Wednesday, April 21, 2010

A CULTURE OF LIES

I regularly get updates from a variety of sources that point out the lies and distortions from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, etc. From time to time I will post on some of these, with commentary. Today I'm just going to post what I received from Media Matters for today. Click on the links for more.

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Fox News falsely claimed Clinton compared tea partiers to domestic terrorists. On Fox & Friends, host Steve Doocy and Fox News contributor Dana Perino falsely claimed that President Clinton compared the entire tea party movement to the domestic terrorists who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing. In fact, Clinton said protests are "part of the lifeblood of liberty," adding that "most" tea partiers are "well within bounds" in their criticism, and he specifically limited his criticism to secessionists and militia groups.

Right-wing media continue to distort Obama's comments on remaining "a dominant military superpower". Right-wing media figures, led by Sarah Palin, have continued to distort President Obama's comments that "whether we like it or not," the United States "remain[s] a dominant military superpower," in order to suggest that Obama is opposed to the U.S. holding this position.

Dubious Doocy: Poll found "majority" of tea partiers are Dems or independents. Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy claimed that a "majority" of tea-party supporters in a recent poll identified themselves as Democrats or independents. Although Doocy did not specify which poll he was discussing, recent polling by the Winston Group found that 57 percent of tea-party supporters identified themselves as Republicans.

FoxPAC: Gingrich attacks cap and trade on Fox while his political committee takes fossil fuel money. In the first quarter of 2010, Newt Gingrich's political committee received $350,000 in donations from a major coal producing company and a major oil and gas drilling company. During the same period, Gingrich repeatedly used his Fox News platform to attack Democratic proposals to implement a cap-and trade system or otherwise price carbon without disclosing those donations.

Fund completely wrong about "$50 billion fund for future bailouts". John Fund falsely claimed that financial regulatory reform "sets up a $50 billion fund for future bailouts." In fact, a provision currently in the legislation would create a $50 billion fund paid for by the financial services industry to provide for the orderly liquidation of failing firms and would in no way bail them out.

Gibbs highlights false distinction between Fox's opinion and news programs. Appearing on CNN's Reliable Sources, White House press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted that Fox News' "political slant" is apparent in both Fox's news programs and opinions shows and pointed to Fox News' airing footage of a mushroom cloud from a nuclear test and asking if the new START treaty will "leave the U.S. defenseless until it's too late." Indeed, Fox's "news" programs echo the smears, distortions, and attacks pushed by Fox's opinion shows.

Right-wing conspiracy theory: Obama admin. colluded with SEC on Goldman charges to gain support for financial reform. After the Security and Exchange Commission accused Goldman Sachs of fraud, numerous right-wing media figures have accused the Obama administration of attempting "to destroy Goldman Sachs" in order to "shift public opinion" in favor of financial reform. Simultaneously, conservative media have also falsely claimed that the financial reform legislation creates a "permanent bailout fund," which is "the payoff" Wall Street "has been waiting for."

QUICK FACT: Yes, Hannity, Bush did play golf during war. On his radio show, Sean Hannity again falsely claimed that President Bush did not play golf after the war started. In fact, Bush did play golf during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and later took up biking instead of golf.

Breitbart again falsely suggests WH directed alleged violence at health care town halls. On Fox News' Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart falsely claimed that a White House official told "organized labor" that "if they punch you, punch back twice as hard." In fact, the official was reportedly speaking to Senate Democrats -- not to any union groups -- and there is no evidence it was anything other than a metaphorical explanation of how the White House planned to respond politically to attacks against Senate Democrats.

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What's clear is that conservative media sources have absolutely no problem with distorting the facts, and simply lying to their viewers. Worse is having to acknowledge that there are millions of Americans who don't care that they are being presented distortions, or being flat out lied to on a regular basis.

- Mark

2 comments:

windcatcher said...

SEC vs. Goldman- 21st Century age of Enlightenment or Tyranny? Will bankers and big oil lead humanity into an enlightened 21st. Century of green energy and humanitarianism or will this be the century of World Totalitarianism of the New World Order? We know that “morality” is a “no” word for bankers, big oil and investors alike; yet they are leading us into the New World Order with their heartless and coldblooded culture of greed by the few. World conquest by tyranny is not new and it certainly is not orderly; it is chaos. Hitler already tried World domination by tyranny in the last century. The nations of Greece, Latvia, and Iceland have already fallen into “order” and Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom and the United States of America are scheduled to fall into “order”. The American people do not want to lose our Democracy, Independence and Freedom; yet this World totalitarian agenda emanates from the United States of America and is lead by the Bush/Obama Administration in our name. The World is looking at the American people as their last resort for salvation and praying that the American people will stand up to this evil force and do the right thing. By saving ourselves, we will also save them. We are the only ones who can change the direction of our own country with what freedoms we have left.
The SEC vs. Goldman is a test of strength between the American people and the World bankers, indeed, the New World Order. If the American people do not bring the bankers to Justice in our court system; the bankers will be free to dominate the World.
The injunctions will lead to the White House and the Bush/Obama Administration which is dominated by Trilateral World bankers. Zbigniew Brzezinski is the designer and architect of the bankers Trilateral Commission and the New World Order; he is also Obama’s top advisor. Geithner, Volker, Greenspan, Summers, Corrigan and Peterson are all of the same banking family of World bankers (America is their host) Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo Federal Reserve, IMF, World Bank, BIS, etc; their tentacles reach into every economy in the World. The World total economic output in 2009 was 58.07 Trillion and the total World bond market was 82.2 Trillion. The largest market in the World is the Derivatives market at 600 Trillion and is used primarily by the bankers as a weapon of mass destruction of economies to bring them in line with the New World Order. Their modus operande is the same for American citizens as it is for Nations.(pt.1)

windcatcher said...

The banker and oil dominated Trilateral Bush/Obama Administration has purposely driven the United States of America into debt under their expert banking management by the systematic pillaging of our Treasury. Our National debt interest is at 15% about the same as the United Kingdom according to Moody’s bond rating March 15. “the U.S. will be paying about 15 percent of revenue in interest payments, more than the 14 percent limit that would lead to a downgrade to AA, Moody’s said.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=a0a8xAghPS8I
In the financial world, loosing your AAA bond rating changes the banking agreement substantially (as every home owner knows) that is when the fine print kicks in and the spiral to the bottom begins. Look at Greece, Latvia, Iceland and now the UK. Germany, France and Spain AAA credit ratings are in danger as reported in the U.K Telegraph on March 15 (referring to Moody’s) “The US rating agency said the US, the UK, Germany, France, and Spain are walking a tightrope-“
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7450468/Moodys-fears-social-unrest-as-AAA-states-implement-austerity-plans.html
To control and accelerate that rush to the bottom of Nations, major banks are frontloading the odds of default of a Nation down on Wall Street in a computer so they can control and manipulate trades with high-frequency trading in derivatives. High-frequency trading is how Goldman Sacks (U.S.A) makes at least 200 million a day in derivatives on Wall Street and accounts for most of the 3.3 billion made in profit last quarter. This one example of Goldman Sachs (U.S.A) operations is but the tip of the arrow head and the shaft is sure to follow. By flying the United States of America’s economy and government into the ground the New World Order of Trilateral Traitor bankers become winners. Now, who is the terrorist?
I hope Americans have empathy for the people of Greece and all the other people of Nations who face “Austerity measures” because their destiny will soon be our own fate. The bankers are brutal; the National financial burden is on the people with forced tax followed with the gutting of social services and privatization of National infrastructure and National Natural Resource for pennies on the dollar.
If you can empathize with these people I suggest that you take action and button-hole your representatives in Congress today and tell them to make a stand for the American People against this takeover of our government by Trilateral bankers and the New World Order. Demand that they insist that ALL of the subversive Trilateral members in government to STAND DOWN. Insist that Treason charges be served on all who conspired to overthrow our American Independence, Democracy and Freedom (there are only about 1,500 Traitors). Insist that Free Press, the watch-dog of Democracy, be restored by breaking up the monopolies in the mass Media.
Main Street Capitalism, Competitive Market, and Free Enterprise are America’s tried and true standard and our economy and government can recover from this treachery if we act now by getting back to our roots of industry, manufacturing and technology instead of being smothered by the Multinational Corporate Empire, by proxy, by our government. Our economy needs Fair Trade not (Free (sic) Trade and Free Enterprise and Competitive Market not controlled markets by the multinational corporate monopolies.