I was hit between the eyes by another example of this hypocrisy this morning, when I read the “Letters to the Editor” section of the Times. A reader named Roger Hirschberg—yes, own it Roger, you shameless propagandist—authored a letter that the Times headlined “Facebook Misinformation.” In the first paragraph, Roger decries Facebook policies that “enable and protect misinformation.” In the very next sentence, he condemns Facebook management for allowing such misinformation “in pursuit of profits,” and cites Facebook’s entries related to “the January 6 insurrection.”
Isn’t that amusing? Roger puffs himself up like a bullfrog in indignation over a communications company pandering to the mob while cashing in, and then gives the Times a chance to do the same, allowing his false characterization of the Capitol riot as an “insurrection,” because that’s the current Big Lie being weaponized by the Left.
Now, I wouldn’t want the Times to censor Roger’s deliberate misinformation—the FBI, if one considers it trustworthy, has definitively debunked that description, as did Merrick Garland in last weeks hearings—because we benefit from revelations with signature significance: if you call the riot an “insurrection,” you’re a lie-spreading jerk or a lazy fool who believes whatever your favorite party tells you. I would expect an ethical publication that respects its readers to acknowledge Roger’s hypocrisy if it chooses to publish his letter, however. If it doesn’t, then the Times is deliberately advancing misinformation….but then it’s the good kind. You know: the kind that can be used to smear Donald Trump and Republicans. Thanks, Roger!
Then we have the perpetually risible Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, who, as you can see above, tweeted out to her 12.7 MILLION followers, dupes and enablers all, that “almost” ten died in the “terrorist attack.” This is hardly a difficult fact to check:four individuals died that day, all members of the mob. One of the rioters was shot dead under suspicious circumstances that had she been a black woman and her killer white, would have undoubtedly sparked a “mostly peaceful protest” in which “almost ten” (or more) might have died.
AOC also engages in similar deceit with the statement that “Any member of Congress who helped plot a terrorist attack on our nation’s capitol must be expelled.” There is no evidence that any member of Congress “helped plot a terrorist attack,” and this is carefully phrased so the shameless demagogue has plausible deniability: “What? I never said any member of Congress did this! I just opined that any member of Congress who did should be expelled! I also believe that any member of Congress that roasts a child on a spit should be expelled.” Clever!
Note that OAC’s message was tweeted. Did Twitter suspend her account for spreading misinformation, as it would have with dispatch if a similarly dishonest tweet had issued from a Republican?
No, because this is good misinformation. It advances Twitter’s agenda, which is the same as AOC’s, the New York Times, and Roger Hirschberg.
Ethics Alarms 
Again…
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet was pure unbridled innuendo filled propaganda and she is well aware that her tweet will be, and is expected to be, spread as if the innuendo is verified fact.
Okay, I’m confused. Was January 6th an “insurrection” or a “terror attack?” It can’t be both. A terror attack is used to place the population in fear. An insurrection is an attempt to overthrow the government.
So I guess what we’re left with is hyperbolic opinions intended to create fear. Unethical.
Glenn, I think this “insurrection” article of faith has joined the “Trump collusion” article of faith in the Democrat firmament of beliefs. There’s just no way either of these are going to be countered by facts. These are unshakable articles of faith to possibly hundred of millions of people, one of the largest congregations on earth.
In cases like this, my approach is to get people thinking about what they intend to do in response to their fear, and to get them thinking about the most constructive things they can do in response. Once they’re making constructive decisions, their beliefs are less important and they’ll be more comfortable reevaluating them at their leisure.
EC, I don’t see the faithful at all interested in calming their fears. They revel in their anger. I think their constructive solution would be the removal from the nation of all non-believers, er, Republicans and Trump voters and, you know, conservatives, or at least anyone who’s not all in on the whole progressive game plan to perfect the country and make everyone equal, with other people’s money, of course.
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez knows that she is extrapolating what happened on January 6th to utter absurdity and she’s intentionally exploiting the obvious biased ignorance of her cultish followers by spreading false propaganda knowing full well that her propaganda will go viral as if it’s verified fact.
In my opinion; fear is the really the only tool in the political left’s playbook these days, they aren’t actually trying to get you to support their policies or ideology they’re only trying to get you to fear and hate anything that’s not their ideology.
Here’s how to break down AOC’s propaganda tweet.
First and foremost there was a false declaration of fact in the propaganda, “This was a terror attack.” There was absolutely no ambiguity in that statement, period, you are supposed to believe that as absolute fact. The statement will trigger your bias and then all the other statements will fall into line. The placement of that statement was very intentional, it’s placed there get you to reread the first sentence in a different way.
Once the false statement of “fact” is absorbed, this sentence, “Any member of Congress who helped plot a terrorist attack on our nation’s capitol should be expelled.” will cause your bias to reread that innuendo as “Members of Congress helped plot a terrorist attack on our nation’s capitol and should be expelled.”. Now you’re expected to actually spread the biased form of that initial statement and look for these evil terrorist members of Congress; don’t worry, your bias subconsciously will guide you to find the evil culprits.
Then when you read this, “138 injured, almost 10 dead. Those responsible remain a danger to our democracy, our country, and human life in the vicinity of our Capitol and beyond.” you’re psychologically preconditioned to unconditionally believe that these terrorist members of Congress and their foot soldiers are going to attack us again unless you do something! It’s imminent, you must be in fear, you must act NOW!!! You must identify the terrorist members of Congress and sic our 21st century cancel culture on them.
Followers must remember the words of Barack Obama when he said “change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time, we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, we are the change that we seek.” There are evil members of Congress and they are the ones that don’t think like you.
To be fair, both sides play the fear card well.
I don’t know. What do you call it when an FBI agent or asset rounds up a bunch of other FBI agents, assets, and gullible people to break into the Capitol (or gets the Capitol police to let them in) and encourages them to commit petty vandalism and some violence while most just sightsee and take pictures? Is there actually a special word for that?
It has been reported that Ray Epps was identified as the man telling the crowd they needed to go “into the Capitol” the day before the protest (with the crowd responding ‘What?”). he told them he would probably be arrested and probably go to jail, but that is what they needed to do. He was seen directing people to the Capitol that day and giving directions to the front line of protesters at the barricades just before they burst through. He seems to have coordinated the first breach of the Capitol while President Trump was still speaking. The FBI asked for information on who the man was, but once he was identified, he was removed from the list, and has never been arrested or charged. The AG refused to answer any questions about this man, why he hasn’t been charged or arrested, and deflected when asked if the man was a government asset.
The Revolver article about Epps does make one suspicious. To me, it’s not quite dispositive, but it is suspicious.
I don’t know if the things in the Revolver article are all fact with the exception of the video evidence that is irrefutable.
Epps was clearly inciting illegal riot and illegal violence and should have the book thrown at him for his illegal actions, there is absolutely no excuse for not prosecuting him unless he was under direct orders from his superiors in a government agency that is now actively covering up his and their involvement in the obvious video proof of incitement to riot.
Inciting riot is illegal. Entrapment by any kind of law enforcement is illegal.
Rats! The bold text was supposed to end after the word actively.
A bolder statement than you wanted, eh? 🙂
I’ll fix that as soon as I can!
I don’t know, insisting that people go “into the capital” is not quite a clear incitement to riot. There is a lot of gray area there.
It’s everything they want it to be to confuse, scare and push the narrative of the ones pulling the strings.
Oh and… it’s BORING.
Boring, indeed.
Hmmm, disinformation seems to be widely ignored in Virginia too….https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcauliffe-fake-news-ads-effort-sway-voters
What i find REVEALING is how much those writing this playbook reuse their stupid words over and over.
From the “empty seat at the dinner table” line that was in Obama’s LIE Of a speech when he said we killed Osama Bin Laden, which resurfaced in Biden’s campaign comments on covid and the “empty seat at the dinner table” … and that was NOT the only stuff “borrowed” from Obama’s speech. (I’d encourage anyone paying attention to watch that speech where the always confident Obama came out looking troubled and afraid.)
And the “new” buzz word for “fake news” trending again “misinformation” which a former CIA director said “when the public believes the lies we tell them, we will know our MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN has worked” – and i’d say they are probably a bit happy it’s working AND a bit terrified that MANY are waking up to the fact that there are very bad people behind the scenes who have been in some form of control for a very long time.
Honestly i had NO idea. It’s chilling but makes so much sense once you see it. And you can NOT unsee it after. It’s amusing and scary at the same time.
Thanks for bringing this up. a LOT of people see this stuff and are waking up to the deception happening.
She has a tendency to emote. She sees something she doesn’t like, experiences a strong emotional reaction, and then explodes.
I think her communications, and those of Omar and the rest of the Squad are all generated by the Justice Democrats who have kind of withdraw into the back ground now they have their sock puppets in place. I think the Justice Democrats are the problem. They’re nasty and are playing the long game and using the Squad to great advantage. AOC is just the teeny, tiny, virtually clueless tip of a very nasty spear.
withdrawn
Misinformation ( n. ) – A term used by the erudite NPR/NYT audience when it can’t bring itself to utter the deplorable term “Fake News.” The use of five syllables, instead of two, demonstrates superior command of language.