On Censorship and The Press
Trust little a press that loves the government. Trust not a government that loves the press.
I believe a trustworthy press, when rightfully unbiased, can act as an auxiliary, “Checks and balance” mechanism against potential corruption in the corridors of government. Unfortunately, today’s press is neither unbiased nor trustworthy so, we are forced to watch a game show simulation which has nefarious fingers controlling the buttons in the control room for the “Applause” sign or the “Booing” sign.
For the last four years, the press held their clenched fists firmly on the “Booing” button for the controlling party. Having accomplished their goal, I would have expected the medias' metamorphosis these past few weeks to unfurl its newly freed monarch wings as the caterpillar had served its purpose. Quizzically, as I watch them still playing Whack-a-mole with the buttons, it doesn’t seem like the cocoon has nary a crack in it.
For two weeks, we have heard the constant, myopic narrative of the Capitol riots that goes something like: Domestic terrorists overcame the understaffed and underprepared DC Police. Was that a nascent flash of a sympathetic applause sign for law enforcement? Are they saying the protesters should have been thoroughly subdued and rebuffed? Surely no, because my head tilted as I listened to these same broadcasters describe last night’s MLK riots in Manhattan as: Peaceful protesters who were met by heavily armed squadrons of police. I would cue the boo sign for law enforcement except for the fact; the peaceful protesters injured eleven police officers and there were more than 28 arrests as the police tried to protect City Hall.
Similarly, as riots tore through U.S. Cities much of the summer, the press booed loudly and decried the mere thought of the National Guard being deployed to restore order in the besieged cities. Yet today at the inauguration, they leaned on the applause button for the heavily armed troops around the Capitol as not just beneficial, but worthy of praise for securing the area from violent protesters. Where are the Zuck and Dorsey fact-checkers? Either law enforcement is a good thing, or it's a bad thing. It is entirely disingenuous to praise them for doing their job and then call for their defunding — for doing their job.
It was bewildering to watch the coverage of the inauguration. Bravo to MSNBC for airing the inauguration uninterrupted while Newsmax talked over most of the ceremony’s content. But as the festivities ended, I expected the cocoon to drop to the ground and watch the media monarch finally take flight. But no. The pundit crack addicts realized the first day of rehab may be the hardest day of rehab. They couldn’t let go of their boo-button binkies as they whined more about the past president than praise the new president. Some in the media have called for, “Deprogramming Camps” for republicans because they have spent the past four years in a cult. Perhaps we can arrange a two-for one as the press clearly needs to detox from their cult-like addiction as well.
Inaugural fashion flashed the applause sign wildly as Al Sharpton and Joy Reid fought over which of them could wear Lady Gaga’s dress while both J-Lo and Dr. Jill received rave runway reviews. I seem to remember the former first lady was not only a professional model but also has a flare for fashion which is well worthy of complementary coverage. Alas, the caterpillar never hit the applause button a single time for her.
Quite possibly the best dueling button moment of the day was first the inane diatribe of how appalling it was for the former president to not be in attendance. The poor precedent, the deep disrespect, the signaling sent 'round the world and the sheer baby-ness of it all! One panel debated if there was legal recourse to force the former president to attend? Before the next commercial break, the same panel found it abhorrent that Senators Cruz and Hawley were in attendance. The best analysis was, and grab your binky; “I’m not as nice as Joe Biden. I would have had security stop them at the door and not let them into the event.” Whack-a-mole.
