Right-Wing Media are Destroying Our Country

[zk]

For a long time I’ve been saying that the right-wing media is destroying our country. This is what I’m talking about:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/05/12/the-one-little-number-that-so-far-is-all-of-the-protection-donald-trump-needs/?utm_term=.f1e666712729

Republican voters, being human and therefore credulous and gullible, believe whatever they hear on Fox Propaganda (and Breitbart and the rest of the right-wing media). They support republicans and con man don no matter what they do, because Fox Propaganda tells them republicans and con man don are doing a great job no matter what they do.

As I’ve said before, I don’t think right-wing voters are more credulous than left-wing voters or anybody else. The difference is that there is a massive industry dedicated to right-wing propaganda.

Sure, the left has some propaganda available. But there are big differences between what’s available on the left and what’s available on the right. Mainly Fox Propaganda, but there is a lot more. Fox Propaganda is propaganda masquerading as real, hard, actual news. And it’s the go-to “news” outlet of tens of millions of Americans. The left has nothing like that. Many conservatives will tell you that all of the mainstream media is left-wing propaganda. This is because they believe whatever they hear on Fox Propaganda, which has been peddling that idea since the day they come on the air. And now, you have Breitbart and a thousand other “news” websites, all of which create an alternate universe where a right winger can find all the sources he needs to validate what he’s hearing on Fox Propaganda. Many of them have moved past Fox Propaganda and now have Breitbart and similarly virulent right-wing propaganda sites as their go-to “news” outlet. They never want or see a need to read the New York Times or the Washington Post. Why would they read actual news when they have available to them thousands of places that make them feel great about themselves and their ideas? Somewhere where everyone agrees with them?

So now we have a president with fascist tendencies, and a congress afraid to stand up to him, because it will hurt them with their base, because their base loves con man don, and they can’s see con man don for what he is because they’re watching Fox Propaganda, which is telling them how great he’s doing. He’s in the process of eliminating governmental checks on his power. There’s a good chance he’ll succeed, because nobody wants to stand up to him, because that would be an unpopular move with republican voters, who think he’s doing a great job because they watch Fox Propaganda.

What happens when you have a fascist president with greatly reduced checks on his power? Unfortunately, I think we’re about to find out. And we have right-wing media to thank.

[Anonymous]

http://www.patdollard.com/

THE WAR STARTS HERE!

[zk]

[quote=harvey]http://www.patdollard.com/

THE WAR STARTS HERE![/quote]

Yeah, then you have those sites that are just complete lunacy. But they have lots of followers. The fringe is bigger than I thought.

[Anonymous]

One of the reasons the far right has gained so much political traction is the “both sides are the same” camp – the folks who pride themselves on being “independent” and objective. Ironically they are the biggest suckers.

The typical comeback to concerns about the influence of right-wing media is an obscure example of a wacky left-wing commentator or site – “see both sides are the same!” But the right has substantial mass, their “news” shows dominate the ratings and their message is far more biased.

Moderates in America could have tremendous influence. But so many of them have been pulled right by their own desire to stay “neutral.” Of course Trump is the most glaring example of the phenomenon: his incompetence and childish behavior were so obvious from the start that any reasonable voter should have dismissed him outright. “But we have to consider both sides…”

In the real world, sometimes one of the choices really is not even worthy of consideration.

Right wing media is huge business in America. In the mainstream Fox is far bigger than CNN, and the right wing fringe sites really aren’t so fringe at all. The Pat Dollards and AM talk radio shows have millions of regular and consistent followers. There is nothing of equivalent mass on the left.

The reason for the disparity is simple: There’s more money to be made in right-wing politics. Energy companies need to trash the environment and military contractors need constant war. But you can’t sell that message directly. They’ve learned that the “look at what these unpatriotic liberals are up to now” does sell. In a big way.

[zk]

[quote=harvey]
The typical comeback to concerns about the influence of right-wing media is an obscure example of a wacky left-wing commentator or site – “see both sides are the same!” But the right has substantial mass, their “news” shows dominate the ratings and their message is far more biased.
[/quote]
Exactly.

[quote=harvey]
Right wing media is huge business in America. In the mainstream Fox is far bigger than CNN, and the right wing fringe sites really aren’t so fringe at all. The Pat Dollards and AM talk radio shows have millions of regular and consistent followers. There is nothing of equivalent mass on the left.
[/quote]
Indeed.
[quote=harvey]
The reason for the disparity is simple: There’s more money to be made in right-wing politics. Energy companies need to trash the environment and military contractors need constant war. But you can’t sell that message directly. They’ve learned that the “look at what these unpatriotic liberals are up to now” does sell. In a big way.
[/quote]
I don’t agree with the money part. I agree that there’s more money to be made in right-wing politics. And that you can’t sell that message directly. But I’m not sure how that money would get to right-wing media. I mean, military contractors and energy companies aren’t buying advertising or funding, as far as I can tell, the right-wing media in any way. I’m not sure how that would work. I wouldn’t put it past them. I’m certain they would if they could, and if it were necessary, but I don’t see how it would work.

I also don’t think it’s necessary. I think that right-wing media is extremely popular because it tells right wingers what they want to hear. It tells them they’re right about everything. It makes them feel good about themselves. It makes them feel strong and smart. It makes them feel like they’re better and stronger and manlier than whiny liberal pansies. That stuff sells. It sells way better than the truth. People flock to Fox Propaganda and Breitbart and the Drudge Report. You don’t need energy companies and military contractors to fund that. Procter and Gamble is all you need.

[FlyerInHi]

I always asserted that the bias is assymetrical.

The right wing is wackjob biased because the message works on low-education middle age men (and their women) who aspire to be important bosses. That’s why Trump speaks to them. He’s just like them but rich and powerful so people listen to him. Trump’s base feels disempowered because in a high-skills, high-education world, they have no competitive advantage.

Imagine Trump reduced to working-class. Will he have friends and family? I don’t think so.

Trump’s female base support Trump because they got knocked up by their men, so that’s all they got.

Sure, there is bias on the left too, and yes, it’s PC and condescending at times But when you have superior values, you have the right to look down. After all, traditional well to do, educated conservatives whose families have means and upbringing always looked down, but in a polite/PC manner suitable to their stations in life.

Advertisers want ratings and eyeballs. So whatever generate ratings sells.

ZK, did you read about the 2 guys who started a left wing site but nobody read it? They switched to right wing and became wildly successful.

I have friend who’s in IT. I asked him to partner with me and start a right wing site. I would write the crazy lies and conspiracies. But he has too much integrity and not all that motivated to earn money that way.

[Anonymous]

[quote=zk]I mean, military contractors and energy companies aren’t buying advertising or funding, as far as I can tell, the right-wing media in any way.[/quote]

It’s not direct advertising, but there is a community of media, corporations, and politicians that complement each other in a mutually beneficial way.

An essential element of the modern American right-wing culture is winning. The message from the right is that they are the winning team. Look at the recent healthcare legislation; the headline on Fox news was that the Republicans “scored a win.” There was no mention of what the new law even did!

In order to win in politics you need money. The corporations provide financial support to the the politicians, they win the election with their war chest and the media gets their viewership by supporting and siding with the winners (and disparaging the losers, of course.)

People don’t watch Fox or listen to talk radio to hear news, to get an update on current events. They watch Fox to cheer on their team – the winning team.

But I also agree with you that there is also plenty of incentive in simply reinforcing the mythology that you, the viewer, are one of the “Real Americans.”

[SK in CV]

It’s not just right wing media. It’s the absolutely moronic mainstream media. This from the LA Times:

Still, nothing prepared us for the magnitude of this train wreck. Like millions of other Americans, we clung to a slim hope that the new president would turn out to be all noise and bluster, or that the people around him in the White House would act as a check on his worst instincts, or that he would be sobered and transformed by the awesome responsibilities of office.

JFC. Who coulda knowed it all over again. Anyone and everyone who watched the campaign should have known exactly what was coming. Only an f’ing moron couldn’t see it coming. But they were constantly distracted by shiny but absolutely benign things. Ya know…. emails and shit.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-ed-our-dishonest-president/

[zk]

[quote=SK in CV]It’s not just right wing media. It’s the absolutely moronic mainstream media. This from the LA Times:

Still, nothing prepared us for the magnitude of this train wreck. Like millions of other Americans, we clung to a slim hope that the new president would turn out to be all noise and bluster, or that the people around him in the White House would act as a check on his worst instincts, or that he would be sobered and transformed by the awesome responsibilities of office.

JFC. Who coulda knowed it all over again. Anyone and everyone who watched the campaign should have known exactly what was coming. Only an f’ing moron couldn’t see it coming. But they were constantly distracted by shiny but absolutely benign things. Ya know…. emails and shit.

http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-ed-our-dishonest-president/%5B/quote%5D

So you’re saying the mainstream media was not harsh enough on con man don?

I think that that was definitely true in many cases. And I think the reason for that is that the constant accusations of left-wing bias from the right-wing media have cowed the mainstream media into toning down, not just in the case of con man don’s candidacy, but in general, their condemnation of any right-wing idea, policy, action, or philosophy that they (the mainstream media) see as dangerous, foolish, ignorant, wrong, or immoral.

All that said, I disagree with your assessment of the L.A. times. The quote you cite above was preceded by this:

The Times called him unprepared and unsuited for the job he was seeking, and said his election would be a “catastrophe.”

The quote I cite linked to the following article.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-hillary-endorsement-20160923-snap-story.html

To say that electing a particular candidate would be “catastrophic for the nation” is pretty heavy. Not sure how you could ask for more than that.

[FlyerInHi]

It’s not just the media but society in general.

ZK, you once said you have right wing friends. I have some too maybe, but I don’t allow allow them to speak their shit; and if they do, I would call them on what they say. And if I lose friend or family, then so be it.

As long as people make ratonial arguments then fine, but if people talk shit, they should be able to take shit back.

We don’t allow certain behavior in society, and right-wing uneducated behavior should not stand either. Liberals are too soft and weak. Not a winning strategy.

You know, iconservatives don’t believe in kindness and redemption, soft wishey-washy enforcement of the law, or engagement with adversaries. They believe is swift punitive action as deterrent. Give them what they believe in so they may learn.

[FlyerInHi]

Trump and his base keep on asserting they are unfairly treated. If anything, they are treated too nicely.

Can’t believe the coast guard graduates cheered Trump for making that laughable statement. Makes us wonder the integrity and IQ of those grads.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-claims-no-politician-in-history-has-been-treated-worse-or-more-unfairly/2017/05/17/f9c59056-3b1c-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trump-speech%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.0e55349ba310

[outtamojo]

I believe whining about how you are treated earns one the “snowflake ” label among the right so complaining about being the worst treated politician in the history of the world…

[Coronita]

you guys need a hobby. Then you can forget about what goes on in washington, and adopt my
“I don’t give a shit, it’s not my problem” attitude.

Here’s a few things you can think…

It doesn’t affect me directly, not my problem…

Let the next election sort it’s own mess out, not my problem.

Populists aren’t going to benefit from the administration…too bad.. also not my problem.

In fact, they might be worse off, after everything is done… also not my problem.

[FlyerInHi]

Flu, I sorta agree with “not my problem”. But I want to stay informed and knowledgeable about our world.

I don’t want to be the dumb shits who pontificate about Syria but don’t know the difference between Shia, Sunni and Alawites.

I’m cool as an ice cube and don’t let any of this personally upset me in any way. I find it highly entertaining. It’s like going to the zoo while reading my iPad in the toilet. I do that a lot since I eat lots of veggies.

Also, as responsible citizens we have to be angry that our country is being destroyed, but we can t be cynical or bitter.

[Coronita]

[quote=FlyerInHi]Flu, I sorta agree with “not my problem”. But I want to stay informed and knowledgeable about our world.

I don’t want to be the dumb shits who pontificate about Syria but don’t know the difference between Shia, Sunni and Alawites.

I’m cool as an ice cube and don’t let any of this personally upset me in any way. I find it highly entertaining. It’s like going to the zoo while reading my iPad in the toilet. I do that a lot since I eat lots of veggies.

Also, as responsible citizens we have to be angry that our country is being destroyed, but we can t be cynical or bitter.[/quote]

Mad? Why? There’s nothing to be mad at. This is how democracy works. If enough people want to go down a terrible path, that’s choice…. Those people voted for this. Those people deserve to have everything that’s going to happen to them. Again, not my problem.

Getting left out of trade deals that would give opportunities to middle class americans? Not my problem.

*Removing restrictions off nutritional guidelines for public school meals… Again, not my problem…My kid will brown bag their lunch.

*Removing EPA rules/ OSHA rules…CA usually leads environmental laws/workplace regulation wrto the rest of the nation (I hate CARB, but in spirit I get it)….But if we have mines that collapse in places like West VA…Again, not my problem..

*Can’t find a doctor in the rural rustbelt states, where the majority of the doctors are foreign/visa doctors who are the only ones willing to work for substandard pay in those impoverished areas… Again, not my problem.

*Want to gut obamacare so the majority of the people in this country with some sort of preexisting condition (high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity,etc)…can no longer find insurance…Again not my problem.. While we are at it, why not repeal social security too. Why should I save for other people who cannot save for themselves… Again, not my problem.

People voted for this… The WANTED it to happen… And again, not my problem.

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