating argument for the sake of argument. It is hard to engage with someone who is either basing their stance on fabrications and lies, or who is so deeply imbedded in a philosophy that they can't view another perspective.
I have seen "new faces" who start by asking and engaging in a reasonable manner, but end up going off the deep end rather quickly (two that spring to mind are Geoffrey and Gandolf) while others that drop by are simply trolling for engagement. One, who shares your given name, is someone that I vehemently disagree with but also has posted some very good thoughts that bear consideration.
I have tried, within my personal network, to talk with people who are firmly wedded to the RepubliQan talking points who frequently rebut my positions with "remember that everything you think about us being uninformed, we think of you in the same way" (for the more polite ones). The not so polite ones? I get "Libtard" and "DeSantis '24; he's doing the right things." You cannot reason with unreasonable people.
"Pr**ck fencing" is a term that I have never seen before. If it is your own, may I use it?
Oh, it is in the common vernacular in my world. Use it as you see fit!
Agree on G & G, and another D. Thanks Ally.
As Ally above has posted, sometimes there are polite debates. (An example is there are religious people and atheists' both in this community.) However, as she has stated there is a troll ( or 2) who seems intent upon riling people up, and who always, always, ALWAYS has to have the last word. Frequent commenters generally ignore him, but every now and then someone goes for the bait.
Seriously, I wonder why they are here, and I sometimes suspect that "they" might be one and the same person. Why pay the $50, they aren't going to chance any viewpoints on here?
I have likened their posts to the old "landline heavy breathers" of the past. There appears to be some cheap thrill derived by working people up.
Great analogy, Miselle!
I have had similar thoughts about having opposing thoughts commenting here. I appreciate you expressing that here and doing it well. Discussions within the crowd are very comforting but don’t get us very close to solutions. Those of you on here who write well are greatly appreciated.
Hi David,
I appreciate your comments. I want to engage in civil discourse with people who hold different views and I live in a very “red” part of the country. I have extended family members who hold right-wing views, so I’ve had the opportunity to engage with them on current affairs. One of my concerns in doing so is that by doing so, I am giving more oxygen to radical right-wing opinions. Every time they speak the words or hear the words, the viewpoints are reinforced. Unfortunately, reinforcement of those radical views overrides the history of our relationship.
I am very interested in finding a way to have civil dialogue with my family and neighbors. I wonder if a strategy similar to motivational interviewing would be helpful?
Best,
Jeanne
Jeanne, I just looked up "motivational interviewing". Looks useful if you can do it without slipping back into normal debate or losing your cool. Might be pretty hard for me, not sure.
I suppose I am lucky that I live in Italy where USA politics is (understandably) less closely followed or felt than Italian politics. Here there is as much division between left and right as there is in the USA, but some civility remains and no one is ready to make a point by pulling out a gun. Politics generally is taken with a grain of salt and seen as a form of humorous entertainment. Also, because Italians think that most politicians are just crooks anyway, they have something they can all agree on.
Is it not necessary to have a mind if one's to change it?
Like I said, a mind or two, giving the GOP the benefit of the doubt there’s maybe a couple left.
We could ask Joann Freeman, who specialises in pre Civil War US history to help us find examples of flim flam politics that were thwarted by democratic leaning citizens.
Seperately, I don't enjoy saying this next bit. Before the last election I started chasing down personal histories of the House Republicans, checking their home towns, churches, school sports for sex scandals because I studied child abuse years ago and I smelled a rat. It's a dirty subject and I got tired of it because I too often found what I was looking for, and it weighed too heavily on me, so put it away in disgust. I didn't think anyone would believe me. Basically, I suspect many of the House Representitives who support Trump have been compromised, perhaps blackmailed into performing badly in government. I suspect they were conned by Epstein and made vulnerable to Putin. I mentioned this very briefly soon after the 2016 election. It sounds rather like a wild accusation and I have no proof. It's just a gut feeling, and it's sickening, but I wish someone more able than I would check it out and help get us out of this tragedy.
And, I hope I'm wrong.
Noted and understand your squeamishness. “We go high and they go low” as Michelle Obama said. My thought bubble thinks of the “low” and wonders: How can we go “toe to toe” while keeping our values in tact? My spirits got a real lift when I read Heather’s account of the hearing. Agree that somehow this approach must be amplified.
One of the reasons the R running in our newly formed 6th district lost is that he had an abortion scandal in his background and of course, he touted his anti abortion credentials. I also note the state legislator in I think Tennessee who pushed the anti drag bill and lo, here is a picture of him in drag which btw, many males think is great. Years ago, despite the protests of some of us who knew what would happen, during homecoming week we had a cross dressing day. The girls, save one exception, wore backward baseball hats and flannel shirts. Then we had those males who strutted around all day dressed as women with, not surprise here, full bosoms. There were no protests from the sanctimonious in the community either. One of my male colleagues told me how neat this was also. Pfft.
I've given thought to the Halloween school parades my (now in their 30s) children had at their schools. There was always a few boys dressed as girls. Always. They stood out because in the older grades (this was K-6th school) most of the boys donned that black shroud and ghoul masks.
I recently saw a meme that said that these "Conservatives" so worried about the drag shows might want to take a look at all those kiddie beauty contests where they really sexualize the little girls.
Eeew, yes! Slutty eye make-up on little girls, puke! More so, that children are encouraged to think it’s their beauty that matters.
Oh, I agree about the sexualization of little girls too.....sickening. We have a famous drag show in Portland which has gone on for years, Darcelle. I have been once with two much younger friends who spent the evening watching my reaction. Afterwards, they asked me what I thought and I told them that Darcelle needed new jokes. There is a venue here in Salem that has drag shows, I think. I don't know how they fare as we do have a bunch of self righteous so called Christians here in Salem who are busy judging other people's lives instead of taking the logs out of their own eyes.
You are on to something Susan, something awful.
A few points in defense of MSNBC:
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell reported on the news HCR shared in this letter on his show last night, with Rep. Dan Goldman as guest.
Rachel Maddow - her "Ultra" podcast provides historical background to the current "America First" movement. Yes, it is over-produced and overly-dramatic, but it is also chilling, especially given the current news.
To my limited knowledge, Alex Wagner has done the only in-depth reporting on the New College of Florida story; going on location to interview students. This story is a thread in the fabric of this most recent "America First" movement.
The first time I heard of Timothy Snyder was when he appeared on MSNBC a few years ago - I believe he was interviewed by Rachel Maddow.
Main stream media has its problems, always has. The New York Times, Washington Post, the major TV networks - all deserve a somewhat skeptical eye, but they could be a hell of a lot worse. Or nonexistent.
ALEX WAGNER is delivering clear & illuminating reporting in the 6 pm Slot. I record her work product, watch later & acknowledge her detailed & compassionate delivery. 🙏
9 pm here. Changed my bedtime for Alex. So worth it.
Much agreed. I got rid of my CATV back in the 1990's, seeing no value in it except for a few special programs on Discover, or the History Channel. The Internet itself bears crtitical reading, false statements are sometimes inserted into Wickipedia and other places that are ordinarily reliable.
It's always the same mantra.....check sources, check sources, check sources.... for origins of statements, facts or theories before accepting or rejecting anything. These days you can't be sure....until you've done the work to check it out. Tiring stuff unfortunately but its basic research technique N°1
"Check sources" 100 times over Stuart 🙏. Producers with capable, mobile, Production Teams in different locations are needed. Of course, "locations" need not be physical in 2023. Situational Awareness reporting requires HCR's level of historical context,. That's the easy part. HC'Rs got it.
However, fact checking is b.s. according to the vile Ms green’s minion! According to one article I read he told the interviewer’who gives a f#$k!
If After Jan 6 horrifying live coverage of the attack on Capitol Police, noting will change the minds of the maga cult creatures!
Cognitive dissonance runs silent & runs deep.
I wonder if they've abandoned the parts of our psyche that create cognitive dissonance. Most of my former cohort do not seem to be experiencing dissonance in any way.
So true Wayne, regarding "false statements" being inserted, quoted, "accepted" as fact, etc. And, often made by people calmly convinced of such being 'correct'. The masses (our citizenry) of which we are all part of are generally a peaceful lot. Content with living here in the US of A, as opposed to moving to Rumania or somewhere. The trouble then being the politician who gains attention, riles up the peace, starts a fight in the bar room, and fails to be thrown out on his/her arse into the parking lot and told to GTHO of here! And before we know it, we're in Viet-Nam, Syria, Iraq, Afgan.., U-name -it. Isn't it great, seriously, that here in this natiion we (members of the masses) can have the relatively open debates without being thrown into some gulag prison camp.
Wouldn't recommend it. A few years ago, I saw an old taped "debate" between a young Noam Chomsky and William F. Buckley Jr., and Buckley never stopped talking, and kept changing the subject. It was no debate at all, and at least once, Chomsky asked directly, "Are you going to let me respond?" I'm sure conservatives saw it as a big "win" for Buckley, but anyone who has ever debated, or argued in good faith, could not see it as anything but a travesty.
It would be the same thing if Heather were up there against, say, Jordan, who would just shout and abuse her.
So true. I remember in 1997 I happened to watch an episode of Bill O'Reilly (I had just returned to the US after 3 years in Japan, and had no idea who he was). I was flabbergasted at the way he treated his "guest" and at how nothing of substance was said. I'm sure this strategy has only gotten worse over time.
As citizens of a democratic republic, we Americans should all want to read HCR's Letters. But most seem happily ignorant and easily manipulated by false narratives. It makes me very sad for the future of my country, and the world.
According to email records presented in court and sworn testimony by FNC executives, FNC believes that their future as a profitable business depends on their delivery of the lies their viewers want to hear. FNC viewers aren’t just couch potatoes being fed false information by nefarious pundits. They are active participants in choosing lies over reliable information. To pass them off as victims of FNC pundits lets MAGAts off the hook. The willfully ignorant cannot be educated, so it’s a waste of effort to try to bring them around. The only hope is to outvote them and pass (and aggressively enforce) laws reducing systemic unfairness in American legal, economic, and political life.
Well said. You also cannot reason with unreasonable people. As you so eloquently state, they are "active participants in choosing lies over reliable information." What you've left out is that the poison doled out by F"N"C is designed to feed anger and hate into their "sincerely held beliefs" (of white supremacy, subornation of women, religious persecution) because it feeds their souls.
We could use a Sheriff ... Officer.
Or is it “souls.”
My guess is HCR has far too much integrity to bend to the corporate rules.
Have you communicated with HCR about her interest in appearing and or writing for MSM? Are efforts in that area being pursued by her team? She may be the best starting point when considering such an endeavor.
She's too busy. She is writing for History as well as for us. She interviewed President Joe Biden for us. WE need to be her disciples, spreading her good words.
"GZERO With Ian Bremmer" would be a good launching with HCR on one of Ian's in-depth interviews. Ian, who is accurate & tech savy, does Podcasts as well. Check Out GZERO Media (Knows Media & Will Travel -----Digitally.) Not MM; far from it.
"When avarice takes the lead in a state, it is commonly the forerunner of its fall.”
Alexander Hamilton By way of South Africa’s “Daily Maverick” (Sent by a friend, not my own birilliance, but it applies.) Also - maybe each of us could forward her column to the idiots who run the R party. Flood inboxes. Print out the column and mail it to DeSantis. Write a hit song with "All lies and jest" from "The Boxer" as the main theme. Send postcards to MTG with diatribes on them. Sign the Move on Petitions. Or just sit back and recall that the reason history helps us is that we know the nation has been here before and managed somehow to figure out that the nonsense has to stop for a while. History is NOT BUNK.
How about FOX News in prime time?
🤣🤣🤣 I suspect Fox News would treat HCR exactly the same way Empty's spokesperson treated a msm interviewer: with a rude, vulgar dismissal and an equally vulgar denial that facts even matter any more.
🤣🤣🤣👏👏👏
Does HCR want the visibility?
Good question.... Many issues for Heather to decide or not ....
BK. ABSOLUTELY! Letters or email are a possibility but easily overlooked. Perhaps posting on FB might get more looks.
A few, very few Republicans are as Democrats, fighting back members of the Republican Party, the Party itself and the Fox News (!) Channel. Take Charlie Sykes, for instance.
‘Charles Jay Sykes is an American political commentator who is currently editor-in-chief of the website The Bulwark. From 1993 to 2016, Sykes hosted a conservative talk show on WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Among others he has taken on Paul Ryan and Fox News (!) In a recent issue of the Bulwark, he exposed Ryan and Republicans like him as few others could.
‘Paul Ryan has been nothing if not consistent.’
‘After Donald Trump’s election, Ryan made the calculation that it was better to be in the room than to defy a president he knew was manifestly unfit.’
‘To publicly criticize Trump, the former speaker told Mark Leibovich in 2018, would just be counterproductive.
He tends to speak of the commander in chief as if he were sharing a coping strategy on dealing with a Ritalin-deprived child. “It boomerangs,” Ryan says of being too critical of Trump. “He goes in the other direction, so that’s not effective.” He added, “The pissing match doesn’t work.”
So he opted to stay in the room, telling Leibovich that he preferred to tell Trump how he felt in private, rather than speaking out about his recklessness, racism, and serial lies. Staying quiet meant that Ryan would stay relevant, stay in the game, and, as he told himself, stop all sorts of awful things from happening.’
‘He was hardly alone. Wrote Leibovich:
He joins a large group of Trump’s putative allies, many of whom have worked in the administration, who insist that they have shaped Trump’s thinking and behavior in private: the “Trust me, I’ve stopped this from being much worse” approach. “I can look myself in the mirror at the end of the day and say I avoided that tragedy, I avoided that tragedy, I avoided that tragedy,” Ryan tells me. “I advanced this goal, I advanced this goal, I advanced this goal.”
‘I locked in on the word “tragedy.” It sets the mind reeling to whatever thwarted “tragedies” Ryan might be talking about. I asked for an example. “No, I don’t want to do that,” Ryan replied. “That’s more than I usually say.”
‘This was, of course, the basis of Ryan’s Faustian bargain, but it also reflects a mindset that has come to dominate our politics, especially in the GOP.’
‘The right’s political culture now relies on this hive-mind rationalization that masquerades as a philosophy: That you can serve the greater good by staying silent — in the room — and therefore relevant.’
‘Some of this is just simple moral cowardice; a lot of it is grift, but it’s not just Paul Ryan. In-the-roomism is a deeply internalized ethos — or perhaps anti-ethos — that has shaped the Republican party’s serial compromises, capitulations, and sellouts.’
‘In this mindset, speaking out or taking a stand is foolish, because it means you lose your place at the table and your leverage. (Just look at what happened to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger!) It’s the story that conservatives have been telling themselves for years now, and you can find it in virtually every corner of the right’s interlocking ecosystems.’
‘Last year, National Review’s Rich Lowry insisted that Cheney was making a mistake by speaking so forcefully about the January 6th insurrection, because she would lose her ability to influence the future of the Republican party. As I wrote back then, in a piece headlined “The Doom Loop of Relevance”:
‘This is, of course a familiar argument: it’s the age-old rationalization of courtiers, time servers, and trimmers of all sorts, who convince themselves that the Greater Good is served by staying in the room.
And they tell themselves that they need to stay in the room, so they that can sound the alarm, but they refuse to sound the alarm so they can stay in the room.’
‘But this logic is inevitably circular. Lowry argued that Cheney should not warn the party against being crazy . . . because that lessens her ability to influence the party to be less crazy. But if she denounces lies and sedition she will lose a seat at the table where the party decides whether it will embrace lies and sedition.’
‘So conservatives convinced themselves that the savvy move is to stay in that room, no matter what it costs.’
**
‘As we now know, Paul Ryan took the same approach to his role as a member of the Fox Corporation board as he did to the Trump presidency. He stayed in the room.’
‘During my conversation with Ryan last week, I asked him whether he had a responsibility to push back against the lies pushed out by Fox news.
“I do,” he said. “I have a responsibility to offer my opinion and perspective, and I do that, but I don’t go on TV and do it, right? So I offer my perspective, my opinion, often. I’ll just leave it at that. Okay?”
That turned out to be true. The court filings by Dominion Voting System this week revealed just how active Ryan was — behind the scenes. From the filing:
‘As a Board Member, Ryan believed that the period immediately following the 2020 Presidential Election was a pretty important inflection point, not just for the company Fox, but for the country and for the conservative movement itself and shared this view as a fiduciary with Rupert and Lachlan.
( Q. And you thought it was in Fox News interest to separate out these fringe claims of voter fraud, correct? A. Yeah, that's my fiduciary duty. ).
He confirmed that the inflection point was not just one day; it was the whole time in the post-election November/December timeframe. Ryan knew that these conspiracy theories were baseless and that Fox should labor to dispel conspiracy theories if and when they pop up.
Ryan also understood that when events occur, Fox can clearly amplify that news being made by covering it. Ryan believed there ought to be a listing of all the allegations and then all the evidence or the validation or invalidation of those [election fraud] allegations just for the viewers sake, and suggested as much to Fox's senior management. . . . Ryan told Rupert and Lachlan "that Fox News should not be spreading conspiracy theories.’
‘The former speaker clearly had the ears of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.’
‘Ryan gave Lachlan and Rupert plenty of suggestions with respect to programming, as well as suggestions regarding content and show hosts. Id. 410 :8-22 . Specifically, he told the Murdochs that Fox should be pivoting at this key inflection point during November 2020 through January 2021 consistently advising them to move on from Donald Trump and stop spouting election lies…
On December 6 , 2020, Paul Ryan texted Rupert and Lachlan, telling them, we are entering a truly bizarre phase of this where [Trump] has actually convinced himself of this farce and will do more bizarre things to delegitimize the election. I see this as a key inflection point for Fox, where the right thing and the smart business thing to do line up nicely. He called for Fox to put forth solid pushback (including editorial) of Trump's ] baseless calls for overturning electors...’
**
‘But this is the problem with being a thought leader. Sometimes you have to lead. In Ryan’s case that would have meant getting up from the table and telling the folks outside the room that Fox was lying and endangering democracy. But once again he decided to stay silent; and he regarded his reticence as savvy and virtuous.’
‘This was the point I was trying to make in the May 2021 open letter to Ryan that he claimed he had never read or heard of.’
‘Paul, your position right now is unique [I wrote]. You are not just the former vice-presidential nominee of your party and the former speaker of the House. You sit on the board of directors of the media company that is shaping and distorting the future of the movement to which you have given your life….
‘What brighter red lines could possibly be crossed? If this isn’t the moment to draw your own line, what would be?
If you want to make a difference, isn’t this the moment? If you want to change your legacy, isn’t this the time?’
‘When I asked him directly about red lines last week, he explained why he wanted to stay in the room.
PR: I want to see the conservative movement get through this moment. And I think Fox is a big part of the constellation of the conservative movement. [crosstalk]
‘CS: Is it the solution or the problem?’
‘PR: Oh, no, I think it’s gonna have to be a part of the solution if we're going to solve the problem in the conservative movement.
Ryan seems to believe that he has exercised his fiduciary responsibilities by speaking confidentially with the Murdochs.’
‘That, however, is far from clear.’
‘Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, a professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management told CNN this week, that board members like Ryan had a responsibility to do a lot more than they did.’
“The duties of loyalty and diligence are NOT to the management but to the owners,” Sonnenfeld said. “By silently going along with misconduct about which they are aware, all directors, including Paul Ryan, are guilty of complicity through their complacency.”
**
‘By staying on the board, Ryan seems to be telling himself, he will be able to steer the network away from the craziness, and from batshit crazy lies about the election.’
‘But here’s the thing: He didn’t.’(Bulwark) See link below.
https://morningshots.thebulwark.com/p/in-the-room-where-it-doesnt-happen
I, I, I, I, I, I, I and I... to the power of I.
That and
SAVING RYAN'S PRIVATES
I much prefer Billie Holiday's thoughts on the subject to the noise polution currently airing in the GOP Washington DC.
Me, myself and I
Are all in love with you
We all think you're wonderful, we do
Me, myself and I
Have just one point of view
We're convinced there's no one else like you
It can't be denied, dear
You brought the sun to us
We'd be satisfied, dear
So, if you pass me by
Three hearts will break in two
'Cause me, myself and I
Are all in love with you
Billie Holiday: Love Songs, 1937
Precisely accurate review, Peter, and amusing as well. Bravo!
One of the wittiest lines I have ever read in the comment section Kudos!
It reminds me, Fern, of testimony at the post war trials (Nurenberg) of the lesser Nazis (N-2,3,4,5....etc) who "were only obeying orders" and, regardless, they were "only" paper pushers in the "final solution" and of course had no idea of the finality of the paperchain.
It is the death march in their burlesque. Thank you for raising the curtain, Stuart.
Clowns one might say....more like Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker. Not funny at all and highly dangerous either through their intentional blindness or the their unwillingness to see reality and speak out. They epitomize the "three wise monkeys" . The "death march" they facilitate and instrumentalize is not intended for themselves but for us. However, any newly arrived dictator would tell you that now he is in power he'll liquidate the "useful idiots" who helped get him there....along with a few others.
Thank you for posting this! My mind reels with the cowardice of men like Paul Ryan.
Great share Fern ! Thank you.. “The Doom Loop of Relevance” dovetails quite nicely for the most part.
Yes, D4N, an exquisite shaming with all their hooves in order.
Thank you for posting this, Fern. This quote so describes the republikan’s circular logic: “And they tell themselves that they need to stay in the room, so they that can sound the alarm, but they refuse to sound the alarm so they can stay in the room.”
Perfect description of the snakiness of Ryan and others like him that manage to walk among us with no spine.
....make that: slither amongst us. Alas.
Another thought from your shared article occurs to me. ? Thought leader ? Leaders don't think their way to solutions; they take actions on their thoughts, principles, etc. Thought for the 'sake' of thought is no more than mental flagellation, to put it as tastefully and delicately as I wish to, and not leadership - not even remotely.
The dynamic between knowledge, thought, communication, organizing and action in the a chain of civil society.
Fern, I always learn so much from you. Thank you again.
Vivian SL, Thank you for your encouragement. We are attentive to the Letters and to one another. This is a place of learning for all of us, for sharing, support, friendship and some laughter. Cheers!
‘He stayed in the room…’! So he could keep sucking on the crazy billionaires’ teats who fund the drive to autocracy! Nah, Pauly boy! By staying in the room you are covered by the stench of the amoral trump and the damage he has done to our democracy!
So much arrogance to believe once they start that slippery slide into the deep dark abyss that they will somehow be able to claw their way out of it. They use the cloak of Christianity to hide their dirty deeds, especially to themselves. When did their precious savior’s humility become invisible to them? Despicable.
I saw Ryan as the worst of the worst decades ago. His reasoning, explained here, proves it. 🤮 Thank you for sharing it with us Fern! 🙏
The Bulwark is well worth the $10/month subscription. After reading HCR & Robert Hubbell 1st thing in the morning, I always look forward to Charlie Sykes’ “Morning Shots” dropping mid- morning, followed by Jonathan Last’s “The Triad” late morning. And the comments on the Bulwark site are always terrific.
His daily podcast is always interesting. Charlie has a great sense of humor, and when Tom Nichols is on, it’s even better.
Hair on fire interview...
Good morning, Fern. Egads what a busy thread we have here. You do make me study of that. Thanks for the Rant. I Like it!
“Staying in the room...”
very worth thinking about. Complicated. Maybe different folks taking different approaches and actions. Differing gifts? Courage? More ...
If you’re staying in a room on Fire and don’t holler FIRE, sure as day follows night you’ll burn with the rest of them. PURE unadulterated arrogance.
Will this ever end is all I can think right now. Trump just seems to have been the key to open the Pandora's box of rot, grift, conspiracy and who knows what all.
This is why Trumpism exists.... to bring our shadows into the light, ....horrific stuff, and all too easy to project! On this page, we are thoughtful readers, an audience bubble, but we are living within a hellish landscape of escalating violence, ..... I am feeling at a loss of what we can do to bridge the crevasse ??? (But I did take the time with ‘Indivisible’ to write ‘personal’ letters to registered voters in Georgia ☺️)
In your question “ bridge the crevasse”, you have provided the answer as well. Bridge the crevasse. If the mire is not removable, engineers build a bridge and move on. All who pass over witness the answer and are aware their feet weren’t muddied. Build the bridge pass over the quagmire. Leave it in your rear view mirror.
Well Judy, good question. To me, It's an ill wind that blows no good. The election of DJT provided the super-highway for all (almost all) our vices, misconceptions, hatreds, extremist bents, and u-name-it, to kind of surface. Hasn't it? In our world, there will always be "wind" and we will have to deal with it as long as we live. But. How we deal with it makes the words .., "Build back better" appropriate. A lot of the 'wind' is sexual in nature, which arouses the prurient interests and a lot of it is around capitalism/democracy/religion, so it's not dying down soon. It will.
The Winds of Djamela. Leave them to scour the ruins and let their voices urge us, castigate us and move us on.
A thought for the day.
As the Delegate of the Virgin Islands Stacy Plaskett cannot vote in the House although she can participate in discussions. Virgin Islanders also cannot vote in US Presidential Elections.
Stacy Plaskett is a super star and a second class citizen.
Is that righteous?
And what about the promised Cherokee representative still not in place after 200 years.
Agreed, and all of those other territorials and members of indigenous tribes. Stacy Plaskett is a very visible example of the many "US citizens" who are denied the very fundamental right
of citizens , to vote.
Right or righteous? Who knows?
But it's all for a good cause -- saving pseudoconservatives and pseudo-Christians' mental Virginity...
And while it's true that No man is an island, Donne did say "No man..."
Which precludes zombies, mutants and bargain-basement imitations.
Peter, there was a time when it also precluded women and any male not of Northern European origin. The bell is indeed tolling.....but for whom?
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man
is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as
well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine
owne were; any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
MEDITATION XVII
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
John Donne
Och ! And please just shut up with that kind of talk. And never let the children see it. Broke me down, Stuart.
'No man is an island'; "She's; a Peninsula". 👭👬👫 Circa Jefferson Airplane.
Having seen her several times on MSNBC, always with sane statements about policy, I wonder if the Republicans don’t want to give statehood to Puerto Rico lest it produce more representatives to show them up.
Too bad there is no longer a National Lampoon to showcase the Republican subterfuge and expose their idiocy.
Carmen How can The Onion possibly make up anything as absurd as Jackass Jordan’s Judiciary Committee charade?
Unfortunately we've been saying that since 2016 if not longer.
Stuart And Mozart would attract a more boisterous crowd for his slap stick comedies than for his operas. It took a while, but Mozart is more remembered for his operas than his slap stick.
I am still awaiting Trump’s comic book account of his presidency. Possible title: PULSATING WITH PUTIN, or NO NO NATO.
Ha! Pumpkin Tails.
Borowitz will have to work A LOT harder.
What a refreshing idea. Makes for wonderful thoughts.
It's OK and necessary to continue rebutting Republican dissinformation -- but it's exhausting and must not be the area of primary focus. The only real line of attack at this juncture is to identify the levers of actual power and use them -- relentlessly . . .
James Rebut with humor. A joke or cartoon can capture the absurdity of all this blustering.
Once in a while, I run across a piece from Brian Taylor Cohen, who does a masterful job taking apart the idiocy of the Republicans. And for a laugh, there's Randy Rainbow.
James Randy Rainbow is the musical version of The Lincoln Project. Randy is dandy!
He kept me going during the pandemic lock-down. He’s the epitome of comedic genius!
Agree 100% would be fabulous if he'd turn his attention to New College - I've even got some lyrics if he's interested :-)
Brian Tyler Cohen is EXCELLENT!
As is the YouTube Channel "Beau of the Fifth Column"!!
And when Brian Tyler Cohen and Glenn Kichner get together for an episode, it is awesome!
Indeed!!!
Check out activist Tokyo Sand’s PoliticalCharge.org. As passionate an activist as Jessica Craven at Chop Wood Carry Water, Tokyo Sand’s posts are well researched, loaded with resources, and shared with positivity and small action steps focused on getting you the information you need to take charge of your political activism. Her weekly recap is my favorite as it contains a roundup of the week’s best political cartoons.
https://politicalcharge.org/2023/02/25/political-charge-weekly-recap-2-25/
Thanks for that link! I'm looking for replacements to NYT and WaPo from which I have unsubscribed--those two are just too pricey for the paucity of deep dive news and the now palpable lean to the right in their outlook.
Lena Loved the cartoons, which sharply summarize the week’s low points. Also see The Week’s daily cartoons which provide a different perspective on the same steaming s++t.
Thanks for the link.
Yes... but once again, isn't a functioning mind a necessary prerequisite? Can zombies laugh?
Bring on the armor-piercing humor -- if it hasn't all been outsourced along with everything else.
Pressure cooker relief valves, Jon Stewart & Steven Colbert 😆
It takes a certain amount of intelligence to have a functioning sense of humor. A concrete thinker, which describes many MAGAs, doesn't really have a sense of humor. And, sadly, concrete thinkers are much less able to understand the complexities of important issues, or that what the Repubs in these so-called hearings are presenting is just utter theater and nonsense.
I notice that comedians are always among the brightest. Wanted Al Franken for president when the country desperately needed a good laugh and a bright president. Unfortunately there was Roger Stone (again).
Virginia I remember George Murphy, a Hollywood song and dance man, who was elected senator from California. He added zest to the boring senatorial debates. I remember meeting him once. He was wearing an electric blue suit. Some years later we had another Hollywood has been from CA—Ronald Reagan. Not as funny.
J I offer a bottle of wine to the first person who can recount a joke that emanated from Trump. I believe that his sense of humor matches DeSantis—zero. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you must be a brittle bastard.
A valid observation, Mr. Wheelock! drumpf's only attempts at humor are usually cruel and profoundly unamusing. Well, unamusing to normal, compassionate people. Tfg's fanboys and girls somehow think he has a GREAT sense of humor. There's just no accounting for taste.
Keith, he IS the joke!!!
Carol Does that make Trump a s++t down comedian?
He laughs at his own sadism. That's not really indicative of sense of humor.
So. Concrete thinkers. Sink or swim?
😂
'Can zombies laugh?' Perfect comic strip.
Sure they can, Fern.....when they are told to!
When Zombies laugh!
Are you going to audition for a role as one, Pat?
No, Fern, I am content to be a Cretin. I would, however, speaking of the populous herein at large, like very much like to see more of the humor you are so capable of. I think you are a starter.
Jim Jordan is just as arrogant, ignorant, and preposterous as was Joseph McCarthy. His claims are are just as outrageous and just as cynical as the disgraced former Senator from Wisconsin.
https://www.justsecurity.org/77852/timeline-rep-jim-jordan-a-systematic-disinformation-campaign-and-january-6/
All of Jordan’s hate and antis are just to distract himself from the parts of himself that he hates. Jordan is as twisted as McCarthy was.
"Full context and a reasonable rebuttal are necessary to protect the truth.”
https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5120
Nadler and Plaskett are making the absolutely necessary case that Jordan and the Republicans are the ones intent on weaponizing the Government. There is only one job for Democrats until the next election, to expose the real agenda of the right wing of the party so that independents are repelled without it becoming a "plague on both your houses" situation.
That means there has to be a Democratic shining light of hope, and a warrior of righteousness. Can't be the same person.
"That means there has to be a Democratic shining light of hope, and a warrior of righteousness. Can't be the same person." Jamie Raskin comes to mind, Georgia!
Before MAGA it could have been one person. But I fear the Warrior is going to have to get in the swamp and it will be an ugly and dirty and bruising fight to call out Jim Jordan and his cohorts and the other MAGA crazies--It also is too big a job for one person to do both. There has to be someone who who has a clear and constant focus on legislation to better the average American and to sound that message in the purest tones. And then you need the scrapper to call bullshit on the crazies.
What I see as the critical issue is that Democrats have to get a huge fraction of independents on their side to secure a large and stable enough majority to get to 60 in the Senate to beat the filibuster and enough in the House to push through major legislation. That can't happen if enough independents stay home because of the "plague on both your houses" issue. And that is a big risk that gets run if it is a single person.
We need to occasionally remind Jordan that just because he lost out to Olympic aspirants does not make him an Olympian.
My bad for misinterpreting the import of your comment.
Prayers for Raskin to successfully complete chemo.
Morning, Lynell! Yes, Raskin as the shining light of hope. I'm open to suggestions for the warrior of righteousness.
Morning, Ally! On a side note, I think Adam Schiff and Katie Porter from California are both planning to run for U.S.. Senate. Do you have a preference as to which one you would choose if you lived in California? Either one would make great warriors!
Katie Porter, without a doubt. I like Schiff right where he is.
I'm with you on this, and I do live in California! Although I think that Barbara Lee's announcement that she is also running may complicate things...especially if the Xtian Nationalists come up with a credible Republican candidate.
Absolutely YES….JR‼️
Morning, Lynell.
Evening, Stuart! Miss not reading your excellent comments. I have not been able to maintain the time slot we used to converse on way back when. That said, I like being able to catch up with you every now and then these days. Hope you are well.
All's well on this side thanks Lynell. And yourself?
Comme ci, comme ça!
i've just started back in the gym after covid etc. Feels good getting back to real life.
How much influence is there from Putin on these Republican extremists?
Follow the money
The turning worm, Oleg Deripaska, Russian Oligarch and "friend of Putin behind much of the "troubles" in Ukraine is now saying that Putin will run out of Money in 2024........rats leaving the proverbial sinking ship?
Hopefully Putin doesn’t blow a nuclear fuse in the process!
Stuart Putin has so much money that Fort Knox could borrow billions from him. Of course Russians are being squeezed by Peter the Grape’s futile and expensive imperial ventures.
The Swiss have just arrested and charged the lawyers/bankers charged with hiding much of his ill-gotten gains .
Nancy At the current conservative conference some speakers said some nice things about Putin.
What I can't fathom is that their base will yell "Commie!" or "Socialist!" at the Democrats (not knowing the difference between the two, sigh) and then speak warmly of A COMMUNIST!
It really boggles the mind.
Miselle If they are so concerned with Commies/Socialists, they could reject the 8.7% increase in their Social Security checks.
I was kind of wondering the same thing.
And all staged to provide clips for Fox.
"...clips for Fox." Exactly, Peter. And idiocy is no impediment to the consumers of Faux. Could these operatives succeed in reaching enough people? Or are enough people waking up (coming to appreciate wokeness)? Time will tell, I guess.
In a normal world, testimony in the Dominion case would be “game over” for Fox. But sadly we’ve moved past hypocrisy and shame.
As I recall, Jim Jordan supervises (and often anonymously tweet-panders) via the "House Judiciary" (ha... just about typed "Louse") Twitter feed. If you compare his personal and the gov feed, the syntax and messaging are very similar if not identical. There is no "House Judiciary" twitter feed, it's Jordan's anonymized messaging.
It's so refreshing to see the Democrats flex some intellectual muscle, raising the spirit of Sen. Welch, who asked McCarthy, "Have you no sense of decency, sir..."
Joseph Welsh was not a Senator. He was a lawyer representing the Army.
https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/mccarthy-hearings/have-you-no-sense-of-decency.htm
Thank you.
"The official Republican House Judiciary Twitter account responded vaguely: “Cherry-picked leaks. Partial transcripts. All to disparage brave whistleblowers. Democrats should be ashamed.”
Unfortunately, simple statements like this are easy for people to understand.
Compare the above sentence to Dr. Richardson's letter today, which, I had to read twice to get all of the threads straight.
The sad part about Republican messaging is, of course it is false, but, it is all couched in 5th grade, short sentence, English and delivered in video or am radio so no effort in reading needed.
Sloganism vs Research and logic. Let HCR research, we can slogan
What appeals to the great unwashed, and sadly, the great proud to be unwashed
This is so exactly correct. When will the Democrats figure out that this is the way to reach and increase an audience? Ugh.
That Mike has been immortalized in our community by an old school Republican conservative lifelong teacher. She suffered no bullshit wool pulling and referred to such political shenanigans as “fifth grade pap.” The language of imbeciles.
Every time I hear DT talking about the "witch hunt" I keep thinking it isn't a witch hunt; it is a warlock hunt unless DT is hiding his real pronouns.
Modern witches don't like the term "warlock" for a male which, claiming it is derived from an older word, "waerloga" (spelling approximate) which means "oath breaker".
Seems like that meaning fits well with this particular warlock breaking his oath of office.
A wiff of Salem nontheless, I fear, Cathy; a touch of 1640s England with Matthew Hopkins, self-styled ‘Witchfinder General’ and Salem's John Hathorne with distinct political overtones of dominance and control.
There really are no words to adequately express the waste of this s*** show.
Jim I feel like flushing this entire s++t show.