Do we have a state-controlled media?

Politics
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My observation is that 2020’s news makes more sense if you assume that Communist China has been calling the shots on coverage. My opinion is that we already have state-controlled media, but the state in control is the People’s Republic of China.

Consider some of the events over the last year. In January the media was telling us that the Wuhan coronavirus was less dangerous than the flu and travel restrictions were racist.

By March they were blaming Trump for the virus while downplaying China’s responsibility for spreading the disease.

By summer they were promoting Marxist-lead BLM/Antifa riots under the banner of “peaceful protests”.

In October they adopted a wall of silence about stories of the Biden scandals that included allegations of huge payoffs and billions of investments from Communist China. Instead they falsely claimed that any reports were Russian disinformation. Tech giants banned or hid coverage of the reports.

According to polls one in six Biden voters would have changed their vote if they had known about the scandals.

Now the media are doing their best to ignore mountains of evidence of election fraud and to downplay its reported links to China and a install a President compromised by China.

The media have spent the last four years searching for illegal collusion and foreign influence on the US election but found nothing of significance. Now it is becoming clear that mainstream media themselves are acting as agents of foreign subversion of the American political system, and they are compromised by financial influence from China:

China’s control of coverage is no accident; they have been using every opportunity to buy off and manipulate the media in the US and other western countries.

The media coverage makes sense in furthering the interests of the Chinese Communists; it is consistent with a China-First media industry.

Given this situation, should the mainstream media be required to register as foreign agents?

Should their broadcasts be flagged as foreign propaganda?

Should the media face prosecution if they colluded to act as agents of a foreign power to subvert the US election?

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I don’t believe any of the article above. The news media is not the problem. Social media Is the problem. Using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to brainwash people is a bigger issue.

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Yes, the social media are a huge part of the problem, but they don’t act alone.

My observation is that Eisenhower warned about the power of military-industrial complex. In today’s world of cyberwarfare and PSYOP attacks, it is really the “media-industrial complex”. The social media, search engines, tech giants, and news media are just parts of the same complex.

For example, Twitter and Facebook use a consensus from the state-controlled news media to flag, fact-check, shadow-ban, and censor alternate news sources that do not support the narratives from China.

Of course, there are even more direct connections to censorship from China in some cases. Consider this report of Chinese nationals developing censorship algorithms for Facebook:

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When the media gets so one sided as to cover up for one side and be propagandists for one side and one side only that is a dangerous situation.

Just about every dictatorship or communist country started in such a way with the media paving the way leading up to it.

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One sided like OAN. Please…

Allan

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The only observation I have is that the media are less controlled and simply willing accomplices for crumbs of exposure and favoritism.

A worse case IMO.

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Fox News is the closest thing we have at the moment.

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Yes, I expect that if Democrats seize control of the government, they will work to bring Chinese-style censorship to America.

One scenario would be to pack the Supreme Court so that First Amendment rights become irrelevant. Then shut down independent voices on talk radio and internet sites that do not follow the party line.

Repeat offenders will be singled out for selective prosecution for hate crimes, slander against the state, minor violations of tax codes, etc. They are also likely to face civil actions by child protective services, bans on employment, restrictions on travel, etc.

These are the kinds of tools used in Communist China to silence opposition. The recent COVID lockdowns show that even slightly plausible excuses based on public safety are enough to suspend constitutional rights, so don’t expect courts to do much especially with new Democrats on the Supreme Court.

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9

We heard all this nonsense when Obama was president. Biden isn’t going to shut down right-wing media.

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We have a lazy, ignorant media with an agenda.

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Not “an agenda,” many agendas.

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If and seize?

There was an election in November. The results of which have been widely reported.

Allan

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Correct. It’s all the media. Not selected ones.

Allan

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Fair point, although I think it can pretty much be boiled down to two main ones.

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Biden has refused to comment on packing the Supreme Court and refuses to state possible nominees for justices. I have seen no response from Biden or leading Democrats that is critical of a New York State law banning “hate symbols” from state property:

My observation is that a “hate symbol” is in the eyes of the beholder; so selective enforcement is the key to crush opposing voices. A BLM slogan or an Antifa banner or Antifa black-block uniform may be considered a hate symbol if your home was destroyed by BLM/Antifa rioters, but I doubt that Cuomo will apply the new law to them. Instead he will use the law to arrest people who carry Trump signs, anti-lockdown messages, or even American flags.

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Right president Biden will continue to let hannity and others speak out against him.

It’s in the constitution.

Allan

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I suspect they intend to do those very things and then some.

You might find this interesting. An anti capitalist pro socialist called the Limbaugh show yesterday saying we have the courts, we have the voting machines, i don’t remember if he mentioned having the media but he should have if not and he said you can’t stop us now.

His plan was to make us into a socialist country. The man was quite angry and bitter sounding.

I can only wonder how many dem pols and members of the media want the same thing. :thinking:

Serious business.

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This is not going to happen. It’s ridiculous, and people like me who voted for Biden wouldn’t stand for it.

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Biden is far less motivated and clever than Obama.

For that I am thankful and not so concerned.

I just hope he stays healthy enough to fend off his VP for 4 years. I think he will.

The media will grow quite unhappy with Biden for this and will agitate him like they did Trump in about 9 to 18 months. Biden will get a grace period Trump did not…except for the CEC which will have great fun with his Sleepy Joe ways and Trump quips from the sideline.

CEC stocks should be a buy right now.

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We have lazy, ignorant consumers… with an agenda.

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