Sep
15

From time to time there are things on the news that make me yell at my television because they are so outrageous or because the media have so spun the wrong narrative that it is brainwashing the public. Cases in point:

In a photo op I watched on CBS news Trump was  handing out sandwiches or something to hurricane victims when a middle aged white man contrasted Trump’s behavior in coming out to help with Obama’s who was golfing during the last hurricane. This of course is keeping with the internet memes which show a picture of Trump helping compared with a picture of Obama playing golf. The news commentators allowed this to stand without correcting this mistaken view. There are plenty of media photos of Obama comforting victims in the aftermath of natural disasters so it would have been easy to show that this is untrue. They let this man’s untrue statement stand. I also have not heard them correcting Trump supporters who say that as president he did not visit the victims of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation when he was years away from being president at the time. I know the media cannot go around correcting every ignorant thing uttered by Trump supporters, but at least they can combat the worst of them especially when they occur during their broadcasts. When they do not, they become complicit in the spread of misinformation that it is their duty to correct.

I also yelled at my TV when an open microphone caught Sen, Chuck Schumer (D- N.Y.) saying he thought Trump liked Democrats and specifically liked him. He sounded like the unpopular person at the school dance who is so grateful that someone has paid attention to him or her that he or she mistakes that for affection. Time again again Trump has shown that he cares only for himself and those who fawn around him. He will say anything to get what he wants from you by lying to your face and then stabbing you in the back. Just ask Jeff Sessions. Sen. Schumer he is only trying to metaphorically get in your pants and get what he wants from you. He no more “likes” you than a rabid dog can. I do not recommend snuggling with one. “Dealing” in politics is common but you must have two “partners” who are honest and trustworthy to do it. You do not.

I also yelled at my TV at the news just this morning about a cop in St. Louis literally getting away with the murder of a black man. I guess there is such a thing as outrage overload. This has become so commonplace that it is difficult to muster anger about it. It is the norm and what I now expect to happen in these cases all the time. Until whites muster enough concern about police over-reach as about Colin Kapernick, this will just go on and on. As Ella Baker told us “Until the killing of black men, black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.” Job security.

Finally I yell at my TV whenever some pundit or another points to a Trump weakness which they feel might lead to the end of his presidency before 2020. This may be disillusionment among his base, rebellion from moderates in the Republican Congress, Mueller’s obstruction and Russian election influence investigations, or Democratic victories in state elections in areas where Trump drew support. This is just wishful thinking by progressives or liberals. Nowhere are clear enough signs that we can expect one of these deus ex machina (intervention from on high) solutions to end his presidency in the light of the massive outpouring of support by his voters. Unless Democrats can field appealing candidates for national offices none of that is going to matter. With only a few exceptions that does not appear to be happening. Democrats including Hillary Clinton show no understanding of why they lost. They cannot just continue business as usual or just try to win back the white working class in order to win elections. Trump’s victory is a watershed showing that drinking from the same trough as the Republicans, playing identity politics, and giving us the same old retreads will not generate the support needed to win. Even pointing out the lies and telling the truth does not seem to work.

Yelling at my TV as the indignities mount up does not seem to help anyone but me. Thank you for letting me rant at you. Perhaps you can do something to change where we are.

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