Today is the fifth day of the regime of President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump and his press operation routinely lie to the press, to the Congress, to the CIA, and virtually every person or organization with whom they come into contact.
I, and we, the readers of this message are paying the salaries of each and every one of these government employees, and we have the right to demand, as fair value for their salaries, that they not lie to us. And make no mistake, if they lie to any of the above-named people and organizations, they are lying to us as well.
We, and the news organizations we employ as our information-gathering organizations and guardians against fraudulent claims by our governments, have the right to demand that neither the government employees we pay, or media we also pay through our subscriptions, cable fees and purchase of advertised goods and services, have an absolute right to demand that government spokespersons not lie to us.
We also have the right to expect that the working media, press, TV and cable TV news operations that we also pay for, not lie to us as well.
If you wish to apply a market analogy to the movement and dissemination of information between the government, which receives its power and funding from us, and the media, most of which receives its funding from us, and its power from its ability to be watch dogs over government, then this market is severely out of balance, with mass imperfections preventing it from working properly.
My final point is that the media must, MUST stop using euphemisms, and to call a lie, a lie (Dan Rather). To call the liar, a liar, no matter who or how powerful the actor may be. When President Donald J. Trump lies, it must be immediately and forcefully called out as a lie. When Sean Spicer lies in 5 out of 6 sentences, it must be immediately called out as a lie, not a “falsehood” or “untruth”. No, it’s a lie. When Kellyanne Conway evades, obfuscates, Gish Gallops, identifies a demonstrable lie as “alternative facts”, Chuck Todd can’t call it a “falsehood”, he must identify it as a lie, pure and simple. This is not a genteel bunch who is embarrassed by genteel terms like “falsehood”, “evasion” or “untruth”. This is a band of barbarians with no scruples who must be hit over the head with the knowledge that they can no longer get away with lying to us. After all, we are paying them.
In another diary I will address how congress and administration nominees for important positions in our government lie in their confirmation process, which should be disqualifying in the process or cause for removal if discovered later. There is rot in our government at all levels and it is the working press whose job it is to root it out at all levels.