Nausea
by tristero
I’ve seen some despicable behavior by American leaders but I’ve never seen or heard anything — not from Nixon, from Reagan, or from either of the two terrible Bushes — that comes close to the “Send her back” rally last night.
I watched him basking in that revolting chanting and my stomach heaved — I’m sure I wasn’t alone. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought of Mussolini, of Hitler, and of all the sickening nihilistic displays of fascist hate our time has generated.
It is my sincere (but likely futile) hope that the limit has been reached, that now, finally, the major media will treat Trump and Trumpism like the existential danger so many of us have known it was since long before 2016.
It is long past time for the news to stop highlighting video footage of his lying and demagoguery and instead, regularly feature the thousands of eloquent people who are speaking up in protest. No more febrile white people drooling over their racism in diners. Let’s hear frequently from the millions of Americans who are as disgusted by Trumpism as we are.
In short, it’s way past time to cut Trump’s access to grade A media coverage and for the media to stop the collusion with his blatant manipulation of the press’s commitment to objectivity. Trump is still treated by the NY Times, for example, as if his monstrous racism and cynical distractions are somehow newsworthy and merely another point of view. Meanwhile, those speaking in opposition to his fascism are, at best, merely given equal time, creating a “he said/she said” vomitous media soup.
This approach to covering Trump has to stop, and stop now, or “Send her back” will soon be replaced by far worse including, I’m terrified to imagine, outright fascist, Trumpist violence.