Can America be saved from Donald Trump's black hole of lies?

[marmar]

Can America be saved from Donald Trump's black hole of lies?
Media critic Eric Alterman warns that Trump's lies are a black hole which has sucked in the country and news media

CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
OCTOBER 15, 2020 12:00PM


(Salon) Donald Trump has publicly lied at least 20,000 times since taking office, according to the Washington Post. He does this in part because he has shown himself to be mentally unwell, if not a sociopath. But he also lies because he is a fascist authoritarian. For such leaders, lies are a way of assaulting reality and truth as a means of achieving unlimited power. These explanations are not discrete. They overlap with one another.

In a season of massive death, Donald Trump and his regime's lies about the coronavirus are a public health emergency – one which has killed at least 216,000 people in the United States.

Donald Trump and his regime's lies have also severely damaged America's prestige, alliances and global power. The country's enemies have also been emboldened by the Trump regime's lies and overall lack of consistency in foreign policy and principles.

Most important, Trump and his regime's policy of lying (in conjunction with wanton cruelty and other evil) has undermined American democracy. A common understanding of reality is the foundation of a health democracy. The Trump regime's lies and those of its agents are rotting that foundation.

....(snip)....

Why has the White House press corps been so accommodating and enabling of Trump's lies? He also uses them as props for his fascist performances. Why do the members of the White House press corps not just walk about of the briefings or stand up and turn their backs to him?

They do not know how to do their job any other way. Their job is defined as getting whatever information is available at the White House. So even if it's lies, even if it's daily humiliation, the press corps has to go back the next day. Those reporters need to be on good terms with the people who are giving out the information — even if they're not giving out real or otherwise substantive information. It would be nice if the job of the White House press corps was to actually go out and find news, but that's not what they're there for. They're there as conduits for the White House. .............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2020/10/15/can-america-be-saved-from-donald-trumps-black-hole-of-lies/

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. it's been nauseating and disgusting to behold.

our press rendered largely useless (except for a propaganda tool of the right)

[NCjack]

2. No --America can't be saved from Trump's lies. Because that requires educating RED America

to a standard of higher than 12th grade, and for 250 years his base has proven resistant to that.