This Is How Democracies Die

[Belsnickel]

(01-26-2018, 01:36 PM)GMDino Wrote: I think the people of MD would argue with you.

I was just about to say the same thing.

[hollodero]

(01-26-2018, 06:29 AM)Dill Wrote: One of the most troubling aspects of Trump rule is his continued efforts to shut down the investigation into his campaign collusion with the country that attacked our election.  I guess one other president has obstructed justice in this fashion, but not so publicly and incompetently, and with the full-throated support of a major news outlet. 

Another aspect of the "both sides do it" argument is how that is applied to news organizations. When the patent bias of FOX and fellow travelers is up for discussion, the counter is that the MSM is no different, simply an organ of the Democratic party.  The inability to recognize authoritarian, anti-democratic behavior in Trump is matched by the inability to recognize/evaluate journalistic standards, or lack thereof.

Yeah, no kidding. A senator Ron Johnson pulls all alarms available because his FBI informant told him about a secret society, which means corruption of the highest levels of the FBI, scandal and whatnot. Lou Dobbs picks it up, cries threat to the constitution and demands people go to jail for this.
Basis of all that: One sloppy joke in a lover's chat.

And yet FOX state media and republican senators openly call the FBI leadership criminals. Not just biased or on a fishing expedition or whatever, but yes, actual criminals. Because they lead an investigation against Trump. And while the loyalists shout out their smears and their conspiracies against law enforcement, the party leadership just keeps quiet, except one single Flake. Nah, would not be the same if the shoe were on the other foot, but whatever, just a sidenote.
And the next day it's something else. Mueller has huge conflicts of interest. unmasking scandal, FISA scandal, release the memo, uranium one, Seth Rich, illegal votes, one BS after another. while the "MSM" is fake news, enemy of the people, libel laws, rah rah.
- This would look bad in countries like Turkey, it's horrendous for the US. But probably indeed due to extreme partisanship, one can't say that without being labeled as "from the other side" and getting these "Hillary, won fair and square, your side no better, get over it, hysteria" responses, if any. 

[following: an infinite rant against the two-party system, the electoral college and so on]

[Dill]

(01-26-2018, 05:46 PM)hollodero Wrote: Yeah, no kidding. A senator Ron Johnson pulls all alarms available because his FBI informant told him about a secret society, which means corruption of the highest levels of the FBI, scandal and whatnot. Lou Dobbs picks it up, cries threat to the constitution and demands people go to jail for this.
Basis of all that: One sloppy joke in a lover's chat.

And yet FOX state media and republican senators openly call the FBI leadership criminals. Not just biased or on a fishing expedition or whatever, but yes, actual criminals. Because they lead an investigation against Trump. And while the loyalists shout out their smears and their conspiracies against law enforcement, the party leadership just keeps quiet, except one single Flake. Nah, would not be the same if the shoe were on the other foot, but whatever, just a sidenote.
And the next day it's something else. Mueller has huge conflicts of interest. unmasking scandal, FISA scandal, release the memo, uranium one, Seth Rich, illegal votes, one BS after another. while the "MSM" is fake news, enemy of the people, libel laws, rah rah.
- This would look bad in countries like Turkey, it's horrendous for the US. But probably indeed due to extreme partisanship, one can't say that without being labeled as "from the other side" and getting these "Hillary, won fair and square, your side no better, get over it, hysteria" responses, if any. 

[following: an infinite rant against the two-party system, the electoral college and so on]

The Russian attack machine appears to be coordinating further operations with the Republicans attack on their own government and law enforcement agencies.  Thus continues the greatest, most successful covert operation in history--set up by Fox and the New Right.
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/politics-government/article196485019.html

Republicans protect their president by calling for investigations into the FBI, and thereby keep the country open to cyber attack. In the face of this threat, total paralysis without executive leadership.

The "both sides do it" response to Trump's authoritarian populism seems to ignore the authoritarian and alternative factual tendencies to respond if the central questions were simply about corruption or sex scandals.