The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference.
--Elie Wiesel
Is it just me, or does it seem every news story begins with the words "President Trump?" It's like picking at a wound, which just gets worse as you pick more and more.
And the thing is, 90% of the stories are inconsequential, stupid or both. Trump says 3 million fraudulent ballots were cast for Hillary Clinton. (Then two experts testify it's not true.) Trump says global warming is a Chinese plot. Trump says Obama was born in Kenya or on Mars. (Hawaii denies it.) Trump says Women love him. (Some woman denies it.) Trump says the news media are dishonest. (News media deny it.) Trump says the folks at the CIA love him. (They cheer.) Trump says the soldiers voted for him overwhelmingly. (Nobody is asked.) Trump said he had the biggest audience for his wonderful Inauguration speech ever.
By the time you get Trump said and somebody denies it, there is nothing left in the news.
Why can't the PBS News Hours simply end every broadcast with a list of the things Trump said today and a tally of which of these things are without corroborating evidence and which are manifestly untrue? Limit that to 90 seconds.
Then, for the rest of the hour, simply ignore him.
The thing is, Trump is like my dog, if you pay attention to him, you only encourage him.
Just ignore him. Eventually, maybe he'll go away.
Oh, and there's one other thing: Alternative facts.
Actually, one of my best classes in college happened when the professor challenged us on the idea of what constitutes a "fact." His point was you can always present another point of view. So, "we are sitting here together, in this classroom is a fact." And he responds. "Well, physically, but Susan over there hasn't heard a word we've said. She's here, but she's somewhere else, in her head."
This all came up when Trump said he had the biggest audience ever for his Inauguration and the Washington Post published photos showing Obama's crowd was bigger.
Well, but when did they take those photos of Trump's crowd? After most people had left? Were they photo-shopped? You can see photo-shopped nude photos of Ivanka Trump? You going to believe those? What is credible evidence? And, anyway, even if the crowd physically present was smaller, well in the world of the internet, people don't attend physically--they watched on line. Alternative facts. Not such a crazy thing.
Mr. Trump and his followers distrust "evidence." Evidence is presented in court but always has to be examined, analyzed. Are the gloves that did not fit O.J. Simpson simply wool gloves which shrank, as wool things do? What of that evidence?
Mr. Trump does not accept that argument should be built in the way we were taught to do in school, citing evidence. You simply say something and it develops a life of its own: Obama was born in Kenya. Hillary is a crook. Obama is a closet Muslim. Obama was the founder of ISIS. Hillary was co-founder. The news media lie. Global warming is a hoax. Vaccines cause mental retardation. The crime rate in America is way up. The cities are falling apart. Obamacare is a disaster. Forty percent of America will believe it. If you repeat it often enough, 51% will believe it and vote you into office. In speech there is logic.
Welcome to the alternative universe.
Or as Barney Frank would say: Excuse me, but on what planet do you spend the majority of your time?
--Elie Wiesel
Is it just me, or does it seem every news story begins with the words "President Trump?" It's like picking at a wound, which just gets worse as you pick more and more.
And the thing is, 90% of the stories are inconsequential, stupid or both. Trump says 3 million fraudulent ballots were cast for Hillary Clinton. (Then two experts testify it's not true.) Trump says global warming is a Chinese plot. Trump says Obama was born in Kenya or on Mars. (Hawaii denies it.) Trump says Women love him. (Some woman denies it.) Trump says the news media are dishonest. (News media deny it.) Trump says the folks at the CIA love him. (They cheer.) Trump says the soldiers voted for him overwhelmingly. (Nobody is asked.) Trump said he had the biggest audience for his wonderful Inauguration speech ever.
 |
| Victim of a Chinese Plot! |
By the time you get Trump said and somebody denies it, there is nothing left in the news.
Why can't the PBS News Hours simply end every broadcast with a list of the things Trump said today and a tally of which of these things are without corroborating evidence and which are manifestly untrue? Limit that to 90 seconds.
Then, for the rest of the hour, simply ignore him.
 |
| Could distinguish fiction from reality |
Just ignore him. Eventually, maybe he'll go away.
Oh, and there's one other thing: Alternative facts.
Actually, one of my best classes in college happened when the professor challenged us on the idea of what constitutes a "fact." His point was you can always present another point of view. So, "we are sitting here together, in this classroom is a fact." And he responds. "Well, physically, but Susan over there hasn't heard a word we've said. She's here, but she's somewhere else, in her head."
This all came up when Trump said he had the biggest audience ever for his Inauguration and the Washington Post published photos showing Obama's crowd was bigger.
Well, but when did they take those photos of Trump's crowd? After most people had left? Were they photo-shopped? You can see photo-shopped nude photos of Ivanka Trump? You going to believe those? What is credible evidence? And, anyway, even if the crowd physically present was smaller, well in the world of the internet, people don't attend physically--they watched on line. Alternative facts. Not such a crazy thing.
Mr. Trump and his followers distrust "evidence." Evidence is presented in court but always has to be examined, analyzed. Are the gloves that did not fit O.J. Simpson simply wool gloves which shrank, as wool things do? What of that evidence?
Mr. Trump does not accept that argument should be built in the way we were taught to do in school, citing evidence. You simply say something and it develops a life of its own: Obama was born in Kenya. Hillary is a crook. Obama is a closet Muslim. Obama was the founder of ISIS. Hillary was co-founder. The news media lie. Global warming is a hoax. Vaccines cause mental retardation. The crime rate in America is way up. The cities are falling apart. Obamacare is a disaster. Forty percent of America will believe it. If you repeat it often enough, 51% will believe it and vote you into office. In speech there is logic.
Welcome to the alternative universe.
Or as Barney Frank would say: Excuse me, but on what planet do you spend the majority of your time?
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