"Our vertically integrated Entertainment system, once the vanguard of Progressive mistrust of authority, gave the Government cover to do whatever it wanted throughout the pandemic. And then Hollwyood, the News Media, and their enforcers in Big Tech turned these Government COVID officials into heroes, even though those officials knew that much of what they were saying wasn’t true. Hollywood and the Media sympathetically promoted every autocratic Government demand, and they attacked, censored and deplatformed anyone who dared to ask a critical question."
I was thinking last night about the ultimate achievement of this effort -- manipulating the public to a point where it was a moral failure (worthy of mockery) to commit the crime of becoming infected with the virus. Something we all intuitively knew from the beginning was basically inevitable. And somehow suddenly wasn't a moral failure anymore when all the people imposing the restrictions and doing the mockery started getting infected, often multiple times. I will never, ever forget that.
The good guys were the bad guys even back then. Richard Nixon was taken down by Deep Throat. Who was Deep Throat? None other than the number two at the FBI, Mark Felt. Why? Because the FBI didn't like how Nixon was "politicizing" the agency. In other words, trying to exert presidential control after the Hoover era.
one can certianly make that argument, but my focus was primarily on a media reversal. In the 70's it was all about celevrating the little guy who spoke truth to power... now the calculation has been reversed. The Powerful are the heroes and the powerless whistleblowers are the villains.
Great piece. Most of my adult life has been spent as a soldier and volunteer firefighter - a government employee - and the People at the ground level do the best they can within a sometimes shitty system. However, at the managerial level within, the impulse to dictate is not far because there is not a check and balance other than other members guarding their pensions.
"Our vertically integrated Entertainment system, once the vanguard of Progressive mistrust of authority, gave the Government cover to do whatever it wanted throughout the pandemic. And then Hollwyood, the News Media, and their enforcers in Big Tech turned these Government COVID officials into heroes, even though those officials knew that much of what they were saying wasn’t true. Hollywood and the Media sympathetically promoted every autocratic Government demand, and they attacked, censored and deplatformed anyone who dared to ask a critical question."
I was thinking last night about the ultimate achievement of this effort -- manipulating the public to a point where it was a moral failure (worthy of mockery) to commit the crime of becoming infected with the virus. Something we all intuitively knew from the beginning was basically inevitable. And somehow suddenly wasn't a moral failure anymore when all the people imposing the restrictions and doing the mockery started getting infected, often multiple times. I will never, ever forget that.
It was such a critical moment in our history as a free people... I fear that not enough of us recognized it for what it was.
The good guys were the bad guys even back then. Richard Nixon was taken down by Deep Throat. Who was Deep Throat? None other than the number two at the FBI, Mark Felt. Why? Because the FBI didn't like how Nixon was "politicizing" the agency. In other words, trying to exert presidential control after the Hoover era.
one can certianly make that argument, but my focus was primarily on a media reversal. In the 70's it was all about celevrating the little guy who spoke truth to power... now the calculation has been reversed. The Powerful are the heroes and the powerless whistleblowers are the villains.
Great piece. Most of my adult life has been spent as a soldier and volunteer firefighter - a government employee - and the People at the ground level do the best they can within a sometimes shitty system. However, at the managerial level within, the impulse to dictate is not far because there is not a check and balance other than other members guarding their pensions.
Totally agree... thanks for your service. My Dad's resume was very much like yours
I like the George MF Washington handle. :-D I can only imagine that MF stands for...
I’m almost certain that your guess would be correct 🙄
Whoops wrong emoji… meant to send 🤣