"To everything turn, turn, turn, There is a season, turn, turn, turn, And a time to every purpose under Heaven" ...sang the Byrds in 1965 (originally from Ecclesiastes, as adapted by the recently departed Pete Seeger). Okay Rubin, now how does this play into this week's blog? Going "old school" rock on us? Why, I'm glad you asked! I choose this song (check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKP4cfU28vM) because it epitomizes what has been happening in our politics and our media for the past several years, and none of it is honest or genuine!
This past week, the Department of Labor Statistics released their April 2014 job statistics and reported that unemployment fell to 6.3%, the lowest since before the Great Recession! (See: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm). But what does Speaker of the House say when asked about this progress on the nation's employment? "Earlier this week, we learned the economic growth largely stalled at the start of this year." " We need robust economic growth if we're going to help the millions who remain unemployed get back on their feet." (See: http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-boehner-april-2014-unemployment-report). What did USA Today say about the report? "Finally some good news out of the Jobs Report." "The labor market roared ahead in April as milder weather helped employers add 288,000 jobs — the most in more than two years." (See: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/02/april-jobs-report/8588535/). And Fox? "Big Downside to April Job's Report" rang its headline!" (See: http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy-policy/2014/05/02/big-downside-to-april-jobs-report/).
So why all of the citations Rubin and why start a blog out this way? Get to it, what's your point? My point is simple. Everyone "spins" or "turns" their take on matters so that it reflects their perspective. So much so, that often times, the actual truth can be purposely obscured from the American people. But is "spin" something new? Of course not, it has been a part of human history since the beginning of time. What's that old adage, "History is Written by the Victors?"
With this in mind, Americans must look behind the curtain and find that the real Oz with the constant conspiracy perpetuators is that there is NO evidence of any kind of continuous pattern of scandal in the White House. Take a look at any message board on-line that deals with politics and you find vitriolic rants pitting American against American, filled with name calling and misinformation. Unfortunately, virtually all of it is fed by the Ideologically Oriented For-Profit Media! Recently, a study concluded that people, when fed misinformation, immediately consider it to be accurate. When subsequently advised that the information fed to them was incorrect and that it needed to be corrected, a vast majority of them still harbored a negative emotional feeling towards the issue they were misinformed on. I guess it is human nature to be lazy and only ponder evidence once. We simply can't be bothered to think further. In fact, this is a phenomenon perpetuated by our modern Media (and political parties). What's really ironic is the fact that most folks taking extreme political positions claim their opponents on any issue are "low information" voters, when in reality, the Media has produced millions of them (and most likely the one ranting the most is a member of that expanding category).
Take into account Obama's now infamous "Lie of the Year" title foisted upon him in the Media as it relates to the ACA. Like the NFL (and now the NBA and MLB), "after further review" most credible Media have learned that most Americans did not lose their insurance plans or their doctors. In fact, most Americans that lost their insurance plans, would have lost them even if the ACA was not law! To add insult to injury, even Fox News reported that the ACA did not force insurance companies to cancel coverage for Americans (See; http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/11/05/insurance-cancelled-dont-blame-obama-or-aca-blame-america-insurance-companies/). Once told misinformation, very little accurate information can change the originally intended impression. Clever huh? And it does not stop here. We now face (again) the Scandal as big as Watergate (not even close)! BENGHAZI! To wit I respond, Gesundheit!
Now that additional emails have been disclosed from the White House on the events surrounding attacks around the World on September 11, 2012, the Republican's and their supporters in the Media and their followers, are somehow claiming that the tragedy in Benghazi could and should have been prevented if Obama would have 'fessed up about how they presented it to the public after the deaths of four Americans at the Consulate, including our Ambassador. I know, this is a bit nutty, but somehow we have a scandal because folks seem to believe the Americans would have not been killed or the attack prevented had Obama's White House told us the truth about the attack after they themselves learned about it. Huh? More importantly, the Republicans in the House want a special investigation into Benghazi because they feel the President misrepresented the real reason for the consulate attack in order to minimize his political exposure just before the 2012 election. Really? Since when do we investigate Administrations for "spinning" issues so that they favor their publicly stated positions? Tell me, I need to know this!
Anyone recall "Mission Accomplished" with President Bush? I mean, I really did not think he was presenting the truth at the time when he addressed the nation with that banner perfectly displayed so that it hung directly behind him (or the stunt of him landing on the carrier). But I don't recall anyone calling for an investigation into this misleading political "turn" on the status of the Iraq war. I know, 4 Americans were killed in Benghazi! Do we conveniently forget over 4,486 Americans were KILLED with thousands more seriously wounded? And we talk "scandal" because Obama's Administration "LIED" about a video causing the consulate attack (yet have corrected it multiple times since)?
You see, "turn" and "spin" have become standard procedure in our modern era of instant and Breaking News. Unfortunately, although it has always been a part of our political rhetoric, the modern Media continues to reinforce misinformation and the efforts to maintain "low information voters" because they no longer are purveyors of information, but politically oriented rhetoric! How else can anyone explain the ever-present hypocrisy present in our Media today? As President Harry Truman once said; "It's plain hokum! If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em. It's an old political trick." Isn't it about time our Media stop being lapdogs instead of political watchdogs? To every season, turn, turn turn."
This past week, the Department of Labor Statistics released their April 2014 job statistics and reported that unemployment fell to 6.3%, the lowest since before the Great Recession! (See: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm). But what does Speaker of the House say when asked about this progress on the nation's employment? "Earlier this week, we learned the economic growth largely stalled at the start of this year." " We need robust economic growth if we're going to help the millions who remain unemployed get back on their feet." (See: http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-boehner-april-2014-unemployment-report). What did USA Today say about the report? "Finally some good news out of the Jobs Report." "The labor market roared ahead in April as milder weather helped employers add 288,000 jobs — the most in more than two years." (See: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/02/april-jobs-report/8588535/). And Fox? "Big Downside to April Job's Report" rang its headline!" (See: http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy-policy/2014/05/02/big-downside-to-april-jobs-report/).
So why all of the citations Rubin and why start a blog out this way? Get to it, what's your point? My point is simple. Everyone "spins" or "turns" their take on matters so that it reflects their perspective. So much so, that often times, the actual truth can be purposely obscured from the American people. But is "spin" something new? Of course not, it has been a part of human history since the beginning of time. What's that old adage, "History is Written by the Victors?"
With this in mind, Americans must look behind the curtain and find that the real Oz with the constant conspiracy perpetuators is that there is NO evidence of any kind of continuous pattern of scandal in the White House. Take a look at any message board on-line that deals with politics and you find vitriolic rants pitting American against American, filled with name calling and misinformation. Unfortunately, virtually all of it is fed by the Ideologically Oriented For-Profit Media! Recently, a study concluded that people, when fed misinformation, immediately consider it to be accurate. When subsequently advised that the information fed to them was incorrect and that it needed to be corrected, a vast majority of them still harbored a negative emotional feeling towards the issue they were misinformed on. I guess it is human nature to be lazy and only ponder evidence once. We simply can't be bothered to think further. In fact, this is a phenomenon perpetuated by our modern Media (and political parties). What's really ironic is the fact that most folks taking extreme political positions claim their opponents on any issue are "low information" voters, when in reality, the Media has produced millions of them (and most likely the one ranting the most is a member of that expanding category).
Take into account Obama's now infamous "Lie of the Year" title foisted upon him in the Media as it relates to the ACA. Like the NFL (and now the NBA and MLB), "after further review" most credible Media have learned that most Americans did not lose their insurance plans or their doctors. In fact, most Americans that lost their insurance plans, would have lost them even if the ACA was not law! To add insult to injury, even Fox News reported that the ACA did not force insurance companies to cancel coverage for Americans (See; http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/11/05/insurance-cancelled-dont-blame-obama-or-aca-blame-america-insurance-companies/). Once told misinformation, very little accurate information can change the originally intended impression. Clever huh? And it does not stop here. We now face (again) the Scandal as big as Watergate (not even close)! BENGHAZI! To wit I respond, Gesundheit!
Now that additional emails have been disclosed from the White House on the events surrounding attacks around the World on September 11, 2012, the Republican's and their supporters in the Media and their followers, are somehow claiming that the tragedy in Benghazi could and should have been prevented if Obama would have 'fessed up about how they presented it to the public after the deaths of four Americans at the Consulate, including our Ambassador. I know, this is a bit nutty, but somehow we have a scandal because folks seem to believe the Americans would have not been killed or the attack prevented had Obama's White House told us the truth about the attack after they themselves learned about it. Huh? More importantly, the Republicans in the House want a special investigation into Benghazi because they feel the President misrepresented the real reason for the consulate attack in order to minimize his political exposure just before the 2012 election. Really? Since when do we investigate Administrations for "spinning" issues so that they favor their publicly stated positions? Tell me, I need to know this!
Anyone recall "Mission Accomplished" with President Bush? I mean, I really did not think he was presenting the truth at the time when he addressed the nation with that banner perfectly displayed so that it hung directly behind him (or the stunt of him landing on the carrier). But I don't recall anyone calling for an investigation into this misleading political "turn" on the status of the Iraq war. I know, 4 Americans were killed in Benghazi! Do we conveniently forget over 4,486 Americans were KILLED with thousands more seriously wounded? And we talk "scandal" because Obama's Administration "LIED" about a video causing the consulate attack (yet have corrected it multiple times since)?
You see, "turn" and "spin" have become standard procedure in our modern era of instant and Breaking News. Unfortunately, although it has always been a part of our political rhetoric, the modern Media continues to reinforce misinformation and the efforts to maintain "low information voters" because they no longer are purveyors of information, but politically oriented rhetoric! How else can anyone explain the ever-present hypocrisy present in our Media today? As President Harry Truman once said; "It's plain hokum! If you can't convince 'em, confuse 'em. It's an old political trick." Isn't it about time our Media stop being lapdogs instead of political watchdogs? To every season, turn, turn turn."
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