I'm linking if only to marvel at the photograph at the top of the page. The faces! Caption: "Vivek Ramaswamy spoke to voters at a town-hall meeting at Wellman’s Pub and Rooftop in Des Moines. Credit... Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times."
The article, by Lisa Lerer, is subtitled, "As Monday’s caucuses approach, voters casually throw around the prospect of World War III and civil unrest, anxious of divisions they fear are tearing the country apart."
Key concept: Anxiety.
Four years ago, voters worried about a spiraling pandemic, economic uncertainty and national protests. Now, in the first presidential election since the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, those anxieties have metastasized into a grimmer, more existential dread about the very foundations of the American experiment....
But isn't it this fearful fragility the real threat to democracy? Why do mainstream media stoke despair and anxiety? Why don't they — why don't we — build our resiliency and optimism?
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The news is the great organizer of anxiety. Then they run features to tell you how to deal with it. What they claim to know is what is important.
Why do mainstream media stoke despair and anxiety?
Because it sells newspapers...or it did, back when there were newspapers.
I’ve kinda let everything go so I don’t have anxiety and fear. I’m more on the payback road now when I’m not fishing.
I diagnose projection; anxiety from the NYT that Trump will win.
Now, in the first presidential election since the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, those anxieties have metastasized
Maybe because of people who insist on presenting one protest-turned-partial-riot that disrupted traffic for a few hours and destroyed little as a freaking siege...
... but a whole summer of other protests-turned-partial-riots that shut down and sometimes burned the shopping areas of city after city to the point that many businesses still haven't recovered as "yay democracy"?
I prefer resiliency and realism. If that realism reads as pessimism, well, it’s called for.
- Rafe
“Siege.” Right.
the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021
siege?!?
1st it was a 3 hour long "insurrection".. But NOW, it was a 3 hour long "siege" ! ! ! !
I Realize that the "writers" at the NYT's are NOT mental giants.. Or Even competent;
but i ASSUMED that they were barely literate.
Protip: you can't starve people out (even in the 21st century USA) in THREE HOURS
Maybe because it’s a Republican caucus. If it were a Democrat one, it’d be “Yes, we can!” all over again.
"We're not here to create disorder. We're her to preserve disorder".
Richard Daley, 1962.
”Why do mainstream media stoke fear and anxiety?”
To demoralize the voters and thereby suppress the turnout.
NYT 1: Talk about fear, anxiety and hopelessness.
NYT 2: Ask people about fear, anxiety and hopelessness.
NYT 3: Report on fear, anxiety and hopelessness.
NYT 4: Repeat.
Because "sex sells". But since sex (in the form of words and images) is so readily, the media need something else that gets people emotional. War has also been done to death (twenty years ago there would have been cheers about smacking the Houthis). So fear and anxiety it is.
This is projection at the highest level. Democrats have been selling fear, anxiety, helplessness, victimhood for decades now. It's not just that it's their playbook. It's that they haven't had a new idea since the 60s. Maybe earlier. Just give a listen to any of Joe Biden's national speeches.
And of course, the NYT is there to tell us exactly how they view the world.
Vivek is not pessimistic. He has a great plans to fix America. He is America First 2.0 but with fresh legs and without Trump’s baggage.
I'm anxious to vote out Biden. Let's [let] go [of] Brandon!
Oh, they meant the "uneasy" definition not the "eager" definition? Huh. The probably used a different definition of "siege" as well.
The NY Slimes wants to sell fear and anxiety so voters will turn to Uncle Biden (Sorry Sam, you're so 20th Century) for comfort and control. Bigger government means bigger unions, dues and contributions to the Decivilizer (D) Party. More dues, more government, more government union employees. More contracts to the propaganda outlets.
See how it works? Positive feedback loop to grow control over the USA. Vote the Decivilizer Party for protection and goodies.
That’s wrong- it isn’t about sensationalism to sell papers. In this particular instance there is a propaganda goal is to equate voters collective anxieties with anxiety over the ‘siege’, where calm, peaceful Americans were invited into the Capitol building and egged on by operatives Epps et al for the purpose of drawing attention away from the legitimate questions about the stolen election and a warning to anyone daring to demand answers…
Remember that video of Americans being invited into the Capitol building? No?
Our collective anxieties about the abandonment of rule of law, lawfare, persecution of political opponents banana republic style…or Trump derangement on the other side are the raw material for shaping the propaganda…
Because people have seen a protest, but were told it's an insurrection, and they are asking questions - especially after seeing months of burning-down-buildings-riots, but being told they are mostly-peaceful protests. More questions. Better to remind them they're anxious. Anxious, hopeless people can be manipulated, and the constant refrains - to remind them of their anxiety and hopelessness - helps distract them from their questioning, which could become awkward. Emo sells. Emo is good. Embrace the Emo.
The end of our democracy is the current theme. Biden and the press have found that” the end of our democracy” works with suburban women and frail non cisgender males. Once people believed that standing six feet apart spared them from Covid it was clear they would believe anything however preposterous if repeated often enough from the correct pulpit. The same people believe a virtually non violent crowd, an unarmed crowd, was about to overthrow the government. They actually believe this. They actually believe that electing a man they despise will be the end of democracy.
The picture was taken just immediately after Vivek announced that due to a fire in the kitchen, they would be unable to serve the planned bbq dinner.....From what I've read, all the educated people in 1913 thought that every day in every way, the world was becoming a better place and that, as had happened in the past, wars could be avoided.... Nowadays all the educated people believe that in the off chance we avoid nuclear war, then climate change or Maga Republicans will do us all in.....It came as a surprise to me, but my life as it has enfolded has gotten better with time. I don't think that's true of many people in the Middle East or in other parts of the world, but I think that's the case with many people besides myself here in America...I predict that the future will unfold in unpredictable ways.
The thinkers at the NYT:
Tell people they’re helpless and dependent
????
Biden wins 2024 election
"national protests"? (Do F Off NYT(D))
the siege on the Capitol was driven by embedded feds.
Trump asked for peaceful protest.
Antifa and BLM mobs caused billions in property damage.
I have spent the last 3 months handing out checks for crops short of yield due to the drought, over 100 farmers, made claims against their crop insurance,
All those people in loss situations, and all I got was smiles and goodwill. Even with comming up short at the end of harvest, and insurance not making them whole, I see no fear or anxiety.
But I guess Maureen Dowd in NYC is much closer to the Id of Iowans, than an Iowan of 67 years, spending all day talking to them.
The lefts Propagandists have written 100,000 of these fables, and everyone of them has made Trump stronger and more popular.
Dowd says, "hold my beer"
I guess Trump's Sharpie isn't working otherwise he would have fixed the weather. Iowa is not very successful at picking the eventual nominee - the last time they were successful was in 1976. Ted Cruz was the winner in 2016. Other surprises are Rick Santorum and Pat Roberson.
Why do mainstream media stoke despair and anxiety?
1. Because it sells.
2. That's all they know.
3. It's easy.
That photo was taken at a certain moment. What was Vivek saying at that moment? Something serious, apparently.
No doubt there were also photos taken when Vivek was saying something funny and those people were all laughing and smiling.
HL Mencken said it best. "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary."
Democrats have perfected this to control the fools who vote for them.
OMG, it was "Morning in America" on January 21, 2021. Finally, the darkness had lifted, and the threat to DEMOCRACY was gone. But now, the darkness and threat of AUTHORITARIANISM is returning.
Fear and doubt stalk the land. Racism and bigotry have reared their head, and our very existance is at stake. Can decent people win this time?
Or will Orange man and his disgusting deplorable followers return to power?
I'm scared. And frightened. This is not the America I grew up in.
OMG, it was "Morning in America" on January 21, 2021. Finally, the darkness had lifted, and the threat to DEMOCRACY was gone. But now, the darkness and threat of AUTHORITARIANISM is returning.
Fear and doubt stalk the land. Racism and bigotry have reared their head, and our very existance is at stake. Can decent people win this time?
Or will Orange man and his disgusting deplorable followers return to power?
I'm scared. And frightened. This is not the America I grew up in.
We call the founding of the United States a "revolution" and celebrate it as a great thing. (it was, IMHO)
It could also be called an "insurrection" and I propose we start doing that.
"Hot dogs, baseball, apple pie and insurrection. It's what makes America great"
H/t Chevrolet
John Henry
We call the founding of the United States a "revolution" and celebrate it as a great thing. (it was, IMHO)
It could also be called an "insurrection" and I propose we start doing that.
"Hot dogs, baseball, apple pie and insurrection. It's what makes America great"
H/t Chevrolet
John Henry
What I hear, every time the collective left open their collective Stalinist mouths?
'Ban the opposition part. Install a one-party totalitarian system. (D)'
It's a step up for the NYT, reading the mood correctly. Now if they could only acknowledge that the causes are the agenda and the politicians they support.
I get most of my exposure to the NYT from this site. Sure seems like a deeply depressing and dysfunctional place to work.
Now, in the first presidential election since the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021...
Althouse said...
"Why do mainstream media stoke despair and anxiety?"
"A pride-swallowing 'SIEGE'!"
Or a temporary incursion? An "erection" lasting less than four hours.
"Why do mainstream media stoke despair and anxiety?"
Because if the media reports that things are going well, nobody tunes in to watch.
"Why don't they — why don't we — build our resiliency and optimism?"
Because fearful people are easier to manipulate. Rule 9.
"... the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 ..."
More of a combined nuclear bombing and anthrax attack, wasn't it?
Nothing new: Media reports sensation and outrage, 24/7. That readers, viewers have their responsiveness dulled by the constant pounding of The Narrative means the outrage and sensational stories have to keep being upped means Armageddon is next.
Insurrection. Siege. I'm surprised they haven't called it The Battle for the Capitol yet.
Insurrection. Siege. I'm surprised they haven't called it The Battle for the Capitol yet.
Optimism does not sell when your entire campaign is based on fear the right!
Bidenomics was a bust. What else do we have?
Uhhh we've grown the national debt to unthinkable levels? Uhhhh our public schools are failing. Uhhh, we have millions of new people in America to clean our toilets and pick our fruit and be homeless. Uhhh, we have a semi-functional military but transgenders are welcome. Uhhh, we will encourage your kids to identify as trans AND keep it from the parents...
Fear and hate sure look must good when you see the view from the left side of the fence.
Althouse:
Why don't they — why don't we — build our resiliency and optimism?
Who is this "we"? That's lassoing in a huge number of people that don't think those things.
"I'm linking if only to marvel at the photograph at the top of the page. The faces!"
They look just like the faces of all the Obama staffers in that photo of the White House Rose Garden when the dogeater was meeting Trump.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=Z8d8aGMV&id=3A54E6BCB6ACD4A156E650D63D5FF529DCEDB815&thid=OIP.Z8d8aGMVWYqhec5LENsycQHaE5&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fimg.washingtonpost.com%2frw%2f2010-2019%2fWashingtonPost%2f2017%2f06%2f23%2fNational-Security%2fImages%2fIllo-02.JPG%3fuuid%3dfO8VslYKEeeEC1EgJjGdpw&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.67c77c686315598aa179ce4b10db3271%3frik%3dFbjt3Cn1Xz3WUA%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=2694&expw=4072&q=obama+staffers+in+rose+garden+scowl+at+trump&simid=608054596803063484&FORM=IRPRST&ck=F6E6A30398249A063D978ADD1447F419&selectedIndex=12&itb=0&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0
Rich, I agree with you that the Iowa caucuses are much ado about little.
It gives the media chattering class something to write about and "report" on.
”Why do mainstream media stoke fear and anxiety?”
“To demoralize the voters and thereby suppress the turnout.”
You should always start te analysis with te assumption that the purpose of suc analysis is to benefit Dem politicians, and go from there. And most of te time you won't be wrong.
The "failing" new york times gets a judgement for the losing 1 term president ,trump to pay $400,000.00 to the times and 3 of its reporters for more bogus lying lawsuits. Now is that Karma or what.By the way how long has the Times been "failing" at leat since 2016 according to the former perp right?
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