I always found Jennifer’s WaPo opinion pieces probing and insightful. Why? Because what she writes resonates exactly with how I feel about much of the legacy media. Thank heavens for the new “Fifth Estate,” independent journalism.
Thank you Jen. We don’t have Leni Riefenstahl but we do have the cowardly MSM. Their treatment of the efforts of Trump and his corrupt Republican Party to destroy our elections looks like they think oh well, it’s just another news story. It’s not. It’s the destruction of our democracy.
When he made his zombies stand up and swear a made-up loyalty oath to him at that pathetic “convention” of slop in Dallas, I kept waiting for the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal — forget Faux News — to inform their readers the last time anybody did that was when Hitler got every soldier, police and civil servant in Germany to swear a personal loyalty oath to him in 1935. It marked the formal end of Germany's Weimar Republic.
I’ve yet to see a single “mainstream” media source draw that critical historical parallel.
And we’re not seeing/hearing any of the American religious voices decry the selling of souls to the devil, the worship of the golden calf, the evil exuberantly exhibited and encouraged.
I sort of understand the MSM just doing the reporting and staying away from anything that sounds like commentary. And the right wing always says the MSM is biased when they state the facts. But unlike the people in the 1930s who had that German guy you know just being himself and not knowing what was coming, we know what fascism is and what it looks like. It's irresponsible not to connect the dots.
Regarding the legacy media and its billionaire owners, I offer these words from Raymond Chandler, written in 1953 for the Philip Marlowe novel "The Long Goodbye," so much more true today than then (quotations copied from the Gutenberg Project's posting of the text):
Chapter 10, "The Long Goodbye":
"Ever been a newspaperman?" [reporter]
"No." [Marlowe]
"Newspapers are owned and published by rich men. Rich men all belong to the same club. Sure, there's competition--hard tough competition for circulation, for newsbeats, for exclusive stories. Just so long as it doesn't damage the prestige and privilege and position of the owners. If it does, down comes the lid. ..."
This is from Chapter 32, where Marlowe meets the owner of a chain of newspapers. That character, Harlan Potter, says this:
"We live in what is called a democracy, rule by the majority of the people. A fine ideal if it could be made to work. The people elect, but the party machines nominate, and the party machines to be effective must spend a great deal of money. Somebody has to give it to them, and that somebody, whether it be an individual, a financial group, a trade union or what have you, expects some consideration in return. What I and people of my kind expect is to be allowed to live our lives in decent privacy. I own newspapers, but I don't like them. I regard them as a constant menace to whatever privacy we have left. Their constant yelping about a free press means, with a few honorable exceptions, freedom to peddle scandal, crime, sex, sensationalism, hate, innuendo, and the political and financial uses of propaganda. A newspaper is a business out to make money through advertising revenue. That is predicated on its circulation and you know what the circulation depends on."
It is fascism indeed and to call it anything different is just wrong. Very well said Jen. It is sickening what is happening and what is being ignored by the media and by Americans that should really know better. I salute The Contrarian for bringing this fact front and center.
While the Supreme Court’s decision nullifies this scheme by Trump to rig both Houses of Congress, the next hurdle will be overcoming the conspiracies by Trump and the Senate and House leaderships, if the Republicans lose their majorities, to claim election fraud among the Democrats and refuse to swear them in pending protracted hearings and litigation over the next 2 years, as has been reported.
We must really blame our Congress for allowing this madman to remain in office. There used to be "checks and balances," or so I was taught in school. Please remember that when you vote. We need people in our House and Senate that work for us.
Great commentary, as usual, Jenn. But there is one inadvertently funny typo:
Secondly, when confronted with accusations spoon-fed by MAGA operatives (How do you respond to Republican accusations that XXXXX…?) Democrats should call out the questioners (Why are you playing dummy for Republican ventriloquists?) and be empathic about their opponents..."
I presume you meant we should be EMPHATIC, no? I've pretty much lost any empathy I had for Trumplicans!
And Kavanaugh is no friend of Democracy, either! He once again left the door wide open as he did on the birthright citizenship issue. What a knave* trying to play both sides.
*Started to use “snake”, but didn’t want to disrespect any reptiles or other animals. Any suggestions from anyone?Btw, saw a great descriptor by a commentator on Professor Krugman’s substack this morning, calling trump a “weapons-grade moron”. Bravo!
“The choice in November is between fascism and democracy.”
A-MEN!
Now, THAT’s the journalism we need! Gloves off, eh, Jennifer? As Walter Cronkite used to say: “…and that’s the way it is”. Great tradition to follow! Thanks, Ms. Rubin! Here’s hoping your message is seen and spread far and wide!
The MAGA folks are enculted and have crossed over into a Bizarro world where they believe whatever ravings spew out of Dear Leader's mouth. The hard-core ones are totally incapable of critical thought. They need to be spoon fed what they are supposed to think and only what they want to hear. They are quite literally addicted to the right wing media bubble and that is no place for a member of a democracy to inhabit. The paranoid RWNJs of my youth are now lemmiings dragging the rest of us off a high cliff.
Trump never lies. Tariffs work. Iran has been defeated. The president never knew Epstein. Gas prices are down, way down. January 6 was peaceful. Socialism is bad. And again, Trump never lies.
Excellent! I hope schools of journalism are able to reassess again and again how reporters ought to be reporting exactly what they see, experience, and understand from history. Thank goodness there is an alternative media!
It was a creepy MAGA rally to puff up Trump's oversize ego. And no one seems to have pointed out that sending $5,000 randomly to people increases the deficit by that much, which has ballooned under Trump and is now affecting interest rates. Speaker Johnson saying that Congress could work something out with Trump is dismaying, to put it mildly.
If it's anything like past "working out" it won't take much effort. Just say 'yes' to everything that the tin-pot despot wants. It's what they've been doing all along.
So grateful to be part of the solution here. Thank you and Norm for all you are doing to save our Democracy
Well done, Jennifer Rubin.
I always found Jennifer’s WaPo opinion pieces probing and insightful. Why? Because what she writes resonates exactly with how I feel about much of the legacy media. Thank heavens for the new “Fifth Estate,” independent journalism.
Thank you Jen. We don’t have Leni Riefenstahl but we do have the cowardly MSM. Their treatment of the efforts of Trump and his corrupt Republican Party to destroy our elections looks like they think oh well, it’s just another news story. It’s not. It’s the destruction of our democracy.
When he made his zombies stand up and swear a made-up loyalty oath to him at that pathetic “convention” of slop in Dallas, I kept waiting for the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal — forget Faux News — to inform their readers the last time anybody did that was when Hitler got every soldier, police and civil servant in Germany to swear a personal loyalty oath to him in 1935. It marked the formal end of Germany's Weimar Republic.
I’ve yet to see a single “mainstream” media source draw that critical historical parallel.
And we’re not seeing/hearing any of the American religious voices decry the selling of souls to the devil, the worship of the golden calf, the evil exuberantly exhibited and encouraged.
Exactly what Putin wanted from his puppet.
There’s mo Moses, so we’ll have to do it ourselves
I sort of understand the MSM just doing the reporting and staying away from anything that sounds like commentary. And the right wing always says the MSM is biased when they state the facts. But unlike the people in the 1930s who had that German guy you know just being himself and not knowing what was coming, we know what fascism is and what it looks like. It's irresponsible not to connect the dots.
Regarding the legacy media and its billionaire owners, I offer these words from Raymond Chandler, written in 1953 for the Philip Marlowe novel "The Long Goodbye," so much more true today than then (quotations copied from the Gutenberg Project's posting of the text):
Chapter 10, "The Long Goodbye":
"Ever been a newspaperman?" [reporter]
"No." [Marlowe]
"Newspapers are owned and published by rich men. Rich men all belong to the same club. Sure, there's competition--hard tough competition for circulation, for newsbeats, for exclusive stories. Just so long as it doesn't damage the prestige and privilege and position of the owners. If it does, down comes the lid. ..."
This is from Chapter 32, where Marlowe meets the owner of a chain of newspapers. That character, Harlan Potter, says this:
"We live in what is called a democracy, rule by the majority of the people. A fine ideal if it could be made to work. The people elect, but the party machines nominate, and the party machines to be effective must spend a great deal of money. Somebody has to give it to them, and that somebody, whether it be an individual, a financial group, a trade union or what have you, expects some consideration in return. What I and people of my kind expect is to be allowed to live our lives in decent privacy. I own newspapers, but I don't like them. I regard them as a constant menace to whatever privacy we have left. Their constant yelping about a free press means, with a few honorable exceptions, freedom to peddle scandal, crime, sex, sensationalism, hate, innuendo, and the political and financial uses of propaganda. A newspaper is a business out to make money through advertising revenue. That is predicated on its circulation and you know what the circulation depends on."
Thank you!!! This is why all of us read The Contrarian.
It is fascism indeed and to call it anything different is just wrong. Very well said Jen. It is sickening what is happening and what is being ignored by the media and by Americans that should really know better. I salute The Contrarian for bringing this fact front and center.
While the Supreme Court’s decision nullifies this scheme by Trump to rig both Houses of Congress, the next hurdle will be overcoming the conspiracies by Trump and the Senate and House leaderships, if the Republicans lose their majorities, to claim election fraud among the Democrats and refuse to swear them in pending protracted hearings and litigation over the next 2 years, as has been reported.
Read Robert Hubbell for a lawyerly take on the swearing in situation..
I agree. I read his commentary.
You are so so valuable to our democracy!!
We must really blame our Congress for allowing this madman to remain in office. There used to be "checks and balances," or so I was taught in school. Please remember that when you vote. We need people in our House and Senate that work for us.
You are so right. I actually despise Johnson,Thune, Rubio more than Trump.
We have a wide choice to choose from. When things turn around, housecleaning will be a major task, and not a pleasant one.
Great commentary, as usual, Jenn. But there is one inadvertently funny typo:
Secondly, when confronted with accusations spoon-fed by MAGA operatives (How do you respond to Republican accusations that XXXXX…?) Democrats should call out the questioners (Why are you playing dummy for Republican ventriloquists?) and be empathic about their opponents..."
I presume you meant we should be EMPHATIC, no? I've pretty much lost any empathy I had for Trumplicans!
Why am I not surprised Thomas and Alito were the dissenters? They're on the GOP payroll.
And on the oligarch payroll.....
Who are almost all Republicans with their snouts in the political trough.
And Kavanaugh is no friend of Democracy, either! He once again left the door wide open as he did on the birthright citizenship issue. What a knave* trying to play both sides.
*Started to use “snake”, but didn’t want to disrespect any reptiles or other animals. Any suggestions from anyone?Btw, saw a great descriptor by a commentator on Professor Krugman’s substack this morning, calling trump a “weapons-grade moron”. Bravo!
“The choice in November is between fascism and democracy.”
A-MEN!
Now, THAT’s the journalism we need! Gloves off, eh, Jennifer? As Walter Cronkite used to say: “…and that’s the way it is”. Great tradition to follow! Thanks, Ms. Rubin! Here’s hoping your message is seen and spread far and wide!
The MAGA folks are enculted and have crossed over into a Bizarro world where they believe whatever ravings spew out of Dear Leader's mouth. The hard-core ones are totally incapable of critical thought. They need to be spoon fed what they are supposed to think and only what they want to hear. They are quite literally addicted to the right wing media bubble and that is no place for a member of a democracy to inhabit. The paranoid RWNJs of my youth are now lemmiings dragging the rest of us off a high cliff.
Republicans are not a political party, they are a cult.
Trump never lies. Tariffs work. Iran has been defeated. The president never knew Epstein. Gas prices are down, way down. January 6 was peaceful. Socialism is bad. And again, Trump never lies.
Basic axioms for MAGA to live by . . .
War Is Peace
Freedom Is Slavery
IGNORANCE Is Strength
Excellent! I hope schools of journalism are able to reassess again and again how reporters ought to be reporting exactly what they see, experience, and understand from history. Thank goodness there is an alternative media!
It was a creepy MAGA rally to puff up Trump's oversize ego. And no one seems to have pointed out that sending $5,000 randomly to people increases the deficit by that much, which has ballooned under Trump and is now affecting interest rates. Speaker Johnson saying that Congress could work something out with Trump is dismaying, to put it mildly.
If it's anything like past "working out" it won't take much effort. Just say 'yes' to everything that the tin-pot despot wants. It's what they've been doing all along.
Unfortunately, you are correct.
All it takes is observation and paying attention to non-MSM reporting.