Once again, the mass media are calling these “violent protests”, and tacitly giving cover for Trump despite no evidence that the protests have scaled to the point where the National Guard is even necessary. This will do little but embolden Trump to expand the use of these tactics to other cities, especially if he’s going to have majority support from the voting base.
2/3 of the voters are either “not sure” or are actively supporting ICE and the Trump administration. He is literally marching in authoritarianism to thunderous applause. Worse, only 58% of Democrats approve of the protests. Which means 42% are either indifferent or are actively supporting ICE.
The more Trump marches in authoritarianism, the more people on both sides of the aisle seem to be stepping aside and saying “Right this way, sir.”
The media/news organizations haven’t been the fourth estate in thirty years. They are a propagandist arm of the state rather than a check to balance the state.
It’s dumbfounding. But my expectations for people are low - they can be, and are, manipulated. Full stop. I’d love to fix that, but for the moment, this is a media problem. Clicks, views, engagement - all are supercharged by creating a perception of violence.
I’m sure many of these reporters are trying their best, but as you note, the simple recurring editorial adjectival choice of “violent” instead of “peaceful” can move the needle significantly. We’re walking on a razor’s edge and the smallest breeze is all it takes to lose the country - if only the mass media understood this.
A few things to note.
Once again, the mass media are calling these “violent protests”, and tacitly giving cover for Trump despite no evidence that the protests have scaled to the point where the National Guard is even necessary. This will do little but embolden Trump to expand the use of these tactics to other cities, especially if he’s going to have majority support from the voting base.
2/3 of the voters are either “not sure” or are actively supporting ICE and the Trump administration. He is literally marching in authoritarianism to thunderous applause. Worse, only 58% of Democrats approve of the protests. Which means 42% are either indifferent or are actively supporting ICE.
The more Trump marches in authoritarianism, the more people on both sides of the aisle seem to be stepping aside and saying “Right this way, sir.”
The media/news organizations haven’t been the fourth estate in thirty years. They are a propagandist arm of the state rather than a check to balance the state.
It doesn’t really matter the approval rates. How much of global population approves of what any activist does? What matters is what we think.
It’s dumbfounding. But my expectations for people are low - they can be, and are, manipulated. Full stop. I’d love to fix that, but for the moment, this is a media problem. Clicks, views, engagement - all are supercharged by creating a perception of violence.
I’m sure many of these reporters are trying their best, but as you note, the simple recurring editorial adjectival choice of “violent” instead of “peaceful” can move the needle significantly. We’re walking on a razor’s edge and the smallest breeze is all it takes to lose the country - if only the mass media understood this.
Actually, they do understand it. They just don’t care, because they simultaneously profit off of it. CBS openly admitted it.