"Many critics have put this down to an active conspiracy, and there certainly are editors and journalists who misled their readers about what they were seeing and hearing."
I'm thinking of a point Charles Lipson just made in the Spectator.
As he notes, the Washington Post just published an article about the Clooney fundraiser, asserting that everyone there was shocked by Biden's decrepitude and unfitness for office. But in real time they had a reporter covering the event, Yasmeen Abutaleb, who wrote *not a word* about this. She was either the least perceptive person at that event, or she decided to lie to the public, but either way she has no business working as a journalist.
Yes, absolutely. There were some people who knew and kept silent because they somehow thought this was how they'd help save democracy, or whatever. But my sense is that there were even more people who didn't want to know, or talked themselves into not believing it, or didn't even have the instinct to look.
Yascha thanks... my politics lie right of the centre of politics but you who is left of that line politically, are honest, which cannot be said for 80% of the rest of the Left leaning MSM, as you yourself have pointed out. To develop trust in the NEWS we are given, we readers need confidence that we are not being fed a non-contested, constant propaganda narrative. One doesn't have to remind you of the consequences of blanketing, clever, manipulation propaganda in your own country of birth in the 1930's. One would like to read how the MSM of the West came to be dominated by those Left of the line in politics? No doubt there are many books that try and explain this phenomenon? Agree, Substack and other platforms that have sprung up in the past decade or so in opposition to the modern day, stifling propaganda of the MSM, which is a breath of fresh air to the intelligence and support of those readers, seeking "balance" to be able to come to some conclusions about the veracity, and the truth of what is presented in any article.. Keep up the good work. 😐
I hate saying it but yes Biden should pull out. But I don’t think it’s a surprise at all that his decline wasn’t covered. It’s always the case that the more invested one is in the structure of today - what ever that is - the more one is likely to refuse to imagine any different structure. And prominent media people (also prominent political scientists, and everyone else who has sort of made it in todays world) simply can’t imagine anything really different. So are we willing to imagine a truly autocratic president, are we willing to imagine that democracy is actually imperiled, are,we willing to imagine the country breaking up? Nope. And not’ surprisingly for,example, The Times executive editor went out of his way a few weeks ago,to say democracy wasn’t important.
Yes, lack of imagination is can at times be as big a danger as ill will. (I think Joe Kahn was actually trying to say something more reasonable than you give him credit for, but that debate is for another day!)
I thought he was muscle flexing and got carried away with his own tough guyness. ‘No matter what you may think we’re not going to cover democracy. We don’t think it matters. ‘ And it is the case that the Times has approached Trump and this election as just another one.
Happy to read you. Also glad I have full access as a Persuasion subscriber.
Thanks for supporting Persuasion's mission, and welcome to the community!
Glad to see you here, Yascha!
Thanks, Michelle! Say hi to Albert for me!
he says hello back! he's in berlin for a conference now. hope you're doing well and i'm looking forward to reading your writing.
Can’t wait! Mahalo nui for all your work from Hawaii!🤙
Thank you very much, and welcome to the community! 😊
I am looking forward to it.
Me too! :)
Grateful that you are here. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind words! Welcome to the community.
This is a great idea. You are uniquely qualified to fill the giant void in intellectual exploration and civil discourse.
Thank you so much for your exceedingly kind words. Welcome to the community!
Thank you Yascha! Looking forward to reading this!
Thank you! I'll do my best not to disappoint.
"Many critics have put this down to an active conspiracy, and there certainly are editors and journalists who misled their readers about what they were seeing and hearing."
I'm thinking of a point Charles Lipson just made in the Spectator.
https://thespectator.com/topic/washington-post-imitates-babylon-bee-la/
As he notes, the Washington Post just published an article about the Clooney fundraiser, asserting that everyone there was shocked by Biden's decrepitude and unfitness for office. But in real time they had a reporter covering the event, Yasmeen Abutaleb, who wrote *not a word* about this. She was either the least perceptive person at that event, or she decided to lie to the public, but either way she has no business working as a journalist.
Yes, absolutely. There were some people who knew and kept silent because they somehow thought this was how they'd help save democracy, or whatever. But my sense is that there were even more people who didn't want to know, or talked themselves into not believing it, or didn't even have the instinct to look.
Yascha thanks... my politics lie right of the centre of politics but you who is left of that line politically, are honest, which cannot be said for 80% of the rest of the Left leaning MSM, as you yourself have pointed out. To develop trust in the NEWS we are given, we readers need confidence that we are not being fed a non-contested, constant propaganda narrative. One doesn't have to remind you of the consequences of blanketing, clever, manipulation propaganda in your own country of birth in the 1930's. One would like to read how the MSM of the West came to be dominated by those Left of the line in politics? No doubt there are many books that try and explain this phenomenon? Agree, Substack and other platforms that have sprung up in the past decade or so in opposition to the modern day, stifling propaganda of the MSM, which is a breath of fresh air to the intelligence and support of those readers, seeking "balance" to be able to come to some conclusions about the veracity, and the truth of what is presented in any article.. Keep up the good work. 😐
I hate saying it but yes Biden should pull out. But I don’t think it’s a surprise at all that his decline wasn’t covered. It’s always the case that the more invested one is in the structure of today - what ever that is - the more one is likely to refuse to imagine any different structure. And prominent media people (also prominent political scientists, and everyone else who has sort of made it in todays world) simply can’t imagine anything really different. So are we willing to imagine a truly autocratic president, are we willing to imagine that democracy is actually imperiled, are,we willing to imagine the country breaking up? Nope. And not’ surprisingly for,example, The Times executive editor went out of his way a few weeks ago,to say democracy wasn’t important.
Yes, lack of imagination is can at times be as big a danger as ill will. (I think Joe Kahn was actually trying to say something more reasonable than you give him credit for, but that debate is for another day!)
I thought he was muscle flexing and got carried away with his own tough guyness. ‘No matter what you may think we’re not going to cover democracy. We don’t think it matters. ‘ And it is the case that the Times has approached Trump and this election as just another one.
BC.... you nailed it.... see my comment above...😒