Bravissimo, Robert!! Thank you for reaching out to the journalists who read your brilliant newsletters. Yes, they should to heed your request that they balance out their reporting. The NYT and WaPo are a disgrace. Headlines are made to grab the reader’s attention but when it is made up of untruths, that’s when they’ve crossed the line. Tired of their ageism rants. Tired of them not calling out Hamas for their violence against Jewish women and young ones. Tired of them not upholding the fact that Israelis and Palestinians want peace. Tired of Trump getting away with every fucking thing with them. Tired of their rhetoric. We want fair and even reporting. A pox on their profits! This goes for MSM also. WE ARE TIRED! My mother’s parents were annihilated by the Nazis. I will be damned that Fake 45 gets another chance to sit on his throne and destroy us all!
Not for nothing, but the first two stories in the mobile edition of today's NYT:
1. "In Countdown to Iowa, Trump Is Coasting as DeSantis and Haley Clash"
2. "Why President Biden's weakness among young voters should be taken seriously"
Sort of proves Robert's point and then some.
EDITED TO ADD: Also wanted to point out that the Times of Israel (an excellent publicaiton that, unlike Haaretz is free to non-subscribers) did not have to do any serious reporting to come up with this--Biden's team, via Adrienne Watson, had been making announcements on his role https://x.com/BarakRavid/status/1728505747112083661?s=20 (apologies, do not have time to find Watson's original statement)
I have never before given cancellation a thought. Do we run the risk of the Times going more off the cliff by doubling down to attract some of the FOX crowd. Nah! I think any FOX devotee is locked in by now. Ugh!
Some years ago, my wife and I visited the Newseum, near DC, and saw their exhibit on the Times’s contemporaneous reporting on the Holocaust. It turns out that many of the contours of the Holocaust *were* known.
How did the Times report them? *Small little articles located far from the front page.*
Quite a parallel with the Times’ reporting in 2023.
History does repeat itself Michael. Right now there is a horrible civil war of sorts going on in Sudan with more deaths and destruction and ethnic cleansing than anything going on in the rest of the world. And yet The Economist is the only place I have seen it covered. These quotes and links are from just last week:
Robert Rotberg’s recent blog post described the Sudan/Darfur situation extensively. He’s followed and reported on that war for some time.
The savagery, crimes, and evil in action there have been astonishing and dismaying (I can’t come up, now, with appropriately strong descriptors).
Bob Rotberg, a Harvard political science professor, is an expert on Africa, among other subjects. I recommend his Substack blog (so did Robert Hubbell, in one of his earlier blogs).
No, Will: The Russian bombings in Ukraine and the Israeli bombings in Gaza are only superficially similar in that civilians have been killed. However, the *targets* in Gaza have been not been the civilian populations; the targets have been Hamas headquarters and munitions that Hamas implanted among civilians, in part to conceal them, in part so that civilian deaths from the bombings might naively and wrongly be called war crimes.
It is because Hamas implanted military targets among civilians that, early in the war, Israel implored civilian Gazans to move south, where imminent attacks would not take place.
I’ve never known of a combatant army to take such a unilateral step to save civilian lives, taking the chance that enemy combatants might hide among the civilians migrating out of the areas nearly certain to be attacked; for this historic act, Israel seems to have received zero worldwide credit.
In light of these facts, it’s bizarre and backwards that Israel has been accused of war crimes for having attacked military targets in Gaza.
And by the way, why didn’t “world opinion” accuse Hamas and Islamic Jihad of war crimes for having repeatedly launched rockets at civilian targets in Israel? Talk about double standards !
MSF is asking desperatly for help taking care off those in need in Sudan. It is the most horrific conflict going on now and you would never know, watching news here. Three of their doctors, and others were just killed in Gaza several days ago. No mention in our news.
"Children" is a spin-- they are mostly 16 to 18 years olds. A little different than the Israeli children being released who were held as hostages--the Ameircan girl was just four.
Here is an absolutely perfect example of the kind of reporting that you can really only get on Substack these days, or from publications like ProPublica. Instead of the nonsense that the New York Times is dishing up, this is what they should be reporting on every single day.
First of all, I am sorry that your grandparents were victims of the Nazis.
Second, there are all of these conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the media, Jews controlling the banks, Jews controlling this, that, and the other.
This is when I wish I were a better comedian than Mel Brooks. It is soooo crazee. If Jews controlled the media how come we are not getting better press from the NYT and WaPo. If Jews controlled all of the finances how come we can't shut off the financial support for Hamas coming from Iran and Russia? If we controlled the world politics how come there are hundreds of demonstrations around the world calling for the demise of Israel and Jews? And how come their waving all of these Palestinian flags? Where did those come from all of a sudden? Wal Mart?
Yup! If we Jews control all of this, we should be fired. We are doing a pretty poor job.
Most anti-Semites are ignorant, as are most bigots of any stripe. It takes a certain amount of intelligence and critical thinking skills, as well as compassion, to not hate other people. That’s why these idiots don’t make the connection that you so clearly point out here.
Agree Marlene. I find that I am reading & watching MSM less and less each day because the reporting is so focused on the “horse race”, and TFG/MAGA rants and lies, rather than on the substance of what is really happening. And the substance, and nuances, of what the Biden/Harris Team have accomplished/are accomplishing to make life better for everyday Americans, as well as for the people of the world.
If our democracy fails, it will be due in large part to the failure of the media to perform their duty to report the events, and the policy-making to enable the public to truly see what is in play so we all know what is at stake.
Can this really be about profits and headlines grabbing readers? Or, is the world of journalism lacking in backbone (I.e., courage) in the face of a National and International crisis? As a young man I seem to remember the media being thought of as “The Fourth Estate.”
Do they really have their head up there...? (Oh! I suppose that kind of characterization is not becoming unless it comes from a Trumper.) Well. They (MSM) do not wear well during these Trump years. They simply are not demonstrating courage or “all the truth that is fit to print.”
Marlene, I desperately want your post and Robert’s post today sent to The New York Times along with a copy of their front page motto “All The News That’s Fit to Print.”
Thank you Marlene for your passionate posting. I wish more Dems had your fire. Remember that the Civil War would never have happened without cranks like William Lloyd Garrison and the Quakers. Watch Rustin on Netflix produced by the Obamas. Talk about an Outsider who turned history. I identify with outsiders. The NYT has been on the wrong side of history since the 1850s! Why do we liberals support NYT and WAPO? Thank God they are read by so few voters. The turnout in Ohio on abortion proves we don’t need them but they sure need us. Do we dump our subscriptions or hold mass protests out side their HQs? Write to the editor or all of the above?
Write to the editors of both newspapers and to all newspapers, for that matter. If we inundate them, they may start to turn, especially if people cancel their subscriptions.
Editors do respond to letters, and not just the ones that are printed. They reflect readership and their opinions, and the outlet has to pay attention and decide where to put their resources. The LA Times has its flaws but I get more informative reporting about the climate crisis one week in the LA Times than I get in the WaPo in a month, or what I would get from the Miami Herald in a year. the NYT is better, but you have to search for it - it's rarely highly featured. Most climate news I get from other outlets.
An article at FAIR.ORG did an analysis of the guests on the Sunday talk shows over a month, and found that on the topic of the recent horrific violence in Israel and the occupied territories beginning on 10/7/2023, out of 41 guests making a total of 57 appearances, there was one Palestinian, and the majority of the guests had demonstrable financial relationships with the U.S. military and/or Israel. This is the link: https://fair.org/home/sundays-gaza-guests-linked-to-military-industry-pro-israel-funding/. This is the same kind of thing as what Mr. Hubbell was pointing out. We need to be honest about it and make a personal effort to seek out additional perspectives and facts.
Democrats in Washington, and political leaders in general, need to be shouting from the rooftops all of Biden’s accomplishments. Why aren’t they! They need to have more than just campaign commercials!
Have you been following the ads being produced by the Lincoln Project? Some great stuff there, and they're really living in the Orange Hemorrhoid's head. Check them out - and help support them if you can.
Hello: What I do, is write Len's Political Notes https://lenspoliticalnotes.com. I identify candidates who fall in the middle -- not automatically blue and not automatically red -- and urge my readers to give money to those candidates. In December, I will write a piece about Joe Biden.
Last night, before I read the Columbia Journalism report on the NYT and WaPo, I started the conversation last night on Heather's letter with this:
"It's about time for an overwhelming number of letters to the editors of the NYT and WaPo to demand coverage of Biden's around the clock negotiations as NEWS and not keep saying "some" or "it is thought" balloney. Now that we are seeng the results, all that is covered is the heartwrenching images of people hoping and waiting. Their quest for maintaining impartiaity IS partiality by denying the public's right to know. We all know,as a commumnity that pays attention, all the real acomplishments of the Biden Administraion that only gets mentioned deep in the body of the papers, if at all."
Quite a long discussion followed with many clear thoughts and suggestions of addressing the issue of their overt partisonship.
The current situation in the US has written 'Germany 1932' all over it and the Grey Old Lady doesn't get it or deliberately chooses to ignore it. Same with the MSM in general. Thanks, Robert, for holding their feet to the fire.
Shouldn't we give up the notion at this point that Wapo/NYT et al coverage is a somehow a lapse or mistake? It seems pretty intentional to me. I think we need to address their approach as entirely intentional, and let them defend it. Otherwise our approach is informed by the naive notion that we just need to send over a friendly reminder every now and then.
Perhaps they aren't specifically "pro-fascist" - though I wonder about NYT - but rather "pro clicks" and "risk of fascism neutral". But isn't that bad enough and worthy of addressing directly?
Unfortunately, it would potentially also play into the notion of progressives essentially calling media fake news as well, and perhaps having the unintended side effect of further eroding media credibility, - a double edged sword. That puts the demand for honest news between a rock and a hard place. There must be a strategic way out of that conundrum, and I think it has to do with putting the media on the defensive.
Yes, there has always been a lot out there that one can search for. Prairie Fire was a great one. The Nation goes into it all in depth, with follow up. Mother Jones. Pacifica Radio. I guess it's a semantic issue. When one turns on the news, there is little progressive there. I have been following the progressive journals for the thirty years BEFORE personal computers or the internet.
I was a Nation reader in early 1980's. And public radio was also a good source over the years, but I don't listen to it now. Ms. Magazine my go-to support feminist system.
Democracy Now was started on WBAI Pacifica Radio back when Amy Goodman got back from her ordeal covering the independence movement in East Timor. She was lucky to get out alive, as I listened to her original broadcasts. I have been a solid Pacifica supporter since the late 1960s.
One can dig deep and find the many that I subscribe to, but when you turn on the tube, where most get their news, or read a paper, nothing is there. That is THE issue.
Have you read the Guardian? No paywall. No ads. Brits regard it as “liberal.” I have read it for about 40 years. We voluntarily subscribe and occasionally donate, too.
I have subscribed for years. My grandfather started me on it back in the early1950s. He subscribed to the Sunday Airmail Express edition, printed on onionskin paper. Lightweight for the express mail from Manchester, UK. I donate a very reasonable yearly amount. Thay are about the best.
Good! Subscribing is voluntary. At the end of a piece Guardian sometimes asks for contributions to support what they do, but no ads interrupt your reading.
Truthout, The New Republic, FAIR.ORG, ProPublica, Common Dreams, Background Briefing podcast, with Ian Masters. These are just a few. But it is true that you have to seek these out. It's also useful to visit FoxNews or other far-right outlets periodically, just to get a sense of what is out there. The blog Decoding Fox News is fascinating - the stories that are missed each week, compared to what is included on NPR, is an incredible list.
I thought I mentioned Pacifica Radio. That is where Ian Masters started, as well as where Amy Goodman started Democracy Now, after getting back from her ordeal covering the independence movement in East Timor. Pacifica always got a lot of flack from the left lefties because Ian was with the CIA for quite a while, which is where he learned all that he was speaking of.
As for news publications, besides Truthout and ProPublica, which I have supported for some years now, The Lever is very inportant. David Serota is a very solid investigative journalist/founder. I subscribe to The Intercept also,
Two new ones, Courier Newsroom and Underscore News have good ambitions and are worth chipping in to as they grow into their missions.
I think you understand that I meant when you turn on the tube, where the majority get their news, progressive outlets are just not there. MSNBC is great, but mostly comentary and opinion.
I am sure there are many others, if we dig deeper.
I don't think it is useless to put pressure on them. The reason they have swung right is decades of right-wing mouthpieces calling them "the liberal media." I think that, while they are still doing poorly, we ARE seeing a little movement in response to complaints, such as the NYT's changing framing of the "vermin" speech, mentioned by Kim. We don't have to call them fake news--just point out their bias, and especially the way that their headlines often take the most negative possible light, while the body of the article is more balanced. It's going to take lots of us doing it loudly and often, but I think it's worth doing. We have to fight with every tool that we have available to us.
I support what you are saying, Ellen. I have had 130 letters to the editor published in 26 states since 2018, and that means I have written about 10 times that many, or more. Someone with influence is reading the ones that don't get published. I have also often directly to journalists, including on the topic of covering the far right way more than the moderate or left side of the spectrum, and providing numerous lengthy quotes of people like Marjory Taylor Greene, despite her lack of knowledgeable authority on any topic, and long record of juvenile insults, coarseness, conspiracy theories, etc. Sadly, the outrageous sells papers and generates clicks. The outlets and journalists need to hear from those of use who do not want to find in the NYt what one would expect to find in tabloids.
Ellen, here’s a thought. I don’t see FOX moving to the middle or left and surely we’ve made it our life’s work to call out their outrageous bs. Why would being called the liberal mouth piece provide more incentive that FOX being known as the President and Rs mouthpiece?
John, I don't think FOX is the same thing as WaPo, NYT, CNN, CBC, etc. Those latter outlets all see themselves as doing journalism, whereas FOX really is a propaganda network that hires a few journalists. I don't think I'm disparaging them--I think that's really their model. That's why when they get taken to court, they describe themselves as an "entertainment" network.
Re NYT, besides downplaying Biden admin successes, they add “but it might not last” when there is good news. They also covered the heck out of who would lead Open AI and Altman himself. Neglecting much else. Pro-business and fascism neutral at the very least.
It is just a fact. The NY Times is failing us. Here’s a few observations I have recently made in regard to my Sunday Print Edition. A. The NY Times business section is a waste, they seem to have ceded that to the WSJ. B. Since the COVID start The NY Times has done away with their Travel and Sports section. C. The Styles section and T Magazine cater to the luxury brand names and ultra-wealthy readers. D. There is not a cartoon or joke to be found. Maybe there never was. I’ve only been a subscriber for 20 years give or take. E. The Sunday Magazine occasionally has some really in-depth reports. Their piece of Clarence & Ginni Thomas was an early call for their accountability. F. The Opinion section has really changed since they moved on to commentary by pundits with less “Editorial” content. G. The Arts & Leisure has followed the Book Review sections twenty questions with personalities whose reading habits are often boring. To wit, in addition to some good coverage on the arts - dance, film, museums, music, classical, Broadway they tilt toward empty headed questions and conversation. H. Of course, I forgot the “this section not for adults.”
All this to say, they are left with the Front Section which I have for some years now referred to as The Depression Section. Given our disgruntlement with their news coverage we are left with all these many sections of light reading. We should probably be content by the time with get to the nuptials.
Oh! I guess this is a bit of indulgence on my part as I ponder our MSM shortcomings and wonder what the Times is about these days.
I think if you have a reasoned and fact-laced argument (which the CJR article does), it is different than how the GOP tend to shout "fake news." I was also interested to se how the NY Times headline about Trump's Veteran's Day "vermin" speech changed twice throughout the day, becoming stronger, as complaints were voiced. But, of course you can't change paper headlines, nor read the comments in the paper version.
Yes it’s an important difference you point out - we’re calling out bias (or negligence) in good faith, where right wing political sphere aims as part of a strategy to simply discredit and distract. Even more reason to act consistently from a cohesive strategy.
You are a national treasure, Robert! Let’s all put the media’s feet to the fire about how they are covering the race for president between Biden and Trump. As you noted, one is a would-be dictator ranting like Adolph Hitler and planning to end democracy and the other is a competent and thoughtful president who is getting old. We need to tell it like it is. I know I can count on you, Robert, to do that!
It would be helpful to have the language available, just to simplify it for people and to make sure important points are covered. Environmental orgs and others do that all the time as you probably know.
Here is a guide to letter-writing, for anyone interested, based upon my having had 130 LTE's published in 26 states since 5/2018.
Value
Legislators pay attention to any mention of them in published letters
Big donors are buying votes for candidates (marketing/advertising, campaign experts, etc.), so don't give away your vote for free.
LTEs multiply your message by getting it in front of more eyes.
Even if your letter is not published:
Helps get someone else’s letter on the same topic published
Guides decisions by editors where outlet resources should go
Think of it as having gone to a rally but not being up on stage
Article selection:
Articles you care about
Articles to which some response occurs to you (and use it – it’s genuine, and conviction
somehow shines through).
Hierarchy of articles regarding which letters are likely to be published:
Editorial Board opinions
Front-page stories (especially with photographs)
Major articles
Articles composed by outlet staff journalists
Articles with local interest
Improve your odds
Same day is best; maybe next day, but no later
Follow submission instructions very carefully (e.g., word limit, demographic information required)
Compliment the journalist, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the outlet, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the Editorial Board, if you can do so honestly
Adding a “Note to Editor” to have your letter stand out and personalize it, without it interfering with the letter itself:
Highlight a personal connection
Provide a link to information you quoted or referred to (saves them time fact-checking)
COMPOSITION PROCESS AND PRACTICAL TIPS
Getting your thoughts out and down on paper – JUST DO IT
Or trying say your thoughts out loud, then write
Or record them and transcribe them yourself
“Automatic writing” – don’t “think”, just read article and pound out whatever comes to mind in reaction
Avoid filtering much early on – this can quickly paralyze
Keep in mind that you may only be responding to one aspect of the article – it is not a complete rebuttal. The reason to get more remarks out is to give yourself more chances to express something you later find useful.
Consider an exercise of writing at least a few words in reaction to every sentence or point made in an article
This is a training tool, not a universal method – too time-consuming
Mentioning credential/experience
You worked at a relevant job in the past
You have formal education in a relevant topic
Finding an angle that is relevant to your expertise (medical, legal, business, art, whatever)
Reference authoritative sources (ones people hear about like the Mayo Clinic, Encyclopedia Britannica, Congressional Budget Office, National Academy of Sciences, etc.)
Keep it simple
Even a short letter of 30-40 words can be very effective if it fully captures your message.
Smaller, commonly understood words preferred
Minimize use of hyphens, parentheses or other punctuation
Declarative, simple sentences, the shorter the better
Check “readability statistics” option in the Spelling and Grammar section of Preferences (in Microsoft Word); aim for 8th-grade Fleisch-Kincaid level
First and last sentences most crucial to impact – most memorable
Appeal to emotion (as long as the content supports it)
Do a search on the authors of Op-Eds, or individuals featured or quoted in an article, whom you don’t know. Usually can take only a few minutes. Search azquotes.com, or brainyquote.com or other sites that may come up in a Google search, to find what an author has previously said. Make reference to organizations they participate in, and quote them, if this bears upon bias or inconsistency or conflicts of interest; always refer to actions (things they have said, written or done), not personal qualities. or history.
Be vigilant for vague attributions in articles – “some scientists have concluded” – red flag for distortion of scientific record or consensus. Identify this as vague and then quote your own scientific source and identify it
Personal remarks are to establish credibility (“as an internal medicine physician”…), identify shared experience (“I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida…”) or connect to a particular outlet (“I remember well summers in North Carolina…”)
Editing
Shorten without mercy.
Examples:
“Someone who is generally serious about what they do in life will bring that same seriousness to their activism.” (19 words)
Becomes:
“Serious people make serious activists.” (5 words)
*******************
“I have found that I tend to put more credibility in people who have deep and clearly
documented background knowledge, and it does not disappoint.” (25 words)
Becomes:
“Trust those who are deeply experienced and knowledgeable.” (8 words)
*********************
“I want to express my great appreciation for this article from Mr. Hiltzik. He has really identified the issues well. I was very glad to see that he included mention of… [31 WORDS]
Becomes:
“Mr. Hiltzik has given an excellent rundown of the issues, especially…” [11 WORDS]
Use a thesaurus to find neutral words, but avoid fancy vocabulary – average reader is 8th-grade level)
Idiotic becomes senseless, foolhardy or foolish
Huge becomes monumental or immense
Ridiculous becomes nonsensical, absurd or laughable (not derisory or risible)
Partisan becomes unjust or biased
Emotionally neutral language can be strong in message, when text of letter supports it; for example, the phrase “morally reprehensible” can be an accurate description of your opinion of some act
“Call for action”
Call their representatives
Write the White House
Join an advocacy group
Inform themselves
Suggest “the book to read” on a subject
Provide sufficient information to allow a reader to locate an information source
Contemplate something seriously and see what they think about it
LTE SUBMISSION
Internet search for “Submit letter to the editor for <<<outlet>>>”
Complete form or use designated email.
Save bookmark for submission information for future reference
POST-SUBMISSION:
Email copy of letter to the journalist who authored the article – as an “FYI” or a courtesy – puts your message in front of another potentially influential person
Share your letter with friends, family, organizations, especially if published
Outlet may contact you to verify authenticity of letter – this is normal – so pay attention to what you might think of as Spam calls, to make sure you don't miss an outlet trying to reach you.
Monitor outlet for appearance of letter (assuming access) (Many publications will not notify you about publication status)
May perform internet search for <<< [Your Name] Letter to the Editor >>>, or a search for a unique phrase taken from your letter.
CLOSING REMARKS:
With regard to apprehensions about offering opinion in a public forum, the risk posed by submitting a Letter to the Editor is negligible. Only make statements you genuinely consider true, and make sure any medical or scientific claims are solid. Avoid the kind of tone and language that is purposefully directed to anger/provoke – that is for propaganda writers, not those offering considered opinion. I have had over 100 Letters to the Editor published in 25 states, and not once have I had any form of troubling response.
Consider Banksy’s observation:
“YOU ARE AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF THREAT, AND IF YOU WERE NOT, YOU WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT.”
Final points:
FIRST, BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT. MULTIPLE PEOPLE TELL ME THEY CAN’T WRITE A GOOD LETTER, YET I CAN DISCERN A LETTER IN THE EMAIL THEY SEND ME OR EVEN IN THEIR CASUAL CONVERSATION.
USE YOUR SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND MOTIVATION TO INFLUENCE OTHERS.
THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE TO SUBMITTING A LETTER OR CALLING YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE IT BACK ALL MARKED UP WITH A RED PEN AND WITH A FAILING GRADE.
CONSIDER THE CONCEPT OF SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION; YOUR LETTER MAY TRAVEL MUCH FARTHER THAN YOU THINK.
YOU ASK, “CAN CHANGE BE ACCOMPLISHED?”
Philosopher Daniel Bensaid answered:
“Any doubt bears on the possibility of succeeding, not the necessity of trying.”
Climate activist Andreas Malm observed:
“Such is now the imperative of a minimum decency.”
That's very kind, Stephen. As a member of a climate activism group I took on the role of encouraging and teaching about letter-writing, and it became almost a daily hobby. Out of that grew a broadcast email to about 60 people that has morphed somewhat into a blog-type thing that goes out a number of times per week, often very short, and these include letter-writing invitations, but are highly variable in content. This is what is going out today, which I edited and re-worked from Robert's mention of the OSS profile on Hitler, which a reader had taken from Heather Cox Richardson's book. My idea was to draw the reader in, lead them to recognize in this list exactly what Trump is doing, and then drop the bombshell that this is a historical profile on Hitler.
Subject line: IT'S ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE
Email text:
Consider the following guidelines for how to take power politically:
PROJECT AN IMAGE OF CONFIDENCE AND PERFECTION
Never admit fault or wrongNever accept blame
DISREGARD TRUTH
A big lie is preference to a little one - people are more likely to believe it
SPREAD CRITICISM UNIVERSALLY
Blame each opponent ("enemy"), one at a time or as a group, for everything that goes wrong
BE DEMANDING AND UNFORGIVING
Never admit there may be any good in your opponent ("enemy")
Never leave room for alternatives (no negotiation or compromise)
BE CONSTANTLY AND RELENTLESSLY REPETITIVE
Never allow the public to cool off
Repetition will eventually cause to people to believe what is said
One might expect that these are the rules established formally (or ferally) to guide the political behavior of Donald Trump, and one would be right. They fit perfectly.
However, that is not the source of these guidelines.
At the end of World War II, the Office of Strategic Studies (OSS, the precursor of the CIA) compiled this list of the psychological profile that defined the behaviors of Adolf Hiter.
This list that describes Donald Trump's media posts and speeches is almost 8-decades old and is well-described fascist methodology.
It's all been done before. Recognize it.
************************
So, if that and the letter-writing tutorial pique your interest in what else I might be writing about, email me at bertrandbartok@gmail.com and I will add you to my list.
If you ever find you are deleting these without reading them, just let me know and I will remove you.
I think that the ideas and facts that people like Robert and HCR and Ian Masters (podcast Background Briefing) and so many other knowledgeable people are putting out need to get multiplied every way possible.
You are most welcome, Robert! I look forward to listening to your posts every day. Although I’m American, I currently live in Spain so they come into my email inbox around 8 am. Great way to start my day!
Trump's Thanksgiving rant is terrifying. Sent at 2:00am on a day when Americans should be feeling goodwill and inclusiveness to family and friends, this rant is a smoke signal to the crazies in America and in the Freedom Caucus that tries, as he always tries, to divide America, not unite it. How this TV star, thrice married, serial philandering, multiple bankrupt, serial liar can be one of the two leading candidates to be president of the US is a complete F***ing mystery. And, to your earlier point, how WaPo and the NYT can be whistling past the graveyard is another complete mystery.
While Trump is focusing on personal threats like an unhinged teenager on social media, defenders of democracy better concentrate on the really big lies. Those are in my view that the amount of military style weapons in the US is not the problem but that people are, that the trickle-down system in economy works, and that gerrymandering is not a violation of social justice. Of course there are more lies but these are in my opinion the main threats to a just society.
I learnt from Thom Hartmann that Biden (& family) did the polar plunge over the holiday. We’ve seen a ton of pictures of thump playing golf & looking decrepit, why don’t we see a ton of pictures showing Biden’s excellent physical shape?
Thank you for staying on this beat. It's so important and it boggles my mind why the Times and Wash Post are doing this! I agree that we should mount a letter writing campaign or something to point it out - over and over if necessary, but thank you for taking the leard.
Yes, why? Are they trying to court conservative readers/subscribers? Are they trying to shed the claims of a liberal stance? Are they trying to influence the election?
Today’s Edition was a very powerful and energetic statement on multiple fronts. The uncovered Hitler comments seemed to dovetail with the philosophy of the Trump MAGA gang and fit perfectly. I don’t read the NYT or the WaPo news for the reasons mentioned but I do read the columnists such as Janet Rubin, Thomas Friedman, Charles Blow , David Brooks, Maureen Dowd and several others who over the years have in my opinion been realistic in their conversations. What I realized a long time ago is that newspapers like the NYT are not writing to me as an audience but a much wider and bigger audience that needs to be fed a certain formula of news nuisances to maximise revenue. The media in many ways should share the responsibility of fanning the rise of MAGA and Trump. I am sensing a small crack in the MAGA exterior as everyday more and more Republicans are coming out against Trump and it is building momentum. I hope I am right.
I’m a huge Athletic fan. Yes you can get some of their posts on the same platform as Robert or through Facebook or X. Get a subscription it’s worth it.
Excellent newsletter today, Robert. I so appreciate your balanced take on the news of the day.
I have several takeaways from today's newsletter. 1) Rape and sexual violence has ALWAYS been used in war. That's one reason war is so terrifying. 2) Trump is NOT normal. It was an apt comparison to equate him with Hitler running again to be chancellor of Germany from a jail cell. 3) We don't have a "free" press; we have a bought and paid for press. So many newspapers and media outlets have been consolidated into a few companies. The reporters may want to write the tough stories, but the corporate owners don't let those stories come out.
It is a tough world we live in. Thanks for helping us navigate it.
Rape and sexual violence may be common to many wars. However, so far as we know, rape and sadistic violence have been committed only by Hamas and its fellow travelers in this Hamas-Israel war.
Robert: Outstanding newsletter, even considering your generally high quality of work on our behalf and on behalf of our democracy. Thank you in particular for calling our attention to the Times of Israel article and the Columbia Journalism Review article, both sources most of us would have not seen otherwise. Several things strike me from the TOI article. One is the degree of Biden's personal engagement in negotiating the hostage release. This is not the work of a doddering old fool. He seems singularly focused on achieving rapid, incremental improvement in a horrible humanitarian crisis but also has his eyes on the larger goal of achieving a lasting peace through a two state solution. He has at least gotten parties to start talking to each other in a way that would not have happened without him. Second, following how this situation has unfolded, one is struck by how Biden has surrounded himself with people as compassionate, committed, and capable as he is. Yet another stark contrast with Trump and his cronies. The fact that this contrast is not on the minds of all Americans I lay at the feet of our major media outlets. I believe lesser media organizations take the lead of the NYT's and WP in treating the contest between the two as a horse race, with Trump offering the more salacious stories that garner more attention. If the major media feels it must run a horse race, how about the cliffhanger between democracy and fascism. The fact that someone as clearly vengeful, criminal, and deranged as Trump is in a horse race with a mensch like Biden is a comment on the sorry state of the American electorate and should scare they daylights out of us all. That seems worth reporting.
Mental illness is an elusive concept and should not be used as an excuse for dictatorial, destructive, and harmful pronouncements and behavior...interestingly, we did not call Hitler mentally ill, did we? Does it make us feel better to attribute Trump's offensive and dangerous rhetoric and action to "mental illness"? I think not. When we do that, we don't sufficiently hold him accountable.
Thank you for the criticism of NYT and WAPO bias! What tha...? I have tried to send them letters to the editor or to the specific columnists - no reception. What if we en-masse cancelled our subscriptions and asked for our money back? Shall we start a movement?
Thank you Mr. Hubbell for your clearly articulated outrage
Hi Lee. On the issue of mental illness, I do think it is important to identify behavior that seems motivated by mental illness--not to make excuses but to highlight the danger. Do we really want Trump in control of nuclear weapons if he has uncontrollable fits of rage on a regular basis (clearly a mental illness). As I said in the newsletter, it is the combination of mental illness and fascist intent that makes Trump so dangerous.
Notwithstanding discussions of your diagnosis of Trump’s mental state, Robert, I personally think it would be more effective simply to keep describing Trump’s behavior and letting the descriptions sink in. The facts, by themselves, are damning.
And don’t forget the ketchup in the White House dining room wall !
Read “The Last Days of Hitler”, by H.R. Trevor-Roper. It’s short, punchy, and has several interesting insights. William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” has a nearly-plagiarized account of the same information.
I absolutely agree that mental illness should be mentioned in connection with Trump. The fact that he is mentally unstable adds to the danger he poses to our country. It is NOT an excuse at all; it is a very serious condition that he is delusional (as, apparently, Hitler was.) As Robert and others have said, if re-elected, he will destroy our democracy and put us in danger in terms of our safety. Revenge is his MO. It is an understatement to say that that is not normal.
Nov 27, 2023·edited Nov 27, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Robert, I have decided that one of my roles in the upcoming campaign is taking your advice and that of Simon Rosenberg to make my voice heard in my support for Biden and objection to biased reporting (I actually think it's often headline writing that is the worst culprit). I wrote a letter that I don't expect to get published to my local Minneapolis Star-Tribune over the weekend complaining about their framing of the economy as poor while the body of the article indicated that Black Friday shopping is way up over last year. I contacted Frank Bruni by email, and I sent letters to the NYT and WaPo about the Columbia Journalism Review article, with a link. It took some searching to find out how to make contact, so I am sharing this link from the WaPo with the emails of the entire editorial staff, which I have now bookmarked for future use, for others who would like to do the same. https://helpcenter.washingtonpost.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002940991-Leadership-of-The-Washington-Post-newsroom
Generous of you to share this useful link, Ellen. You're way ahead of me in your outreach to the media and the time is past due for me to quit complaining and do something. Many thanks.
I don't understand why you deleted the racial slur from TFG statement. We are adults and do not need to be shielded from remarks. It's like the "Trigger" warnings which allow us to.not have to face the realities if a,situation. If the press showed the real.aftermath of the mass shootings the call for gun controls would over ride the NRA.
I didn't omit the term to protect you. I choose not to repeat slurs made by others, even when I am just reporting on what they say. I can't control what Trump says. I can control what I write. And I choose not to write racial slurs.
Would like to believe this is true but since legislators control gun safety and are bought and paid for pictures might upset some of the public but it won’t change the dynamics
Bravissimo, Robert!! Thank you for reaching out to the journalists who read your brilliant newsletters. Yes, they should to heed your request that they balance out their reporting. The NYT and WaPo are a disgrace. Headlines are made to grab the reader’s attention but when it is made up of untruths, that’s when they’ve crossed the line. Tired of their ageism rants. Tired of them not calling out Hamas for their violence against Jewish women and young ones. Tired of them not upholding the fact that Israelis and Palestinians want peace. Tired of Trump getting away with every fucking thing with them. Tired of their rhetoric. We want fair and even reporting. A pox on their profits! This goes for MSM also. WE ARE TIRED! My mother’s parents were annihilated by the Nazis. I will be damned that Fake 45 gets another chance to sit on his throne and destroy us all!
Not for nothing, but the first two stories in the mobile edition of today's NYT:
1. "In Countdown to Iowa, Trump Is Coasting as DeSantis and Haley Clash"
2. "Why President Biden's weakness among young voters should be taken seriously"
Sort of proves Robert's point and then some.
EDITED TO ADD: Also wanted to point out that the Times of Israel (an excellent publicaiton that, unlike Haaretz is free to non-subscribers) did not have to do any serious reporting to come up with this--Biden's team, via Adrienne Watson, had been making announcements on his role https://x.com/BarakRavid/status/1728505747112083661?s=20 (apologies, do not have time to find Watson's original statement)
ARRGGGG! That’s why I cancelled my subscription to the NYT.
I did as well!
I have never before given cancellation a thought. Do we run the risk of the Times going more off the cliff by doubling down to attract some of the FOX crowd. Nah! I think any FOX devotee is locked in by now. Ugh!
That is why i won’t subscribe.
It just occurred to me –
Some years ago, my wife and I visited the Newseum, near DC, and saw their exhibit on the Times’s contemporaneous reporting on the Holocaust. It turns out that many of the contours of the Holocaust *were* known.
How did the Times report them? *Small little articles located far from the front page.*
Quite a parallel with the Times’ reporting in 2023.
History does repeat itself Michael. Right now there is a horrible civil war of sorts going on in Sudan with more deaths and destruction and ethnic cleansing than anything going on in the rest of the world. And yet The Economist is the only place I have seen it covered. These quotes and links are from just last week:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 6.3𝘮 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 (𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 3.7𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 “𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺”. 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦-𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘒𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘴𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘧. “𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯,” 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘦́𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦̀𝘳𝘦𝘴 (𝘮𝘴𝘧), 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱.
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/16/a-genocidal-militia-is-winning-the-war-in-sudan
𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩, 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘳, 𝘚𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯, 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 800 𝘢𝘯𝘥 1,300 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬-𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘜𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘈𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 (𝘳𝘴𝘧), 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴,” 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳. “𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.” 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯.
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/16/the-world-is-ignoring-war-genocide-and-famine-in-sudan
Robert Rotberg’s recent blog post described the Sudan/Darfur situation extensively. He’s followed and reported on that war for some time.
The savagery, crimes, and evil in action there have been astonishing and dismaying (I can’t come up, now, with appropriately strong descriptors).
Bob Rotberg, a Harvard political science professor, is an expert on Africa, among other subjects. I recommend his Substack blog (so did Robert Hubbell, in one of his earlier blogs).
No, Will: The Russian bombings in Ukraine and the Israeli bombings in Gaza are only superficially similar in that civilians have been killed. However, the *targets* in Gaza have been not been the civilian populations; the targets have been Hamas headquarters and munitions that Hamas implanted among civilians, in part to conceal them, in part so that civilian deaths from the bombings might naively and wrongly be called war crimes.
It is because Hamas implanted military targets among civilians that, early in the war, Israel implored civilian Gazans to move south, where imminent attacks would not take place.
I’ve never known of a combatant army to take such a unilateral step to save civilian lives, taking the chance that enemy combatants might hide among the civilians migrating out of the areas nearly certain to be attacked; for this historic act, Israel seems to have received zero worldwide credit.
In light of these facts, it’s bizarre and backwards that Israel has been accused of war crimes for having attacked military targets in Gaza.
And by the way, why didn’t “world opinion” accuse Hamas and Islamic Jihad of war crimes for having repeatedly launched rockets at civilian targets in Israel? Talk about double standards !
MSF is asking desperatly for help taking care off those in need in Sudan. It is the most horrific conflict going on now and you would never know, watching news here. Three of their doctors, and others were just killed in Gaza several days ago. No mention in our news.
Unbelievable! And terrifying!
"Children" is a spin-- they are mostly 16 to 18 years olds. A little different than the Israeli children being released who were held as hostages--the Ameircan girl was just four.
NB: The US incarcerates 16 to 18 year olds in adult prisons too. Which doesn't make it right, just not all that unusual - https://childsafety.losangelescriminallawyer.pro/minors-in-prison.html#:~:text=Approximately%2010%2C000%20minors%20under%20the,state%20and%20federal%20detention%20facilities.
Try The Times of Israel.
It’s free. And its editor’s articles are well worth reading.
Thank you 🙏🏽
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/could-the-allies-have-bombed-auschwitz-birkenau
I am not in the least bit surprised, but I am more disgusted every single day with both the New York Times and the Washington Post.
I noticed that too, before listening to Robert's piece.
Here is an absolutely perfect example of the kind of reporting that you can really only get on Substack these days, or from publications like ProPublica. Instead of the nonsense that the New York Times is dishing up, this is what they should be reporting on every single day.
https://open.substack.com/pub/luciantruscott/p/trump-my-free-speech-rights-dont?r=2vk1c6&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
First of all, I am sorry that your grandparents were victims of the Nazis.
Second, there are all of these conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the media, Jews controlling the banks, Jews controlling this, that, and the other.
This is when I wish I were a better comedian than Mel Brooks. It is soooo crazee. If Jews controlled the media how come we are not getting better press from the NYT and WaPo. If Jews controlled all of the finances how come we can't shut off the financial support for Hamas coming from Iran and Russia? If we controlled the world politics how come there are hundreds of demonstrations around the world calling for the demise of Israel and Jews? And how come their waving all of these Palestinian flags? Where did those come from all of a sudden? Wal Mart?
Yup! If we Jews control all of this, we should be fired. We are doing a pretty poor job.
Most anti-Semites are ignorant, as are most bigots of any stripe. It takes a certain amount of intelligence and critical thinking skills, as well as compassion, to not hate other people. That’s why these idiots don’t make the connection that you so clearly point out here.
That is sooo 2022 Ed ;)
You're supposed to say "The ZIONISTS control the banks and the media" these days.
You see, that way it's not antisemitic...
Agree Marlene. I find that I am reading & watching MSM less and less each day because the reporting is so focused on the “horse race”, and TFG/MAGA rants and lies, rather than on the substance of what is really happening. And the substance, and nuances, of what the Biden/Harris Team have accomplished/are accomplishing to make life better for everyday Americans, as well as for the people of the world.
If our democracy fails, it will be due in large part to the failure of the media to perform their duty to report the events, and the policy-making to enable the public to truly see what is in play so we all know what is at stake.
Can this really be about profits and headlines grabbing readers? Or, is the world of journalism lacking in backbone (I.e., courage) in the face of a National and International crisis? As a young man I seem to remember the media being thought of as “The Fourth Estate.”
Do they really have their head up there...? (Oh! I suppose that kind of characterization is not becoming unless it comes from a Trumper.) Well. They (MSM) do not wear well during these Trump years. They simply are not demonstrating courage or “all the truth that is fit to print.”
It’s a pity and a disgrace, Angela.
Marlene, I desperately want your post and Robert’s post today sent to The New York Times along with a copy of their front page motto “All The News That’s Fit to Print.”
John, if you want, you have my permission to send it to them.
Thank you Marlene for your passionate posting. I wish more Dems had your fire. Remember that the Civil War would never have happened without cranks like William Lloyd Garrison and the Quakers. Watch Rustin on Netflix produced by the Obamas. Talk about an Outsider who turned history. I identify with outsiders. The NYT has been on the wrong side of history since the 1850s! Why do we liberals support NYT and WAPO? Thank God they are read by so few voters. The turnout in Ohio on abortion proves we don’t need them but they sure need us. Do we dump our subscriptions or hold mass protests out side their HQs? Write to the editor or all of the above?
Write to the editors of both newspapers and to all newspapers, for that matter. If we inundate them, they may start to turn, especially if people cancel their subscriptions.
Editors do respond to letters, and not just the ones that are printed. They reflect readership and their opinions, and the outlet has to pay attention and decide where to put their resources. The LA Times has its flaws but I get more informative reporting about the climate crisis one week in the LA Times than I get in the WaPo in a month, or what I would get from the Miami Herald in a year. the NYT is better, but you have to search for it - it's rarely highly featured. Most climate news I get from other outlets.
By the way, John, if you are on X (Shitter), you can write to them there and I believe on Threads and BluSky.
I agree but whose definition of “fair” do we use. ?
Does it need a definition? Aren’t hard facts and first hand accounts what they are missing that could serve us better?
An article at FAIR.ORG did an analysis of the guests on the Sunday talk shows over a month, and found that on the topic of the recent horrific violence in Israel and the occupied territories beginning on 10/7/2023, out of 41 guests making a total of 57 appearances, there was one Palestinian, and the majority of the guests had demonstrable financial relationships with the U.S. military and/or Israel. This is the link: https://fair.org/home/sundays-gaza-guests-linked-to-military-industry-pro-israel-funding/. This is the same kind of thing as what Mr. Hubbell was pointing out. We need to be honest about it and make a personal effort to seek out additional perspectives and facts.
Not so sure it depends on the lens
"Ugh. That was a rough newsletter". Not a bit of an Ugh. That was a brilliant newsletter.
1. Joe Biden's skill dealing with Qatar in ensuring the hostage releases
2. The failure of the human rights advocates to recognize the violations of women by Hamas
3. The abnormality of Trump's Thanksgiving comments.
4. The "inexplicable" reporting of The NY Times and Wash Post -- replicating their one-sided 2016 reporting about Hillary Clinton
The "Ugh" belongs to the failures of the media and the human rights advocates as well as the ghastly promise the Trump offers us all.
Ok so what are WE going to do about it? Don’t have an answer.
Democrats in Washington, and political leaders in general, need to be shouting from the rooftops all of Biden’s accomplishments. Why aren’t they! They need to have more than just campaign commercials!
Have you been following the ads being produced by the Lincoln Project? Some great stuff there, and they're really living in the Orange Hemorrhoid's head. Check them out - and help support them if you can.
Campaigns seem to be top of mind vs saving the planet.
We won't "save the planet," as you wrote, unless we have Biden in office again. Trump wanted to open the Arctic to oil drilling !
Who we elect has HUGE consequences for how we deal with the global climate crisis.
Hello: What I do, is write Len's Political Notes https://lenspoliticalnotes.com. I identify candidates who fall in the middle -- not automatically blue and not automatically red -- and urge my readers to give money to those candidates. In December, I will write a piece about Joe Biden.
Last night, before I read the Columbia Journalism report on the NYT and WaPo, I started the conversation last night on Heather's letter with this:
"It's about time for an overwhelming number of letters to the editors of the NYT and WaPo to demand coverage of Biden's around the clock negotiations as NEWS and not keep saying "some" or "it is thought" balloney. Now that we are seeng the results, all that is covered is the heartwrenching images of people hoping and waiting. Their quest for maintaining impartiaity IS partiality by denying the public's right to know. We all know,as a commumnity that pays attention, all the real acomplishments of the Biden Administraion that only gets mentioned deep in the body of the papers, if at all."
Quite a long discussion followed with many clear thoughts and suggestions of addressing the issue of their overt partisonship.
The current situation in the US has written 'Germany 1932' all over it and the Grey Old Lady doesn't get it or deliberately chooses to ignore it. Same with the MSM in general. Thanks, Robert, for holding their feet to the fire.
Shouldn't we give up the notion at this point that Wapo/NYT et al coverage is a somehow a lapse or mistake? It seems pretty intentional to me. I think we need to address their approach as entirely intentional, and let them defend it. Otherwise our approach is informed by the naive notion that we just need to send over a friendly reminder every now and then.
Perhaps they aren't specifically "pro-fascist" - though I wonder about NYT - but rather "pro clicks" and "risk of fascism neutral". But isn't that bad enough and worthy of addressing directly?
Unfortunately, it would potentially also play into the notion of progressives essentially calling media fake news as well, and perhaps having the unintended side effect of further eroding media credibility, - a double edged sword. That puts the demand for honest news between a rock and a hard place. There must be a strategic way out of that conundrum, and I think it has to do with putting the media on the defensive.
Progressive news is hard to find.
DemocracyNow.org
ThomHartmann on a zillion sites; YouTube, Substack, website...
A number of substacks mentioned frequently here.
I'm sure other readers can add more.
Yes. Very valuable.
This morning's column by Judd Legum; PopularInformation@substack.com - -
entitled; "Kushner's Mexican Connection."
There's news I doubt we'd find anywhere else.
Yes, there has always been a lot out there that one can search for. Prairie Fire was a great one. The Nation goes into it all in depth, with follow up. Mother Jones. Pacifica Radio. I guess it's a semantic issue. When one turns on the news, there is little progressive there. I have been following the progressive journals for the thirty years BEFORE personal computers or the internet.
I was a Nation reader in early 1980's. And public radio was also a good source over the years, but I don't listen to it now. Ms. Magazine my go-to support feminist system.
Yep, Ms.
Democracy Now was started on WBAI Pacifica Radio back when Amy Goodman got back from her ordeal covering the independence movement in East Timor. She was lucky to get out alive, as I listened to her original broadcasts. I have been a solid Pacifica supporter since the late 1960s.
One can dig deep and find the many that I subscribe to, but when you turn on the tube, where most get their news, or read a paper, nothing is there. That is THE issue.
Have you read the Guardian? No paywall. No ads. Brits regard it as “liberal.” I have read it for about 40 years. We voluntarily subscribe and occasionally donate, too.
I have subscribed for years. My grandfather started me on it back in the early1950s. He subscribed to the Sunday Airmail Express edition, printed on onionskin paper. Lightweight for the express mail from Manchester, UK. I donate a very reasonable yearly amount. Thay are about the best.
Agree! Same here, since the 70s, onion skin! Now the Weekly is a magazine.
That does it, Carol. I’ve been playing with the idea of subscribing to The Guardian. I’ll do it.
Good! Subscribing is voluntary. At the end of a piece Guardian sometimes asks for contributions to support what they do, but no ads interrupt your reading.
I'm a progressive, but what we need is OBJECTIVE news, covering FACTS.
Progressive news can be very objective in that it publishes what MSM does not. Objective news is desireable, but MSM tends to be SELECTIVE news.
Truthout, The New Republic, FAIR.ORG, ProPublica, Common Dreams, Background Briefing podcast, with Ian Masters. These are just a few. But it is true that you have to seek these out. It's also useful to visit FoxNews or other far-right outlets periodically, just to get a sense of what is out there. The blog Decoding Fox News is fascinating - the stories that are missed each week, compared to what is included on NPR, is an incredible list.
I thought I mentioned Pacifica Radio. That is where Ian Masters started, as well as where Amy Goodman started Democracy Now, after getting back from her ordeal covering the independence movement in East Timor. Pacifica always got a lot of flack from the left lefties because Ian was with the CIA for quite a while, which is where he learned all that he was speaking of.
As for news publications, besides Truthout and ProPublica, which I have supported for some years now, The Lever is very inportant. David Serota is a very solid investigative journalist/founder. I subscribe to The Intercept also,
Two new ones, Courier Newsroom and Underscore News have good ambitions and are worth chipping in to as they grow into their missions.
I think you understand that I meant when you turn on the tube, where the majority get their news, progressive outlets are just not there. MSNBC is great, but mostly comentary and opinion.
I am sure there are many others, if we dig deeper.
Eyes wide open, Gary. Take care.
I don't think it is useless to put pressure on them. The reason they have swung right is decades of right-wing mouthpieces calling them "the liberal media." I think that, while they are still doing poorly, we ARE seeing a little movement in response to complaints, such as the NYT's changing framing of the "vermin" speech, mentioned by Kim. We don't have to call them fake news--just point out their bias, and especially the way that their headlines often take the most negative possible light, while the body of the article is more balanced. It's going to take lots of us doing it loudly and often, but I think it's worth doing. We have to fight with every tool that we have available to us.
I support what you are saying, Ellen. I have had 130 letters to the editor published in 26 states since 2018, and that means I have written about 10 times that many, or more. Someone with influence is reading the ones that don't get published. I have also often directly to journalists, including on the topic of covering the far right way more than the moderate or left side of the spectrum, and providing numerous lengthy quotes of people like Marjory Taylor Greene, despite her lack of knowledgeable authority on any topic, and long record of juvenile insults, coarseness, conspiracy theories, etc. Sadly, the outrageous sells papers and generates clicks. The outlets and journalists need to hear from those of use who do not want to find in the NYt what one would expect to find in tabloids.
“Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.”
— Niccolo Machiavelli
Democrats are, generally “nice” and therefore not feared. Extremists are feared.
Ellen, here’s a thought. I don’t see FOX moving to the middle or left and surely we’ve made it our life’s work to call out their outrageous bs. Why would being called the liberal mouth piece provide more incentive that FOX being known as the President and Rs mouthpiece?
John, I don't think FOX is the same thing as WaPo, NYT, CNN, CBC, etc. Those latter outlets all see themselves as doing journalism, whereas FOX really is a propaganda network that hires a few journalists. I don't think I'm disparaging them--I think that's really their model. That's why when they get taken to court, they describe themselves as an "entertainment" network.
Agreed.
Yes, now everything falls into the ‘fake news’ box. Gee thanks Kellyanne Conway, Webster would be proud.
Re NYT, besides downplaying Biden admin successes, they add “but it might not last” when there is good news. They also covered the heck out of who would lead Open AI and Altman himself. Neglecting much else. Pro-business and fascism neutral at the very least.
It is just a fact. The NY Times is failing us. Here’s a few observations I have recently made in regard to my Sunday Print Edition. A. The NY Times business section is a waste, they seem to have ceded that to the WSJ. B. Since the COVID start The NY Times has done away with their Travel and Sports section. C. The Styles section and T Magazine cater to the luxury brand names and ultra-wealthy readers. D. There is not a cartoon or joke to be found. Maybe there never was. I’ve only been a subscriber for 20 years give or take. E. The Sunday Magazine occasionally has some really in-depth reports. Their piece of Clarence & Ginni Thomas was an early call for their accountability. F. The Opinion section has really changed since they moved on to commentary by pundits with less “Editorial” content. G. The Arts & Leisure has followed the Book Review sections twenty questions with personalities whose reading habits are often boring. To wit, in addition to some good coverage on the arts - dance, film, museums, music, classical, Broadway they tilt toward empty headed questions and conversation. H. Of course, I forgot the “this section not for adults.”
All this to say, they are left with the Front Section which I have for some years now referred to as The Depression Section. Given our disgruntlement with their news coverage we are left with all these many sections of light reading. We should probably be content by the time with get to the nuptials.
Oh! I guess this is a bit of indulgence on my part as I ponder our MSM shortcomings and wonder what the Times is about these days.
I think if you have a reasoned and fact-laced argument (which the CJR article does), it is different than how the GOP tend to shout "fake news." I was also interested to se how the NY Times headline about Trump's Veteran's Day "vermin" speech changed twice throughout the day, becoming stronger, as complaints were voiced. But, of course you can't change paper headlines, nor read the comments in the paper version.
Yes it’s an important difference you point out - we’re calling out bias (or negligence) in good faith, where right wing political sphere aims as part of a strategy to simply discredit and distract. Even more reason to act consistently from a cohesive strategy.
You are a national treasure, Robert! Let’s all put the media’s feet to the fire about how they are covering the race for president between Biden and Trump. As you noted, one is a would-be dictator ranting like Adolph Hitler and planning to end democracy and the other is a competent and thoughtful president who is getting old. We need to tell it like it is. I know I can count on you, Robert, to do that!
We write letters and postcards to support candidates and policy why not write letters to the editor but we need tons of them.
It would be helpful to have the language available, just to simplify it for people and to make sure important points are covered. Environmental orgs and others do that all the time as you probably know.
Stephen, it is imperative. Let’s do it. Rally the troops and have them report to a central clearing house - so to speak - to collect them.
Just send them links to this post by Robert and others he writes dealing with the press and its failings.
Or just copy and paste into your letters to the editors pertinent sections and say, "From Today's Edition Newsletter" by Robert Hubbell, date."
That’s one method but personal letters get more attention
Here is a guide to letter-writing, for anyone interested, based upon my having had 130 LTE's published in 26 states since 5/2018.
Value
Legislators pay attention to any mention of them in published letters
Big donors are buying votes for candidates (marketing/advertising, campaign experts, etc.), so don't give away your vote for free.
LTEs multiply your message by getting it in front of more eyes.
Even if your letter is not published:
Helps get someone else’s letter on the same topic published
Guides decisions by editors where outlet resources should go
Think of it as having gone to a rally but not being up on stage
Article selection:
Articles you care about
Articles to which some response occurs to you (and use it – it’s genuine, and conviction
somehow shines through).
Hierarchy of articles regarding which letters are likely to be published:
Editorial Board opinions
Front-page stories (especially with photographs)
Major articles
Articles composed by outlet staff journalists
Articles with local interest
Improve your odds
Same day is best; maybe next day, but no later
Follow submission instructions very carefully (e.g., word limit, demographic information required)
Compliment the journalist, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the outlet, if you can do so honestly
Compliment the Editorial Board, if you can do so honestly
Adding a “Note to Editor” to have your letter stand out and personalize it, without it interfering with the letter itself:
Highlight a personal connection
Provide a link to information you quoted or referred to (saves them time fact-checking)
COMPOSITION PROCESS AND PRACTICAL TIPS
Getting your thoughts out and down on paper – JUST DO IT
Or trying say your thoughts out loud, then write
Or record them and transcribe them yourself
“Automatic writing” – don’t “think”, just read article and pound out whatever comes to mind in reaction
Avoid filtering much early on – this can quickly paralyze
Keep in mind that you may only be responding to one aspect of the article – it is not a complete rebuttal. The reason to get more remarks out is to give yourself more chances to express something you later find useful.
Consider an exercise of writing at least a few words in reaction to every sentence or point made in an article
This is a training tool, not a universal method – too time-consuming
Mentioning credential/experience
You worked at a relevant job in the past
You have formal education in a relevant topic
Finding an angle that is relevant to your expertise (medical, legal, business, art, whatever)
Reference authoritative sources (ones people hear about like the Mayo Clinic, Encyclopedia Britannica, Congressional Budget Office, National Academy of Sciences, etc.)
Keep it simple
Even a short letter of 30-40 words can be very effective if it fully captures your message.
Smaller, commonly understood words preferred
Minimize use of hyphens, parentheses or other punctuation
Declarative, simple sentences, the shorter the better
Check “readability statistics” option in the Spelling and Grammar section of Preferences (in Microsoft Word); aim for 8th-grade Fleisch-Kincaid level
First and last sentences most crucial to impact – most memorable
First sentence:
Get attention
Short and punchy
Flat declaration that something is incorrect
Be humorous (take care with this)
Identify the subject
Refer to why this article is important
Middle text: Inform, explicate, expand, quote sources
Last sentence:
Wordplay
Refer back to previous point
Powerful call to action
Appeal to emotion (as long as the content supports it)
Do a search on the authors of Op-Eds, or individuals featured or quoted in an article, whom you don’t know. Usually can take only a few minutes. Search azquotes.com, or brainyquote.com or other sites that may come up in a Google search, to find what an author has previously said. Make reference to organizations they participate in, and quote them, if this bears upon bias or inconsistency or conflicts of interest; always refer to actions (things they have said, written or done), not personal qualities. or history.
Be vigilant for vague attributions in articles – “some scientists have concluded” – red flag for distortion of scientific record or consensus. Identify this as vague and then quote your own scientific source and identify it
Personal remarks are to establish credibility (“as an internal medicine physician”…), identify shared experience (“I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida…”) or connect to a particular outlet (“I remember well summers in North Carolina…”)
Editing
Shorten without mercy.
Examples:
“Someone who is generally serious about what they do in life will bring that same seriousness to their activism.” (19 words)
Becomes:
“Serious people make serious activists.” (5 words)
*******************
“I have found that I tend to put more credibility in people who have deep and clearly
documented background knowledge, and it does not disappoint.” (25 words)
Becomes:
“Trust those who are deeply experienced and knowledgeable.” (8 words)
*********************
“I want to express my great appreciation for this article from Mr. Hiltzik. He has really identified the issues well. I was very glad to see that he included mention of… [31 WORDS]
Becomes:
“Mr. Hiltzik has given an excellent rundown of the issues, especially…” [11 WORDS]
Becomes:
“Mr. Hiltzik’s excellent rundown highlights…” [5 WORDS]
Use a thesaurus to find neutral words, but avoid fancy vocabulary – average reader is 8th-grade level)
Idiotic becomes senseless, foolhardy or foolish
Huge becomes monumental or immense
Ridiculous becomes nonsensical, absurd or laughable (not derisory or risible)
Partisan becomes unjust or biased
Emotionally neutral language can be strong in message, when text of letter supports it; for example, the phrase “morally reprehensible” can be an accurate description of your opinion of some act
“Call for action”
Call their representatives
Write the White House
Join an advocacy group
Inform themselves
Suggest “the book to read” on a subject
Provide sufficient information to allow a reader to locate an information source
Contemplate something seriously and see what they think about it
LTE SUBMISSION
Internet search for “Submit letter to the editor for <<<outlet>>>”
Complete form or use designated email.
Save bookmark for submission information for future reference
POST-SUBMISSION:
Email copy of letter to the journalist who authored the article – as an “FYI” or a courtesy – puts your message in front of another potentially influential person
Share your letter with friends, family, organizations, especially if published
Outlet may contact you to verify authenticity of letter – this is normal – so pay attention to what you might think of as Spam calls, to make sure you don't miss an outlet trying to reach you.
Monitor outlet for appearance of letter (assuming access) (Many publications will not notify you about publication status)
May perform internet search for <<< [Your Name] Letter to the Editor >>>, or a search for a unique phrase taken from your letter.
CLOSING REMARKS:
With regard to apprehensions about offering opinion in a public forum, the risk posed by submitting a Letter to the Editor is negligible. Only make statements you genuinely consider true, and make sure any medical or scientific claims are solid. Avoid the kind of tone and language that is purposefully directed to anger/provoke – that is for propaganda writers, not those offering considered opinion. I have had over 100 Letters to the Editor published in 25 states, and not once have I had any form of troubling response.
Consider Banksy’s observation:
“YOU ARE AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF THREAT, AND IF YOU WERE NOT, YOU WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT.”
Final points:
FIRST, BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT. MULTIPLE PEOPLE TELL ME THEY CAN’T WRITE A GOOD LETTER, YET I CAN DISCERN A LETTER IN THE EMAIL THEY SEND ME OR EVEN IN THEIR CASUAL CONVERSATION.
USE YOUR SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND MOTIVATION TO INFLUENCE OTHERS.
THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE TO SUBMITTING A LETTER OR CALLING YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE IT BACK ALL MARKED UP WITH A RED PEN AND WITH A FAILING GRADE.
CONSIDER THE CONCEPT OF SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION; YOUR LETTER MAY TRAVEL MUCH FARTHER THAN YOU THINK.
YOU ASK, “CAN CHANGE BE ACCOMPLISHED?”
Philosopher Daniel Bensaid answered:
“Any doubt bears on the possibility of succeeding, not the necessity of trying.”
Climate activist Andreas Malm observed:
“Such is now the imperative of a minimum decency.”
Gary M. Stewart, MD, FACP
bertrandbartok@gmail.com
(714) 504-9582
2023-02-22
Gary thank you so very for taking the time to put this together. It’s a handbook for getting letters published. Everyone needs to read this.
That's very kind, Stephen. As a member of a climate activism group I took on the role of encouraging and teaching about letter-writing, and it became almost a daily hobby. Out of that grew a broadcast email to about 60 people that has morphed somewhat into a blog-type thing that goes out a number of times per week, often very short, and these include letter-writing invitations, but are highly variable in content. This is what is going out today, which I edited and re-worked from Robert's mention of the OSS profile on Hitler, which a reader had taken from Heather Cox Richardson's book. My idea was to draw the reader in, lead them to recognize in this list exactly what Trump is doing, and then drop the bombshell that this is a historical profile on Hitler.
Subject line: IT'S ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE
Email text:
Consider the following guidelines for how to take power politically:
PROJECT AN IMAGE OF CONFIDENCE AND PERFECTION
Never admit fault or wrongNever accept blame
DISREGARD TRUTH
A big lie is preference to a little one - people are more likely to believe it
SPREAD CRITICISM UNIVERSALLY
Blame each opponent ("enemy"), one at a time or as a group, for everything that goes wrong
BE DEMANDING AND UNFORGIVING
Never admit there may be any good in your opponent ("enemy")
Never leave room for alternatives (no negotiation or compromise)
BE CONSTANTLY AND RELENTLESSLY REPETITIVE
Never allow the public to cool off
Repetition will eventually cause to people to believe what is said
One might expect that these are the rules established formally (or ferally) to guide the political behavior of Donald Trump, and one would be right. They fit perfectly.
However, that is not the source of these guidelines.
At the end of World War II, the Office of Strategic Studies (OSS, the precursor of the CIA) compiled this list of the psychological profile that defined the behaviors of Adolf Hiter.
This list that describes Donald Trump's media posts and speeches is almost 8-decades old and is well-described fascist methodology.
It's all been done before. Recognize it.
************************
So, if that and the letter-writing tutorial pique your interest in what else I might be writing about, email me at bertrandbartok@gmail.com and I will add you to my list.
If you ever find you are deleting these without reading them, just let me know and I will remove you.
I think that the ideas and facts that people like Robert and HCR and Ian Masters (podcast Background Briefing) and so many other knowledgeable people are putting out need to get multiplied every way possible.
Cheers,
Gary
Thanks, Nancy. I appreciate your kind words.
You are most welcome, Robert! I look forward to listening to your posts every day. Although I’m American, I currently live in Spain so they come into my email inbox around 8 am. Great way to start my day!
He has and he is, thank goodness!
Trump's Thanksgiving rant is terrifying. Sent at 2:00am on a day when Americans should be feeling goodwill and inclusiveness to family and friends, this rant is a smoke signal to the crazies in America and in the Freedom Caucus that tries, as he always tries, to divide America, not unite it. How this TV star, thrice married, serial philandering, multiple bankrupt, serial liar can be one of the two leading candidates to be president of the US is a complete F***ing mystery. And, to your earlier point, how WaPo and the NYT can be whistling past the graveyard is another complete mystery.
Appears to me thst “they” have been “bought.”
Don’t forget all the ‘milita' hiding in the woods.
While Trump is focusing on personal threats like an unhinged teenager on social media, defenders of democracy better concentrate on the really big lies. Those are in my view that the amount of military style weapons in the US is not the problem but that people are, that the trickle-down system in economy works, and that gerrymandering is not a violation of social justice. Of course there are more lies but these are in my opinion the main threats to a just society.
Thanks, Robert, as always. Best wishes.
I learnt from Thom Hartmann that Biden (& family) did the polar plunge over the holiday. We’ve seen a ton of pictures of thump playing golf & looking decrepit, why don’t we see a ton of pictures showing Biden’s excellent physical shape?
Thank you for staying on this beat. It's so important and it boggles my mind why the Times and Wash Post are doing this! I agree that we should mount a letter writing campaign or something to point it out - over and over if necessary, but thank you for taking the leard.
Yes, why? Are they trying to court conservative readers/subscribers? Are they trying to shed the claims of a liberal stance? Are they trying to influence the election?
Clicks are the answer,I think!
Today’s Edition was a very powerful and energetic statement on multiple fronts. The uncovered Hitler comments seemed to dovetail with the philosophy of the Trump MAGA gang and fit perfectly. I don’t read the NYT or the WaPo news for the reasons mentioned but I do read the columnists such as Janet Rubin, Thomas Friedman, Charles Blow , David Brooks, Maureen Dowd and several others who over the years have in my opinion been realistic in their conversations. What I realized a long time ago is that newspapers like the NYT are not writing to me as an audience but a much wider and bigger audience that needs to be fed a certain formula of news nuisances to maximise revenue. The media in many ways should share the responsibility of fanning the rise of MAGA and Trump. I am sensing a small crack in the MAGA exterior as everyday more and more Republicans are coming out against Trump and it is building momentum. I hope I am right.
From your lips to God's ears!
Will
I’m a huge Athletic fan. Yes you can get some of their posts on the same platform as Robert or through Facebook or X. Get a subscription it’s worth it.
Excellent newsletter today, Robert. I so appreciate your balanced take on the news of the day.
I have several takeaways from today's newsletter. 1) Rape and sexual violence has ALWAYS been used in war. That's one reason war is so terrifying. 2) Trump is NOT normal. It was an apt comparison to equate him with Hitler running again to be chancellor of Germany from a jail cell. 3) We don't have a "free" press; we have a bought and paid for press. So many newspapers and media outlets have been consolidated into a few companies. The reporters may want to write the tough stories, but the corporate owners don't let those stories come out.
It is a tough world we live in. Thanks for helping us navigate it.
Rape and sexual violence may be common to many wars. However, so far as we know, rape and sadistic violence have been committed only by Hamas and its fellow travelers in this Hamas-Israel war.
Robert: Outstanding newsletter, even considering your generally high quality of work on our behalf and on behalf of our democracy. Thank you in particular for calling our attention to the Times of Israel article and the Columbia Journalism Review article, both sources most of us would have not seen otherwise. Several things strike me from the TOI article. One is the degree of Biden's personal engagement in negotiating the hostage release. This is not the work of a doddering old fool. He seems singularly focused on achieving rapid, incremental improvement in a horrible humanitarian crisis but also has his eyes on the larger goal of achieving a lasting peace through a two state solution. He has at least gotten parties to start talking to each other in a way that would not have happened without him. Second, following how this situation has unfolded, one is struck by how Biden has surrounded himself with people as compassionate, committed, and capable as he is. Yet another stark contrast with Trump and his cronies. The fact that this contrast is not on the minds of all Americans I lay at the feet of our major media outlets. I believe lesser media organizations take the lead of the NYT's and WP in treating the contest between the two as a horse race, with Trump offering the more salacious stories that garner more attention. If the major media feels it must run a horse race, how about the cliffhanger between democracy and fascism. The fact that someone as clearly vengeful, criminal, and deranged as Trump is in a horse race with a mensch like Biden is a comment on the sorry state of the American electorate and should scare they daylights out of us all. That seems worth reporting.
Mental illness is an elusive concept and should not be used as an excuse for dictatorial, destructive, and harmful pronouncements and behavior...interestingly, we did not call Hitler mentally ill, did we? Does it make us feel better to attribute Trump's offensive and dangerous rhetoric and action to "mental illness"? I think not. When we do that, we don't sufficiently hold him accountable.
Thank you for the criticism of NYT and WAPO bias! What tha...? I have tried to send them letters to the editor or to the specific columnists - no reception. What if we en-masse cancelled our subscriptions and asked for our money back? Shall we start a movement?
Thank you Mr. Hubbell for your clearly articulated outrage
Hi Lee. On the issue of mental illness, I do think it is important to identify behavior that seems motivated by mental illness--not to make excuses but to highlight the danger. Do we really want Trump in control of nuclear weapons if he has uncontrollable fits of rage on a regular basis (clearly a mental illness). As I said in the newsletter, it is the combination of mental illness and fascist intent that makes Trump so dangerous.
In 1943, an expert wrote a report to the OSS that said Hitler exhibited signs of schizophrenia. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathography_of_Adolf_Hitler#:~:text=Hitler%20has%20often%20been%20associated,Langer%20and%20Erich%20Fromm.
Notwithstanding discussions of your diagnosis of Trump’s mental state, Robert, I personally think it would be more effective simply to keep describing Trump’s behavior and letting the descriptions sink in. The facts, by themselves, are damning.
And don’t forget the ketchup in the White House dining room wall !
Read “The Last Days of Hitler”, by H.R. Trevor-Roper. It’s short, punchy, and has several interesting insights. William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” has a nearly-plagiarized account of the same information.
I absolutely agree that mental illness should be mentioned in connection with Trump. The fact that he is mentally unstable adds to the danger he poses to our country. It is NOT an excuse at all; it is a very serious condition that he is delusional (as, apparently, Hitler was.) As Robert and others have said, if re-elected, he will destroy our democracy and put us in danger in terms of our safety. Revenge is his MO. It is an understatement to say that that is not normal.
Robert, I have decided that one of my roles in the upcoming campaign is taking your advice and that of Simon Rosenberg to make my voice heard in my support for Biden and objection to biased reporting (I actually think it's often headline writing that is the worst culprit). I wrote a letter that I don't expect to get published to my local Minneapolis Star-Tribune over the weekend complaining about their framing of the economy as poor while the body of the article indicated that Black Friday shopping is way up over last year. I contacted Frank Bruni by email, and I sent letters to the NYT and WaPo about the Columbia Journalism Review article, with a link. It took some searching to find out how to make contact, so I am sharing this link from the WaPo with the emails of the entire editorial staff, which I have now bookmarked for future use, for others who would like to do the same. https://helpcenter.washingtonpost.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002940991-Leadership-of-The-Washington-Post-newsroom
Generous of you to share this useful link, Ellen. You're way ahead of me in your outreach to the media and the time is past due for me to quit complaining and do something. Many thanks.
Jean, thanks for the kind words. I've really just gotten started in the past few weeks, but we all have nearly a year to get to work!
I don't understand why you deleted the racial slur from TFG statement. We are adults and do not need to be shielded from remarks. It's like the "Trigger" warnings which allow us to.not have to face the realities if a,situation. If the press showed the real.aftermath of the mass shootings the call for gun controls would over ride the NRA.
I didn't omit the term to protect you. I choose not to repeat slurs made by others, even when I am just reporting on what they say. I can't control what Trump says. I can control what I write. And I choose not to write racial slurs.
Would like to believe this is true but since legislators control gun safety and are bought and paid for pictures might upset some of the public but it won’t change the dynamics