How the US Went Fascist: Mass Media Make Excuses for Trump Voters

[marmar]

How the US Went Fascist: Mass Media Make Excuses for Trump Voters
Trump's racism and xenophobia violates America's core beliefs — yet the media and many Americans are okay with it.

By Juan Cole | February 24, 2016


The rise of Donald Trump to the presumptive Republican standard bearer for president in 2016 is an indictment of, and a profound danger to, the American republic.

The Founding Fathers were afraid of the excitability of the voters and their vulnerability to the appeal of demagogues. That is the reason for a Senate (which was originally appointed), intended to check those notorious hotheads in Congress, who are elected from districts every two years.

But it isn’t only the checks and balances in government that are necessary to keep the republic. It is the Fourth Estate, i.e. the press, it is the country’s leaders and it is the general public who stand between the republic and the rise of a Mussolini.

The notables have been shown to be useless. Donald Trump should have been kicked out of the Republican Party the moment he began talking about violating the Constitution. The first time he hinted about assaulting the journalists covering his rallies, he should have been shown the door. When he openly advocated torture (“worse than waterboarding”), he should have been ushered away. When he began speaking of closing houses of worship, he should have been expelled. He has solemnly pledged to violate the First, Fourth and Eighth Amendments of the Constitution, at the least. If someone’s platform is unconstitutional, it boggles the mind that a major American party would put him or her up for president. How can he take the oath of office with a straight face? The party leaders were afraid he’d mount a third-party campaign. But who knows how that would have turned out? Someone with power needs to say that Trump is unacceptable and to define him out of respectable politics, the same way David Duke is treated (Trump routinely retweets Duke fellow-travellers).

Then there is the mass media. As Amy Goodman has pointed out, corporate television has routinely pumped Trump into our living rooms. They have virtually blacked out Bernie Sanders. Trump seems to have connived to have 10 or 15 minutes at 7:20 every evening on the magazine shows. Chris Matthews of Hardball obligingly cut away to Il Duce II’s rants and gave away his show to him on a nightly basis. .................(more)

http://billmoyers.com/story/how-the-us-went-fascist-mass-media-makes-excuses-for-trump-voters/

[Albertoo]

1. Bernie isn't Joe Stalin and Trump isn't Benito Mussolini

Could pundits please stick to issues rather than try to assassinate characters?

[marmar]

3. If Donald Trump is acting like a fascist.....

..... how exactly is Juan Cole trying to assassinate his character?

[Albertoo]

5. Fringe Republicans take the attitude Bernie is a Commie who eats babies

It's the mirror image of people equating Trump to a fascist. Kills the debate. Besides, it's always dangerous to water down terms by applying them indiscriminately. It's a bit like crying wolf. If one calls Trump a fascist, how will one call a real fascist? Trump is a good old fashioned demagogue, period.

[7wo7rees]

7. I see your point and I like it.

If we can't clearly go toe to toe, on the issues, folks who root for Trump will never see the mirror held up. And what better vision of themselves to aspire to, than Bernie? Play it out, without assigning labels, I say.

[Jenny_92808]

8. Exactly!

Well said marmar!

[meow2u3]

2. We need to organize a letter writing campaign to the media

that expresses our dissatisfaction with their shoving Trump down our throats, as if they want him as President (for life). We need to tell them to do their jobs instead of peddling neofascist and neo-Nazi propaganda.

[Person 2713]

6. Better include a big check if you want them to read the letter

people will not turn off or look away from Trump enough so advertisers get lookers and pay for that

[MisterP]

4. both parties have let America's economics slide, fattening their donors while praying

that the current bubble didn't pop before they could retire and become a lobbyist; both parties have turned race and sexuality and patriotism into bunting for elections, into front-row guests or voter buttons to push

carefully-cultivated hypocrisy has generated the Ultimate Hypocrite, one who can be a hypocrite in the open rather than behind closed doors

[tblue37]

9. "CEO of CBS News Caught Celebrating Trump’s Bigotry: He’s Making Us ‘Phenomenal’ Profits"--

http://usuncut.com/politics/cbs-chief/

"CEO of CBS News Caught Celebrating Trump’s Bigotry: He’s Making Us ‘Phenomenal’ Profits"

At a recent investors’ presentation, CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves revealed his hand: Donald Trump’s bigotry is “phenomenal” for the company’s profits and ratings, and he hopes the Donald keeps escalating.

“Go Donald! Keep getting out there!” Moonves said at the UBS Bank-sponsored event.

The CBS chief went on to laud the ever-increasing flow of cash into political advertising campaigns as great for business, saying, “The more they spend, the better it is for us.”

SNIP

Moonves has long been an ardent supporter of more money in politics, saying in 2012, “Super PACs may be bad for America, but they’re very good for CBS.”