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The Legends of Our Fall
American Greatness ^ | 14 Mar, 2021 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 03/15/2021 6:21:30 AM PDT by MtnClimber

The left-wing postmodern idea of “truth” as a mere pick-and-choose official narrative is now normal.

any politicians at one point or another live by lies—if they can get away with them.

Our supposed sentinels, the media—self-defined as independent, cynical, and skeptical journalists—are supposed to separate political fictions from truth.

Legends As Facts

Of course, sometimes they used to do that—if only selectively. There were Communist sympathizers in the Roosevelt Administration and holdovers in the 1950s deep state. But the Red Peril was not always what the demagogic Joe McCarthy claimed when shaking his lengthy, indiscriminate “lists” of “commie” names and crimes.

Once U.S. Army counsel Joseph Welch, Edward R. Murrow, and assorted journalists began to demand proof of all of McCarthy’s charges, his public following dissipated.

The George W. Bush Administration in its case to remove Saddam Hussein unwisely ignored all the 23 bipartisan writs authorizing the use of the force by the Congress. Instead, it rhetorically bundled all congressional authorizations into one case against Saddam Hussein: the existential threat of huge Iraqi stockpiles of deliverable “weapons of mass destruction.”

After Saddam’s removal, U.S. forces did not find depots of poisonous and nerve gases. Whether they were nonexistent, or moved stealthily to border dictatorships like Syria or even Iran, or were destroyed no one knew. The public only remembered the government assurance that WMDs, the popular justification for the preemptive invasion, would be there upon U.S. arrival—a narrative that the media originally did not question and then later swore that it always had been skeptical as it led the cheer: “Bush lied, people died.”

Noble Lies

So there are lots of legends common across the political spectrum. Yet those of the Left are quicker to become fact. They become “truthful” because of the current appeasing progressive octopus of traditional media

(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: propaganda

1 posted on 03/15/2021 6:21:30 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber
Mostly peaceful:


2 posted on 03/15/2021 6:22:01 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Color ado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

“The left-wing postmodern idea of “truth” as a mere pick-and-choose official narrative is now normal.

any politicians at one point or another live by lies—if they can get away with them.”

The lie is the weapon used most often by the criminal


3 posted on 03/15/2021 6:25:42 AM PDT by PGalt (past peak civilization?)
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To: MtnClimber

‘the buffoonery of Donald Trump’.....????????????

Victor......Victor.....Victor......I hardly knew ye!

You’ve been slipping a bit lately......
Why denigrate Donald Trump?......There are plenty of folks who need denigrating......
.....
I use to hang on your every word.....pity that


4 posted on 03/15/2021 6:47:37 AM PDT by Guenevere (When the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do)
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To: Guenevere

I think he was saying that was part of the false narrative (legend) that the media created.


5 posted on 03/15/2021 6:57:42 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia (Democrats: The perfect party for the helpless and stupid, and those who would rule over them.)
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To: Guenevere

” the legend has it “


6 posted on 03/15/2021 6:59:54 AM PDT by Irenic
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To: rightwingintelligentsia; Irenic

Thank you, let’s go with that
My husband agrees with you!


7 posted on 03/15/2021 7:02:22 AM PDT by Guenevere (When the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do)
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To: MtnClimber
***Legends become fact, and lies become truth on the basis of their service to a cause.

In our upside-down world, the smeared “liar” is the revealer of such fraud. And sadly the deified “truth-teller” is in truth the abettor of falsity.

And all this is the work of amoral “moralists.” ***

Nails the nasty turds.

8 posted on 03/15/2021 7:15:28 AM PDT by Irenic
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To: Guenevere

You need to check up on your reading comprehension. He was channeling the false accusations of the Left being asserted as fact, not that they actually are.


9 posted on 03/15/2021 7:17:11 AM PDT by odawg
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To: MtnClimber

An excellent article. It should be read widely.


10 posted on 03/15/2021 7:29:55 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
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To: All

How long can journalists keep smiling at Biden White House?
Journos given scoop of a lifetime: Press Secy Psaki reveals Biden’s favorite ice cream is chocolate chip.
NOQ | January 29, 2021 | January 29, 2021
FR Posted on 1/29/2021, 6:50:28 AM by george76

The sweet and fluffy coverage can’t last forever.

Before President Joe Biden was sworn in to the Oval Office, the American people received a glimpse of what hard-hitting journalism would look like for the next four years. From staying mum on the Hunter Biden story to having “chills” over watching Biden’s plane land at Joint Base Andrews, the pro-Biden “why are you so wonderful” reportage has been embarrassing.

But the Fourth Estate suspending its pearl-clutching journalism and hanging a “gone fishin’” sign on the front door was as expected as a newsroom wishing everything was worse than Watergate – at least for Republicans. With its reputation in tatters and the public increasingly distrustful of the media, how much longer can journalists keep grinning behind their face masks to appease the Biden administration and advance progressivism?

The Scoop Of A Lifetime.....The mainstream press and the American people were given a scoop of a lifetime when White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed that Biden’s favorite ice cream is chocolate chip. There has been no confirmation yet if the White House maintains a large freezer full of cold treats. But what is the deal with the Swamp and the frozen dessert? Four years ago, CNN made a big deal about then-President Donald Trump receiving an additional scoop of ice cream over his dinner companions. Perhaps Q has a conspiratorial answer involving a storm and a Kraken.
During the first day of the new administration’s White House press briefing, a reporter asked Psaki if Biden intends to alter Air Force One’s color scheme. Psaki was ebullient over the question, but she could not respond, promising to offer an answer to the pesky journalist’s inquiry at a later time.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good chyron? CNN certainly has a fun time with this text banner at the bottom of the screen, using it as a gaslighting tactic, a fake news instrument, or a bias revelation. On a recent episode of Reliable Sources, the program streamed this chyron when discussing the first set of press briefings from the new administration:

“PSAKI PROMISES TO SHARE ‘ACCURATE INFO’ (HOW REFRESHING).”
One of the funniest developments in the early days of the Biden era has been the president’s violation of his federal mask mandate. As part of his executive action, everyone must wear a face mask when they set foot on federal property, like the Lincoln Memorial or the White House. Since enacting the measure, Biden has routinely violated the order, going as far as coughing into his hands while talking.

When Psaki was asked about this by a Fox News reporter, she said that Biden has “bigger issues to worry about.” Remember when former President Donald Trump stood 100 feet away from people outside at the White House without a mask, and the cable news channels had the footage on replay for an entire week?
The fact-checkers are working overtime to come to Biden’s defense, it seems. For example, TC Energy stated that 11,000 jobs would be lost due to Biden revoking a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Politifact labeled this as “half true” because these positions would be temporary. How can this be partly accurate when the company says thousands of jobs will be tossed in the trash receptacle?

Liberty Nation’s Jeff Charles recently penned:
“Members of the activist media have already indicated that they intend to take a softer approach to reporting on the White House now that they have a friendly face in office. Their gushing over Biden during the inauguration is only a sneak peek of what the American people have coming.”
So far, Charles’ suspicion has been verified.

Edelman’s annual survey, shared exclusively with Axios, discovered that fewer than half of Americans trust conventional media for the first time since the study was launched. Here were the two most significant findings:
56% of Americans agree that “journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.” 58% of respondents believe that “most news organizations are more concerned with supporting an ideology or political position than with informing the public.”

Is it possible that the Fourth Estate can repair its foundation of confidence and trust during the Biden years?
Thomas Gift, the director of the UCL Centre on US Politics, wrote an op-ed for The Hill, offering a list of suggestions on how the press can remove the fake news lapel from its coat of deceit. Gift suggested no longer treat Trump as the reference point, refrain from making the goal not to get Trump elected, judge Biden by his own standards, and remember there is no such thing as “normal.”
While media watchdogs’ solutions may differ, the industry must acknowledge that it possesses a broad array of problems, whether it is a misinformation issue or the absence of impartiality.

As long as the big-box media outlets serve as transcriptionists for the government and rewrite content like press releases for the State Department, the establishment press will always be viewed as a wing of the Democratic Party. Until some introspection is performed, cable news viewers will see a smiling, uncombative press corps, ensuring the curtains are closed from the spotlight of truth, and the darkness of the Swamp is sustained.


11 posted on 03/15/2021 7:31:06 AM PDT by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: odawg

Two other posters have already GRACIOUSLY told me that.


12 posted on 03/15/2021 7:49:11 AM PDT by Guenevere (When the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do)
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To: Guenevere

It is the time change.


13 posted on 03/15/2021 8:59:39 AM PDT by odawg
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To: MtnClimber

It was my understanding that if the U.S. did not find all the evidence they sought against Saddam Hussein,it was because there was plenty of time beforehand to have removed it from the country. If this was true, then who knows where it may have disappeared to? I know there were some stories going around at the time about this possible scenario, but then the news media always comes out with whatever certain entities want to see in print as “the truth”.


14 posted on 03/15/2021 9:32:23 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: MtnClimber

It was my understanding that if the U.S. did not find all the evidence they sought against Saddam Hussein,it was because there was plenty of time beforehand to have removed it from the country. If this was true, then who knows where it may have disappeared to? I know there were some stories going around at the time about this possible scenario, but then the news media always comes out with whatever certain entities want to see in print as “the truth”.


15 posted on 03/15/2021 9:34:40 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: odawg

Yep!


16 posted on 03/15/2021 10:04:40 AM PDT by Guenevere (When the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do)
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To: oldtech
"It was my understanding that if the U.S. did not find all the evidence they sought against Saddam Hussein,it was because there was plenty of time beforehand to have removed it from the country."

Iraqi Air Force General Georges Sada cited specific knowledge of 56 flights of WMD to Syria in the lead up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In addition to his very credible testimony, US EOD, Chemical and Intel persons painted the analogy that, in light of their findings, claims that, "there were no WMD," would be like finding a Mr. Coffee, fresh ground beans, filters and water and saying, "there was no fresh brewed coffee."

I'm not a Bush apologist, and certainly no fan of our nation building adventures in the middle east, but to state that the intel was faulty regarding Sadaam's chemical (and likely nuclear) weapon ambitions is intellectually dishonest.

17 posted on 03/15/2021 10:32:29 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack
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