There's absolutely a new War on Terror being initiated -- it'd been lurking for awhile, but it's accelerating now for obvious reasons. This new one is aimed inward, domestically. It entails many of the same frameworks.
If the last few decades teach anything, it should be that making weighty decisions at times of high and intense emotions, closely following an event that unifies most everyone to the point that any deviations or questioning are treated like treason or heresy, is extremely unwise.
Amazing - yesterday I wrote: the same tactic used against critics of the first War on Terror would be used for the new one: demonizing those who question its excesses as "pro-terrorist."
Today, up pops neocon @davidfrum to reprise his role, this time as a liberal thought leader
Liberals who are behind the Biden/Harris plan to initiate this new War on Terror, this time with a primary domestic focus, won't need to study what neocons did with the first War on Terror to learn those old tactics against critics. Neocons are their full allies in all of this.
A key ally for the Dems in this domestic War on Terror will be the same media outlets who have acted as their spokespeople since 2016. CNN employs a former conservative, @oliverdarcy, whose main function in life is to demand censorship on behalf of Dems:
Most of these pro-Dem media outlets employ people whose principal job is do demand censorship of Democrats' adversaries. When FB yesterday announced the Trump ban, Darcy immediately popped up to complain it wasn't broad enough, that we need mass banning on those on the Right:
I spent the first decade of my journalism career devoted to exposing and denouncing the excesses of the first War on Terror, and I see exactly the same tactics forming:
If you question or are concerned about these new powers, you'll be branded as sympathetic to the terrorists.
As I said, one could see this new domestic War on Terror forming long before the events at the Capitol. Someone just posted this clip where I discussed it with @joerogan before the election, in Oct. Lots of big institutions with an interest in doing this:
In case any of you doubt there is a new War on Terror underway: here's a former CIA operative and Pentagon official now a member of Congress (a Democrat, needless to say), explicitly saying (on MSNBC, of course) that the new War on Terror is domestic:
The belief that Joe Rogan and those like him are just an updated Fox News -- a non-stop messaging of right-wing ideology -- is beyond stupid.
Those podcasts grew organically: in part because they're not ideological or partisan. They're normal conversations: how humans speak.
Depicting Rogan as a far-right ideologue is something only those who never heard his show would say. AOC separated from Bernie's campaign after Bernie touted Rogan's endorsement.
He is a vehement defender of same-sex marriage. He believes in full freedom for adults' personal lives. He frequently argues that corporate power is suffocating the lives of ordinary people, etc. etc.
The most consequential - yet overlooked - Trump era change is many debates are no longer shaped by old left/right divisions, but instead by who loves, respects, and is loyal to institutions of authority (Dems) and who believes they're fundamentally corrupted (Trump supporters).
Today's NYT column by @ezraklein notes obvious exceptions (abortion, gun control), yet argues the key difference between Kamala and Trump voters is how much one likes US ruling institutions.
Hence, Dems love CIA, FBI, DHS, corporate media. Even views of corporate power changed.
@ezraklein Think about key debates. Which is right or left?
- Trust in large media corporations.
- Opposition to BigTech/state internet censorship.
- Opposition to funding endless wars (Ukraine).
- Eagerness to remain tied to NATO and EU-based institutions.
While many people in the West believe that Russia/Putin are "isolated" - because their media tells them that -- 2 dozen world leaders are in Russia now for a 3-day BRICS conference.
BRICS itself includes the 2 most-populous countries and 4 of the top 10 most populous.
Beyond the founding 5 (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), it expanded to 5 more (including key US "partners" Egypt, UAE and maybe Saudi).
They "account for 45% of the global population" and 28% of global economy.
Key goal: a financial system independent of US dollar.
There's Western skepticism and even mockery that this huge confederation of countries -- united over perceived abuses of US/EU sanctions -- could create a non-dollar system. @TheEconomist takes it seriously.
Inacreditável que Alexandre de Moraes esteja constantemente concentrando em si próprio a figura de suposta vítima, investigador policial, promotor e o juiz - em seus próprios interesses.
Não há democracia onde uma pessoa pode investigar criminalmente o jornalismo que a reporta.
@lf_ponde @folha Aqui também: um ótimo artigo de @lygia_maria sobre a visão perturbada e perigosa de Moraes, a marca registrada de uma mentalidade tirana:
Que qualquer crítica ou questionamento feita ele é em si "um ataque à democracia" e, portanto, um crime.
There are few people in the democratic world more powerful or tyrannical than Moraes. He believes he is Brazilian democracy itself, and thus any criticisms of him are a criminal attack on the state.
Brazil's left views him as a deity, since he censors/imprisons their opponents.
On Tuesday, we began reporting in @Folha on a massive archive of data we obtained from his chambers between his top aides (6gb).
After the first day, the left united to defend him because they see him as infallible, and he called our reporting a plot to destroy democracy.
It's hard to explain the cult-like adoration the left has for him. No matter what he does - ban people from the internet or imprison them with no due process or trial - they go online and type "Eu autorizo, Xandão!" (we support you, Great Alexandre!).
Not even herd animals are this flagrant about it. You tell me how and why corporate media constantly speaks from the same exact script this way, verbatim. #KamalaIsJOY