At a time we’ve never needed well-researched, straight-down-the-middle news more, AP is predictably under attack by an administration that deals in lies.
Republished with permission from D. Earl Stephens
This second iteration of the Republican authoritarian regime that has taken over our White House has been a terrible assault to the senses. The one-after-another attacks on our economy, civil liberties, environment, government and benefits have been a helluva lot to deal with.
In related news, it turns out that this term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) that the cultists who follow America’s No. 1 traitor have slobbered on us, is actually a miraculous life-saving, democracy-saving condition inherent among good and decent people who want their environment, rights, benefits, children, and country protected from billionaires and felons who are drooling to line their pockets with our hard-earned cash.
Because people who have the audacity to care are prone to this condition, its side effects are pain, nausea and sleeplessness.
That said, I am guessing by now most of you agree the pace of this Republican carnage has been expedited completely by design. By blasting us with a nuclear-powered firehose, these fascists hope to knock us off our moorings and unsteady us. While we are reacting to this, they are doing that … While we are reacting to that, they are doing this …
“We’re going to invade Greenland!!” “We are inside the government accessing your personal information.” “Canada will be the 51st state!!!” “Gaza will be our beach resort!!!”
Only one of these things is actually underway, and that is truly terrifying. The rest of their nonstop bullshit distracts us from the vitally important. It irritates us, stirs us up. Scares us …
We characterize the contemporary Russian model for propaganda as “the firehose of falsehood” because of two of its distinctive features: high numbers of channels and messages and a shameless willingness to disseminate partial truths or outright fictions. In the words of one observer, “[N]ew Russian propaganda entertains, confuses and overwhelms the audience.”
Mostly this technique is cruel, and anti-American, which is precisely why it is being used on the American public by a psychopath who cares little about anything else but himself.
Before turning to another issue associated with this “firehose of falsehood” I just want to remind you again to never normalize what is happening in America right now, because THAT will end us faster than anything. We have TDS because we have chosen to care for ALL the people in our country, who aren’t billionaires.
We are not in a cult.
I want to talk little bit today about the fascist Trump regime’s attack on the Associated Press, which is a part of Republicans’ broader assault on the truth.
During my newsroom days, AP was an invaluable news service which employed reporters and news bureaus where most newspapers couldn’t to bring home the news of events happening around the country and the world to millions of people. Long way of saying: We couldn’t have provided our readers a well-rounded newspaper each day without them.
At a time we’ve never needed well-researched, straight-down-the-middle news more, AP is predictably under attack by an administration that deals in lies. When AP scoffed at Trump’s war on the Gulf of Mexico, he barred them from attending any further White House circus events.
Because they didn’t submit to senseless stupidity, they were showed the door.
AP gave a well-reasoned retort for their refusal to dumb themselves and their readers down to no avail.
Some of you will know that the AP Stylebook is the go-to guide for journalists and provides instruction for proper usages of things like grammar, spelling, abbreviations, and even libel law, with sound reasoning for their instruction.
I use it to this day, but now access it online. Here’s an old copy from my newspaper days, before the Internet swallowed us whole:
It is ever-evolving to reflect current events and parlance.
For what it’s worth, here is AP’s reasoning for not surrendering the truth to King Cruel — as if they ended one:
“The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years,” the updated Stylebook entry states. “Refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.”
Outside the U.S., “Gulf of Mexico” is still used.
The Stylebook also notes, “Trump’s order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.”
In other words, they are trying to be accurate, as always. But this won’t do, because this Trump/Musk regime’s job, like the any authoritarian group, is to bury us in propaganda and lies with their “firehose of falsehoods.”
Here is their pathetic reasoning for removing one of the foremost news organizations in the world from their lie-filled press briefings:
“It is a privilege to cover this White House,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters explaining their Joseph Goebbels-like decision to bar AP. “Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions. That’s an invitation that is given.”
So here is who they they are now giving this privilege to, among other right-wing bilge (with thanks to NPR’s David Folkenflik, who as always, does tremendous job covering these issues): Breitbart radio, One America News Network, Newsmax and the New York Post.
These are not news organizations, they are straight-up, rightwing propaganda outlets. They have no interest in the truth, because they are immune to TDS.
Straight-down-the-middle news operations like AP are being shown the door, because it is impossible to spread Russian propaganda when you have reputable folks like them hanging around.
This is only going to get worse, as the America-attackers, anti-vaxxers, drunks, and billionaire in the Trump regime, who are trying to steal our money, and pollute our air, water and the truth go about their filthy work.
Recently, I was told by a member of Trump’s cult that I had TDS. It’s hardly the first time this has happened. When I produced an AP story to buttress an argument we were having at the time, I was told that AP is “fake news.” That was the first time I’d heard this from a cult member.
I hate with everything in my being what this traitor has done to our country, but I hate the morally lost who prop him up even more.
If only everybody had a case of TDS.
Help Support Factkeepers!
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Factkeepers.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Help Support Factkeepers","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"Factkeepers.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like.","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to donate? You can change this amount to anything you would like."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to donate this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
{"date_format":"F j, Y","time_format":"g:i a","wordpress_permalink_only":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/ap-trump-derangement-syndrome-truth\/","all_default_visual_states":"inherit","modal_visual_state":false,"user_is_logged_in":false,"stripe_api_key":"pk_live_40P3DgGDAHEP1QtJ0nOU4nms5JYHI8GbQ05dYiB1S8OPP5oMSIpOCCeeIawOyeW6bWDkDMWdUeggbhxOQTSA6aedu00ROAbhXBd","stripe_account_country_code":"US","setup_link":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-admin\/admin.php?page=tip-jar-wp&mpwpadmin1=welcome&mpwpadmin_lightbox=do_wizard_health_check","close_button_url":"https:\/\/factkeepers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/closebtn.png"}
