Stupid Media

Written by Frank Li

In a previous post (For America, AIIB and Ukraine Are Related!), I stated:

How could a sensible America have become so brainless? Thanks to democracy, as we practice it today! Specifically, self-serving career politicians and Stupid Voters have formed a lethal combination in America!

What’s sitting between self-serving career politicians and Stupid Voters is often the stupid media, of which I will show three examples:

1. Article #1: The Lessons Obama Could Learn From V-E Day (Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2015).
2. Article #2: America’s Broken Ladder (Time, May 18, 2015).
3. Article #3: Bond forged under sanctions (Chicago Tribune, May 12, 2015).

Let me elaborate on each.

1. Article #1

Here is an excerpt from Article #1:

While Russia and China are increasing military spending by 10% and 15%, the U.S. is cutting into its military muscle (minus 6%).

This argument alone looks perfectly valid until you see the two charts below:

With these two charts side by side, how many people in the world, other than some Americans (Stupid Voters), would believe that our military is for self-defense?

Indeed, China and Russia have increased their military spending from 2007 to 2012, but that’s nothing when compared to our military spending! Besides, while China’s increase is a recent phenomenon, we have been spending like that for the past seven decades, at least!

2. Article #2

Here is an excerpt from Article #2:

How to fix it? We need to think about narrowing the gap between those at the bottom and the top … Another overdue fix: we should expand Social Security by lifting the cap on payroll taxes so the rich can contribute the same share of their income as everyone else.

In short, taxing more on the rich (and the middle class) to save the poor! But isn’t that what we have been doing since 1964 (Civil Rights Act: 50 Years Later), at least? Aren’t we supposed to be the Great Society already?

Here are two charts, showing the relationship between poverty and federal spending:

For more, read: Poverty in the 50 years since ‘The Other America,’ in five charts.

3. Article #3

Article #3 is actually very well written, especially when compared to Articles #1 and #2. Here is an excerpt:

Neither Russia nor China has one inch of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, which made their decision to hold their first-ever joint naval maneuvers in Europe’s backyard all the more provocative, a pointed demonstration to the West of the global reach of a powerful new alliance being forged by the Eastern giants.

Well stated! However, to be politically correct like most, if not all, articles of this nature in America’s mainstream media, it has to soften the blow to America by nitpicking some problems out of the “powerful new alliance“. Because of that I suppose, the author uses the second half of the article to shoot holes in the alliance, such as this statement: “Most telling of trouble in the relationship, though, may be the failure of Xi and Putin to fine-tune the terms of their energy deal of a year ago.”

What an absurd statement! America must understand that both President Xi and President Putin have proven to be far more capable than President Obama! They set the course and the details will be worked out by their respective teams in due course!

The new Russia-China alliance is largely the result of America’s brainless foreign policy! For more, read: Three New Kingdoms.

4. Discussion

Together, these three examples illustrate a serious problem with America’s mainstream media: it’s intricately entangled with money and politics! Two informative readings:

1. Freedom of the Press in America and in China.
2. Brainwashing in Communism and in Democracy.

Specifically,

1. Article #1: It’s a trick played by the extreme right to keep fooling the 20% voters on the far right (Stupid Voters): keep spending on our military, in order to keep feeding the MIC (Military-Industrial Complex)!
2. Article #2: It’s a trick played by the extreme left to keep fooling the 35% voters on the far left (Stupid Voters): keep taxing the rich (and the middle class) in order to save the poor!
3. Article #3: Political correctness has overshadowed the real message of the article: the new alliance between Russia and China has created a new challenge for America. We can deal with it, starting with a critical self-examination, or continue to downplay its significance by trivializing it whenever we can!

Change, America!

Think, America, truly on a global scale!

5. Closing

America, reform our political system as I have suggested, or become an also-ran, second to China!