So I wanted to single out a subject that greatly bothers me at this point, and that is the President's attacking of the Free Press. It has been happening since well before Trump even ran for office, and has become significantly worse in recent months.
Trump has went so far as to call the press, "The Enemy of the People".
I wanted to talk a bit of history here to really get to the root of why that phrase is so concerning to me when the President of the United States uses it.
The words "ennemi du people" were extensively used during the French Revolution. On 25 December 1793, Robespierre stated, "The revolutionary government owes to the good citizen all the protection of the nation; it owes nothing to the Enemies of the People but death." The Law of 22 Prairial in 1794 extended the remit of the Revolutionary Tribunal to punish "enemies of the people", with some political crimes punishable by death, including "spreading false news to divide or trouble the people.".
If that isn't concerning to you I don't know what would be at this point. Trump amps up the crowds at his rallies and always points out the Fake News at the back of the venue. He gets off on everyone chanting against the news agencies and screaming and yelling at them. Recently, Jim Acosta was personally attacked, with people chanting against him, flipping him off, screaming at him to tell the truth and stop the lies, etc. Jim is highly respected and has integrity that everyone in the news business respects.
What concerns me isn't that people are speaking out against the press. People have the absolute right to do that in this country. What concerns me is the President's role in all of this.
A President is a person who should work while in office to bring people and parties together in order to accomplish common goals that are in the best interests of the country and citizens. A President is a person who should be fighting for peace and not division and hatred. A President is someone who should stand out as the moral leader of the world, as the position has historically been held to high esteem around the world.
President Trump does none of the things I just mentioned. President Trump uses his words and actions to breed hatred within his base for the press. He does so because he doesn't want people to pay attention to the facts. He wants them only to believe his false narratives. Trump himself said in an interview some time ago that he has always played the press as the enemy, even when they are right, because if he pushes the false narrative enough, people start believing it. One of the first things an Autocrat does when ascending to power is destroy the free press and take control of the narrative.
Trump continually denigrates people and institutions in the press to create uncertainty in the facts. Sadly, the very institutions and reporters he is denigrating and calling fake and disgraceful are the very institutions and reporters who are publishing the facts about the President.
It has even gone a step farther at this point, with Press Secretary Sanders standing by the President and not the Press when asked about the President's denigration of the press and the response to the press from Trump's base. She touted the greatness of free speech and how it is a good thing and not a bad thing.
It is actually a very concerning thing. If people don't open their eyes soon and do something about this President's Autocratic, Xenophobic, Egotistic, and Bigoted words and actions, the very fabric of what makes this the greatest nation on Earth is going to tear, and it will be extremely hard to ever recover.
DUNK
Trump has went so far as to call the press, "The Enemy of the People".
I wanted to talk a bit of history here to really get to the root of why that phrase is so concerning to me when the President of the United States uses it.
The words "ennemi du people" were extensively used during the French Revolution. On 25 December 1793, Robespierre stated, "The revolutionary government owes to the good citizen all the protection of the nation; it owes nothing to the Enemies of the People but death." The Law of 22 Prairial in 1794 extended the remit of the Revolutionary Tribunal to punish "enemies of the people", with some political crimes punishable by death, including "spreading false news to divide or trouble the people.".
If that isn't concerning to you I don't know what would be at this point. Trump amps up the crowds at his rallies and always points out the Fake News at the back of the venue. He gets off on everyone chanting against the news agencies and screaming and yelling at them. Recently, Jim Acosta was personally attacked, with people chanting against him, flipping him off, screaming at him to tell the truth and stop the lies, etc. Jim is highly respected and has integrity that everyone in the news business respects.
What concerns me isn't that people are speaking out against the press. People have the absolute right to do that in this country. What concerns me is the President's role in all of this.
A President is a person who should work while in office to bring people and parties together in order to accomplish common goals that are in the best interests of the country and citizens. A President is a person who should be fighting for peace and not division and hatred. A President is someone who should stand out as the moral leader of the world, as the position has historically been held to high esteem around the world.
President Trump does none of the things I just mentioned. President Trump uses his words and actions to breed hatred within his base for the press. He does so because he doesn't want people to pay attention to the facts. He wants them only to believe his false narratives. Trump himself said in an interview some time ago that he has always played the press as the enemy, even when they are right, because if he pushes the false narrative enough, people start believing it. One of the first things an Autocrat does when ascending to power is destroy the free press and take control of the narrative.
Trump continually denigrates people and institutions in the press to create uncertainty in the facts. Sadly, the very institutions and reporters he is denigrating and calling fake and disgraceful are the very institutions and reporters who are publishing the facts about the President.
It has even gone a step farther at this point, with Press Secretary Sanders standing by the President and not the Press when asked about the President's denigration of the press and the response to the press from Trump's base. She touted the greatness of free speech and how it is a good thing and not a bad thing.
It is actually a very concerning thing. If people don't open their eyes soon and do something about this President's Autocratic, Xenophobic, Egotistic, and Bigoted words and actions, the very fabric of what makes this the greatest nation on Earth is going to tear, and it will be extremely hard to ever recover.
DUNK
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