For today, I must post this media criticism. The right wing media appears to be deliberately misleading the public. How can they believe what they say? Many listeners do. These listeners don’t have time to research and local markets are often dominated by conservative talking points. Of course, the audience is responsible for all of the years of supporting Republican lies, which are nothing new. I am not trying to excuse them, and am not seeking an outreach to persuade them. We have to be aware of their tactics, organize our own people and outvote our competitors. Here, I want to convey some of what they are saying.
As loyalists, they are doing their best to support the Republican party. The price is that they are undermining truth and facts, and sowing division based on their lies. The result is confusion about reality and distrust of political rivals that coincidentally falls in line with the aims of our nation’s adversaries.
How low will they go?
Rush Limbaugh: America is in the Middle of a ‘Cold Civil War’
It’s about making sure the American people do not learn the extent of the corruption in the Obama administration and the Democratic Party at large, and particularly among these people in the deep state who did what they did to deny Trump his election victory.
You see that? Rush Limbaugh turned reality on its head. According to him, Obama and Democrats are corrupt autocrats. He says that the deep state protects them and punishes Trump, who is really an anti-corruption straight shooter. And, speaking of shooting, Limbaugh and his cohorts are dangerously playing up the civil war angle.
Yes, there is nothing new here. Media Matters has been documenting conservative lies for years. Nevertheless, it is ongoing. The misinformation has ramped up to bleeding ear levels to defend their brand. The country seems to be secondary to their power. We are being cast as villains for investigating documented and convicted crimes, which, to them, is all simply cast as deep state corruption.
In the Ukraine affair, conservatives ignore facts to mislead their audience. Trump can make outrageous claims, because these lies are echoed throughout conservative media. Trump says Democrats only wanted to send Ukraine blankets and pillows, while his congress minions spread the lie that Democrats didn’t send military aid, all while knowing
(T)he United States under Obama did provide extensive military and security aid but not lethal weapons.
They know that what they are saying is not true, or, at best, misleading. For that, they are responsible. Their audience should not continue to believe these liars, but they do. That is their mistake. The liars know that they are spreading hatred based on lies, yet they continue to do it.
Pardon my linking to right wing sources. I am not one who thinks that we should not acknowledge their narratives. I can’t stand listening to the deception, so you can be forgiven for not clicking the links in this diary.
If you want evidence, go listen to Rush Limbaugh tell lie after lie. He says that the context of Ukraine was Trump cracking down on corruption that Obama overlooked, or worse, encouraged. He specifically states that Joe Biden sought to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor for investigating Burisma, whose board included Hunter Biden. Limbaugh should know that this is not accurate. There is a ton of evidence explaining that the United States and European allies sought a crack down on corruption in Ukraine, and that they were pressuring Ukraine to remove a prosecutor who was not investigating corruption in Burisma, but who was investigating their own anti-corruption agency.
In addition to misleading congress members and lying national media, local media members are happy to join in the act. In one example, a local North Dakota pundit spends day after day giving free time to Republican spokespeople who spread disinformation to hard working folks coming home from work to catch up on the days events. Softball questions are lobbed and the Republican rep angrily spouts off about Democrats trashing the constitution in this Ukraine hoax, just like they did in the Russia hoax. Nevermind the convictions or evidence of obstruction from the Mueller investigation. Ignore the thousands killed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Don’t mention the acid attack on an anti-corruption activists. Forget Trump blocking testimony from cabinet members. The lies are not countered. Fact checking is not done. Actual testimony from the hearings is not reviewed. It’s a 10-15 minute Republican infomercial.
And, just like they say in infomercials, that’s not all. Conservative groups are spending big money spreading lies and attacking vulnerable reps in advertising to local audiences around the country.
In short, there is a lot of money, time and effort going towards spreading lies for the sake of defending Republicans. Defense of your side is one thing. Deliberately spreading misinformation and stoking hatred within your borders goes beyond legitimate defense to questionable techniques that hint of destablization sought by our adversaries. It seems that many favor power over truth and justice. We need to keep calling out the lies so that civilization and our values for human rights and equal justice survive.
Thanks for this space and your attention. Now, I must embark on another long drive across the Midwest. Along the way, I will try to avoid the ubiquitous Republican bombast being broadcast over airwaves throughout the region. Sports broadcasting is usually an option.