US Erection 12 *AND* 16 *AND* 20 *AND* 22 *AND* 24 *AND* Beyond

[Chef Boi RD]

Trump suggests punishing TV networks for ‘negative’ coverage amid outrage over Kimmel suspension.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... show-trump

[Chef Boi RD]

Bravo David Letterman

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOwuv9YF ... U3b3d4NHdy

[Meds]

On the topic of making fun of death while fresh and not just one death, thousands upon thousands death - I am reminded of Trump Gaza’ AI depicting the Gaza Strip as a Dubai-style paradise

The video – posted by Trump on his Truth Social depicts a family emerging from the wreckage of war-torn Gaza into a beachside resort town lined with skyscrapers. Trump is seen sipping cocktails with a topless Benjamin Netanyahu on sun loungers, while Elon Musk tears flatbread into dips.

The video first emerged in February, shortly after Trump unveiled his property development plan for Gaza, under which he said he wants to “clean out” the population of about 2 million people to create the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Trump then posted the clip on his Truth Social platform on 26 February.

Oh, Trumpy, such a kidder, eh. Harmless fun, while Palestinian children are being blown to Smithereens.

BTW, Kimmel was poking fun at MAGA, about the shooter being a MAGA man. He wasn’t making fun of Kirk’s death.

So in your world Trump's inappropriateness makes Kimmell's acceptable? 2 wrongs make a right?

[Chef Boi RD]

This guy a frightening shit

'I don’t think this is the last shoe to drop,' Trump's FCC chair tells Fox

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, praised the owners of local TV stations that broadcast ABC programming for putting pressure on the network’s owner, Disney, to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air, in response to what Carr called Kimmel’s “distortion” of the news about Charlie Kirk’s murder in a monologue on Monday.

“The key point is these were local TV stations, licensed by the FCC, that have a public interest obligation to serve their local community, they pushed back on Disney,” Carr said, referring to ABC affiliated stations owned and operated by Nexstar and Sinclair that decided to take Kimmel off the air. Those station owner, in Carr’s words, “said ‘We don’t think that this type of programming is responsive to the needs of our viewers in Utah, in Pennsylvania,’ and that’s exactly the way the system is supposed to work.”

We’re going to back to that era when local TV stations, judging the public interest, get to decide what the American people think,” Carr added.

He then suggested that pressure from the FCC on the local license holders had been a factor. “We’re constraining the power… of Disney of Comcast. I think the American public are going to be much better off,” he said. “I don’t think this is the last shoe to drop. This is a massive shift that’s taking place in the media ecosystem the consequences will continue to flow.”

Carr’s mention of Comcast, which owns NBC, might be ominous for the network’s late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, both of whom Donald Trump has called for to be fired over their criticism of him.

In July, Carr wrote to Comcast to announce that he that he had launched an investigation into the company’s relations with its NBC affiliates, after Trump called for the network to be held “accountable” for what he called content favoring the Democratic party.

Control the content:

Meanwhile Texas tried to pass a bill to make children including non Christian children like atheist, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu etc., school children cite the Ten Commandments at school every morning.

[Chef Boi RD]

On the topic of making fun of death while fresh and not just one death, thousands upon thousands death - I am reminded of Trump Gaza’ AI depicting the Gaza Strip as a Dubai-style paradise

The video – posted by Trump on his Truth Social depicts a family emerging from the wreckage of war-torn Gaza into a beachside resort town lined with skyscrapers. Trump is seen sipping cocktails with a topless Benjamin Netanyahu on sun loungers, while Elon Musk tears flatbread into dips.

The video first emerged in February, shortly after Trump unveiled his property development plan for Gaza, under which he said he wants to “clean out” the population of about 2 million people to create the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Trump then posted the clip on his Truth Social platform on 26 February.

Oh, Trumpy, such a kidder, eh. Harmless fun, while Palestinian children are being blown to Smithereens.

BTW, Kimmel was poking fun at MAGA, about the shooter being a MAGA man. He wasn’t making fun of Kirk’s death.

So in your world Trump's inappropriateness makes Kimmell's acceptable? 2 wrongs make a right?

You can’t cherry pick free speech, Mëds. The wrong is what happened to Colbert and Kimmel all because Trump and his cronys don’t like it. Some of the shit Kirk was pumping was vile and despicable but I wouldn’t have wanted to to see him censored or “murdered” for free speech, same with Trump. But its a one way street now. Trump is just using Kirk’s death as a way to go after public figures who are speaking out against. It’s like he views his death as an opportunity.

The shit coming out of Fox News makes Kimmel and Colbert look like angels.

[Chef Boi RD]

IMG_9478.jpeg (49.1 KiB) Viewed 387 times

[Chef Boi RD]

“When the Nazi’s came to power in 1933, the German constitution guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Through decree and laws, the Nazi’s abolished these civil rights and destroyed German democracy.

Starting in 1934, it was illegal to criticize the Nazi government. Even telling a joke about Hitler was considered treachery. People in Nazi Germany could not say or write whatever they wanted.”

Source - The Holocaust Encyclopedia

Y’all see where this is going?

[Chef Boi RD]

‘Jawboning’

“When regulators or government officials pressure private actors, like a social media company or broadcast network, to stifle speech. The libertarian Cato Institute calls the practice "censorship by proxy.”

“With a few narrowly defined exceptions, the First Amendment prohibits government officials from censoring the speech of private actors. But of course, that doesn’t stop them from trying — and there are many sneaky, indirect ways for them to do it.

One of the most pernicious methods is for the government to attack or pressure not the speaker of disfavored ideas, but those who give the speaker an audience and a platform. If the government limits or even eliminates your ability to publicly voice a message, then you’re effectively being silenced even if no one is putting their hands over your mouth.

This form of indirect censorship is called jawboning, and it’s a serious threat to free speech — particularly when it’s directed at expression on social media, where much of our discourse now occurs.”

[Meds]

On the topic of making fun of death while fresh and not just one death, thousands upon thousands death - I am reminded of Trump Gaza’ AI depicting the Gaza Strip as a Dubai-style paradise

The video – posted by Trump on his Truth Social depicts a family emerging from the wreckage of war-torn Gaza into a beachside resort town lined with skyscrapers. Trump is seen sipping cocktails with a topless Benjamin Netanyahu on sun loungers, while Elon Musk tears flatbread into dips.

The video first emerged in February, shortly after Trump unveiled his property development plan for Gaza, under which he said he wants to “clean out” the population of about 2 million people to create the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Trump then posted the clip on his Truth Social platform on 26 February.

Oh, Trumpy, such a kidder, eh. Harmless fun, while Palestinian children are being blown to Smithereens.

BTW, Kimmel was poking fun at MAGA, about the shooter being a MAGA man. He wasn’t making fun of Kirk’s death.

So in your world Trump's inappropriateness makes Kimmell's acceptable? 2 wrongs make a right?

You can’t cherry pick free speech, Mëds. The wrong is what happened to Colbert and Kimmel all because Trump and his cronys don’t like it. Some of the shit Kirk was pumping was vile and despicable but I wouldn’t have wanted to to see him censored or “murdered” for free speech, same with Trump. But its a one way street now. Trump is just using Kirk’s death as a way to go after public figures who are speaking out against. It’s like he views his death as an opportunity.

The shit coming out of Fox News makes Kimmel and Colbert look like angels.

Again, corporations can restrict speech based upon company policies. ABC is the entity that cancelled their employees program.

I'm not saying it's ok for a government to restrict speech.

[Chef Boi RD]

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the first amendment was designed to prevent. After years about complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it a new and dangerous level.” - Barrack Obama

Jawboning - Jawboning refers to “the use of official speech to inappropriately compel private action,” as defined by the Cato Institute, as governments or public officials—who cannot directly punish private actors for speech they don’t like—can use strongman tactics to try and indirectly silence critics or influence private companies’ actions.

[Cousin Strawberry]

‘Jawboning’

Governmental 'throat pumping '

[Chef Boi RD]

This is awesome, Best bit I’ve heard on the “current” mess:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOxKZmSE ... l3a2dkdA==

[Chef Boi RD]

“Five years after the president tried to designate antifa as a terrorist organization, he’s giving it another try. The sequel will likely be worse”:

“Right off the bat, it’s important to emphasize that there is no formal antifa “organization” to speak of. The entity, to the extent that it exists, is made up of loosely affiliated anti-fascist activists. There is no budget. There is no membership list. There are no offices or headquarters. There are no staffers, leaders or board members.”

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-sho ... rcna232143

[Cornuck]

UW, when you see episodes like this and this increasing number of US citizens being abused by ICE, cronyism on the rise, do you like the direction the country is going? Or are these just isolated instances that should be brushed off?

Right now I see the country as the proverbial frog in a pot of water, and it's warming up.

The ICE stuff is very much fog of war to me—people painted as innocent who later are not once more information comes out...

Trump was right to call out the mainstream media for fake news—mainstream media earned it by doing a shitty job. .....

As for the cronyism stuff, I think that’s a big problem. ....

In some ways the out in the open bullying is easier for us to confront and respond to than the favors and carrots or the behind close doors subtle threats. ...

Do I like the way the country is going? As to matters of policy? Generally yes, with exceptions of course. As to matters of politics, mindset, quality of institutions, right wing and left wing post modernism, etc.? Generally no. Our culture’s relationship to the truth is too loose; the numbers of people who subscribe to ethics of intention over ethics of responsibility too many; our understanding of the things that made America imperfect but pretty damn good too shallow; our charitableness towards our loyal opponents, too rare.

Re: ICE, my feeling is that they are going overboard. Obama and Biden were able to deport a lot of people without the sideshow; now with quotas to meet and a heavy hand, ICE is getting out of control. My questions, though, were more about the individual citizens being bullied, detained, etc - and the foreign travelers and workers who are harassed. I don't see them getting better, and in fact see it getting much worse.

I think everyone here would agree that the mainstream media is a mess and has been for a long time. They have their agendas, and their goal is to attract eyeballs and clicks. But there's a difference between calling out bias or errors, versus referring to the "fake news" as anyone that disagrees with your policies. This administration is known for lying, attacking, and bullying their way through any interview. It's a perfect storm for media needing click-bait.

Cronyism is always a part of politics, but having an administration with over 20 people from FOX in it, while decrying DEI is just a joke. Having DOGE run rampant just to cause hardship, with very little savings, but lots of data being transferred around to whoever is all part of this. It's not just cronyism, but the 'anti-cronyism' going on - where people are fired for not being faithful enough to the president. That's a problem.

The bullying is a HUGE problem, we've seen it this week with the firing of Kimmel. Yet a FOX host advocating for killing the homeless is still on the job. Having the head of the FCC say, "we can do this the hard way, or the easy way" is not a good look. Of course, these huge corporations that control all media have the right to do what they want - but they shouldn't be blackmailed by the government. Any company needing approval for a major merger needs to play ball now. Bullying the Federal Reserve has to make big business worry.

I'm not sure which policies you're in favour of, so I can't talk about that, but as a general rule, I don't see the country improving under this administration. They seem more intent on getting their "message" across than to actually do anything to help the majority of the population. Sending troops into cities is not a good starting point. The mess of tariffs has hurt almost every business. Extended tax cuts for the rich, while increasing the deficit, isn't a good long-term plan. Harrassing universities, the NIH and others that conduct leading research will not make the country greater. Scaring off investors like the Koreans with mass raids will not help.

The republicans control all branches of the government. Why does everything have be done by executive order? Why the rush? Why all the lawsuits back and forth?

[Chef Boi RD]

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.” - Theodore Roosevelt