I’ve come to believe that the leadership quality of candidates has steadily declined since we started seeing televised “debates.” And selecting presidential candidates via multiple state primaries is a recipe for disaster.
Ridiculous spectacle is one of the means that the tool of corrupt oligarchs known as the Republican House Caucus uses to confuse and demoralize Americans to delegitimize government in the service of the deconstruction of democracy.
Sean Hannity is so nauseating! Plus, he’s a real lover of the spotlight! Just don’t see how anyone can trust him because, like Trump, he’s only looking out for himself! However, he fits in with most of his Fox cohorts!
It is very helpful to read your commentary on Fox News role in destabilizing our democracy. What kinds of actions would help to counteract this phenomena? Are mass demonstrations needed to overwhelm the media focus on spectacle and to demand responsible news commentary and political leadership by calling the Republican party and the major media to account? Are there recent historical examples of successful efforts to counter such abuses of sound governance as Hannity's manipulations?
Feels like a game of older sibling bullying "Why you hitting yourself, Why you hitting yourself"?
These jerks degrade our government and then point at it with disgust, pointing out how degraded it is. They manipulate the media into their elite mouthpieces, then lament that the media is broken and not serving middle interests. They make our government totally dysfunctional then complain how dysfunctional government is.
I'm so stinkin tired of it. Why can't we just have basic, earnestly executed law enforcement to at least try to take a bite out of this authoritarian attack? SO FRUSTRATING.
Yes, I saw that and could not agree more. It’s interesting that you would use the word spectacle too, because I was just listening to an amazing man called Richard Rohr, who was talking about the disguises that evil puts on to fool us. He was talking about how we prefer spectacle over the more subtle and muddy aspects of reality. Good (in this case) is loud, charismatic, engaging and promoted - solving complexities with pat answers - especially ones that demonize others. Evil, I guess, is anything else. I laughed and cringed when Trump said, in his announcement speech that we were miserable. We just didn’t realize it yet.
The whole GOP/MAGA scenario makes me sick. McCarney always has his body turned as if to make a quick exit whenever he is being questioned. Hannity broadcasting from the Capitol was shocking and deeply disturbing to me. Isn't MTG sitting on the Oversight and Homeland Security Commission a threat to our own national security? They all want to make Bannon's objective of bringing down the government a reality.
Seems like the spectacle and lies are part of the continuous performance of anti-democratic ritual that serves to keep the believers in their trance. People aren't as stupid as they seem, they are just spellbound. We need democracy inducing rites to snap people out of it (or maybe an exorcism!).
As I said yesterday, whenever the state melds with a privately owned media company or any privately owned company, in this case to disseminate propaganda and disinformation for a particular political party, it should be seen as an element of fascism.
When our media does not show all candidates for president equally, we run the risk of having candidates and presidents that only the media approves. If our corporate based media does not like a candidate that shows disdain for corporatocracy, we will see elected officials that favor corporate power. Our plutocratic oligarchy needs to maintain itself, and it does it via the media. Unfortunately, there is a strong connection between coporate power and fascism. It's no accident that one of the first actions taken by Trump, was lowering the corporate tax rate... A quid pro quo.
You will notice that Fox and Newsmax have plenty of corporate sponsors. If we had no fascism advocates in the corporate arena, these news shows would not get sponsored and would not be on the air.
And yet earlier in the year in the wake of poor midterm election results, Murdoch's media outlets were all poo pooing Trump. On the cover of the NY Post Humpty Trumpy had a great fall couldn't build a great wall etc. Were typical headlines of how Trump had lost luster and was seen as a loser for the party. Now Kevin McCarthy and his extremist band of MAGA fascists in the house are getting gung-ho support and coverage from the great Murdock media empire to further disseminate Republican propaganda, lies and conspiracy theories. It was earlier reported that Murdoch was done with Trump and wanted to move on. I wonder if there is a slow motion snap back going on?
Sadly it's not just Fox or even the rest of the right wing media ecosystem. The corporate media is just as guilty. Everyone from Chuck Todd to Jake Tapper to the former GOP operatives on MSNBC turn everything into "both sides" even when there is no justification for both sides. During the entirety of the Trump years (we won't even go back to Nixon, Raygun, and W) the corporate media bent over backwards to create false equivalency. Sucking up to Putin, just like Carter negotiating with Sadat. Making Kim Jong Un into a statesman, just like Obama doing the Iran Deal. Trump's non-stop lies, well all politicians lie. (and don't get me started on George Santos) The failure of the Fourth Estate to speak truth to power when Republicans hold that power is killing us, and is killing democracy because keeps too many Americans from knowing what's really going on.
I'm old enough to remember that public sentiment turned hard against the Vietnam War when Walter Cronkite did his reporting from the war, and blew up the bullshit that was being spewed by Gen. Westmoreland and Lyndon Johnson. We need a new Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow to cut thru the bothsiderism and give us the unvarnished facts.
Thank you Ruth for sharing this important essay with us. This essay is both compelling and horrifying all at the same time. I am gobsmacked at how our democracy has been manipulated, degraded and destabilized. I’ve come to believe “political leadership” is an oxymoron of the worst kind
As I watch Nicole Wallace interview Eric Swalwell about “Insurrection, LLC”, the new House majority, I am thinking I want to cry. I never cry about politics. I’m angry, but weeping like one does after a loved one dies or hearing of a mass school shooting or the ambush and murder of a black man out for a jog, is not what I should be experiencing when the other party in Congress gets to make the rules! This is madness! FOX is madness! FOX is news is madness! MJT, Gosar, Perry Santos (or whatever the fork his name is) are madness! Nihilists in the House are madness! Stupidity on full display is madness! And now, business as usual is madness!
As a therapist by training and experience, I know that anger and sadness intersect in the emotional sphere. I also know we say, “take care of ourselves, take a break”. I’ve done that. It’s not helpful because when I return, I return to unfathomable MADNESS! I won’t say it’s can’t get worse because we should know by now that it will.
I’m venting. I know what I need to do and the actions I will continue to do moving forward, but holy S***! This is MADNESS!
I’ve come to believe that the leadership quality of candidates has steadily declined since we started seeing televised “debates.” And selecting presidential candidates via multiple state primaries is a recipe for disaster.
Ridiculous spectacle is one of the means that the tool of corrupt oligarchs known as the Republican House Caucus uses to confuse and demoralize Americans to delegitimize government in the service of the deconstruction of democracy.
Sean Hannity is so nauseating! Plus, he’s a real lover of the spotlight! Just don’t see how anyone can trust him because, like Trump, he’s only looking out for himself! However, he fits in with most of his Fox cohorts!
It is very helpful to read your commentary on Fox News role in destabilizing our democracy. What kinds of actions would help to counteract this phenomena? Are mass demonstrations needed to overwhelm the media focus on spectacle and to demand responsible news commentary and political leadership by calling the Republican party and the major media to account? Are there recent historical examples of successful efforts to counter such abuses of sound governance as Hannity's manipulations?
Feels like a game of older sibling bullying "Why you hitting yourself, Why you hitting yourself"?
These jerks degrade our government and then point at it with disgust, pointing out how degraded it is. They manipulate the media into their elite mouthpieces, then lament that the media is broken and not serving middle interests. They make our government totally dysfunctional then complain how dysfunctional government is.
I'm so stinkin tired of it. Why can't we just have basic, earnestly executed law enforcement to at least try to take a bite out of this authoritarian attack? SO FRUSTRATING.
Yes, I saw that and could not agree more. It’s interesting that you would use the word spectacle too, because I was just listening to an amazing man called Richard Rohr, who was talking about the disguises that evil puts on to fool us. He was talking about how we prefer spectacle over the more subtle and muddy aspects of reality. Good (in this case) is loud, charismatic, engaging and promoted - solving complexities with pat answers - especially ones that demonize others. Evil, I guess, is anything else. I laughed and cringed when Trump said, in his announcement speech that we were miserable. We just didn’t realize it yet.
On and on…
The whole GOP/MAGA scenario makes me sick. McCarney always has his body turned as if to make a quick exit whenever he is being questioned. Hannity broadcasting from the Capitol was shocking and deeply disturbing to me. Isn't MTG sitting on the Oversight and Homeland Security Commission a threat to our own national security? They all want to make Bannon's objective of bringing down the government a reality.
Seems like the spectacle and lies are part of the continuous performance of anti-democratic ritual that serves to keep the believers in their trance. People aren't as stupid as they seem, they are just spellbound. We need democracy inducing rites to snap people out of it (or maybe an exorcism!).
Yes, and it’s actually Fox Entertainment. That’s how they get away with some of these ridiculous and dangerous spectacles .
As I said yesterday, whenever the state melds with a privately owned media company or any privately owned company, in this case to disseminate propaganda and disinformation for a particular political party, it should be seen as an element of fascism.
When our media does not show all candidates for president equally, we run the risk of having candidates and presidents that only the media approves. If our corporate based media does not like a candidate that shows disdain for corporatocracy, we will see elected officials that favor corporate power. Our plutocratic oligarchy needs to maintain itself, and it does it via the media. Unfortunately, there is a strong connection between coporate power and fascism. It's no accident that one of the first actions taken by Trump, was lowering the corporate tax rate... A quid pro quo.
You will notice that Fox and Newsmax have plenty of corporate sponsors. If we had no fascism advocates in the corporate arena, these news shows would not get sponsored and would not be on the air.
And yet earlier in the year in the wake of poor midterm election results, Murdoch's media outlets were all poo pooing Trump. On the cover of the NY Post Humpty Trumpy had a great fall couldn't build a great wall etc. Were typical headlines of how Trump had lost luster and was seen as a loser for the party. Now Kevin McCarthy and his extremist band of MAGA fascists in the house are getting gung-ho support and coverage from the great Murdock media empire to further disseminate Republican propaganda, lies and conspiracy theories. It was earlier reported that Murdoch was done with Trump and wanted to move on. I wonder if there is a slow motion snap back going on?
Sadly it's not just Fox or even the rest of the right wing media ecosystem. The corporate media is just as guilty. Everyone from Chuck Todd to Jake Tapper to the former GOP operatives on MSNBC turn everything into "both sides" even when there is no justification for both sides. During the entirety of the Trump years (we won't even go back to Nixon, Raygun, and W) the corporate media bent over backwards to create false equivalency. Sucking up to Putin, just like Carter negotiating with Sadat. Making Kim Jong Un into a statesman, just like Obama doing the Iran Deal. Trump's non-stop lies, well all politicians lie. (and don't get me started on George Santos) The failure of the Fourth Estate to speak truth to power when Republicans hold that power is killing us, and is killing democracy because keeps too many Americans from knowing what's really going on.
I'm old enough to remember that public sentiment turned hard against the Vietnam War when Walter Cronkite did his reporting from the war, and blew up the bullshit that was being spewed by Gen. Westmoreland and Lyndon Johnson. We need a new Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow to cut thru the bothsiderism and give us the unvarnished facts.
Thank you Ruth for sharing this important essay with us. This essay is both compelling and horrifying all at the same time. I am gobsmacked at how our democracy has been manipulated, degraded and destabilized. I’ve come to believe “political leadership” is an oxymoron of the worst kind
As I watch Nicole Wallace interview Eric Swalwell about “Insurrection, LLC”, the new House majority, I am thinking I want to cry. I never cry about politics. I’m angry, but weeping like one does after a loved one dies or hearing of a mass school shooting or the ambush and murder of a black man out for a jog, is not what I should be experiencing when the other party in Congress gets to make the rules! This is madness! FOX is madness! FOX is news is madness! MJT, Gosar, Perry Santos (or whatever the fork his name is) are madness! Nihilists in the House are madness! Stupidity on full display is madness! And now, business as usual is madness!
As a therapist by training and experience, I know that anger and sadness intersect in the emotional sphere. I also know we say, “take care of ourselves, take a break”. I’ve done that. It’s not helpful because when I return, I return to unfathomable MADNESS! I won’t say it’s can’t get worse because we should know by now that it will.
I’m venting. I know what I need to do and the actions I will continue to do moving forward, but holy S***! This is MADNESS!
Spellbinding summary of the root problem.