A possible chink in the armor of willfully ignorant tRumpsters.

[ariadne0614]

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/17/many-voters-think-trumps-a-self-made-man-what-happens-when-you-tell-them-otherwise-224019

“Large swaths of the public believe the Trump myth. Across three surveys of eligible voters from 2016 to 2018, we found that as many as half of all Americans do not know that he was born into a very wealthy family.”

“A LexisNexis search of leading newspapers from January 1, 2016, until Election Day 2016 found more than six times as many articles referring to Trump’s divorces than those mentioning his father. The problem is not just that the media prefers the salacious to the substantive; the practices of even serious journalists may not always produce an informed public. By 2016, Fred Trump’s aid to his son was in the distant past. It had been reported over the years, so . . ., it just wasn’t “news” to reporters. Yet without repeated coverage, many voters who do not follow politics closely will not absorb the facts that journalists take for granted.”

[UpInArms]

1. The cult won't care

Eom

[Ohiogal]

2. You are correct.

They just want a "leader" who hates the same people they do. Simple as that.

[DemocracyMouse]

21. The opinion was critical of journalist for not repeating information

This is an excellent warning to all pundits, journalists and even people having casual dealings with Trump believers: we have to REPEAT all salient news. Don’t assume others remember anything. They probably drink too much or simply too busy holding down 2-3 jobs to sort out the facts.

[ooky]

8. At least not until they are broken and bankrupt

and even then some of them will still be blaming it on Hillary Clinton.

[ariadne0614]

11. The article was based on a study that indicates otherwise.

The charts demonstrate the effect of knowing he isn’t a “self-made” man. That tells me there’s a significant percentage of voters who are teachable. Every little bit helps.

[Perseus]

22. It depends how the message is delivered

If the message is delivered in a way the deplorable understand that the orange buffoon is working against them, and hit them where it hurts, they will definitely understand, the problem is the media is more concerned with selling and ratings than helping people understand the truths.

The media in the USA has too much power, and they exercise it irresponsibly, that has to change, they need to educate people, eventually people will crave for knowledge and their ratings will go up to where they want them to be, but they like to sell trash because right now that is what uneducated people like. Unfortunately, there are too many uneducated people, and it is by design.

I have watched "My Fair Lady" more times that I can remember, and there are two moments in the picture that always strike me, one where Prof. Higgins ask a guy if he was educated, he responds something like "are you crazy? what kind of a fool do you think I am?", and its that pride of being ignorant.

I remember a joke many comedians used to spew a while back about "who needs another language, let them learn English." and how it bothered me when people laughed.

This is the 2nd point of the film I love, when Professor Higgins gives that little speech to Eliza:
"I know your head aches.
I know you're tired.
I know your nerves are as raw as meat in a butcher's window.
But think what you're trying to accomplish.
Just think what you're dealing with.
The majesty and grandeur of the English language....
It's the greatest possession we have.
The noblest thoughts that ever flowed through the hearts of men...
...are contained in its extraordinary, imaginative...and musical mixtures of sounds.
And that's what you've set yourself out to conquer, Eliza.
And conquer it you will."

When the media starts telling people they can better themselves, when they start educating the public, we will never have another buffoon like trump.

[ariadne0614]

30. I love the connection you made to Eliza's education, and. . .

also believe you’re right about people craving knowledge. Rachel Maddow does a great job of conveying information and complex ideas. That’s why her ratings keep going up, imho.

[Mike Nelson]

3. Part of it is...

… the power of TV and the power of celebrity. Plus, his fans don't care... the men would happily trade in their wives for younger models, and would love the wealth to summon the latest centerfold model. The women want rich men and pretty things.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. Thank Mark Burnett and "The Aporentice"

for selling the idea that Trump was some kind of massive success instead of the many times bankrupt, heavily indebted, Russian ass kisser he is.

[Perseus]

24. We cannot blame Mark Burnett (I admit I don't know who he is)

We have to blame the media for keeping people ignorant, if more knowledge and encouragement were given to people, they would learn to see a con, and we would not have the orange buffoon in power.

Its like the "unwitting" defense...if the orange buffoon was an "unwitting" conspirator...are you kidding me? A 70-year-old guy doesn't know what is right or wrong? There is no "unwitting", he is a crook, period.

We are all responsible to do our due diligence, but the ignorant don't even know what that means, and the media has all the guilt for keeping the country stupid.

How many years have academics been writing about "The "Dumbing Down" of America"? For a long time, but everyone is so happy to be able to buy their six-pack and sit down to watch "Monday Football" while ignoring what goes around them. Anyone who thinks that all of it, that the dumbing down of the USA citizens is not by design are not paying attention.

It is much easier to control the ignorant, they are easily fooled with fireworks and beautiful lies, the educated can see the con from miles.

[czarjak]

25. You mean firing people from fake jobs wasn't a qualifier?

[Ohiogal]

4. Off topic a bit

Last edited Sat Jan 19, 2019, 11:21 AM - Edit history (1)

but there was a meme I saw last year that really resonated with me.

It went something like,

A Republican will say That will never happen to me so I don't care...

A Democrat will say That shouldn't happen to anyone and yes I care.

[pazzyanne]

9. Is this it?

https://conservativememes.com/i/a-conservative-says-if-it-hasnt-happened-to-me-i-18940990

[Nasruddin]

10. The conservative response

Has its reality flipped, doesn't it?

[pazzyanne]

26. I thought the same thing.

Thanks for posting, Nasruddin!!!

[FakeNoose]

29. Yes here it is

And since you asked, I'm throwing in another favorite of mine for no charge:

[empedocles]

5. Imo, there is a 'trickle down' effect of negative information on trump that has a corrosive effect

on trump's popularity, that is reflected in recent polls - especially among the non-college trump voters.

[I do hope so].

[ariadne0614]

20. Me too--fervently. n/t

[Maeve]

6. Yeah, a "self-made man" who was a millionaire by the time he was 8

And was getting a $200,000 allowance at 3

[Major Nikon]

12. Trump claimed the only thing he got from his dad was a "small loan"

His cult will never believe otherwise.

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. Yeah, a small loan he had blown through by the 90s

He had to borrow $20 Million from his siblings just to stay afloat! He had so many bankruptcies no one in the US will loan him money.

[Danascot]

23. Trump's father gave his son at least $413 million: New York Times

The president has long sold himself as a self-made billionaire, but a Times investigation found that he received at least $413 million in today’s dollars from his father’s real estate empire, much of it through tax dodges in the 1990s.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html

[klook]

27. Little Lord Fauntleroy

is the nickname he deserves.

[yardwork]

7. The media did a disgraceful job reporting on Trump's candidacy.

All of Trump's negative attributes and history were downplayed or even ignored by the media.

The lawsuits over the Trump University con alone should have been the end of his candidacy. It would have been the end of any Democrat's candidacy.

[brush]

13. That show "The Apprentice" brainwashed the deplorables into thinking...

trump is a brilliant, self-made billionaire business mogul. New Yorkers know the real deal of his bankruptcies, his stiffing vendors of oayments fro services, of his not being able to make money RUNNING CASINOS FOR GOD'S SAKE, tawdry affairs with other women while still married, his scam businesses that cheatted people, and on and on and on.

Much of the mainstream and online media did not properly vet this pompous phony and the country is duffering for it.

[h2ebits]

14. We are ALL willfully ignorant

I think this article needs to be absorbed and applied into our daily living. We each live in a world of ignorance--it's just different for each person and it is broad spectrum.

It is for us to understand that people learn facts through repetition. It's the reason why phrases exist such as: "Tell a lie over and over and it becomes the truth." -or- "Repeat a lie 10 times and it becomes the truth."

For journalists to ASSUME that if they report something once they are done with it, is a huge display of their very human ignorance.

For a real eye opener of your own ignorance take the time to read Factfulness by Hans Rosling.

[mountain grammy]

16. Thoughtful post

I’m checking out that book. Thanks

[ariadne0614]

19. So true. And yet, we can't afford to take our eyes off the clear and present danger. n/t

[EndGOPPropaganda]

15. FOX AND LIMBAUGH. Rightwing media buried the big NYT expose.

This post is mainly about the centrist for-profit media.

But the rightwing media drives our national conversation and often dictates what the mainstream press talks about.


That said, I think the for-profit press is at fault here too. Divorces and porn star sex get more clicks and ratings than boring tax evasion and corruption.

[Poiuyt]

28. The problem is that Trump has become a religious figure

Members of a cult will never see anything wrong with their leader

[Scurrilous]

31. K&R