We live in an age of fake news. Not the type Donald Trump complained about — that was the actual news. Trump just didn’t like it.
No the fake news stories I’m talking about are in fact the products of propagandists who treat our democracy as if it were a reality TV show where they can control the plot, the characters and the outcome.
They circulate works of fiction like Trump’s Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. From a propaganda perspective, this ploy seems to be working. Millions of people believe the Big Lie despite zero evidence. Thousands of them were willing to take the extreme step of storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in support of it.
Fake news of this sort is very, very dangerous. It not only can cause violence and mayhem, as we have seen, it can destroy our entire way of life.
Living in the 21st century United States with its highly developed mass media turning us into passive consumers of information as opposed to critical thinkers is a recipe for living a life of denial.
Although we came seriously close to losing our democracy, millions of Americans don’t accept that interpretation of our recent history and seem likely to repeat the mistakes that brought us Trump in the next election cycle.
Too many Republican candidates and state officials still believe the Big Lie. That makes them — whether they realize it or not — a threat to our democracy. It’s time for any honest Republicans who have survived the Trump barrage of propaganda to wake up and notice what is going on.
You can still vote for Republicans, just not any who believes and spread the Big Lie. Vote for somebody like Liz Cheney, a true patriot, if she chooses to run for president or Mitt Romney, for example. Otherwise, if you vote for an election denier, you become part of our Big Problem in America and you will be on the wrong side of history.
And your descendants will never forgive you.
LATEST LINKS (49)
Abe assassination stuns Japan, a country where gun violence is rare (Reuters)
Shinzo Abe, former Japanese leader, dies after being shot at campaign event
The 67-year-old was attacked by a gunman from behind while making a speech in Nara, ahead of upper house elections this weekend. Police arrested a suspect and seized a gun, which appeared to be homemade, police sources told local media. (WP)
Abe Shinzo, Japan's longest-serving prime minister (NHK)
Shinzo Abe: Japan ex-leader's alleged killer held grudge against group - police (BBC)
Police find 2 apparent explosives at Abe attack suspect's home (NHK)
Shock killing that could change Japan forever (BBC)
Japan comes to terms with death of Abe Shinzo (NHK)
Shinzo Abe, influential Japanese prime minister, 1954-2022 (Financial Times)
Shinzo Abe Made the World Better (Atlantic)
Shinzo Abe wanted to make Japan a “normal country” — as he saw it (Vox)
Video captures suspect's movements in run-up to shooting (NHK)
Hiring slipped only slightly in June, with no sign of a looming recession (NPR)
No recession here: Hot jobs market tames fears of slump (Politico)
Biden signs executive order on abortion access (CBS)
A new executive order aims to preserve abortion access, but its reach is limited (NPR)
Armed Demonstrators and Far-Right Groups Are Escalating Tensions at Abortion Protests (Time)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), long a defender of the filibuster, said she supports a carve-out in order to codify abortion rights. “Let me be clear: If it comes down to protecting the filibuster or protecting a woman’s right to choose, there should be no question that I will vote to protect a woman’s right to choose,” Feinstein said. [HuffPost]
Biden could make prosecuting abortion providers more difficult, activists say (Politico)
Emergency contraception: How it works, how effective it is and how to get it (NPR)
Ballot drop boxes not allowed in Wisconsin, state Supreme Court rules (WP)
Five questions Trump’s ex-lawyer Cipollone could answer for the Jan. 6 committee (The Hill)
Evidence of firearms in Jan. 6 crowd grows as arrests and trials mount (WP)
Ukraine-Russia: Hidden tech war as Slovyansk battle looms (BBC)
For Foreign Fighters in Ukraine, a War Unlike Any They’ve Seen (NYT)
Lavrov walks out of G20 talks after denying Russia is causing food crisis (Guardian)
Russia taking ‘operational pause’ in Ukraine, analysts say (AP)
Biden to send new precision-guided artillery rounds to Ukraine (Politico)
Boris Johnson Quits Amid Latest Scandal, a Messy End to a Messy Tenure (NYT)
Afghanistan's depleted dining rugs are a reminder of hunger and loss (NPR)
What the BA.5 Subvariant Could Mean for the United States (NYT)
NASA sounding rockets blasting off to assess Alpha Centauri habitability (Space.com)
Wild species relied on by billions at risk, report warns (AP)
Wild species support half of world’s population, report finds (Guardian)
VIDEO: Video Shows Scale of Deadly Glacier Collapse in Italy (Reuters)
Big fish sightings are spiking. Climate change may be the cause. (WP)
Dark matter: search for the invisible begins in an old gold mine (Guardian)
I.R.S. Asks Inspector General to Review Audits of Comey and McCabe (NYT)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced the state will start producing its own insulin, lowering the price of an essential treatment that typically costs people with diabetes thousands of dollars of years to obtain. The endeavor would make California the first state to make its own drugs. [HuffPost]
Pennsylvania GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Mastriano Aims to Make the State Ground Zero for Christian Nationalism and Spiritual Warfare (BuzzFlash)
Gov. Gavin Newsom may be gearing up for a potential presidential run in 2024, and he’s already zeroing in on an opponent: Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. (Politico)
Twitter laid off employees Thursday, months into an ongoing hiring freeze and ongoing criticism from potential future owner Elon Musk about how the company handles and combats spam on the site. (SFC)
Breed names Jenkins as new DA; now will the media hold her accountable?
Let's see if a 'tough-on-crime' prosecutor gets a pass from the critics who hounded Chesa Boudin. (48 Hills)
Gun applicants in NY will have to list social media accounts (AP)
The Life Lessons of Summer Camp — Since the 1860s, a few weeks in the woods have taught kids to face new situations, make their way among strangers, solve their own problems—and live another, more authentic life. (WSJ)
Worker Accidentally Paid 300 Times His Salary Disappears With Money (The Onion)
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