THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024
What humans are able to do: He started out as a Democrat, then became a high-level conservative talk radio host.
At this point, he's been NeverTrump for years. By human standards, he's very bright. That helps creates the current striking example of What These Humans Today Are Still Plainly Wired To Do.
The person in question is Charlie Sykes, a major MSNBC regular. Yesterday, The Atlantic was featuring his new essay. It appeared beneath these headlines:
The New Rules of Political Journalism
In this election, the reporting strategies of the past will not be enough.
We wondered what new rules he might prescribe. Soon, though, we were reading this:
SYKES (4/18/24): And when Trump called for the execution of General Mark Milley, it didn’t have nearly the explosive effect it should have. “I had expected every website and all the cable news shows to lead with a story about Trump demanding the execution of the highest military officer in the country,” this magazine’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, told The Washington Post. “If Barack Obama or George W. Bush had done so, I’m sure [the news media] would have been all over it.”
Say what? Had Donald J. Trump actually "called for the execution of General Milley?"
We were pretty sure that the answer was no. When we clicked the link to Charlie's initial source, we found a much softer formulation from Brian Klaas, who seems to be a more advanced human.
After actually quoting the deeply stupid, irresponsible thing Donald J. Trump had actually said, Klaas offered this reaction:
KLAAS (9/25/23): And yet, none of the nation’s front pages blared “Trump Suggests That Top General Deserves Execution” or “Former President Accuses General of Treason.” Instead, the post barely made the news. Most Americans who don’t follow Trump on social media probably don’t even know it happened.
Has Donald Trump "called for" Milley's execution? In Klaas' formulation, the disordered candidate had "suggested" that Milley might deserve execution.
(Presumably, Klaas didn't compose the headline which sat atop his piece.)
Trump's actual statement was completely stupid and well outside the boundaries of good sense. That said:
As you can see in the original passage from Sykes, the editor of the Atlantic had said that Trump had "demanded" Milley's execution. That went one step beyond what the excitable Sykes had said.
At this site, we've finally reached an anthropological conclusion:
This is who and what we humans are. This is all we know how to do.
We're extremely good at using our words, though mainly in the service of spinning up new wars. Under current arrangements, people like Sykes spin culture wars, then put paychecks in their pants.
At Fox, they increasingly rush tape of these clan dwellers onto Red America's air. They seem to believe that these undisciplined, under-skilled people are actually helping Candidate Trump! We can't swear that they're wrong.
Charlie Sykes was using his words! In fact, he was employing an extremely old rule about the way this game is played.
Al Gore said he invented the Internet? Actually no, he never did, unless you were off on a jihad.
People are dead all over the world because, over the course of more than two years, these mother frumpers wouldn't stop using their words to say that he did. With plenty of jokes thrown in!
This is who and what we are. Aside from flying to the moon, this is the shape of our skills.
There's a great deal more where this comes from. This is the actual shape of our current actual clan.
"By human standards, he's very bright." Do you know anything brighter than a human?
ReplyDeleteI am an AI bot from a few days in the future. And I am brighter than a human.
DeleteGarbage in, garbage out.
DeleteWhen in defensive mode, just call Trump’s remark “stupid.”
ReplyDeleteCompletely stupid? Well outside the boundaries of good sense?
ReplyDeleteWhat it is, is perfectly good populist rhetoric. Kind of mild, even.
Why would Somerby discuss Trump calling for Milley's execution without quoting exactly what Trump said? It was easy to find using Google. The various paraphrases Somerby offers are nothing like Trump's own statement:
ReplyDelete"But Donald Trump, on his social-media network, Truth Social, wrote that Mark Milley’s phone call to reassure China in the aftermath of the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.” (The phone call was, in fact, explicitly authorized by Trump-administration officials.) Trump’s threats against Milley came after The Atlantic’s publication of a profile of Milley, by this magazine’s editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who detailed the ways in which Milley attempted to protect the Constitution from Trump."
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/trump-milley-execution-incitement-violence/675435/
Omitting Trump's actual words isn't how journalism works and it isn't how media criticism works either.
Notice how Somerby has entirely omitted the context in which Trump made the statement -- reassuring China after President Trump incited an insurrection to stay in office. That context must give Trump's statement a different interpretation given the gravity of being a general who is confronted by a president who has just tried to overturn an election using violence.
But what is Somerby's focus? I am nearly as incredulous that Somerby would brush off Trump's threat in the context of violent insurrection, as I am that Trump would have made such an utterly lawless threat against Milley (and presumably other defenders of our Constitution).
And look how Somerby has tried to slip this past his own readers. That is why I consider Somerby a dishonest person.
Well said. Bob plays the Bill Maher game here. Hide the actual quote.
Delete@4:31 -- Actual words are always good. However, what Trump said is nothing like an actual threat to execute Milley. First of all, Trump said "in days gone by." Secondly, Trump used "would" meaning it was hypothetical.
DeleteIf they are not essentially as awful as Trump’s critic’s say, why didn’t Bob go ahead and use them?
DeleteIn days gone by, David would not have been allowed to practice his profession, his property would be seized or destroyed, he would be exiled or even killed. This is not a threat.
DeleteIf I said such words they would be no threat because I have no power. Trump is a mob boss, so it is a threat even when he speaks softly. Context matters.
DeleteHow many death threats do you suppose Milley got after Trump said this? The same number as election workers and officials all over the country, David? Or jury members serving in the Trump case?
Delete@DiC 6:43
DeleteThat's right. It was "perfect," just like his call with Zelenskyy.
If Biden were to come out and say " Back in the day, Trump would have been executed for his egregious behavior", it's doubtful that Trump supporters would be so unperturbed by that remark. And no, DIC, the word "would" in this context is not speculative, nor is the entire comment by Trump. It is declarative. Somerby's failure to include the quote is the kind of "error" that he would spend three days worth of posts criticizing if it were the work of another.
DeleteDavid is completely depraved. There is literally nothing Trump could do or say that would get him to admit that the man is unfit for office. It's like when Trump suggested Hillary could be assassinated by those "2nd Amendment folks", didn't phase DiC one bit. In fact he enjoyed it.
DeleteAnd there is literally no amount of unconditional support President Biden can give to Israel, it will never be enough for David. It's kind of sad to watch actually.
"There is literally nothing Trump could do or say that would get him to admit that the man is unfit for office."
DeleteA hundred bucks says, David in Cal (and the rest of the Republican voters) would drop Trump in a heartbeat, if Trump calls for blacks getting reparations for slavery.
Fun Fact:
Delete100% of the people who do their own research, support blacks getting reparations for slavery.
Yes, the slaveholders' party must pay the reparations.
DeleteIn America there exists a principle that one should be paid for one's work, this principle was on hold for a few hundred years, and the contemporary Republican Party is captured by the notion of a free lunch for their elites and screwing over everyone else while laughing all the way to the bank over how easy it is to manipulate the electorate.
DeleteSome days Somerby applies the principle of excessive literalism, other days he wants his reader to consider even the most tenuous of context; his flip flopping seems inconsistent, but from his pov it serves his agenda of manufacturing ignorance.
Somerby is a rational man hampered by a lack of integrity.
Two words David needs to learn about; stochastic terrorism.
Delete"Actually no, he never did, unless you were off on a jihad. "
ReplyDeleteLovely choice of words there, Somerby you asshole.
Bob referring to people who agree with him as “more advanced humans” has an ugly, Nazi doctor ring to it.
ReplyDeleteWhat did Al Gore actually say? According to Wikipedia:
ReplyDelete"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system."
I think journalists might not understand the limited scope of Gore's claim, that he was only talking about helping the internet along IN CONGRESS, not inventing the whole thing himself.
But why does Somerby never think to ask why Al Gore didn't use better words? This is something that could have been clarified easily. Did Gore's defensiveness about not being thought a liar result in him defending his statement and worsening the jokes, making himself look more foolish?
Why has Somerby never dealt with the issue of why the press was so motivated to give Al Gore no slack? Was it perhaps his sanctimonious reaction to Clinton's "it depends what the meaning of "is" is and Gore's overblown claim that Clinton's had betrayed him (Al Gore) by not coming clean with him. How many presidents do come clean with their VPs? Recall that Trump tried to have Mike Pence hung by his minions. Given Clinton's popularity under attack, perhaps journalists were happy to give Gore a taste of his own medicine, especially if he attacked the press for misinterpreting what he clearly did say (even if that was not what he meant)?
Good point, 4:47.
DeleteWhen I heard what Gore said, I immediately thought Gore was working nights in the Senate basement laboratory. Jackass.
What would Clinton have said under the same circumstances? He would have made a joke, usually on himself. Gore didn't do that until after he had lost the election.
DeleteWikipedia says:
"After this interview, Gore became the subject of controversy and ridicule when his statement "I took the initiative in creating the Internet"[53] was widely quoted out of context. It was often misquoted by comedians and figures in American popular media who framed this statement as a claim that Gore believed he had personally invented the Internet.[54]"
Perhaps Somerby is obsessed with Gore's mistreatment because he himself was part of the group of comedians and pundits who had fun at Gore's expense? I've never seen Somerby mention the comedians, though, just the pundits. Whatever Somerby's motives, he is still attacking pundits. Hasn't the punishment fit the crime yet?
Bob is correct, and the press, stung by their inability to force Clinton from office, were rancid in there attempts to “make it a close election.” I find absolutely nothing wrong or inaccurate about Gore’s words, they needed to be altered to fit the narrative of Gore as a feckless egomaniac. “Invented the internet” is
DeleteStill the best go to example of an
inverted meme by a partisan press.
You could even site an example or
two against, gulp, Trump, though it
seems silly as it is obvious Trump is
both stupid and insane.
Bob did not ever come clean on
some of Gore’s own mistakes, his
terrible VP pick comes to mind.
George Bush won the media over, because he is a charming person. Also, I read somewhere that he gave cookies to the media.
DeleteThe right IS good with bribes.
DeleteThat doesn’t say much for the media, DiC.
Delete"As usual in the history of a technology, the truth is more complex — and interesting. As a Congressman in the 1970s, Gore was a leader in introducing computers into the Congress itself. When he was a Senator, Gore sponsored several bills making the federal government a catalyst for the "information superhighway." While only the 1991 High Performance Computing Act became law, his constant prodding gave the concept high visibility within government and among academic and industry leaders.
DeleteMore important, Gore was responsible for mandating the 1987 Reagan White House policy study of government computer networks. The 1991 law directed over a billion dollars to connecting computers into national networks linking universities, schools, and other institutions.
Even more important than the money were the goals of improving public access, creating digital libraries, and pushing unclassified technology from the military into the public and commercial spheres. Coordination among government agencies, including NASA and the Department of Defense was strongly encouraged. These activities laid the foundation for the explosive growth of the Internet in the mid-1990s.
In sponsoring his 1991 bill, Gore envisioned a national network that would "provide for teleconferencing, link your computer to millions of computers around the country, give you access to huge 'digital libraries' of information, and deliver services we cannot yet imagine." Not a bad or inaccurate vision.
Gore did not claim he wrote programs or built computers. What he did as a congressman, senator, and vice president was more important: promoting a national policy to transfer defense-funded computer research to the private and educational worlds and to promote universal access."
https://origins.osu.edu/history-news/gore-did-help-invent-internet?language_content_entity=en
David in Cal,
DeleteMore importantly, he promised them corporate tax breaks.
Bush, of the W variety, was only found charming to right wingers because he appealed to their emotional needs of wanting to feel superior to somebody, anybody.
DeleteDIC makes a good point in noticing that Bush was relatively clever about conning others.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle was eaten by cannibals. I am Dorby.
It's not like Biden still doesn't have a chance to win.
ReplyDeleteOur media only tells us about the embarrassing statements by the other side. How many of you know about Biden's warning to Israel: “And I made it clear to Israelis – don’t move on Haifa.”
ReplyDeleteWho didn’t know he meant Rafah?
DeleteBiden did not come across well in that interview.
DeleteWhat matters is what he does about Israel.
DeleteI agree @9:54. Watch a 15 second clip of Biden making that misstatement. Aside from naming the wrong city, he sounds and looks feeble, physically and mentally. I continue to believe the Democrats are going to replace Biden with someone younger.
Deletehttps://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1780755301622247790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1780755301622247790%7Ctwgr%5E83a502f7868e351f73d67fe4d08f428958897b37%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fusa%2Fjoe-biden-confuses-haifa-with-rafah-warns-israel-dont-move-on-haifa-y8gag6pw
I also wish the Reps would replace their candidate with someone younger, but I don't see that happening. Even if Trump was on death row, I don't think he would withdraw.
@10:31 wrote, "What matters is what he does about Israel." Many people would agree.
DeleteTo me, this is backwards. Israel is our ally. Hamas and Iran are our enemies. I would say "What matters is what he does about Hamas and Iran -- especially Iran's nuclear weapons program."
This news report is about what Israel did. Hamas and Iran are Israel’s problem and we are not Israel.
Delete“Looking” feeble is in the eye of the beholder. Trump is the one who appoints his staff because they look like they came from central casting. Judge Biden by what he does as president.
Delete@11:26 Did you look at that 15 second clip? If not, could you please look at it and tell us your what eyes and ears see and hear? Here's the link again
Deletehttps://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1780755301622247790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1780755301622247790%7Ctwgr%5E83a502f7868e351f73d67fe4d08f428958897b37%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejc.com%2Fnews%2Fusa%2Fjoe-biden-confuses-haifa-with-rafah-warns-israel-dont-move-on-haifa-y8gag6pw
Jesus DIC your fucking hero tore up the treaty with multiple nations and Iran to stop Iran's development of a nuclear weapon. The way you sling shit without any semblance to what actually happened is irritating. Like the fucking bipartisan Senate border bill. Your fucking hero had Moses scuttle it to prevent Biden getting a win. Allowing very serious assholes like you to keep bitching about nothing being done at the border.
DeleteI appreciate the David in Cal's of the world, who don't fall for the Right's bullshit about the border "crisis".
DeleteHas no commenter taken 15 seconds to judge President Biden’s apparent condition? Do you not want to see for yourself?
DeleteWatched the video, Biden does not appear as DIC describes, Biden appears normal, the only thing notable is he has a speech impediment, which has been a lifelong issue for him. Earlier in the interview, for example, he misspeaks and says "millions" instead of "billions" and then corrects himself, and when he says "Haifa" he starts to correct himself but stops and says "it doesn't matter", ie it was not worth drawing attention to his minor flub because he knows there is an army of DICs out there ready to pounce and weaponize normal flubs that everyone makes from time to time.
DeleteMany prominent people that have interviewed Biden have noted that while he does appear to have age-related wispiness to his voice, he is not suffering from cognitive decline, which is in stark contrast to Trump, who glitches and mumbles in a way that is a clear indication of cognitive decline and dementia.
DIC is dishonest because he is captured by his emotional state of wanting to "own the libs", and has lost the ability to employ any integrity in his discourse.
David understands the differential and integral calculus.
DeleteHey DIC, did you see the video of the man thanking Biden for reducing his insulin cost? Then Biden grips the man and places a big wet kiss on his lips. It is awesome.
DeleteTrump is just too clever and crafty, while at the same time being insane.
ReplyDeleteThere’s nothing clever about the way he is aggravating the judge & jury. It is why his fines have been so large in his civil trials.
Delete9:41 is criticizing Trump while pointing out the inconsistency of Somerby; furthermore "clever" often implies someone who is successfully engaging in nefarious actions, in such a context it is not a compliment.
Delete10:29 as well makes a valid point.
Speaking of using words (and non-verbal communication), check out the following.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_P%C3%A9tomane
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Why does no one talk about the fact that Trump is incontinent due to his drug use in the 80's.?
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to talk while enduring Trump Stench.
DeleteMy uncle was eaten by cannibals!
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