From Pine View Farm

Hypocrisy Watch category archive

All the News that Fits 0

Cliff Schecter talks with Brian Karam about why today’s news media focuses on all the news that fits.

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This New Gilded Age 0

At the Portland Press-Herald, Todd R. Nelson argues that Walt Whitman’s words from a century and a half ago ring true today in this new Gilded Age.

Here’s a bit of his article:

He bemoaned corruption. “I have noticed,” he wrote, “how the millions of sturdy farmers and mechanics are … the helpless supple-jacks of comparatively few politicians. And I have noticed more and more, the alarming spectacle of parties usurping the government, and openly and shamelessly wielding it for party purposes.” Ahem.

It gets worse. “The depravity of the business classes of our country is not less than has been supposed, but infinitely greater,” Whitman writes. “The official services of America, national, state, and municipal, in all their branches and departments, except the judiciary, are saturated in corruption, bribery, falsehood, maladministration.”

Aside:

In these days of our Supreme Supremacist Court, he might rethink that bit about the judiciary.

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This New Gilded Age 0

SFgate’s Drew Magary minces few words about our new robber barons.

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Twits Own Twitter X Offenders 0

You’ve heard of packing the court?

Now comes Elon Musk, picking the court.

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All the News that Fits 0

Dick Polman deciphers the duplicity. Here’s how he states the problem:

The rap against Harris is that she’s not talking enough about policy, that she doesn’t have a vision, and that she’s not sufficiently separating herself from Joe Biden.

But last week she did something historically bold that checked all three boxes…and guess what: Barely anyone paid attention.

You gotta wonder why. But read on, because I know why.

Follow the link for the whys.

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Both Sides Don’t, Reprise 0

Whether or not this holds true for the post-debate analysis–the coverage is still being uncovered–this is certainly an accurate depiction of the campaign coverage in general, extending back even to before Joe Biden withdrew from the race.

Kamala Harris pole vaulting over a

Via Job’s Anger.

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All the News that Fits 0

Driftglass decodes de code.

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Russian Impulses 0

(Warning: Short commercial at the end.)

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A Self Made-Up Man 0

Mrs. Betty Bowers explodes the myth that Donald Trump is a successful businessperson.

Rather, she makes it clear that what he is successful at is giving others the business.

(The Youtube page lists sources for the facts cited in this report.)

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All the News that Fits 0

I submit that this article from Psychology Today Blogs, though it’s not primarily about news or even politics, offers some useful pointers for dealing with the right-wing media manipulators apparatus.

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Twits Own Twitter X Offenders 0

Xed out on X.

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Freedom of Screech in This New Gilded Age 0

Self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk threatens to take advertisers to court so as to force them to place their advertising speech on Twitter X, because he is absolutely in favor of freedom of speech, or something.

Yeah, I know, it sounds absolutely insane. Follow the link and decide for yourself.

Read more »

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Misdirection Play, Dis Coarse Discourse Dept. 0

Scene in restaurant:  Donald trump throwing a massive tantrum, breaking and throwing things, as headwaiter, labeled

Michael-in-Norfolk has more.

Image via Job’s Anger.

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Republican Thought Police, Reprise 0

At the Charlotte Observer, Kate Murphy, pastor at The Grove Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, pushes back at the current wave of they-call-themselves Christians and their push for establishmentarianism. A snippet:

I am a pastor and a practicing Christian, but all this blasphemous foolishness has me declaring this Festivus in July because, in the words of the fictional Frank Costanza on Seinfeld, “I got a lot of problems with you people.”

If the governor of Florida can, by the power not vested in him, unilaterally declare that the church of Satan isn’t a religion, then he can also wake up one morning and decide that Islam isn’t a religion, or Hinduism, or Catholicism or any faith that allows women to preach or doesn’t handle snakes.

The point of the separation of church and state, as any fourth grader with a reasonably competent history teacher can tell you, isn’t to limit a citizen’s ability to practice their faith, but to protect it.

(Broken link fixed.)

____________________

*Methinks in this context, “Christian” is New Speak for “Secesh.”

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Republican Family Values 0

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Psychological Projection Anyone? 0

Man standing between a building advertising a drag show and a church where a man with several children stands in the door.  Man points to drag show building and asks,

Click to view the original image.

Looking for some examples?

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All the News that Fits 0

Dick Polman takes issue with the claims of Donald Trump’s lawyers that what the National Inquirer did for Donald Trump is somehow “normal journalism.” Here’s a tiny pit of his article:

The National Enquirer’s “sort of thing” – paying people off to kill stories, acting as a propaganda organ for one particular candidate in ways that would do Pravda proud, spending corporate money to aid that favored candidate (essentially free advertising) in violation of federal campaign finance laws – is not something that “happens regularly” in American journalism. If ever.

The entire piece is worth the few minutes it will take to read.

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If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0

Interviewer:  Joining us now is our regular guest, the widely read pundit who is very concerted about freedom of speech on campua.  Pundit Guy:  Every time a free-thinking contrarian who simply wants to ask questions is invited to speak at a campus, there are protests.  Why are these pampered snowflakes so terrified of opposing points of view?  We cannot allow the censorious left to silence these iconoclastic perspectives.  The free exchange of unpopular ideas is a foundational principle of our nation.  Interviewer:  I see.  Well, on a related note, more than 100 Columbia students were just arreasted for peacefully protesting the war in Gaza.  Pundit Guy:  Good!  They are very annoying and their opinions are bad and wrong.  Other students should not be forced to listen to their nonsensical drivel.  These trouble-making provocateurs deserve to be expelled from school and blackblisted from future employment, if you ask me.  Interviewer:  But you remain staunchly opposed to cancel culture.  Pundit Guy:  Absolutely.  It is a scourge on our society.  Interviewer:  Okay, then.  Thank you for sharing your principled view, Pundit Guy.  Pundit Guy:  Anytime.

Click to view the original image.

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It’s Okay If I Do It 0

Copyrights and copywrongs.

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Giving America the Business 0

NJ.com reports on what Barry Diller, a businessman with a long track record of success, has to say about Donald Trump’s taking Truth Social public. A snippet;

“I think they’re dopes,” Diller said (of persons buying the stock–ed.). “Who would buy [stock in] a company that … what does it have $30 of revenue? How could you put a value on it? They’re buying it for other reasons, just like they bought theaters when there was no theater business or they bought GameStop or whatever. That’s stupid. It’s stupid stuff.

“Why are you even talking about this? It’s a scam just like everything he’s ever been involved in is some sort of con.”

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