The Source of the Political Divide is Not The President

The Source of the Political Divide is Not The President

I love it when some journalist or pundit blames President Trump for the current polarization and divisiveness of politics, and the resultant stress, as if he had actually caused it. It reminds us that though some people would never admit to treating Trump like a god, they no less attribute to him mystical and god-like powers, blaming him as the source of their own anxieties. The problem with this nonsense is not just the irrational adherence to a variety of questionable causes and other fallacies, but that the true stressors in their life are hardly addressed, if addressed at all. Worse, the rest of us are left to deal with their problems, which lay on the floor around us.

According to an ABC Poll, respondents by 66 to 28 percent say Trump has done more to divide than to unite the country. The very accusation is magical in thinking, of course, evoking images of Trump parting the country like Moses the Red Sea. Though such sentiment around a leader is common, it harkens to the days of kings and pharaohs, the remnants of more superstitious times.

A far more accurate, less superstitious theory as to why the country is so divided was proposed by the man himself at a rally in Phoenix:

“If you wanted to discover the source of the division in our country, look no further than the fake news and the crooked media”

This seems to me demonstrably true. Who is tasked with informing the public? Who is tasked with keeping them abreast of reality?

The media is the addict’s sole source for everything regarding Trump. They allow these gatekeepers to analyze the context, decide on what is and is not pertinent information, pick and choose which information is relevant or irrelevant, finally serving it all up on a ready-made, often sensationalist platter. The small size of a cherry-picked quote plucked from a 40 minute speech, for instance, matches perfectly the size of our dear addict’s contextual awareness, and is in inverse proportion to their ignorance regarding everything else. They have given the sensationalist media carte blanche to their own cognitive faculties.

Take for instance the #-hole remarks, which have been giving hack journalists, lazy pundits, and foreign political elites each a case of foaming mouth disease, and the tears to boot. The emotional appeals and pitying language towards Haitians and Africans from wealthy elites was a complete act of condescension. The self-indulgent commentary did nothing but serve as a public relations ploy for our righteous white knights. All of the hubbub and hand-wringing, and the consequent public outrage from foreign dignitaries, was a result of this self-serving display. No one would have cared otherwise had the little tattle-tale, and a supposedly reputable news organization, refused to sensationalize such benign, innocuous comments.

That’s the way it has been for every cherry-picked Trump comment: amplified a thousand-fold, repeated ad nauseum, and negatively reinforced with the righteous indignation of some fire-breathing, fear-mongering pundit. How easy it was for some hack to remove a single clause from a much larger commentary on the unsavoury elements coming in illegally from Mexico, and turn it into the counterfactual statement that now rings in the anti-Trump skull—"Trump said Mexicans are rapists".

Remember that throughout the election and even a year into the presidency, the media fetishized the notion that Trump was something of a fascist and racist dictator. He was even a Russian Manchurian candidate, leading the pliant populace ever closer to a new Red Scare, some pundits calling for war. This smear still lingers in the heads of the misinformed, and thus, the stressed and anxious, whom have long since internalized their media-induced fears. There is a direct correlation between these unmitigated lies and the rise of far-left political violence, who arrived on the scene in masks.

To this day the press laments the president’s “attacks” on the self-proclaimed “free press”, as if firebombs were being thrown in their offices, and their journalists shot. But when comparing the threat they face from this administration to the rest of the world—hell, when compared to the previous administration—their cries are utterly embarrassing. That didn’t stop the ultra-wealthy celebrities to stop giving each other golden statues for just long enough to lament the fictitious threats to the press, while remaining silent on all the real ones.

As for the question as to whether Trump “emboldens racists”, “incites hatred”, and other magical thoughts, all it takes is one look to see where the likes of David Duke, the KKK, white nationalists and the American Nazi Party received all of their free press and glory. The media blamed themselves for giving Trump billions in free press, but preferred to blame Trump for bringing David Duke to the forefront of everyone's minds.

And how much ink was spilled on the t he president's mental health for the past couple years? This unethical tactic, reminiscent of soviet propaganda, inspired the Twitterati (and even ignorance-denying ATS users) to spread nonsense. But according to the White House physician the president aced his cognitive test and his physical, both of which brought to light his good genetics. This revelation proves how far detached from reality many elements within the press have fallen, not to mention the useful idiots that supported them.

“Post-truth” was Oxford dictionary’s 2016 word of the year. It describes accurately the political discourse, the appeals of emotion taking precedence over fact. I’ll give you three guesses as to who the media blames for the post-truth situation, but you’ll only need one.

It’s no wonder that the American Psychological Association recommends turning off the news in order to combat politic-related stress, because it is the news that causes it. 59% of Americans believe this is the lowest point in US history, even worse than during Vietnam, the civil rights era and world war 2.

According to the same study, 95% of adults say they follow the news regularly, and 56% say that they are stressed by doing so. But the tides are turning. A whopping 72% believe the media blows things out of proportion. According to a recent study by the Knight Foundation, "American's perceptions of the news media are generally negative, and their perceptions of bias have grown considerably from a generation ago. A majority cannot name an objective news source. Let's see how they contort reality to blame that one on Trump.

- LesMis

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

I do hope you are writing from a platform that has more viewers than ATS. You insight and way with words is pure gold for those searching for truth.

"The Big Divide"

Obama-Clinton-DNC with all their tricks are the reasons

Then comes the "paid-for" MSM and all their trash

All out in the open now.

Very well written.

It is really quite tragic, what has happened to the media. You used to make a name for yourself, just by exposing real news. Mind you, that was decades ago, but still.

Now you make a name for yourself, by how big your spin is.

Will we ever get to a news show, that just reports the news, and lets you decide for yourself?

I won't hold my breath.

...yes, yes it is. No matter how you try and spin it, it is. His reactionary methods and loudmouth way of going about things is extremely divisive. He also deals in absolutes. Trumpites continue to divide this country more and more each day.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Yes the media informs us, but it's upto the individual to discern the information. Trump is blamed because he is the current puppet, most people seem not to think for themselves but accept what they are being told, trump is perfect as a puppet head becausee he helps people get that emotional response that is needed to keep the narrative, can't have people questioning what goes on behind the scenes, far better they keep the cycle of blame burning.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

The media is a proxy of the CIA, via the repeal of Smith Mundt.

If the media is dividing us, its the CIA doing it. Because our government gave themselves permission to do this.

Meanwhile, the American populace seems raucous...but are really a scared, yappy little chihuahua. If we had the balls we like to pretend we do, we'd never tolerate our government openly admitting its ok to have our media tell us lies on their behalf.

And then be dumb enough to argue with each other over it.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope


Division is the currency of Washington DC.

And it has been spent quite well.

Op your right, its the propaganda used by trumps swamp creatures that creates the divide.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I wonder what General Washington would think of what's become of the republic and what he'd do to the rascals who drove it there?

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Kill them as seditionists.

Im not averse to the notion myself. But prefer prison to save my civility

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Agreed Trump did not create the division that we're seeing today.

However I disagree that the media created it.

It's been there for at least as long as I've been alive. Always just beneath the surface. Fear... Bias... Insecurity... A deep anxiety about when and where it'll all blow up in our faces.

What Trump does do - and pretty well - is stoke those underlying fears, biases, insecurities and anxieties. Just as the media does and for exactly the same reasons and to cause the same effect.

For that matter it's a skill also mastered by most of Washington DC, Wall St. and Madison Ave.

Until we, as a society, evolve enough that we can no longer be manipulated and fooled by parlor trick level appeals to our emotions? The cycle of exploitation and division will continue from all sides.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
The Source of the Political Divide is Not The President

The media is the addict’s sole source for everything regarding Trump. They allow these gatekeepers to analyze the context, decide on what is and is not pertinent information, pick and choose which information is relevant or irrelevant, finally serving it all up on a ready-made, often sensationalist platter. The small size of a cherry-picked quote plucked from a 40 minute speech, for instance, matches perfectly the size of our dear addict’s contextual awareness, and is in inverse proportion to their ignorance regarding everything else. They have given the sensationalist media carte blanche to their own cognitive faculties.

Take for instance the #-hole remarks, which have been giving hack journalists, lazy pundits, and foreign political elites each a case of foaming mouth disease, and the tears to boot. The emotional appeals and pitying language towards Haitians and Africans from wealthy elites was a complete act of condescension. The self-indulgent commentary did nothing but serve as a public relations ploy for our righteous white knights. All of the hubbub and hand-wringing, and the consequent public outrage from foreign dignitaries, was a result of this self-serving display. No one would have cared otherwise had the little tattle-tale, and a supposedly reputable news organization, refused to sensationalize such benign, innocuous comments.

That’s the way it has been for every cherry-picked Trump comment: amplified a thousand-fold, repeated ad nauseum, and negatively reinforced with the righteous indignation of some fire-breathing, fear-mongering pundit.
- LesMis

It goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - Great thread LesMis!

The above portion of it is what resonates with me. The MSM has gone complete gossip/tabloid and unfortunately it's just what Americans are addicted to. An intervention is overdue!!! And Trump is trying to start the intervention... yet the addict is not ready to get clean. Those who haven't been stricken and don't have the poison coursing through their veins can see it very clearly. Who knows when we'll turn the corner, and be able to admit that WE ARE SICK!

But hey, the elites (who control the media) have convinced the world that Trump is the new boogeyman... who needs ISIS anymore!?!?!?

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

As always, well thought out and expressed observation of what is going on.

It would almost seem as if the never Trump crowd wants President Trump to fail, even if it means the failure of the U.S. That is why they are so angry. He isn't failing. Everything he is doing is actually working for our economy and the betterment of the citizens.

We have read what the left thought would do to our economy.

www.vanityfair.com...

MORE THAN 1,000 ECONOMISTS AGREE: THIS TRUMP POLICY WILL BE A DISASTER

And then we read this week.

thehill.com...

Economists agree: Trump, not Obama, gets credit for economy

So which way is it? The left said that Trump will be disastrous for our economy, but now they want to give Obama credit for that same economy. lol. I just want to put them in a round room and tell them to go pee in a corner, because all it seems they do is walk around in the same circle, but expect to arrive at a different location outside of the circle. Insane.

Meanwhile the banks and wall street financiers continue to loot the public at will.

I hate to be clich'e but Follow the money. Look no further than Bedford Hills NY and you will find George Soros. There you will find the number one source of division.

a reply to: Plotus

Ah yes! The real life Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious.

Damn, that's how you write an OP.
I'll just say this, LesMis. Your insight serves you well.

a reply to: YungMahn

There's pages, I simply took the first on the column. There's no secret that George is Satan.

a reply to: Hefficide

It's been there for at least as long as I've been alive. Always just beneath the surface. Fear... Bias... Insecurity... A deep anxiety about when and where it'll all blow up in our faces.

True, and the public came of age watching protester's being beaten in the 70's in protest of the vietnam War. That's when the media and the MIC knew resistence could be quashed.

Fait accomplii

A perfect example of the publics acquiescence was the bank bail-outs. They bought the lie that unlike any normal business a bad business should be reorganized and liquidated. Instead the Taxpayer bailed them out and then the govt. sold them the assets back for pennies in the $.

Until long prison sentences are handed out and restitution paid nothing will change.

Most people are aware that unelected officials really run the game, and yet come election night they pin their hopes on the new flavour of the day Messiah. The 2 party system of most Westren "democratic" nations gives the illusion of choice. All that happens is that the 2 parties take turns in maintaining the "system" for the benefit of control over the people by vested moneyed interests.

With the incursions on freedom of movement, permits to travel, freedom of uncensored speech incarceration without due process any illusion of basic fundamental human rights has long bolted out the door.