It's important to distinguish between healthy skepticism, which is essential to a democratic political culture, & nihilistic cynicism, which is essential to an authoritarian political culture. Right wing media has become a powerful amplifier of the latter. wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/s…
There's a historical irony that emerges in this story that's worth unpacking a bit. The story is about how John Solomon's BS "reporting" about Biden, Clinton, and Ukraine (entirely false and debunked) came to be regarded as "truth" and recirculated by Fox, the White House, etc.
The dynamic resembles what happened with the bogus "weapons of mass destruction" story that lied us into the Iraq War. A gov't official plants a story with the press, the press recirculates it, then gov't officials point to the press reports as backing up their false assertions.
That well known case in which Judith Miller at the New York Times got taken in by the Bush Admin and helped them lie us into the Iraq War is a key factoid in Trump's "lying New York Times" line, his claim that the MSM is "fake news" and you can only trust him and Fox.
Trump is playing upon the cynicism produced by our experience with the Iraq War in order to encourage his supporters to trust only what he tells them about Biden, Clinton, Ukraine, servers, etc. Turning cynicism into authoritarian credulity. It's pretty brilliant, in an evil way.
What's even more ironic/evil is that it was the unethical actions of the GWB era Republicans (building upon the unethical actions of the Nixon era Republicans) that has built the huge reservoir of public cynicism upon which Trump is now drawing to his benefit.
This great interview with historian of conservative media @pastpunditry details how the Republican propaganda machine of Fox both departs from the mediascape of the Nixon era, but also has roots that stretch back to that era. vox.com/podcasts/2019/…
@pastpunditry I mean, the idea for what would become Fox News first occurred to Ailes in the context of Watergate as he was trying to (unsuccessfully) salvage Nixon's public reputation. nytimes.com/2017/05/18/opi…
@pastpunditry The recipe.
1) F*ck over the public.
2) Lie about it.
3) Get caught lying.
4) Implicate press in your lying.
5) Wait 10 years.
6) Get back into office & lie.
7) Supporters disbelieve lying fake news.
8) Cynical public thinks the *real* problem is probably lying Dem politicians.
1) F*ck over the public.
2) Lie about it.
3) Get caught lying.
4) Implicate press in your lying.
5) Wait 10 years.
6) Get back into office & lie.
7) Supporters disbelieve lying fake news.
8) Cynical public thinks the *real* problem is probably lying Dem politicians.
@pastpunditry The people who most benefit from the public perception that "all politicians lie" are...the politicians most inclined to lie. That's the magic sauce here. Nothing authorizes unethical behavior more than the public perception that "everyone does it."
@pastpunditry The politician who tells you that "all politicians lie" is not taking your side against "the bad guys." They are ripening you up to be the mark for their next grift.
