Wolves Among Us
The Never Ending Deceit Of America’s Corrupt Media Merits A Swift Death, Not A Stay Of Execution
The recent publication of the twitter files by various independent investigative journalists has unravelled a vast network of corruption in present day American society. A gargantuan beast whose tendrils extend from deep in the bowels of shady American government agencies, through the tech platform and stretch out into America’s mainstream media landscape. Many media outlets outside the American borders rely on American publications for their own reporting especially on American and international affairs. Often regurgitating whatever gruel is being served up on the pages of the New York Times, Washington Post, AP and others. Much like cud, propaganda and falsehoods are masticated on and given seeming distinct local flavours before being meted out to the general public. During the Russia hoax scam, reporting of the hateful and hurtful hoax in European publications wasn’t dissimilar to that found in American mainstream publications. Something similar is happening and has happened with the current and past wars. Much of the public has been forced to ruminate on the never ending deceits of America’s corporate media. Even though trust in America’s corporate media has cratered to a measly 29% among American audiences, many outside America rely on American news channels for daily briefings on current affairs. Inadvertently putting trust in those who have for eons been the wolves among us.
Obvious propaganda no longer peppers the stories being meted out. It is now the full meal. Fattening junk that dulls the senses of laymen.
In late January, independent investigative journalist Matt Taiibi exposed the Hamilton 68 Dashboard as naught more than a hoax machine. A propaganda multiplier that was used to feed America’s frenzied media the machinations of corrupt ex-intelligence agency officials. Lies and fairytales about Russian interference in American affairs were manufactured whole cloth and fed to America’s corporate media machine which then disseminated these to the general public. Very little interest was shown in finding out how the dashboard was able to generate its statistics on Russian bots and their purported malign influence on the American psyche. Hysterical headlines that were naught more than various iterations of the same garble littered many a front page. Outlets from Politico to the New York Times to Mother jones latched on to nonsense that falsely vilified the Russian government. This was a high stakes propaganda campaign that fomented anti-Russia sentiment in America’s populace. Tech Billionaire Elon Musk has called this “one of the biggest journalism scam(s) in a long time.” Yet, none of the publications that published the numerous hoaxes fed to them have retracted or apologised for any of their coverage. In fact, it is as if this story never broke. Some journalists, such as Lee Fang of the Intercept, have been generous in their assessment of the media’s none reaction to the story. Postulating that the media “fell for a scam.” However, it is more likely that they recklessly published misinformation that seemed to line up with the prevalent narratives of the time. On an appearance on the Tucker Carlson show, Glenn Greenwald accurately described the Hamilton 68 Dashboard for what it was: Propaganda.
During the tenure of the last American administration, the corporate media had their perfect villain in Former President Trump. All that was wrong in the world was in some way shape or from tied to Trump’s alleged incompetence and corruption. America’s media seemed to have kept in store a never ending troop of intelligence officials as authoritative sources who affirmed their latest smears. Men and women who had braved Trump’s wrath to openly defy him and his administration’s goals. A small wonder that some were awarded lucrative book deals and contracts for regular appearances on their favourite broadcast channels. Books were written, documentaries produced, interviews given all in the name of hard hitting journalism. In reality, these were mostly an old wife’s tale bottled and marketed to a gullible public. The media worked just as hard to vilify Trump as they did attempting to saint a bitter old woman who had just lost an election. The corruption allegations that hounded Hillary Clinton were magicked out of existence by the obsequious media.
During the BLM riots of 2020, the media brushed over the portrait of an America brought to its knees by painting over vandalism and violent acts in the crude graffiti that was their coverage. Fiery yet mostly peaceful, speaking of the riots, the media repeatedly assured the public. Unfortunately, MAGA meemaws weren’t treated to a similar Da Vinci experience. The Capitol riots of January 6th, 2021 which lasted a few hours were turned into a cheap imitation of Dante’s Inferno. Even the Devil himself made an appearance. Bare chested and adorned in buffalo horns. Sadly for him, equality under the law is a non-existent concept as the DoJ has sought maximum sentencing for many of the Capitol Hill rioters. It does seem that Hell hath no fury as a corrupt Department of Justice scorned. In turn, American conservative leaders have spent the past two years on their knees begging for forgiveness for a riot that was most likely instigated by the FBI. Strangely enough, Kamala Harris, the current office holder of the office of the Vice President is yet to ask for forgiveness for helping to fundraise to bail out violent anarchists from the prior year’s riots.
Sadly, the slow death of the media machine is happening at too glacial a pace. We may all be long dead from nuclear annihilation before the self immolation of America’s media is complete.
Over the past year, with the ongoing crisis in Eastern Europe, the media have turned cheerleaders for the next world war. Their published pieces naught more than pompoms spelling out chaos. Incompetent and potentially thoroughly corrupt American and European leadership escape public scrutiny for questionable decisions made which may have prolonged the war. The media has seemingly refused to publish any dissenting voices to the war. Much like every other American war, the media has been in lock and step with the military industrial complex. Rather than being good stewards of the public’s trust, they have pimped it out and sold it to unscrupulous institutions. Blind acceptance of wartime narratives is rewarded by pathetic feel good propaganda. Sadly, on the ground the catastrophic loss of lives is almost unfathomable. Obvious propaganda no longer peppers the stories being meted out. It is now the full meal. Fattening junk that dulls the senses of laymen. As many grow obese, mental faculties are rarely exercised as feed from the troughs of corporate media is ever brimming with truffles. The general public have been turned into Trojan horses in a war against themselves. Unperturbed that our society is being run by pigs. Some more equal than others. Nonetheless, occasionally a hero breaks free from the media’s enchantments on an odyssey to warn others of the intoxicating blood lust being infused in the media’s servings. Free and independent from the spell of ignorance cast by the media over all who partake in her feast. Hot on our hero’s heels, hounds of fact checkers nip at any who dare escape. Barking out a cacophony of fact checks that always seem to label those who dissent pro-Putin stooges.
Contempt for the media can never be enough. Not after the wars the general public has been lied into. Not after the callousness with which they have treated public trust or the abject refusal to correct the record. America’s corrupt media apparatus has chosen to embrace the corrupt and shame the reformers. Sadly, the slow death of the media machine is happening at too glacial a pace. We may all be long dead from nuclear annihilation before the self immolation of America’s media is complete. The public has been rather magnanimous with the media. At times, it does feel as if some are taking great care to organise a funeral procession all the while lamenting cratered reputations. This is a kindness that cannot be afforded to this beast that has plagued our lands. We need to sharpen our knives. Not to nip and tuck the bits that are falling off but to plunge them deep into the wretched heart of this corrupted beast. Each laboured breath part retribution for the damage wrought by the many lies told over the years. As its heart gives out, a final push over the precipice into the darkness it chose to serve. Sooner or later the beast will rise again. Perhaps in a different form, even if mere whispers in the winds of change brought by the rise of independent media. Hopefully then the general public will be privy to the script and ready to meet the challenge head on.
Image credits in order of appearance: Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay; Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
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