I’m taking a little break from writing these posts because I’ve been asked to turn the newsletter into a book on Copaganda. That is taking up a lot of the time I’m not working on our civil rights cases. But, in researching for the book, I kept coming across a pattern that I wanted to write about:
Thank you for this. Unfortunately, The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it (Brandolini’s law).
Thank you for putting your energy into exposing the people and mechanisms creating distorted narratives.
Another great post! Always look forward to reading these substantive and thought-provoking pieces. Your critical analysis of the mass media, particularly in its reporting on policing and the punishment bureaucracy, is second to none. Also, the space that Greenwald occupies in the alternative news/politics media these days is still so bizarre -- almost indistinguishable from the 'intellectual dark web' of the far-right.
Maybe my favorite example of a press fail is this: establishment overwhelmingly rely on what police tell them and... that’s the end of the reporting.
So there’s an instance like that, where the cop is being interviewed at the scene about a perp being apprehended. Problem is that the perp is being apprehended while he’s speaking by the victim without *any* assistance or involvement from the police.
As for the riff that poor people want to feel safe: first, the implication that poor people don’t want to feel safe is condescending, obviously. And there’s more safety having mental healthcare professionals and social workers, et al, available to, pardon the expression, deal with the underlying problems that result in criminal activity. OTOH, we’re a society that’s cool with overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations being met by cops in military gear who then kick demonstrators’ asses and otherwise abuse them for no good, justifiable reason.
Too, I presume that the desire for safety extends to being in a store’s dressing room without fear of being shot by a trigger-happy cop (seen in a video) while he’s taking down a threatening person who in no way comparably armed.
And the response to this from the press is to act as PR people for the police; they don’t bother to report any other side. It’s only the police’s word that matters.
Yeah, yeah, we all know the bad Apple defense. Problem with that is that there are too many bad Apple’s and such good apples as there are do approximately nothing about the bad ones.
Dropping this here https://lataco.com/los-angeles-covid-relief-cops "Nearly Two Thirds of L.A.’s $1.3 Billion in COVID Relief Funds Went to Cops and Firefighters, Zero Went to Building Housing
Instead of spending on policing, local governments could have used the federal funds to acquire land for future development of affordable housing, provide financial assistance to homeowners or provide loans to affordable housing developers, according to the Treasury Department."
Looking forward to the book. This sentence was so eminently quotable, you’re now my first restack.
“the New York Times is telling people that a progressive policy proposal that was never implemented caused bad things to happen later even though those things didn’t happen.”
Thank you for this. Unfortunately, The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it (Brandolini’s law).
Thank you for putting your energy into exposing the people and mechanisms creating distorted narratives.
Thank you. Keep up the great work--looking forward to reading your Copaganda book.
As always, a detailed and incisive look at how media distorts reality. I am greatly looking forward to your book!
Another great post! Always look forward to reading these substantive and thought-provoking pieces. Your critical analysis of the mass media, particularly in its reporting on policing and the punishment bureaucracy, is second to none. Also, the space that Greenwald occupies in the alternative news/politics media these days is still so bizarre -- almost indistinguishable from the 'intellectual dark web' of the far-right.
Really appreciate your work. Thank you. I'm looking forward to reading your book.
Maybe my favorite example of a press fail is this: establishment overwhelmingly rely on what police tell them and... that’s the end of the reporting.
So there’s an instance like that, where the cop is being interviewed at the scene about a perp being apprehended. Problem is that the perp is being apprehended while he’s speaking by the victim without *any* assistance or involvement from the police.
As for the riff that poor people want to feel safe: first, the implication that poor people don’t want to feel safe is condescending, obviously. And there’s more safety having mental healthcare professionals and social workers, et al, available to, pardon the expression, deal with the underlying problems that result in criminal activity. OTOH, we’re a society that’s cool with overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations being met by cops in military gear who then kick demonstrators’ asses and otherwise abuse them for no good, justifiable reason.
Too, I presume that the desire for safety extends to being in a store’s dressing room without fear of being shot by a trigger-happy cop (seen in a video) while he’s taking down a threatening person who in no way comparably armed.
And the response to this from the press is to act as PR people for the police; they don’t bother to report any other side. It’s only the police’s word that matters.
Yeah, yeah, we all know the bad Apple defense. Problem with that is that there are too many bad Apple’s and such good apples as there are do approximately nothing about the bad ones.
Please share when we can pre-order your book.
Dropping this here https://lataco.com/los-angeles-covid-relief-cops "Nearly Two Thirds of L.A.’s $1.3 Billion in COVID Relief Funds Went to Cops and Firefighters, Zero Went to Building Housing
Instead of spending on policing, local governments could have used the federal funds to acquire land for future development of affordable housing, provide financial assistance to homeowners or provide loans to affordable housing developers, according to the Treasury Department."
Looking forward to the book. This sentence was so eminently quotable, you’re now my first restack.
“the New York Times is telling people that a progressive policy proposal that was never implemented caused bad things to happen later even though those things didn’t happen.”