There's a middle ground between demeaning Trump supporters (stupid, delusional) and glamorizing them (patriots, ardent in their beliefs) that has escaped the media. Blue collar guys eating in diners and driving pickup trucks are no more - and no less - "American" than the people who program computers or teach philosophy at an Ivy League school. The diner crowd is a caricature that the media is using as a device...not to bridge or understand a political divide, but to sustain it.
This does it. I am uninstalling the Times app on my phones and deactivating my digital subscription through PayPal. Done. If I need to know about future Times journalistic malfeasance I can count on Eric pointing it out. I don't need to continue to contribute to the Times' campaign for the death of democracy.
Regarding "NY Times fawns over Trump's insurrection...", one is reminded of a 1938 magazine article Good Housekeeping did on Hitler showing him relaxing at his home in the Bavarian Alps. Same normalizing of a fascist leader as Sunday's front-page story in the New York Times. Then in 2025 the Times will have one of their classic 20-20 hindsight articles in which they fault everyone but themselves for the death of democracy in this country.
A mystery or something to ponder: The media love to profile MAGAts and conservatives yet consistently ignore the supermajorities who want, say, affordable healthcare or whatever other progressive policy both parties ignore or refuse to provide. In other words, why do the media consistently ignore the majority of the nation's people?
Back in December when the media was obsessing about the supposedly bad jobs number I heard Austen Goolsbee explain that they should calm down because recent monthly numbers have had to be revised upward. He explained a major reason for the upward revision is the record number of new businesses being formed. He explained that those new businesses are not included in the survey of employers that they jobs number is based on.
Funny how most of the media has chosen to ignore this impressive news about record new businesses. You know if that had happened under Trump they would have been shouting it from the rooftops. Instead we have a media deeply committed to the dishonest “Biden is failing on the economy” frame. Then they act surprised that Biden’s poll numbers on handling the economy keep dropping.
Imagine if reporters had been making it clear that inflation is being caused mostly by our strong GDP and jobs growth and the resulting supply chain problems. I doubt that most are even aware just how good our economy is or that many would say they prefer higher unemployment and anemic growth to inflation.
Unfortunately for our democracy our childish media thinks there is a quick and easy solution to this temporary problem but Biden is refusing to apply it.
Adding insult to injury the NYT also printed a long piece on the anxieties of “independents” in the Sunday Review. There was not one Democratic leaning independent in the bunch.
My only guess, and to defend the Times, is that all these years later there is still this desperation to figure these people out. Why are people that are comfortable or living overall good lives, the economic anxiety theory has been debunked, so angry. For example, that woman in Virginia that threatened to bring her guns to school over wearing masks. This person had a nice job working for her dad's dental practice. Why so angry. And they all make no sense. They talk about freedom and liberty but want to live in a police state. They mock cancel culture yet want to burn books. They say they are angry that the government does not care about them but then vote for a party that does not care about them.
And also, the big one, even given the issues, even if you could some how understand their anger, why, why, do they follow an absolute idiot.
Can you imagine what would have happened on Jan. 6 if DC allowed the open carry of firearms? Remember the scenes at state capitols in Michigan and Wisconsin No one in the press ever mentions this fact.
I get the need to understand and expose the motivations of the insurrectionists, but the NYT is over the top on this. how many times can you interview Trump supporters in the heartland? where are the articles about the many people who voted for Trump in 2016 but have broken off support from him? If you look at the voting results, they are out there. there's a good chance that Trump will break the R party into two, which would be fine with me. where are the articles about that?
Anyone who was on Capitol grounds that day committed an illegal breach -- it wasn't just those that made it inside the building. The crowds of tresspassers made it all but impossible for law enforcement to get to the building and secure the entrances from outside. But the Times ignores those obvious facts,. and pretends that those who impeded law enforcement efforts did nothing wrong.
As a non-American, it's both frustrating and disappointing to see a country I once admired for its supposed democratic values become embroiled in hatred & division because a loud & vocal minority of white people are unable to confront your country's racist past, and unable to accept a present & future with a diversity of ethnicity, culture, religion, thought, gender identity & expression.
It's made worse because your country's mainstream media isn't doing their job of telling it like it is. They're too busy creating a false narrative of failing presidency which means they ignore or downplay the positive economic news claiming they're "balanced" while somehow acknowledging the crisis in American democracy, but not actually confronting the members of a political party-turned- cult of personality who are pushing the "Big Lie" of an unhinged narcissist.
There's a middle ground between demeaning Trump supporters (stupid, delusional) and glamorizing them (patriots, ardent in their beliefs) that has escaped the media. Blue collar guys eating in diners and driving pickup trucks are no more - and no less - "American" than the people who program computers or teach philosophy at an Ivy League school. The diner crowd is a caricature that the media is using as a device...not to bridge or understand a political divide, but to sustain it.
This does it. I am uninstalling the Times app on my phones and deactivating my digital subscription through PayPal. Done. If I need to know about future Times journalistic malfeasance I can count on Eric pointing it out. I don't need to continue to contribute to the Times' campaign for the death of democracy.
Regarding "NY Times fawns over Trump's insurrection...", one is reminded of a 1938 magazine article Good Housekeeping did on Hitler showing him relaxing at his home in the Bavarian Alps. Same normalizing of a fascist leader as Sunday's front-page story in the New York Times. Then in 2025 the Times will have one of their classic 20-20 hindsight articles in which they fault everyone but themselves for the death of democracy in this country.
A mystery or something to ponder: The media love to profile MAGAts and conservatives yet consistently ignore the supermajorities who want, say, affordable healthcare or whatever other progressive policy both parties ignore or refuse to provide. In other words, why do the media consistently ignore the majority of the nation's people?
Back in December when the media was obsessing about the supposedly bad jobs number I heard Austen Goolsbee explain that they should calm down because recent monthly numbers have had to be revised upward. He explained a major reason for the upward revision is the record number of new businesses being formed. He explained that those new businesses are not included in the survey of employers that they jobs number is based on.
Funny how most of the media has chosen to ignore this impressive news about record new businesses. You know if that had happened under Trump they would have been shouting it from the rooftops. Instead we have a media deeply committed to the dishonest “Biden is failing on the economy” frame. Then they act surprised that Biden’s poll numbers on handling the economy keep dropping.
Imagine if reporters had been making it clear that inflation is being caused mostly by our strong GDP and jobs growth and the resulting supply chain problems. I doubt that most are even aware just how good our economy is or that many would say they prefer higher unemployment and anemic growth to inflation.
Unfortunately for our democracy our childish media thinks there is a quick and easy solution to this temporary problem but Biden is refusing to apply it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/30/why-the-green-lantern-theory-of-presidential-power-persists/
Adding insult to injury the NYT also printed a long piece on the anxieties of “independents” in the Sunday Review. There was not one Democratic leaning independent in the bunch.
I just poked around on Twitter and there are 2 hashtags that have some volume. #boycottNYT and #cancelNYT. Feel free to join in!
My only guess, and to defend the Times, is that all these years later there is still this desperation to figure these people out. Why are people that are comfortable or living overall good lives, the economic anxiety theory has been debunked, so angry. For example, that woman in Virginia that threatened to bring her guns to school over wearing masks. This person had a nice job working for her dad's dental practice. Why so angry. And they all make no sense. They talk about freedom and liberty but want to live in a police state. They mock cancel culture yet want to burn books. They say they are angry that the government does not care about them but then vote for a party that does not care about them.
And also, the big one, even given the issues, even if you could some how understand their anger, why, why, do they follow an absolute idiot.
Can you imagine what would have happened on Jan. 6 if DC allowed the open carry of firearms? Remember the scenes at state capitols in Michigan and Wisconsin No one in the press ever mentions this fact.
I get the need to understand and expose the motivations of the insurrectionists, but the NYT is over the top on this. how many times can you interview Trump supporters in the heartland? where are the articles about the many people who voted for Trump in 2016 but have broken off support from him? If you look at the voting results, they are out there. there's a good chance that Trump will break the R party into two, which would be fine with me. where are the articles about that?
Anyone who was on Capitol grounds that day committed an illegal breach -- it wasn't just those that made it inside the building. The crowds of tresspassers made it all but impossible for law enforcement to get to the building and secure the entrances from outside. But the Times ignores those obvious facts,. and pretends that those who impeded law enforcement efforts did nothing wrong.
As a non-American, it's both frustrating and disappointing to see a country I once admired for its supposed democratic values become embroiled in hatred & division because a loud & vocal minority of white people are unable to confront your country's racist past, and unable to accept a present & future with a diversity of ethnicity, culture, religion, thought, gender identity & expression.
It's made worse because your country's mainstream media isn't doing their job of telling it like it is. They're too busy creating a false narrative of failing presidency which means they ignore or downplay the positive economic news claiming they're "balanced" while somehow acknowledging the crisis in American democracy, but not actually confronting the members of a political party-turned- cult of personality who are pushing the "Big Lie" of an unhinged narcissist.
Talk about hitting out of the Park! Great, gutsy piece. Thankful for having Eric and his voice. This one especially hit home for me.
The NY Times wants to be on what it thinks is the winning side.
Thank you for this. I read this Times piece and imediately felt the same. Keep calling them out!
Gee, funny how they NY Times has blocked commenting on that article.