1st Amendment ain't as important as the 2nd one, apparently

[luzribeiro]

Well... this should be frightening... and it is. But I don't find it surprising at all.

43% of Republicans say Trump should be allowed to shut down media

But...but... but Republicans are supposed to be the party for the Constitution, right? Oh I get it, the only free speech they want protected is their own rhetoric and hypocrisy. Got it!

"When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say."

...When Michelle Obama shuts down Fox news after she wins in 2020, Trump supporters will cry.

Comments

[johnny9fingers]

It just sides now, not rationality. And the worse of the two sides by a country mile are the new Republicans, or the Alt-Light-Alt-Right.

So, do we give up and let the likes of Bannon and Co. win? Or what tools do we have at our disposal which could change their opinions? Or, failing that, diminish those opinion's influence?

Alas and alack I cannot see a Black lass, no matter how accomplished and gifted, being elected to the position of POTUS at the moment. The trash-talking that Obama and Hillary took will be as nothing as when two sets of people's prejudices overlap like they do in Michelle's case. (I'd love to be proven wrong here, BTW, but that judgement is left to the way our future looks at our past.)

By 2020 how much media will be consumed online? Unless a US government is prepared to go down the Chinese route of censoring the internet Fox will always have a presence, as will Stormfront, Breitbart, and all the other nastinesses protected by the first Amendment. However, if the Repubs can fuck with the First Amendment, the foundation of the Bill of Rights, the dems will only take it as a precedent for the Second Amendment emendations they want to make. So I really can't see the GOP allowing such a precedent. As you so rightly point out, though in politer language: it always comes back to bite you in the butt, after all.

[oportet]

And the worse of the two sides by a country mile are the new Republicans, or the Alt-Light-Alt-Right.

The only news source we've heard of being censored lately is an 'alt-right' one, and I can't recall any lefty speakers not being allowed to speak anywhere - so as far as 'shutting down' free speech goes, we can debate how everyone feel on the inside - but who is actually acting on it, and getting results?

[johnny9fingers]

I'd suggest that is naive at best and disingenuous at worst.

There is a qualitative difference between "no-platforming" an individual or group and shutting down whole media platforms which don't agree with your standpoint, which the article was referencing. And it hasn't happened yet either, it's just certain groups are happy letting it happen. I mean, I don't see many gun-control adverts on Fox - now why is that? And why aren't I objecting to it?

Have I made the difference clear?

[oportet]

I see the difference - between a poll about a hypothetical situation (that won't happen), and what actually is happening - I think we just disagree on which one matters more.

I'm not defending the 43% who supposedly believe Trump should be allowed to shut down the media - I just see it as another Trump Doomsday prediction (like the 'he's about to fire Mueller' story that pops up every other week).

[johnny9fingers]

True.
And valid.
My apologies if I appear irritable.

[fridi]

Just don't be surprised if another Michelle wins 2020, namely Bachmann. Or someone like her.

[garote]

According to the source, it clearly ain't just Republicans who agree with this. So why attack just them?

Or perhaps it's not worth answering that question, because this data is extrapolated from 0.000003% of the population.

[luzribeiro]

From your source:

"Unanimity starts to break down as we ask more grounded questions. While a plurality – 46% -- agree “most news outlets try their best to produce honest reporting”, there are very stark splits by the partisan identification of the respondent with most Democrats (68%) generally believing in the good intent of journalists, but comparatively few Republicans (29%)"

And, more relevant to the point,

"13% of Americans agree that “President Trump should close down mainstream news outlets, like CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times.” Here less than a quarter of Republicans (23%) agree along with fewer than one in ten Democrats (8%)."

As usual, the devil is in the details - if you care to look.

[garote]

Yes, the devil certainly is! Add Fox News to that list and I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that the Democrat percentage would double, or even triple.

[luzribeiro]

Ah, so it's the Fake News Media meme again.

Trumpism. You're doin' it good.

[mahnmut]

That's like saying liberals should shut up about Trump's racism and misogyny because there are racist Democrats too, and Bill Clinton had a woman suck his dick in the Oval Office.

[garote]

Errrr... not exactly. I’m just sayin’, the anti-press sentiment can’t be laid at the feet of Republicans alone, and doing so may be great for boosting revulsion for Republicans, but since it mischaracterizes the scope of the problem it may lead people to the wrong solutions.

Trump’s rhetoric is shitty, yes. But so is the behavior of the press to a far greater degree than non-Republicans are willing to admit. There is a systemic problem here, and it is not centered around Trump, it is centered around the way money is made in our current information apparatus and culture.

[mahnmut]

"I’m just sayin’"

I bet you are! :-)

[fridi]

Because 1/4 of Republican supporters (as opposed to 1/12 of Democrat) say they would support media censorship while still claiming to be free speech loving Constitution worshipers - that's why. It's all about the hypocrisy of twisting your own standards and purported principles as long as it suits your guy.

By the way, would you support shutting out media outlets for insulting politicians? What about the ones purposefully spreading falsehoods?