Betsy Reed, editor of The Guardian US, speaks out about the craven refusal of both Los Angeles Times and Washington Post to endorse Kamala Harris in the election — that is, to reject fascism

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"Will Lewis should be ashamed, if shame is an emotion he is capable of feeling. What an empty shell of a leader. What an embarrassing decline for a once-venerated news organization.

This decision won’t impact the outcome of the election in eleven days. But it will have a lasting impact on how people think of the Washington Post."

~ Dave Karpf

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/5

A suggestion for the Washington Post's new motto: "Obey in Advance"

A study in willful incompetence

(davekarpf.substack.com)

[godfrey642@aus.social]

@wdlindsy
Media ownership matters. It has chipped away at democracy for decades.

But in the light of what Musk is doing with money and political influence in USA and with Putin in Russia, it's opened the door for any corporate boss in any field to have anti democratic sway.

The national security of USA *and any nation it works with*, through Mask's/Putin's phonecalls, is massively compromised. Who's to say the boxes of secrets from Trumps bathroom haven't ended up in Musk's hands and divulged in a phone call to Putin...

Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Putin for two years, says report

Alleged talks between billionaire and Russian president could have enormous security implications

the Guardian (www.theguardian.com)

#musk #spacex #eloncultists #tesla #starlink

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Godfrey642 I don't see this as either-or. I see Musk front and center to the decisions craven business and media leaders are making.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"As the 2024 election looms, media self-censorship in response to Trump’s potential return threatens the democratic role of journalism. …

In times like these, it's crucial for media organizations to remember their responsibility to the public. Anticipatory obedience may offer short-term safety, but it poses long-term risks to the very fabric of democracy."

~ Parker Molloy

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/6

Playing It Safe Is Risking Democracy: Media’s Silent Endorsement of Authoritarianism

As the 2024 election looms, media self-censorship in response to Trump’s potential return threatens the democratic role of journalism.

(www.readtpa.com)

[godfrey642@aus.social]

@wdlindsy
Agreed.
I don't see it as "either/or" either
Its all frankly terrifying.

At least you guys have a vote.
We are just sitting in other nations, powerless, watching helplessly as the nightmare unfolds.

[godfrey642@aus.social]

@wdlindsy
Interestingly we were at a talk last week held by an ex-British politician (from what i would term the moderate "thinking" Centre Right). A very very clever guy who i would say is interestingly at the intersection of old style conservative politics and progressive compassionate social thinking.

He was commenting on the whole area around the gulf btwn the mega rich and the struggling poor; regressive taxation policies and inadequacies in the provision for state sector esp NHS and health care.

He summed it up with the questions: How did we get here?
How were things allowed to get SO out of control without intervention from any part of govt?
Have leaders been too generous in spirit and not recognised the malevolence of the opposition?

Id say Biden is responsible for gross naivete. He 101% underestimated what GOP could do after 6th Jan 2021

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

The aren't obeying in advance.

They want Trump to win.

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis #LosAngelesTimes #media
/7

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Godfrey642 I'd say the problem is far less Biden and the Democratic party than it is the collusion of economic elites with the Republican party and tech bros like Thiel and Musk to shatteer democracy.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Godfrey642 I'm glad you're monitoring what's going on in the awareness that the whole world will be very seriously affected by the outcome of the election in the US.

[juliehuz@mastodon.world]

@wdlindsy No coincidence that both papers are owned by billionaires who hate unions and don't want to pay higher taxes.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@juliehuz No, not the slightest coincidence, is there?

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"One week before the mortals finish voting and might elect an authoritarian, one whose former chief of staff calls him a fascist, the Washington Post has decided that silence is the best way to guide its readers.

Silence, after all, will not offend the authoritarian should he win."

~ Benjamin Wittes

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/8

The Washington Post Bends the Knee to Trump

Billionaires can’t be trusted to maintain the institutions of democracy.

(www.thebulwark.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"Their billionaire owners [of Los Angeles Times and Washington Post] are Trump enablers. ...

The only credible explanation I can think of is that the Post’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, doesn’t want to raise the ire of Donald Trump, should Trump become president — especially now that Trump has declared his intention to punish his opponents."

~ Robert Reich

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/9

Cowardice and intimidation at The Washington Post and L.A. Times

Their billionaire owners are Trump enablers

(robertreich.substack.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"Bezos’s other businesses have many federal government contracts, and his largest — Amazon — is the current target of a federal antitrust suit.

Assuming this is the explanation, it stinks. It undermines the credibility of one of our leading newspapers."

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/10

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"We are come to a juncture in America where, as in the first Gilded Age, enormous wealth is lodged in a very few hands — hands that are now either actively supporting Trump (such as Elon Musk) or afraid to come out against him for fear he’ll wreak vengeance on them if they do."

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/11

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"For decades, the business lobby fundamentally moderated the nation’s immigration debate. But in the age of Trump, fearful of advocating publicly on this issue, they’ve largely prioritized other things like corporate tax cuts and deregulation."

~ Eli Hager

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #EconomicElites #SuperRich #immigration #TaxCuts #deregulation
/12

In the Age of Trump, the Business Lobby Has Strayed from Immigration Reform

For decades, the business lobby fundamentally moderated the nation’s immigration debate. But in the age of Trump, fearful of advocating publicly on this issue, they’ve largely prioritized other things like corporate tax cuts and deregulation.

ProPublica (www.propublica.org)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"It is not hard to guess why Bezos and Soon-Shiong made these decisions. Both are billionaires whose other businesses could be hurt by people who conflate their papers’ editorials with the two men’s own opinions. And both are hedging against the chance of Donald Trump winning the election, since he will surely turn his vengeance on those who opposed him."

~ Judd Legum

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #EconomicElites #SuperRich #immigration #TaxCuts
/13

Thanks For All These New Wonkette Subscribers, Jeff Bezos Of The Washington Post!

And LA Times, shame on you too!

(www.wonkette.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

"This is a dark day in American journalism. Both papers [Los Angeles Times and Washington Post] have made clear their disdain and disrespect for Donald Trump and published numerous columns on their editorial pages calling him unfit to serve. The refusal of the Washington Post and LA Times to publish editorials endorsing Kamala Harris at this point is nothing but chickenshit."

~ Lucian K. Truscott

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #LosAngelesTimes #media
/14

The Washington Post and LA Times have already told us what they think about Donald Trump.

This is a dark day for American Journalism.

(luciantruscott.substack.com)

[global_repercussions@climatejustice.social]

@wdlindsy

“Both papers [#losangelestimes and #washingtonpost ] have made clear their disdain and disrespect for #DonaldTrump and published numerous columns on their editorial pages calling him unfit to serve.”

Has either masthead published an explanation or rational of the view that #KamalaHarris is not fit to server as #potus ?

After #election2024 either #harriswalz2024 or #trumpvance2024 will attain the offices of #president and #VicePresident .

I guess both mastheads will have to do #editorial or #opinion pieces from their owners as to why/how they are unable to decide between someone they believe is not fit to be President, and someone else who would appear to be acceptable to be President? Surely, it can’t be that hard a decision?

Or, perhaps better explain why they feel that neither the #republicans or #democrats have put forward #candidates who are capable, or acceptable to be #presidentoftheunitedstates .

Go #TeamUSA !!!
#america “F” Yeah!

[reallyblue3@flipboard.social]

@wdlindsy a single billionaire or small group of billionaires should not control anything! Nothing!