Friday, October 26, 2018
Headlines for Oct. 26, 2018
Click here to listen to this week's segment on Loud & Clear Radio.
Headlines with an * are the ones we managed to fit in in our allotted 11 minutes.
Headlines with an * are the ones we managed to fit in in our allotted 11 minutes.
Worst, Most Misleading & Funniest Headlines for Oct. 26, 2018
CANDIDATES FOR “WORST”/”MOST DISGUSTING”:
Also a Candidate for Dumb and at the same time Alarming:
*Beijing’s Nuclear Option: Why a U.S.-Chinese War Could Spiral Out of Control
They really mean “The U.S.’ nuclear option.” The author even admits “China has long stood out for its nonaggressive nuclear doctrine. China has a much smaller and simpler nuclear arsenal than its resources would have allowed. Chinese leaders have consistently characterized nuclear weapons as useful only for deterring nuclear aggression and coercion. Historically, this narrow purpose required only a handful of nuclear weapons that could ensure Chinese retaliation in the event of an attack. To this day, China maintains a “no first use” pledge, promising that it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons.”
*A Push for Safer Fertilizer in Europe Carries a Whiff of Russian Intrigue
Really? It's now "Russian Intrigue" for a company to support legislation which would benefit its products (which just happen to be better for the environment than the competition)? Incredibly, the article even brings up this nonsense from the Jan. 2017 DNI report: “The television network RT, which American intelligence officials have labeled a Kremlin propaganda outlet, has also focused on fracking.” And the very next sentence in the article refers to “Moscow’s creation and worldwide dissemination of false stories” as if there was anything false about RT’s coverage of fracking. And, not that it matters, but “PhosAgro, a publicly traded company, dismissed any notion of Russian government involvement in its efforts.”
Some white Northerners see a flag rooted in racism as a symbol of patriotism
For a growing number of white Northerners, the Confederate flag represents a link to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” brand of patriotism. But to others, flying the flag is simply racism by a different name.
For a growing number of white Northerners, the Confederate flag represents a link to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” brand of patriotism. But to others, flying the flag is simply racism by a different name.
How exactly does the flag of a region that seceded from the union, committing treason, qualify as “patriotism”, and why does the WaPo dignify that assertion with equal billing with “racism”, the real explanation? And what does waving the flag of a region that was defeated in war, like waving the Nazi flag, have do with making anything “great” again? From the article: “Historians wrestle with how a flag that stood for treason can be seen as patriotic.” Really? That’s something you have to wrestle with?
*Saudi Arabia’s Invisible War: The Khashoggi crisis has called attention to a largely-overlooked Saudi-led war in Yemen.
Similar headline last week in the WaPo; this time it’s the NYT. And whose fault is that, NYT? And, by the way, you might mention the US role before the 6th paragraph: “Americans, whose military has backed the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign with intelligence, bombs and refueling, leading to accusations of complicity in possible war crimes.” Note the three weasel words in a row: “accusations”, “complicity”, “possible”. Just say it. The US (and of course Saudi Arabia) is guilty of war crimes in Yemen, full stop.
CANDIDATES FOR “MOST MISLEADING”:
*A look back at Trump comments perceived by some as encouraging violence
“Perceived by some”???!!!
"If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, OK? Just knock the hell ... I promise you I will pay for the legal fees. I promise, I promise,"
"I'd like to punch him in the face, I'll tell you."
*Justice Dept. charges Russian woman with interference in midterm elections
No, they did not charge her with "interference in midterm elections", but with *conspiracy* to do so, which means they don't actually have to show that any actual crime occurred (or that, e.g., creating a fake persona on Facebook, or tweeting about NFL Protests under a false name IS a crime).
CANDIDATES FOR “FUNNIEST”:
*What Could Kill Booming U.S. Economy? ‘Socialists,’ White House Warns
A report from the Council of Economic Advisers compares Bernie Sanders to Chairman Mao, and warns that pickup trucks cost more in Sweden.
A report from the Council of Economic Advisers compares Bernie Sanders to Chairman Mao, and warns that pickup trucks cost more in Sweden.
From the report: “The socialist narrative names the oppressors of the vulnerable, such as the bourgeoisie (Marx), kulaks (Lenin), landlords (Mao), and giant corporations (Sanders and Warren).” Other great quotes: Comparing Mao described “the ruthless economic exploitation and political oppression of the peasants by the landlord class” with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren saying “large corporations . . . exploit human misery and insecurity, and turn them into huge profits” and “giant corporations . . . exploit workers just to boost their own profits.” And “Speculators” are also blamed for high prices and other social problems, as by Marx, Stalin, Senator Sanders, Senator Warren, and Fidel Castro, who said that they “have turned the planet into a giant casino.”
Not mentioned in the article (or in the report): China has lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty in the last 30 years, more than 70% of all people in the world who have been lifted out of poverty. And the pickup truck thing? It isn’t really about the cost. It’s about the cost of ownership which basically means gasoline, and that’s because gasoline is much more expensive in Europe due to higher taxes, and it has nothing to do with “socialism”.
Also bizarrely, the report mentions Cuba, China and the U.S.S.R., countries with actual socialist economies, more than 30 times each. But the star of the report is Venezuela, which is mentioned nearly 60 times, and which does not have a socialist economy, a fact the Times fails to point out, nor does it mention U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, basically all-out economic war as having anything to do with Venezuela’s economic problems.
Inside the Saudis’ Washington influence machine: How the kingdom gained power through fierce lobbying and charm offensives
Not money? Or oil?
*Five Novelists Imagine Trump’s Next Chapter
What will happen with the Mueller investigation? Since the investigation hasn’t yet, as far as we know, uncovered any actual evidence about collusion, NYT wants fiction writers to speculate.
