Fearmongering Propaganda Is Immensely Profitable--And Distracting

charleshughsmith.blogspot.com ^ | 11-13-2016 | Charles Hugh Smith

[blam]

Sunday, November 13, 2016
Charles Hugh Smith

If you want to stop being played as a chump, turn off the CNN/MSM and disengage from the self-referential social media distraction.

Let's start by asking: if Trump had lost and his supporters had angrily taken to the streets, destroying private property and threatening police officers while proclaiming "not my president," would the mainstream media have characterized the rioters differently than it has the pro-Clinton rioters?

Any fair-minded observer knows the answer is yes: the CNN/MSM would have lambasted the "rioting deplorables" as "what's wrong with America."

Substitution is a useful tool to expose bias. How come the CNN/mainstream corporate media isn't declaring the pro-Clinton rioters "deplorables"?

This tells us something else is going on here. I want to explain what's really going on, but first we need to run a simple experiment:

Turn off CNN, PBS, CBS et al., your Twitter and Facebook feeds, etc. for seven days, and live solely in the media-free real world for a week. If you're truly interested in understanding what's really going on in America, then come back in a week and read the rest of the essay.

Have you pulled out the CNN/MSM/social media fearmongering/propaganda dripline for a few days? This is a necessary step, as we shall soon see.

Everyone who is consuming CNN/MSM/ self-referential social media every waking hour is being played as chumps. Start by asking yourself: cui bono--to whose benefit? Who is benefiting from the ceaseless fearmongering of the CNN/social-media-parroting mainstream corporate media?

(snip)

[blam]

Click on my name to see the bumper stickers that have been on my truck for the last 16 years.

You'll get to see my best friends too.

[Daveinyork]

Tea Party rallies were peaceful, and we cleaned up after ourselves. We were trashed by the media. If Trump has lost, we would be disappointed, but we’re too busy working for a living to go out and riot.

[Montaignes Cat]

Good essay! Nice dogs!

[Twinkie]

“We” didn’t particularly like it when OBAMA was elected; but we did NOT riot, loot, or throw TEMPER TANTRUMS.

“We” got up, dusted outselves off, and went back to work
the next day, paid our taxes, and did our duty as citizens
of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!

[Daveinyork]

““We” got up, dusted outselves off, and went back to work
the next day, paid our taxes, and did our duty as citizens
of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!”

.......and gave the GOP control of Congress