Friday Fox Follies –Trump, Fox & Demagogry
PoliticusUSA
Friday Fox Follies – Donald’s Demagoguery Dilemma
By: Headly Westerfield
Back in the day, before television, one of this country’s greatest demagogues was Father Charles Coughlin, broadcasting from a studio in the tower at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan. At first he espoused a Social Justice platform and supported President Roosevelt’s New Deal. However, as the years went by, Coughlin turned against FDR and became increasingly extreme, railing against Jews and supporting the policies of both Hitler and Mussolini.
At his height, Coughlin’s audience dwarfed the Fox “News” Channel’s measly average of 1.7 million viewers. ...
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It’s the influence that matters. Networks broadcast a half hour newscast per day. Fox “News” is on the air 24/7. Consequently, Fox “News” has the same kind of outsized influence as Father Coughlin had. And, as this issue of Fox News Follies goes to press, Roger Ailes is working hard to elect demagogue Donald Trump President of the United States.
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From the very beginning of the Fox “News” Channel, Roger Ailes has traded on the fears and apprehensions of low-information viewers by hiring demagogues to pander to their worst instincts. Bill O’Reilly calls himself a Cultural Warrior, but he uses demagoguery to get his ugly point across. Sean Hannity? He’s the Fox Race Baiting Demagogue. Megyn Kelly? The no-longer preggy Leggy Meggy is Fox’s White Privilege Demagogue. Fox & Friends is Happy Talk Demagoguery, safe for the entire family. But, make no mistake, Fox “News” qualifies:
dem-uh-gog, -gawg
noun
•a person, especially an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.
2. (in ancient times) a leader of the people.
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Which brings us full circle to Fox “News” and the House that Hate Built. In this election cycle Fox “News” has been doing everything in its power to defend the demagoguery of Donald J. Trump, who has plugged into the exact same sentiments as the hoard of racists and xenophobes who call Fox Nation their home. Never were a voter, a candidate and media more made for each other.
However, there are two big differences between then and now. Back then the government used various postal regulations, and World War Two sedition laws, to shut down Coughlin’s influence. After that, the whole thing was swept into the memory hole for more than a half century before it was reevaluated. Only Jews with long memory kept the tradition of spitting alive.
Today, because of this pesky thing called the First Amendment, Fox “News” is free to spout its propaganda, which it knows its audience will never question. However, the Fox “News” reevaluation is happening in real time, as it happens. It’s up to all of us to be our own Fox “News” truth machine.
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http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/24/friday-fox-follies-donalds-demagoguery-dilemma.html
