Efforts to Curb News Media Free Speech
Interesting piece by Kareem. I guess it is not to be taken as unusual for Pres Trump to come out and sue the news media. He is striking back at his antagonists and evening up the score with them. Whether he wins or not is not a concern. He would like to win but if he does not?
His frivolous suits will have cost the media large amounts of money in defending themselves in court. Hopefully a judge sees through all of this as lacking merit and in some manner rejects Trump. Maybe it is also enough to get the News Media to back off.
There is at least one attorney in our midst and maybe he can give more detail as to the likelihood of success.
“Trump Sues NYT, CBS, and Others in Effort to Curb Free Speech,” Kareem’s Take on Recent Events
MY TAKE: This lawsuit has nothing to do with facts or seeking justice. This is a preemptive strike against the news media that is critical of Trump in order to stifle them over the next four years. For the relatively low cost of filing these lawsuits (which he has plenty of billionaire friends ready to foot the bill), Trump achieves two goals:
- He threatens all news media who might challenge him, trying to get them to tone down or refrain from criticizing his administration in the future.
- He perpetuates the right-wing myth that the media is out to get him and is not trustworthy. This allows him to continue to lie to the public while choking off any sources of legitimate reporting.
This is like those old Western movies where a wealthy rancher damns up the water on his land, so his neighbors go dry and are forced to sell to him. The Billionaire Bros will be able to deregulate at our peril and pass tax laws to benefit only them, and no one will be able to voice concern without being punished. It is a form of economic censorship to keep Americans uninformed and complacent, so they won’t complain.
In another piece of his recent “Take,” Kareem gives his view:
“winning is the one thing shared by so many Americans, which is how an empty suit like Trump got elected. They think he’s a winner because he owns things rather than because he’s smart or has integrity, both of which he’s demonstrated he lacks. Trump himself sought the presidency, not out of a commitment to serve, but out of a need to receive personal validation from others. To feel powerful. In doing so, he rejects the lessons about winning, teamwork, and fair play of all our best sports movies. And so did the voters enabling him.”
“This lawsuit has nothing to do with facts or seeking justice. This is a preemptive strike against the news media that is critical of Trump in order to stifle them over the next four years.’
Consider:
“New Authoritarians share their twentieth-century peers’ drive for personal enrichment at the public’s expense. One-party rule and mass killing are now less common, making twenty-first-century leaders more dependent on propaganda and censorship to cover up their thievery and incompetence….
He [ the new Authoritarian] domesticates the press and the judiciary and increases loyalty demands on his party to avoid leaks. He might have laws changed to accommodate his malfeasance or amend the Constitution to prolong his stay in office and retain his immunity.” [Ch. 7 Corruption]
“For one hundred years, authoritarian leaders have invested in propaganda to instill loyalty and fear, motivating people to carry out their agendas of nationalization, persecution, and thievery.” [Ch 5 Propaganda]
see, Strongmen: How they rise Why they succeed by Ruth Ben-Ghiat (NYU History Professor)
Look:
It is unfortunate. People learn the hard way from experience. That is, if they understand what is occurring and how it will be played against them openly or behind the scenes. Trump needs an enemy to succeed and he has chosen immigrants as the enemy. He will do his worst while the attack on immigrants is occurring.
We are not overrun with people in the United States. The birth rate is ~ 1.6. We are not replacing ourselves. An influx of others will balance the nation again as my generation dies out. Therein lies a fear.
So, we remove all the immigrants and there remains a gap of young people to replace us.
“We are not replacing ourselves. An influx of others will balance the nation again as my generation dies out. Therein lies a fear. So, we remove all the immigrants and there remains a gap of young people to replace us.”
You are right. Take for example Japan. Historically, Japan maintained strict immigration controls, largely discouraging long-term foreign settlement. This created “a gap of young people” to replace the older people. This policy over the past decades has significantly influenced its economic growth, specifically in response to its aging population and declining birthrate.
see,
how did japan’s immigration policy a decade ago affect their economic growth
Further In Japan’s case, as you say “people have to learn the hard way”. Japan studies have suggested that immigration can enhance productivity and innovation in the country—particularly through the influx of skilled professionals— And, importantly, the overall effect on native employment remains minimal.
See, Chapter 6. Japan’s Growth Challenge: Needs and Potential
In addition, economist seem to agree that Trump’s immigration policies are expected to have severe long-term economic consequences, including reduced GDP growth, increased inflation, higher prices, and significant impacts on specific industries and the broader labor market.
See,
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-do-economists-say-about-t-URcG1NERKKty87rvxKoiw
“look”
Can’t link the last one as there is no info there other than ask a question. This one has a good review:
strongmen how they rise why-they succeed how they fall
The influx of immigrants was a positive for the US as it increases Labor input needed and at a lower Direct Labor cost. Many who work legally will not have the benefits US citizens have. Many who are not here legally will not have benefits. Just by being here, the Gov should supply the necessary healthcare as sponsored through Medicaid. The golden one does not realize he need for almost slave labor to fill the gap.
Labor is not the major cost.
Somebody has to wipe our butts as we age out of the Labor Force.
As far as Trump stifling the News Media (since I got off on a tangent)? There are some who can push back on Trump due to their resources. Once he takes office, it would look strange for him to sue as he is a public official of the government and open to criticism. Has a president in office ever sued while in office?
He has all the earmarks of being a dictator and only if we let him. So yes, Kareem is correct about stifling the news media. It would not be the first time a president has done so. This one is not really a president. He has no idea how to run a country much less a warehouse. He can not deal with the detail. He depends on a few to tell him what he is doing by edict is correct.
So what do we do? I would recommend feeding him more cheeseburgers to plug up his arteries. News media needs to keep delivering the truth so people can not say “I did not know that!” That is if they can read or want to read.
Look:
Thank you for your observation. It is worthy of a read.