The Role of Fox News in the Slow Motion Unraveling of The American Polity and Society

The following TV documentary provides a reasonably good account of the process by which Fox News became "The Trump Channel"-- ultimately making it possible for the Big Lie to spread quickly and deeply through the Right wing viewers destabilizing our polity as a result. The doc, "How Murdoch's Fox News allowed Trump's propaganda to destabilize democracy," runs about 50 minutes, and shines a light on one of the truly immoral purveyors of the ongoing Right Wing Trumpist insurgency, relying largely on insiders many of whom could not stay at Fox in good conscience. The doc goes back to the birth of the TV channel in the 90s and goes right up to the present, in which Murdoch's commitment to Trump propaganda has caused internal division within the Murdoch family-- between the brothers who were supposed to jointly inherit the business from their father. I think it's a worthwhile watch. As one interviewee puts it, "The US gave Rupert Murdoch a great deal, and he repaid it by doing America a great deal of harm."

 

Below the doc, I added a 5 minute interview with political scientist Barbara Walter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_F._Walter  who has worked with the US gov't predicting which states in the world are likely to descend into civil war and/or discord and violence. She maintains, along with others in the field, that we are so close to civil war or descent into chaos and violence that using the models developed by US intel agencies to monitor other countries, we no longer qualify as a democracy at all, but as a hybrid state "somewhere between democracy and autocracy, and edging closer and closer to autocracy."   As I have argued on this blog, the vast majority of Americans are in dangerously deep denial of this fact. I see the 2 clips (the doc and short interview) as complementary in providing insight into the current, rapid unraveling of the system here-- both the political system and the civilian population, the citizenry, the electorate, i.e. what sociologists sometimes call the "social system." When the political system breaks down, we have serious problems. But when the social system--the very medium of shared life at all levels in this country-- begins to unravel, the ensuing crisis is far more complex and difficult to address. When people are the glue, and the glue no longer holds, things can fall apart at breakneck speeds that are unforeseen by those who are unjustifiably complacent at this time. The first step is to shake these sleepwalkers from their illusory sense of security, to awaken a sense of just what is actually at stake here and now-- US Society and government as we have known them.

 

 

 

 

 

Please leave any comments on these topics. I would be very interested in any practical suggestions as to how we might issue a warning that will be taken seriously, hopefully snapping some Americans out of their induced state of hypnosis as the institutions that hold us together show serious signs of imminent decay.

The final collapse of ethics and rationality in government

I can see clearly and I like what I see!

Neoliberalism: a political approach that favors free-market capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending; neoliberalism is a political development of capitalism and a political and economic ideology that seeks to (i) maximize the freedom of the market by removing barriers to the private accumulation of wealth, and (ii) become a power over and above the state directed to the ends of profit without government interference; neoliberalism opposes regulation over which it has no control; the controlling ethic of capitalism is prudence which leads to wealth, but the ethic of neoliberalism is the accumulation of wealth for its own sake which leads to political power; neoliberalism, as the de facto only available political and economic option has had catastrophic effects on society and the environment 

People who do not believe in ethics in government finally got almost everything they wanted. The complete withdrawal of restraints on insider stock trading by politicians and government employees is on the horizon. In this case, the Democratic Party is squarely on the side of corruption. About all that's left of government ethics, now an oxymoron, is legalization of federal employees and politicians to have the right to shoot people dead in broad daylight for any or no reason. And even that restraint questionable. The ex-president never tested it. Maybe it's just a mirage.

Rich people in the Democratic Party leadership sure do seem to be hard core neoliberals. A Washington Post opinion piece comments on the attack on a feeble (now apparently mostly ignored) law that bans insider trading law by federal employees and elected politicians:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stunned a lot of Americans this past week when she ardently defended the right of lawmakers — and their spouses — to buy and sell stocks while they serve in Congress.

“We’re a free-market economy. They should be able to participate in that,” Ms. Pelosi told reporters.

She should have advocated for tighter scrutiny on congressional trading. Even better would be a full ban on individual stock trades for members of Congress.

There’s a big catch to Ms. Pelosi’s “free-market economy” claim: U.S. representatives and senators have access to a lot of confidential, nonpublic information. That gives them an unfair advantage in trading.

Walter Shaub, former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, put it this way in a tweet: “It’s a ridiculous comment! She might as well have said ‘let them eat cake.’ Sure, it’s a free-market economy. But your average schmuck doesn’t get confidential briefings from government experts chock full of nonpublic information directly related to the price of stocks.”

When members of the general public trade on nonpublic information, they go to jail for it (just ask Martha Stewart). It’s theoretically possible to go after members of Congress for trading on insider information as well, but that has proved extremely difficult.  

In 2012, lawmakers passed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or “Stock Act.” It forbids members of Congress and staffers from trading on confidential information they learn on the job. It also requires them to report all trades within 45 days. The hope was that shining light on trades would be enough to prevent questionable — or outright wrong — trading. So far, the track record is thin.

Lawmakers from both parties made hundreds of stock trades in the early months of 2020 as they were receiving closed-door briefings about the coronavirus. While most of these lawmakers were not accused of doing anything wrong, it certainly gives a poor impression of where their priorities were during a massive crisis.

Furthermore, an investigation by Insider found that at least 49 members of Congress and 182 staff members were late in filing their stock trade reports in the past two years. Both Democrats and Republicans are on the naughty list.[1] There is no public record of whether they paid fines for filing late.

The irrationality of Pelosi’s argument is stunning: “We’re a free-market economy. They should be able to participate in that.” 

Oops, is this over the top?

She sounds like a blithering Republican politician telling us that no one can look at the ex-president’s tax returns or investigate the 1/6 coup attempt. In this matter, Pelosi is not on the side of the American people or honest governance. She’s on the side of rich people, government corruption and making rich people richer via government corruption.

If people in congress can do insider trading, why can’t the rest of us? We would be prosecuted for insider trading if we got caught. Unfortunately, most of the rest of us, maybe about 75%, do not have significant insider information worth trading on. It would not help most of us. Just the insiders would have a shot at making money in insider-informed trades where the insider gains and the outsider on the other side of the trade loses. That is what asymmetry in information can do for a person. Maybe that is why someone once said, I think, ‘knowledge is power and wealth.’[2] That looks, quacks and walks like neoliberalism.

Questions:

1. Is Pelosi just a rich neoliberal looking out for her class, i.e., rich people, and/or is she something else, e.g., irrational, senile and/or confused?

2. Since tax cheats make off with about ~$1.2 trillion annually, should Pelosi argue that paying federal taxes is optional for just federal employees and politicians, or for everyone? 

3. Is what’s good for the goose (rich people), also good for the gander (the rest of us), or, as Joe Manchin believes, the gander cannot be trusted to spend money wisely so the less of it they have, the better it is for the goose, specifically the goose named Joe Manchin?

Footnote: 

1. This is an instance of unwarranted opacity in government. We do not know if anyone on the naughty list paid the fine for not reporting their trades. Of course, the fine for a first violation is a piddly $200. It makes one wonder what congress thinks, if anything, when it passes laws. A $200 fine is not a real penalty, it is an undersized fig leaf and an insult to honest Americans who actually still believe in the rule of law, feeble as it now is.

2. If someone didn’t say it, then I just did. Come to think of it, the big three are generally interchangeable. The mathematics of it, derived according to the logic by my illegal, unpaid minions is this:

knowledge ≈ power ≈ wealth

The ≈ symbol means about the same as, or “generally interchangeable.” 

Sorry for the deep mathematics here, but sometimes one just has to get their hands dirty because even though the job is dirty, it needs to be done.

The big three tend to go hand in hand. An increase in one tends to increase the other two. At least, that’s what the math says and math doesn’t lie or make mistakes.

Here's to a little more common sense and good will and a little less angst and celebrity fandom

 Right on the money. Since I could not have written a better op-ed, I will just post this one from Julie Doll

https://www.cjonline.com/story/opinion/2021/12/17/christmas-wish-list-includes-less-angst-scandals-and-more-expertise/8931844002/

It’s almost Christmas, which means it’s time for our wish lists. Mine starts with what should be an easy one.

I wish people would stop trashing our country. Litter and pet feces make our neighborhoods, our countryside and our society look dirty, tacky, inconsiderate and careless.

That people refuse to do something so simple — dispose of trash appropriately — suggests that perhaps our nation deserves some of those adjectives.

I wish that the stupid things people say or do — including things from more than a decade ago — were not so often hyped into national scandals.

Because we are part of a culture focused on churning up digital anger and angst, regrettable emails, tweets and other actions are blown up into sins against humanity. Further, the blunders or offensive antics of one person are claimed to be representative of whole categories of people.

The traffickers in exaggerated scandals are often as destructive and judgmental as the people they target.

I wish people could distinguish between wealth and intelligence. Just because someone is rich doesn’t mean they are smart, or even savvy about business. Usually it means their family and their bankers have hired competent people to look after the money.

I also wish people were better at separating fame and expertise. An NFL quarterback, for example, may be a genius about football, but that doesn’t mean you should listen to his advice about contagious diseases.

Americans are too enamored of celebrities. We buy their useless health products, call on them to testify before Congress, solicit their advice on national policies and admire them for their political activities.

I wish we were better at recognizing and appreciating true expertise, even when the experts tell us things we do not want to hear.

Experts aren’t always right, and they will be the first to tell you that. But they are far superior to the pretenders who promote themselves by trashing expertise, knowledge and science.

I wish people would be more considerate about using their key fobs to lock/unlock their cars. Honking your horn after 10 p.m. is not a neighborly thing to do, unless it’s a true emergency.

I wish every political debate did not have to be framed as either-or. Like Columbus Day or Indigenous People Day. Socialism or Capitalism. No gun restrictions or no guns at all. It makes us look simple-minded.

I wish we would stop trying to make heroes out of men who shoot unarmed people.

It now may be legal to shoot and kill someone because you are fearful of the situation you helped create, or because you’re afraid of the person you provoked. But it is not an act of heroism.

I wish there was more enforcement of traffic laws, such as speeding, distracted driving and aggressive driving.

Our roads are growing more dangerous, as evidenced by an 18% increase in traffic fatalities during the first six months of 2021. Bad drivers and bad driving have wiped out two decades of progress.

I wish the best to local newspapers, journalists and journalistic endeavors striving to succeed in the 21st century.

Lots of different ideas are being tried, but the goal ought to be the same for the varied approaches: Not only to help good journalists make a living but also to deliver credible, reliable local news and information, which are vital to sustaining strong communities.

Now a resident of Arizona, Doll is a native of Garden City, Kansas. A former journalist, she worked at newspapers in Kansas, California, New York and Indiana.

Republican talking point: You're playing into their hands, don't do it even though we told you to

Angry Republicans

In the last couple of months a possibly new, Republican Party talking point has occasionally bubbled up in Republican extremist rhetoric. If real, this beast is ice cold, cynical and cruel.  Crackpot and hateful comments from the Republican rank and file are being pushed back against as "You're playing into their hands," referring to the rhetorical value those comments give to Democrats.

Two examples make the cynicism and cruelty of this Republican propaganda tactic clear.

Republican opposition to COVID vaccines plays into their hands

This Tweet says it.

'You’re playing right into their hands' when you doubt the vaccine, President Trump says. pic.twitter.com/xJc7JTL0cR

— No Spin News (@NoSpinNews) December 20, 2021

The ex-president's propaganda advisors have convinced him (i) to reverse course and embrace COVID vaccines as his great idea, and (ii) tell people in crowds not to question, reject or attack the vaccines because 'You’re playing right into their hands.' Even while saying that, the ex-president still undercut the vaccines by opposing mandates: "You're playing right into their hands when you sort of like, 'Oh the vaccine.' If you don't want to take it, you shouldn't be forced to take it. No mandates," he said, as the crowd cheered."

One source comments: Federal research has found Trump’s views played a significant role in spreading misinformation and fomenting the response to vaccines he was fighting at Sunday’s event. While in office, he downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus early in the pandemic, repeatedly saying it would just “go away,” even as infections and deaths swelled. He flouted his own administration’s safety protocols by holding large rallies and packing the White House with unmasked guests. He and former first lady Melania Trump got vaccinated in private before leaving office, . . .

There is not one shred of Republican concern for anything other than propaganda value for Republicans. Human deaths, injuries and economic damage are not part of Republican thinking. Political concerns are relevant, not collateral damage. 

Death threats play into their hands

Another example is when rank and file Republicans in public crowds raise the matter of when it is time to shoot evil, tyrant Democrats dead. One source comments about a Republican rally in Arizona from last October: 

“At this point, we're living under corporate and medical fascism. This is tyranny. When do we get to use the guns?” the man asked, to applause from the crowd. “No, and I’m not – that’s not a joke. I’m not saying it like that. I mean, literally, where’s the line? How many elections are they going to steal before we kill these people?”

Kirk quickly denounced the man’s comments, .... “You’re playing into all their plans, and they’re trying to make you do this … ,” Kirk said. “They are trying to provoke you and everyone here. They are trying to make you do something that will be violent that will justify a takeover of your freedoms and liberties, the likes of which we have never seen.”  

Sorry, Charlie, but “they” – whoever they are – aren’t responsible for the fact that your supporters are now asking when they should start shooting their fellow Americans. 

You own this, pal. You and Donald Trump, who has staged a year-long temper tantrum, unable to accept the fact that he lost the election.

You and all of the Republican leaders and aspiring leaders across the country who have promoted the Big Lie or remained silent, declining to stand up to the wanna-be emperor and tell him to put some damn clothes on.

Dissident Politics analysis

Clearly, Republican politicians, propagandists and financial backers have come to realize that rank and file GOP folks should not publicly say any of the most cruel, violent and/or grossly idiotic things things the GOP and ex-president have been publicly preaching for years. All those nasty propaganda effort chickens are home roosting and it isn't setting well with elite Republican propagandists and strategists. Apparently they fear a backlash and loss of some votes. 

In particular, neither the ex-president nor Mr. Kirk expressed any negative moral response about refusing vaccines or shooting evil tyrant Democratic socialists-communists dead. Their concern was only partisan political. Dead citizens and Democrats are just fine, but just don't say it in public.

Questions: 

1. Is that analysis just over the top hyperbole or pure lies, or is it a plausible description of the hard core, radical right or fascist Republican ideologue mindset?

2. Is the 'you're playing into their hands' tactic to try to tamp down some of the savage rank and file rhetoric just a one-off sort of thing and not really representative of the mindset behind the Republican propaganda and talking points political war on political opposition, truth and democracy? 

Local GOP Officials Fueled Supporters' Rage ahead of the 

Jan. 6 coup attempt