Pence blocking CNN from his briefings is straight out of Fascism 101

[dutch508]

Star Member Poiuyt (14,398 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213258129

Pence blocking CNN from his briefings is straight out of Fascism 101

Fascist America, in 10 easy steps

8. Control the press

Italy in the 1920s, Germany in the 30s, East Germany in the 50s, Czechoslovakia in the 60s, the Latin American dictatorships in the 70s, China in the 80s and 90s - all dictatorships and would-be dictators target newspapers and journalists. They threaten and harass them in more open societies that they are seeking to close, and they arrest them and worse in societies that have been closed already.

---

Over time in closing societies, real news is supplanted by fake news and false documents. Pinochet showed Chilean citizens falsified documents to back up his claim that terrorists had been about to attack the nation. The yellowcake charge, too, was based on forged papers.

You won't have a shutdown of news in modern America - it is not possible. But you can have, as Frank Rich and Sidney Blumenthal have pointed out, a steady stream of lies polluting the news well. What you already have is a White House directing a stream of false information that is so relentless that it is increasingly hard to sort out truth from untruth. In a fascist system, it's not the lies that count but the muddying. When citizens can't tell real news from fake, they give up their demands for accountability bit by bit.

more at link ---

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment

  He didn't ban CNN from the briefings. He closed down any staff from going on CNN until CNN stops cutting coverage of the briefings.

Star Member Poiuyt (14,398 posts)

1. For background: Pence's office blocks public health officials from appearing on CNN

Vice President Mike Pence's office has declined to allow the nation's top health officials to appear on CNN in recent days and discuss the coronavirus pandemic killing thousands of Americans, in an attempt to pressure the network into carrying the White House's lengthy daily briefings in full.

Pence's office, which is responsible for booking the officials on networks during the pandemic, said it will only allow experts such as Dr. Deborah Birx or Dr. Anthony Fauci to appear on CNN if the network televises the portion of the White House briefings that includes the vice president and other coronavirus task force members.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/09/media/pence-office-tv-bookings-coronavirus/index.html

Star Member spanone (119,815 posts)

9. EVERY network should NOT ATTEND

 

[SVPete]

Not sure why that 2007 Naomi Wolf column was linked by the DUmmie, but it's whining about something Pence didn't do, so ...

[franksolich]

Not sure why that 2007 Naomi Wolf column was linked by the DUmmie, but it's whining about something Pence didn't do, so ...

Geezuz.

From Hitler to Pinochet and beyond, history shows there are certain steps that any would-be dictator must take to destroy constitutional freedoms. And, argues Naomi Wolf, George Bush and his administration seem to be taking them all.

I look at the list, and it reads as if a Democrat wish-list.

01. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
02. Create a gulag
03. Develop a thug caste
04. Set up an internal surveillance system
05. Harass citizens' groups
06. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
07. Target key individuals
08. Control the press
09. Dissent equals treason
10. Suspend the rule of law

[USA4ME]

Makes sense. If they’re not airing the full briefing then they must not be interested in informing the public, so no reason for WH personnel to waste their time. Better for them to appear on networks who are interested.

.

[ADsOutburst]

Not sure why that 2007 Naomi Wolf column was linked by the DUmmie, but it's whining about something Pence didn't do, so ...

10-point internet articles are clickbait, and usually show a lot of confirmation bias.

[BamaMoose]

You couldn't describe Skinner's creation any better:

01. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

DU was created because of the Bush boogieman.  Over time various villains have come and gone and today the internal enemy is Bernie and the external enemy is Trump.  There can be no logical discussion of said enemies other that they are just bad people.

02. Create a gulag

That would describe Skinner's fluid ban list.

03. Develop a thug caste

Both his moderators and the various fringe groups fill this role, arbitrarily deciding who's a good democrat and who's a bad one.

04. Set up an internal surveillance system

His whole alert system is set up to ensure posters monitor other posters' comments for ideological purity.

05. Harass citizens' groups

Step off the plantation and get alert stalked until you fall in line or get banned.

06. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

Some posters are allowed to be outrageous assholes, while others get slapped for the most minor indiscretion.  Favoritism is the standard on the Island.

07. Target key individuals

Any poster who dissents with the group-think will be stalked and alerted on for any "non-echo chamber approved" thought.

08. Control the press

If your not regurgitating what is considered proper political thinking, you will be attacked until you correct your thinking.

09. Dissent equals treason

Disagreement with any Democrat is exactly the same as being a Trump-loving Republican.

10. Suspend the rule of law

As has happened more than once on DU, when any group gets a little too uppity do a mass-purge to get rid of the problem children.


Every time the DUmmies talk about the rise of fascists or totalitarians they describe the conditions that they willingly embrace.  They really don't seem to understand the concept of freedom and independence.

[SVPete]

CNN's current game is to show edited clips of the press briefing, interspersed with lots of spitball tossing. Why should Dr. Fauci or Dr. Birx or any other Coronavirus Task Force member be a live target for the spitballs? They spend enough time in the briefings without wasting time trying to communicate the same information while under harassment by airheaded CNN spitballers?

[Ptarmigan]

You couldn't describe Skinner's creation any better:

01. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

DU was created because of the Bush boogieman.  Over time various villains have come and gone and today the internal enemy is Bernie and the external enemy is Trump.  There can be no logical discussion of said enemies other that they are just bad people.

02. Create a gulag

That would describe Skinner's fluid ban list.

03. Develop a thug caste

Both his moderators and the various fringe groups fill this role, arbitrarily deciding who's a good democrat and who's a bad one.

04. Set up an internal surveillance system

His whole alert system is set up to ensure posters monitor other posters' comments for ideological purity.

05. Harass citizens' groups

Step off the plantation and get alert stalked until you fall in line or get banned.

06. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

Some posters are allowed to be outrageous assholes, while others get slapped for the most minor indiscretion.  Favoritism is the standard on the Island.

07. Target key individuals

Any poster who dissents with the group-think will be stalked and alerted on for any "non-echo chamber approved" thought.

08. Control the press

If your not regurgitating what is considered proper political thinking, you will be attacked until you correct your thinking.

09. Dissent equals treason

Disagreement with any Democrat is exactly the same as being a Trump-loving Republican.

10. Suspend the rule of law

As has happened more than once on DU, when any group gets a little too uppity do a mass-purge to get rid of the problem children.


Every time the DUmmies talk about the rise of fascists or totalitarians they describe the conditions that they willingly embrace.  They really don't seem to understand the concept of freedom and independence.

So very true. I am surprised Bernie Sanders as an internal enemy as many supported him at DU.

They even go after Ralph Nader, Dennis Kucinich, and Tulsi Gabbard. They used to love Kucinich and they turned on him quickly. Nader is always an enemy at DU. Many at DU loathe Gabbard for trivial reasons.

[jukin]

I'm so old I remember when Preezy Shit Midas banned FOX News.

But that is different the DUchebags would yell.