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babylonsister

(171,066 posts)
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 12:56 PM Oct 2018

Pierce: Congratulations, USA Today, You're Now a Propaganda Organ of the Trump Administration

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23706444/usa-today-president-trump-op-ed/

Congratulations, USA Today, You're Now a Propaganda Organ of the Trump Administration
Hopefully it was worth it for the clicks.
By Charles P. Pierce
Oct 10, 2018


There seems little question now that we were all better off when USA Today was running psychedelic weather charts, Larry King's bon mots, and pie charts showing that we're eating more asparagus than our grandparents did. All of those things were infinitely preferable to the farrago of obvious and painful lies published under the name of the president* on Wednesday. Congratulations to Our Nation's Newspaper. You are now a propaganda organ.

I'm going with the Balloon Juice post that includes the text of this ludicrous sludge bucket because I don't want to give USAT any clicks on it, either. This is my favorite long-debunked lie.

As a candidate, I promised that we would protect coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions and create new health care insurance options that would lower premiums. I have kept that promise, and we are now seeing health insurance premiums coming down. I also made a solemn promise to our great seniors to protect Medicare. That is why I am fighting so hard against the Democrats’ plan that would eviscerate Medicare. Democrats have already harmed seniors by slashing Medicare by more than $800 billion over 10 years to pay for Obamacare. Likewise, Democrats would gut Medicare with their planned government takeover of American health care.


First of all, this was a phony talking point in 2012, for pity's sake. Back then, the Republican charge started at a cut of $500 million, then it went to $700 million, and then to $700 billion. Now, it's up to $800 billion. The Affordable Care Act didn't cost Medicare a dime. It reduced future payments to providers that provide certain Medicare Advantage programs.

This was just the ignition, however. Stephen Mille...er.., the president* was headed for orbit.

The truth is that the centrist Democratic Party is dead. The new Democrats are radical socialists who want to model America’s economy after Venezuela.


Chuck Schumer, friend to Lenin. Absolutely no Democrats want to model the economy after Venezuela. Finland, maybe, in certain areas.

If Democrats win control of Congress this November, we will come dangerously closer to socialism in America. Government-run health care is just the beginning. Democrats are also pushing massive government control of education, private-sector businesses and other major sectors of the U.S. economy.


I will bet the president* five bucks, which he likely may have to borrow from Russian oligarchs, that he can't name three major tenets of socialism, three actual living socialists, or, for that matter, three dead ones. No helping there, Steve.

Indeed, the Democrats’ commitment to government-run health care is all the more menacing to our seniors and our economy when paired with some Democrats’ absolute commitment to end enforcement of our immigration laws by abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That means millions more would cross our borders illegally and take advantage of health care paid for by American taxpayers. Today’s Democratic Party is for open-borders socialism. This radical agenda would destroy American prosperity. Under its vision, costs will spiral out of control. Taxes will skyrocket. And Democrats will seek to slash budgets for seniors’ Medicare, Social Security and defense.


Abolishing ICE would "end enforcement of our immigration laws"? In what sense? And nobody is in favor of "open borders," unless "open borders" is defined as every immigration proposal that doesn't include funding for his stupid damn wall. It's hard to believe anyone at USA Today edited this mess. If someone did, a lot of someones should be fired. As Larry King might have put it, if it's MAGA, count me out.
15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Pierce: Congratulations, USA Today, You're Now a Propaganda Organ of the Trump Administration (Original Post) babylonsister Oct 2018 OP
Surprise surprise, Wellstone ruled Oct 2018 #1
A shameful moment in the history of journalism mcar Oct 2018 #2
An Unedited Opinion Piece isn't Journalism, It's Propaganda Ccarmona Oct 2018 #3
That a newspaper would allow this propaganda in the publication mcar Oct 2018 #6
This isn't unusual. Plenty of Presidents, including President Obama, have had editorials printed. MadDAsHell Oct 2018 #13
Was every sentence of Pres. Obama's a lie? mcar Oct 2018 #14
The only time I see it... cungar2000 Oct 2018 #7
USA Today- the newspaper for the illiterate RainCaster Oct 2018 #4
They had a horrible kavanaugh headline as well ZeroSomeBrains Oct 2018 #5
They've mushroomed into a propaganda organ for Trump Blue Owl Oct 2018 #8
Not sure "mushroomed" is the best word to describe that. Initech Oct 2018 #10
Then, "Toaded?" Wednesdays Oct 2018 #11
I'm impressed! TwistOneUp Oct 2018 #9
This isn't rare. President Obama wrote a NYT editorial in early 2016. nt MadDAsHell Oct 2018 #12
distinction pointed out above Grasswire2 Oct 2018 #15
 

Ccarmona

(1,180 posts)
3. An Unedited Opinion Piece isn't Journalism, It's Propaganda
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:23 PM
Oct 2018

I’m glad Charlie Pierce called this garbage out for what it was, lies.
I’m surprised, he read it. I haven’t picked up a USA Today in years, since nowadays it’s so thin, you could mail it with just one 1st class stamp. It’s a useless rag that has “survived” way past it’s sell-by date.

mcar

(42,334 posts)
6. That a newspaper would allow this propaganda in the publication
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:34 PM
Oct 2018

Is shameful. USA Today journalists are promoting it on Twitter.

 

MadDAsHell

(2,067 posts)
13. This isn't unusual. Plenty of Presidents, including President Obama, have had editorials printed.
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 08:10 PM
Oct 2018

I don’t like Drumpf’s message but I feel hypocritical calling this propaganda when I was thrilled when President Obama did the same in early 2016: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/08/opinion/president-barack-obama-guns-are-our-shared-responsibility.html

mcar

(42,334 posts)
14. Was every sentence of Pres. Obama's a lie?
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 09:11 PM
Oct 2018

I don't object to a president getting an op-ed. I object to the duplicity that a major newspaper is encouraging.

Should they run an op-ed by a Holocaust denier. A White supremacist. Oh, right, they just did that.

RainCaster

(10,880 posts)
4. USA Today- the newspaper for the illiterate
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:25 PM
Oct 2018

So dumbed down. Even when it's left outside my hotel room, I won't waste my time on it.

ZeroSomeBrains

(638 posts)
5. They had a horrible kavanaugh headline as well
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:29 PM
Oct 2018

Should someone be held back for what they did at 17? Does a person who murdered someone get off cuz they're 17? Do drug dealers or rapists get off cuz they're 17? Oh yeah if ur a republican then it's ok. Fucking morons.

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