Below is my column in the New York Post on the Associated Press guideline for reporters to avoid calling Hamas a terrorist organization. Voice of America and other media outlets have made the same decision. This is not about supporting the Palestinian cause. It is about correctly describing a group that commits terrorist attacks as a terrorist organization.
Here is the column:
Confucius once said that “the beginning of wisdom is the ability to call things by their right names.”
That does not appear to be the approach of the Associated Press this week after the media organization told its reporters not to call Hamas fighters “terrorists” after they massacred civilians, raped women, and took a couple hundred hostages from Israel on Oct. 7.
The Voice of America issued its own instruction to avoid calling Hamas “terrorists.”
According to the AP, these fighters are to be called “militants” because the term “terrorist” has “become politicized.”
But there is nothing “politicized” in recognizing that Hamas intentionally targeted civilians, including mowing down unarmed participants at a peace concert.
They burned civilians alive in their homes and raped women.
They intentionally and systemically took civilian hostages, including children and the elderly.
The acts defined the actors. These were terrorist acts and those who committed them were by definition terrorists.
The International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism defines terrorism as “any … act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.”
The United Nations Security Council specifically includes with this definition “criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages.”
Nevertheless, the Associated Press reportedly issued an “Israel-Hamas Topical Guide,” which noted that “terrorism and terrorist have become politicized, and often are applied inconsistently.” Thus “the AP is not using the terms for specific actions or groups, other than in direct quotations.”
This isn’t the first time the AP has made strikingly artificial language choices.
For example, AP reporters were told to avoid using the word “surge” to describe the record number of migrants crossing the border.
Likewise, when there was violence and looting in various cities after the George Floyd killing, AP told its reporters to use “milder terms” like “unrest” rather than “riots.”
Yet when it came to January 6, AP routinely referred to the riot as an “insurrection” (here, here, here).
Notably, in one article titled “Riot? Insurrection? Words Matter in Describing the Capitol Siege,” the AP noted that other mainstream media were using “riot” but also raised the possible terms “sedition” and “coup attempt.”
For the record, I criticized President Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 speech while he was still giving it and wrote that his theory on the election and the certification challenge was unfounded.
I denounced the riot as a desecration of our constitutional process. However, it was not an insurrection, in my view. It was a protest that became a riot.
AP and some other outlets do not want to call it a riot not because it isn’t accurate, but because it is not sufficiently vilifying.
Conversely, the media are often eager to avoid “riot” as too judgmental.
Reporters actually told a chief of police not to use the word “riot” in reference to violence by protesters against police.
Similarly, as billions in property damages were occurring in various cities, Craig Melvin, an MSNBC host and co-anchor of “Today,” tweeted a “guide” that the images “on the ground” were not to be described as rioting but rather “protests.”
He noted, “This will guide our reporting in MN. While the situation on the ground in Minneapolis is fluid, and there has been violence, it is most accurate at this time to describe what is happening there as ‘protests’ — not riots.”
Polls have shown that most of the public view January 6 as a riot.
A CBS poll showed that 76% viewed it for what it was, a “protest gone too far.” The view that it was an actual “insurrection” was far less settled, with almost half rejecting the claim, a division breaking along partisan lines.
Obviously, people can disagree, but this would seem an obvious example where the AP would refrain from using the most loaded term of “insurrection” given the legal and factual contradictions in such usage.
The concern is that AP is showing bias in the use of such terms. Journalism schools now teach young reporters to follow an advocacy model in “leaving neutrality behind.”
Likewise, Stanford journalism professor Ted Glasser insisted that journalism needed to “free itself from this notion of objectivity to develop a sense of social justice.”
Recently, former executive editor for the Washington Post Leonard Downie Jr. and former CBS News president Andrew Heyward released their survey of leading journalists and outlets and also concluded that objectivity is now considered reactionary and even harmful.
Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor-in-chief at the San Francisco Chronicle, said it plainly: “Objectivity has got to go.”
Downie explained that news organizations now “believe that pursuing objectivity can lead to false balance or misleading ‘bothsidesism’ in covering stories about race, the treatment of women, LGBTQ+ rights, income inequality, climate change and many other subjects.
“And, in today’s diversifying newsrooms, they feel it negates many of their own identities, life experiences and cultural contexts, keeping them from pursuing truth in their work.”
That view was echoed by Kathleen Carroll, former executive editor at the Associated Press, who declared, “It’s objective by whose standard? … That standard seems to be White, educated, and fairly wealthy.”
The response of the public has been consistent and clear: Trust in the media is at an all-time low.
Roughly 40% of the public has zero trust in the media. Likewise, 50% of Americans believe that the media lie to them to advance their own agendas.
Much of that distrust has occurred over what were viewed as false descriptions.
The best example was the “Let’s Go Brandon” incident.
In that case, NBC reporter Kelli Stavast was doing an interview with race car driver Brandon Brown after he won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
During the interview, Stavast’s questions were drowned out by loud-and-clear chants of “F—k Joe Biden.” Stavast quickly declared, “You can hear the chants from the crowd, ‘Let’s go, Brandon!’ ”
“Let’s Go Brandon” has become a type of Yankee Doodling of the media by the public. It reflected an exasperation with framing and revisionism by the media in describing events.
There is no greater disconnect than describing an attack killing hundreds of unarmed civilians and taking hundreds of hostages as the acts of “militants.”
There is wisdom that comes from calling things by the right name. This was terrorism.
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
I find the definition of terrorism to be ambiguous at best. It implies that a government using a weapon that incidentally kills civilians is not terrorism. But if they shoot a weapon at a city controlled by terrorists, it could then be terrorism. This appears to be the viewpoint of many academicians, lawyers, and anti Israel commentators. Al Jazeera and friendly news outlets to Iran proclaim widely that Israel is a terrorist state. No one challenges that effectively. Biden and most of the West chooses to seek a truce with a terrorist that objects to getting shot back at.
Language is just a system of symbols we use to efficiently communicate facts.
A major theme of Orwell and several other dystopian authors is the maniipulation of language to distort the facts to manipulate people.
While there is SOME real effect to this, it is overall not possible to do more than manipulate perceptions at the margins.
Most people have a distorted view of J6 – not because of the ranting of democrats, and the media – WORDS, but because the only video they have seen of J6 is cherry picked by the media and the left showing only the worst of what happened.
Regardless, though people do not perfectly perceive reality – no amount of AP language manipulation is going to unring the bell of the attrocities that most are aware that Hamas has committed.
Further these acts tend to reinforce each other. Hamas beheading and burning babies, and raping women reinforces and is reinforced by the video of ISIS actors beheading journalists and tourists.
As May Angelou wrote when people show you who they are – beelive them the first time.
The aphorism “a picture is worth a thousand words” still rings true. No amount of AP language manipulation can alter the perception of Hamas that Hamas intentionally provided for us.
I am far less concerned about the lefts efforts to censor than those to misrepresent.
It is what we are not allowed to see and hear that has the most potent influence on us. Not misrepresentations of what we have seen.
An article I read elsewhere makes a compelling case that not only the intentional brutality of Hamas’s actions but the massive effort by the media, and students and others to celebrate that brutality and violence have driven a massive backlash that though large and real is not showing up on the news.
People know what terrorism is. And they know what lies are. When those like the AP or millenials or Gen Xers or … celebrate Hamas and blatantly lie the rest of us are not fooled.
Dear Prof Turley,
Perhaps the most famous saying of Confucius translates as: “Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.” Words to the wise.
War, and the abuse of power in general, is ‘terrorism’. The more power being abused, the more terrifying it is. Compared to war ‘all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance’.
After 20 years of the Bush/Cheney U.S.-led ‘global war on terror’ (GWOT), ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ is the refrain you’re more likely to hear at the UN these days.
It would appear that you – and many evangelical Christians – have finally found some common ground with Joe Biden: US/Israel funded Hamas is a terrorist organization and Israel has the ‘absolute right to defend itself’. Evidently, that includes bombing the besieged, imprisoned and helpless 2.3 million people in Gaza. Most of whom are women and children. Swept with confused ‘alarms of struggle and flight .. . where ignorant armies clash by night’.
*It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness. ~Confucius
I am going to park this right here
Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community … but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It’s the invasion of the idiots”
—Umberto Eco
Park it anywhere you want to.
Kinda ketchy reminds me of Hillary Clinton’s condescending ‘basketful of deplorables’ comments. Philosopher Roger Scruton, attacking Eco’s esoteric tendencies, writes that, “[Eco seeks] the rhetoric of technicality, the means of generating so much smoke for so long that the reader will begin to blame his own lack of perception, rather than the author’s lack of illumination, for the fact that he has ceased to see.”
*a Nobel Prize is no guarantee of knowledge .. . see Paul Krugman e.g.
Pace Mr Eco, there have been a couple of Nobel Peace Prize winners who were complete idiots. In political matters, I trust the “man at the bar” more than I trust the Nobel committee.
Was Umberto a Nobel Prize winner???
Hmmmmm…..
”Many Nobel Prize winners are morons.” —-Joe Schmo
“Was Umberto a Nobel Prize winner???”
No.
It was a rhetorical question.
The point being that the dude must therefore be an idiot.
We are all impressed with the wisdom of Confucius. Around 100 BC Hillel said something similar, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” He then commented that those words constituted the entire Torah. That remark was later than Confucius, but where did it come from? Leviticus, “You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your fellow as yourself. I am the Lord.” The meaning of this quote is the essence of the Golden Rule.
The Tenakh was written about 1,300 BCE. Confucius lived about 800 years later. Read further to obtain a deeper meaning, and you will learn that man has a right to protect himself.
I guess tradition trumps truth. Most scholars have held that the tanakh was completed around 450 BC, since the 1600s. One thing is for certain. It was NOT written by Moses.
That’s because he had lousy handwriting.
Jimmy, it depends on what you wish to believe. Religious Jews believe Moses wrote the Tanakh and passed down oral law. Science provides different dates, but science isn’t certain. Nothing is certain. Maybe science will find it was written earlier, and the Bible will be closer to the truth. Maybe science will find that Moses wrote only a few sentences of the Tanakh, and that sentence was one of them, or maybe science will one day confirm that Moses wrote it all. Who knows?
Did you get your Covid shot so you can’t transmit Covid to other people? 🙂
Fair enough. My point was just that we dont know, but preferentially using faith rather than evidence is a fool’s errand, imo. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. But once you’ve seen it, faith becomes moot.
In fact, i would argue that your example proves my point. People who believed the vaccine would prevent them from spreading Covid did so on faith, and not on evidence.
“Fair enough. My point was just that we dont know, but preferentially using faith rather than evidence is a fool’s errand”
Jimmy, it is hard to distinguish fact from everything else. Was Newton right or wrong? He was wrong based on later science but correct when it has to do with our daily lives.
What is the importance of facts? They help us make better decisions, but sometimes things that develop over the millennium, like the Tanakh, help us make better decisions than facts not dealing with the problem under consideration.
I wish not to push religion, but remarkably, Old Testament writings, with the Midrash, Mishnah, and commentary, permit us to live a better life than we would with facts alone.
I believe we have little significant disagreements on this, but we might weigh fact and faith differently.
I would say that is accurate.
Imagine major media organizations actually having a debate about whether the Nazis were really all that bad, and perhaps they were misunderstood freedom fighters. Suppose the president of Turkey, American politicians, and and professors at prestigious American universities began expressing “exhilaration” at the gassing of the Jews because, well, they were a little too good with money, right, so didn’t they have it coming?
As crazy as that sounds, that is actually what is happening today in America, Canada, and the UK. These really are bizarro times. And it’s littlewonder that many Jews have concluded that “never again” is “right now.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/never-again-is-now-german-companies-condemn-hamas-terror-stand-with-israel/
Very good comment, OldMan. While we have any number of policy disagreements between our two major political parties, there should be unanimous condemnation of terrorist acts, period. To be silent on this condemnation is tantamount to supporting the atrocities at the hands of terrorists.
I wonder if those unable to call what Hamas did as an act of terrorism truly understand what is at stake for Israel. The closest comparison that comes readily to mind is the Mexican Cartels vs the United States. Those siding with Hamas vs Israel would side with the Cartels vs the United States. And Iran is to Hamas as China is to the Cartels.
It is not that the left has refused to condemn these attrocities, it is that they have attempted – in massive numbers to condone and ever celebrate them.
Israel and Hamas are almost a side issue.
The fact that the left is supporting Hamas attrocities touches on absolutely EVERYTHING.
How can you rant about an alleged insurection, about incitement to violence when at the same time you are elevating and legitimizing those who celebrate beheading and burning babies ?
This destroys ay claims of moral superiority by those on the left.
This makes many – especially many on the left – even the far left rethink how close they wish to be standing to people who are cheering on these attrocities.
All of us hope that the civilian casualties when Israel moves to destroy Hamas are low.
Many of us will be atleast minimally critical of every single death of a palestinian civilian.
But the vast majority of us still grasp that there is no moral equivalence between those that deliberately commit heinous attrocities against women,. children and babies.
And trying to determine the acceptable number of civilian deaths when trying to root out terrorist monsters.
This is not self evident from the news. But several sources are reporting that Oct 7 has proven the woke turning point for very large numbers of people.
Prof. Turkley is writing about the manipulation of language – and he is right. But language is just the symbols we use to communicate facts.
Manipulation of word can not change what we have seen.
Many many many on the left have now found themselves uncomfortably close to thousands who are out there protesting now in favor of those who beheaded and burned babies and raped women and children.
The choice of the left to uncritially identify with those who are 10,0000 miles away from their own values, has always threatened to be a contradiction that was beyond most peoples abili9ty to accept.
Whatever ytou may feel about the right of palestinian people to some form of self determination, Whyen their elected leadership condones rape, beheading burning of women and children, When the left in this country and accross the world champions that conduct and tries to engage in language manipulation and blatantly false efforts at moral equivalence. Large numbers of people say “enough”.
Old Man…
Not surprising unfortunately.
Go back in time and you’d see antiSemitism in the UK, US, Canada …
You’d also see that the Palestinians have strong ties to Nazis.
I forget the name of the movie… staring Gregory Peck as Mr. Green
What you see today is a lot of antisemisitm which is based on lies and ignorance of the truth and history.
-G
OldManFromKS,
Good thought provoking comment.
Thank you.
.
Students project anti-Israel, anti-GW messages onto library, sparking outcry
https://gwhatchet.com/2023/10/25/students-project-anti-israel-anti-gw-messages-onto-library-sparking-outcry/
When someone tells you they support terrorists and terrorism, believe them.
Trump got slapped with a $10,000 fine for violating gag order. This judge doesn’t play around.
Wow, that’s just so interesting. I mean really, really interesting!
That’s right! She is going to silence Trump if it is the last thing she does.
Wrong Case.
It was a he.
That case is a farce and James should be slapped w prosecutorial misconduct. Along with the judge being censured for violating his canons.
Look at it this way.
Imagine a prosecutor seeing a couple having sex in a back alley behind a club.
Both the man and the woman said that the sex was consensual.
Yet the prosecutor says… no, its rape because he lied to you when he said he wasn’t married.
So the prosecutor charges the man w rape because the prosecutor knows rape when they saw it.
That’s the absurdity of this trial.
The law being used requires that there be an underlying criminal act of fraud being alleged. No one other than James is alleging that.
There is no victim.
-G
You write:
“The law being used requires that there be an underlying criminal act of fraud being alleged. No one other than James is alleging that. There is no victim.”
Apparently not in NY based on some reading I’ve done. Simply the act of filling out the form inaccurately (or estimating property values in a way that can be called inaccurate) is against the law. I used to read this blog frequently because the author would address interesting legal points like this. But for the last year, it has been all Hunter Biden all the time
“Simply the act of filling out the form inaccurately (or estimating property values in a way that can be called inaccurate) is against the law.” If this is accurate, it would require the state to determine a loan value on every privately owned parcel, yes? If so, then which state entity determines a property’s loan value vs. assessed value for taxes vs. the price/value listed for the same property when it’s for sale?
It’s New York’s “Executive Law 62-12.” Again, all I’m suggesting is that this blog by a law professor would be better if its author returned it to its roots and wrote about issues like this and stayed away from stuff the vast majority of Americans could care less about
Understood. The law gives the AG broad powers to investigate.
I’m a simple man with a simple question. How does a business loan that’s been paid back on time with agreed terms turn into ‘crime’, after the fact?
” Simply the act of filling out the form inaccurately (or estimating property values in a way that can be called inaccurate) is against the law.”
Opinions about the value of a property cannot be illegal. False statements of fact can be, but the falsity must be intentional and involve a specific criminal law.
I am very familiar with NYC real estate, and what makes the field exciting is there is no established price until a sale takes place.
Agreed. I admit I’m not watching the trial very closely. Does anyone know how did the court determined, and by how much, Trump ‘overvalued’ the asset used to obtain the loan and how much was that amount over the bank’s appraised value? If the bank only loaned the amount based on the appraised value and the loan is now paid in full, I’m inclined to ask, as the late great Clara Peller might, “Where’s the fraud?”
I hope she keeps it up – we can see the democratic version of political terrorism in action.
Turley claims that the public distrusts media and many believe it lies to them. This is directly attributable to the “media” he works for that has been PROVEN to lie–the Smartmatic case is a prime example. Then, there are the other pro-Trump “media” that exist solely to push the anti-Biden, anti-Democrat and pro-Trump agenda. That’s literally ALL they do, and all of these pro-Trump media constantly attack other media for “failing” to “tell the truth”–meaning not hounding about the “Hunter Biden Scandal” or attacking Democrats in Congress or defending Trump or accusing prosecutors who are bringing to justice Trump, his enablers and fans who tried to overturn the 2020 election. . They NEVER cover the positive things the Biden Administration has done. Trump’s employer pushed the Big Lie, downplayed the insurrection as just a “protest”, and downplayed and lied about the Mueller investigation. Their “hosts” are a joke–nothing but pundits. Mark Levin endlessly pushes the “Biden Crime Family” trope, accuses JOE Biden of committing crimes, all without any evidence, and Turley has done the same. And drunken fake “judge” Jeannine pushes the “Trump Derangement Syndrome” theme constantly–a made up term designed to accuse anyone who criticizes Trump of mental illness. The damage he has done to America and our institutions is almost incalculable. These “media” have stolen the good will created by actual journalists by calling themselves “news” organizations, which they are not. News Max cut away during Biden’s recent speech because it was so powerful and postive and proved he was up to the job of being the leader of the free world. Can’t have that. News Max covers Trump rallies, which are NOT newsworthy, other than the endless lies, and, recently, he confused the leaders of Turkey and Hungary–so it proves he doesn’t have a clue. They all attack mainstream media, just as Turley’s little trash piece today has done. How dare the AP not call Hamas “terrorists”? The AP made a decision not to use this word because it is political. THAT’s what you call journalism–being objective–something Turley knows nothing about, proven by the fact, for example, that his employer endlessly claims JOE Biden is a criminal, even though there’s no proof.
Here’s the very broad definition of “terrorism” cited by Turley was: ““any … act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.” This is just ONE definition of the word–there are others. Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza arguably fits under this definition. Israel claims it is targeting Hamas, but Hamas is everywhere and the hostages haven’t been released–so what reason is there for the endless bombing other than to kill Palestinians? Also, Israel has cut off water, petrol, food, electricity, gas and internet service, plus any means of escape for civilians. What is the intent of doing this other than “…to intimidate a population or to compel a government or international organization to do or abstain from an act”? It is reported that 5,800 Palestinian civilians have been killed, that thousands are suffering and that more will die due to lack of food and water. The number of homeless are in the thousands. Hospitals are in dire straits. There was footage last night of dead children being pulled from the rubble of a building Israel bombed. How can any of this suffering and death brought about by Israel be explained as anything other than seeking vengeance? The Palestinian people are also victims of Hamas.
And, the “Let’s go Brandon” chant is one of those cutesy little memes used by the ignoramuses who fell for Trumpism not, as Turley claims “…..a type of Yankee Doodling of the media by the public.” It does not “…. reflect… an exasperation with framing and revisionism by the media in describing events.” It’s just dumbasses who think they’re being clever. They know that media won’t broadcast the “F” word.
“They NEVER cover the positive things the Biden Administration has done.”
That is a total and blatant lie. They cover everything that Biden has done.
You can choose if it’s that part that was a lie, or if the lie is that Biden has done anything positive.
Oh, that’s right, you disagree with the 76% who admit the country is headed in the wrong direction or the 85% who don’t think Bidenomics is working.
And poor baby doesn’t like “Let’s Go Brandon”? What a pity.
“It is reported that 5,800 Palestinian civilians have been killed”
It was reported by the same people who reported that the hospital was turned to rubble. But we know when they are lying the same as when we know you are, Gigi. When your lips (keyboard) is moving.
You claim Joe Biden hasn’t done anything positive? If you think this, it’s because you are a disciple to alt-right media and the cult of Trump. Among other accomplishments, Biden got passed the Chips Act, the Infrastructure Act, the Debt Ceiling Act, the Inflation Control Act and other legislation that benefits everyone. The Inflation Control Act will allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. He has mended relations with our NATO and EU allies. He turned around the economic disaster left by the orange one you worship into the best unemployment rate in 50 years. He is bringing inflation under control, brought about by Trump’s stupid trade war and the shortages of consumer goods and computer chips that resulted. Biden got COVID under control, too, so Americans are no longer dying in record numbers. You say it is a “lie” that Biden has done anything positive. YOU are the liar. Those who think the country is headed in the wrong direction are pathetically uninformed, just like you are. They believe the steady drumbeat of attacks by Fox and other alt-right media. They blame Biden for things like migrants swarming our border–when it is Congresss that has failed to act to change our asylum laws. Present law allows anyone to apply for asylum. If Republicans don’t like this, why don’t they sit down with Democrats and change the law? Why don’t they? So they can blame Joe Biden for migrants swarming our southern border–and, the blame-shifting is working.
I SAID ‘it was reported” that 5,800 Palestinians have died–this is from the BBC and multiple other foreign news sources actually present in Gaza–are they liars? Where do you get off calling any one a liar for repeating what reliable news media report? You do this because you are part of the cult of Trump and are indoctrinated into attacking anyone who doesn’t agree with your personal views. You don’t speak for “we”–meaning most people.
Didn’t read any of your copy pasta from your George Soros handlers. There is one good thing Brandon did this past week then likely wasn’t reported. He had a bowel movement. Since you’re a “Nurse Practitioner” with an earned MSN Degree, you know that……
you’re so full of schlitz, dude
Ok, here we go again. Just repeating a lie doesn’t make it true. You’ve been told that ad nauseum.
But since you insist on doubling down on stupid, I will destroy your response, line by line, even though I know you’ll either just run away again or repeat the same lies and claim its from “reputable sources”.
You claim Joe Biden hasn’t done anything positive? If you think this, it’s because you are a disciple to alt-right media and the cult of Trump.
Several lies here.
1. I am not a “cult45er”. Didn’t vote for him in either election, but I will this time because of a)people like you and b) Biden is destroying our country.
2. I guess you didn’t read the part about how SEVENTY SIX PERCENT think the country is headed in the WRONG direction. So now 76% are disciples of alt-right media?
3. You can LIE and call Fox News alt-right all you want, and I’m sure it looks like that to you in pink-o land, but it will NEVER be true and EVERY TIME you say it, it reduces your already pitiful credibility and frankly, just makes you look foolish. Using the term is much more a reflection of who and what YOU are, than those you seek to disparage. As evidence, take a look at the RATINGS, dum dum. Which single network do a LARGE plurality of people watch? Alt-right suggests a fringe or non-mainstream viewpoint. In fact, why don’t you look up the definition right now and get back to us?
Among other accomplishments, Biden got passed the Chips Act, the Infrastructure Act, the Debt Ceiling Act, the Inflation Control Act and other legislation that benefits everyone.
First Lie… There is NO SUCH THING as the Inflation Control Act House Resolution Number 5376 is called the INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. And IT is a lie perpetrated on ill and under-informed Americans, because it admittedly does nothing to reduce inflation. It was passed thru the Senate WITHOUT bipartisan support, as is the norm, under a process known as reconciliation, which the Dems used repeatedly to pass legislation that was not suitable for compromise. By the way, who was the final Dem holdout and why did he/she finally agree to vote yes? Go look it up, because I know you have no clue.
Infrastructure Act. Name ONE thing that has or will be accomplished in your district from this act. $550 Billion in new spending, what a FANTASTIC accomplishment from a guy who unveiled the plan at $4 TRILLION.
Chips Act Now you’re just trying to make us laugh. Was that the Act that caused gas prices to soar to over $4.00 a gallon or mortgage rates to skyrocket to 8%? By the way, Gigi, you never told us all how much more a person has to spend on a $250k home at 8%, than they do at 3%. Let’s put it this way, even at $4 a gallon, it would buy A LOT of gas.
Debt Ceiling Act You call this an accomplishment that he “got passed”? Jeezus, can’t you be serious for even one second? The “no negotiation, clean raise the debt ceiling” Joe? Why did it get passed Gigi, do you even know? Go look it up and report back.
He has mended relations with our NATO and EU allies.
Really?? How exactly did he do that? By telling them they really don’t have to pay 2% of GDP, as they promised they would? No. By parading his sorry POS son around with him all over Europe? No. Who did you speak to at NATO that said everything was much better now?
He turned around the economic disaster left by the orange one you worship into the best unemployment rate in 50 years.
You keep getting schooled on this LIE and yet you just keep repeating it.
a) “orange one you worship” proves my earlier point that you are the poster child for TDS. It’s no wonder you don’t like the term. You seek to discredit someone by using the phrase, but it only discredits you.
b) not a fan of trump, but even less a fan of 8% inflation, $4 gas, and DOUBLING my house payment due to interest.
c) Unemployment numbers mean NOTHING, and this imbecilic argument of yours has been torched many times before. First of all, that is a number of people actively seeking employment. Actually, its not even that right now…its the number of people collecting a check until it runs out and they move on to the next READILY AVAILABLE job. There are 12 million more jobs than workforce and that IS NOT because of Biden. Trumps numbers pre-pandemic were comparable, and better in the brown and black communities. And the rest of his pre-pandemic economy put Biden’s to literal SHAME. PERIOD. You need a new talking point, that one ain’t flying here or anywhere outside your bubble.
He is bringing inflation under control, brought about by Trump’s stupid trade war and the shortages of consumer goods and computer chips that resulted.
OMG is there no limit to your audacious falsehoods? First, the inflation BIDEN created isn’t “under control”, nor will it be in the foreseeable future. Also, inflation is cumulative. I am trying real hard not to call you names like ignorant and stupid, but the further I read, the harder it gets. Inflation isn’t brought on by “trade wars”. Where did you get that?? WTF do you think happens when you start printing $6 TRILLION? It makes your dollar worth LESS. Do you understand that? Because if you don’t, there is no discussing this with you. You should just stop and let the grownups talk. When your dollar is worth less, it takes more of them to buy the same goods. Also, the price of fuel affects the price of EVERYTHING, including the cost to make EVERYTHING and the cost to deliver EVERYTHING and the cost to do EVERYTHING. And I am laughing my a$$ off at the last assertion. Those shortages had nothing to do with the pandemic??? Just stop.
“Biden got COVID under control, too, so Americans are no longer dying in record numbers.”
ANOTHER LIE. What did “Biden” DO to get it under control? As I recall, he caught it himself? How the heck did that happen? In fact the multi boosted, masked moron has had it TWICE! Every time he did, how did he get it? From someone he knew had it??? No! So how many people did he unknowingly give it to? You call that “Biden got it under control”? Sounds to me like the only thing he personally did was SPREAD it. You can’t possibly have this small of an intellect. You seriously don’t know why the virus has waned and why less people are dying? Biden? WTF? A magic wand? Get a grip. Less people are dying because the virus isn’t as prevalent and many of the most vulnerable are ALREADY DEAD. MORE THAN HALF of them AFTER BIDEN took office, IN SPITE of the fact that he had a VACCINE and THERAPEUTICS. Explain that, if its the Presidents fault how many people die. Biden is why less people are dying now??? I mean, how to even reason with someone that insists on acting that stupid?
Those who think the country is headed in the wrong direction are pathetically uninformed, just like you are.
WOW, talk about some DENIAL! I say 76% and you say they are uninformed, and you have the answers. Does 76% of the country watch this media you speak of? They look out their door, at the gas prices, at the food prices, at their house payment, at their bank accounts, at their record credit card bills, at the drag queen story hour, at the corruption in the white house, at the idiots on our college campuses. They don’t need you, me or ANYONE else to GIVE THEM THEIR OPINION, you numbskull. Is that what you want, to give everyone their opinion? It is, isn’t it? Admit it. You want to “inform” them, so they won’t pay attention to their bank accounts or their children’s failures or the depravity around them. Reprogramming, that’s the answer.
They blame Biden for things like migrants swarming our border–
Gee, why would they do that when he said “We want people to SURGE to the boarder”, during the Presidential primary debates. Remember that?
when it is Congress that has failed to act to change our asylum laws. Present law allows anyone to apply for asylum. No, it doesn’t. What change in the asylum law will fix it, GIgi??? You got the answer??
ANOTHER LIE. To legally apply for asylum, you MUST enter through a port of entry. Anyone entering illegally between ports of entry is to be a) immediately deported on the first attempt and b)arrested on the second attempt. Our asylum laws also do not allow for asylum on the basis of economic status. But Nancy Pelosi said the quiet part out loud didn’t she? “We need them to pick the cwops” (meaning crops, but she talks like elmer fudd with those falsies).
If Republicans don’t like this, why don’t they sit down with Democrats and change the law? Why don’t they? So they can blame Joe Biden for migrants swarming our southern border–and, the blame-shifting is working.
The President has all the power he needs to fix this. He doesn’t want to. We all know why. Nancy told us.
Who shall we blame for lifting “remain in Mexico”? Hint—–BIDEN
I SAID ‘it was reported” that 5,800 Palestinians have died–this is from the BBC and multiple other foreign news sources actually present in Gaza–are they liars?
Where did they get their info Gigi the LIAR? Like I said, from the same source that said the hospital was flattened by the Israelis and over 500 people died. F-ing lies. And when you repeat them, you’re a LIAR. You’ve had this explained to you before. They lied about the hospital. Is there ANY possibility at all that they are not lying about the casualty count? I seriously doubt it. And YOU have no idea. So using those numbers to make a point is at the least inauthentic. I use the term liar instead because you have repeatedly shown yourself to be one.
You do this because you are part of the cult of Trump and are indoctrinated into attacking anyone who doesn’t agree with your personal views.
I was a well informed conservative long before Trump came along. Just look at how I use real source material and proper terminology and you use “media outlets” and vague BS. (Inflation Control Act??? Where’d you get that one??) You miss the mark again, as you have done many times in attempting to disparage someone’s views, because you think that Trump created the populist movement. That is why you are going to lose “bigly” in 2024, whether Trump is in jail or not.
And by the way, the populist movement didn’t create Trump either. YOU did.
Exemply gratia:
“Elections have consequences”—BHO’s excuse for ruling by fiat
Abolish the filibuster and then—
Add 4 Dem Senators
Pack the Supreme Court
Abolish the Electoral College
Who would do such a thingDEMOCRATS
Why? So they never have to deal with that pesky “minority” again.
We will see who “most people” are next year brainiac.
@Jimmy,
There you go again fibbing.
Its a proven fact that the MSM doesn’t cover the positive things Joe has done because they can’t find anything.
Lets face it they cover something Biden has done and try to put a positive spin on things… that is until the story falls apart.
I mean there was one month when inflation subsided and Joe tries to take credit.
The MSM covered that… but then it came out… the small drop that he took credit for… still didn’t erase the larger overall inflation that he created.
Gigi is a lost cause liberal who has a bad case of TDS.
All Brandon has done… is to help further prove Trump’s actions were the right call.
Yes Orange man bad… but who cares when he’s doing the right thing.
I mean JFK… had his way with the ladies in the WH.. who cared when he was doing a good job?
-G
“Trump Derangement Syndrome” theme constantly–a made up term designed to accuse anyone who constantly criticizes Trump and blames him for everything of mental illness.
Fixed that for ya
LMAO about made up terms, from a lefty. Shall I name a few?
“It is reported that 5,800 [Gazans] have been killed, that thousands are suffering and that more will die due to” the fact that their terrorist government, Hamas, invaded Israel and viciously murdered some 1,200 of its citizens.
Now the statement is an accurate reflection of reality.
Israel was founded on terrorism.
Netanyahu created Hamas (to counter the PLO, has supported ISIS against Syria’s elected government, and is committing ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians.
And when he is done, the world will be a better place.
Israel was founded on terrorism.
Netanyahu created Hamas (to counter the PLO), has supported ISIS against Syria’s elected government, and is committing ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinians.
That sounds like a Blueanon conspiracy theory.
He’s just your typical nucken futs old man, has nothing better to do than engage in cray cray comments, as his twitter handle indicates. Oh, and lots of photos of decapitated heads too. Lovely old man.
https://twitter.com/wootendw/media
This statement is as stupid as can be. The PLO was violent and Hamas pretended they wanted peace and to help Gaza. They lied. It was up to the Gazan people to choose their leaders, not Israel. Hamas quickly changed Gaza, so no free vote ever occurred again. Then Hamas became violent against Israel and even their own people.
Israel was founded on the principles of Torah, and was defensive in nature.
The Hatred on Our Doorsteps
“Last Tuesday, Free Press staffers arrived for work in New York to discover antisemitic graffiti sprayed on hallway walls outside of our office. F**k Israel and F**k Jews, read the messages. The graffiti was found on three floors of the building as well as in the freight elevator. At the time of this writing, the police have not identified any suspects, but they are investigating it as a hate crime.”
https://www.thefp.com/p/the-hatred-on-our-doorsteps-antisemitism
Speaking of terrorism, so the cult “elected” a new speaker of the house. He’s pro-insurrectionist, so does he take the oath of office to the constitution, or a loyalty oath to the Dear Leader? What oath do future cult members do if elected, is it to the constitution or loyalty to Trump?
The only cult member is you to the cult of TDS.
You not answering the question tells me exactly who you are.
If the media is taking sides in favor of one political party over another, aren’t they acting as political action committees in which case they’re required by law to register as a PAC? Or are they giving illegal, in-kind campaign contributions to one political party in excess of the legal limits? Can’t they be prosecuted accordingly?
“Yes, Hamas is Legally, Morally, and Factually a Terrorist Organization”
– Professor Turley
____________________
Is Barack Hussein Obama a terrorist?
Hamas supporters held rallies in Jakarta.
There is a celebrated statue of Barack Hussein “Barry-I’m-An-Indonesian-Citizen-On-My-HS-Application-Soetoro” Obama in Jakarta.
https://youtu.be/W31xdl05prU
https://youtu.be/W31xdl05prU
They learned from the best… There is no greater terrorist in the Planet than the United States of Terrorism. And I for sure do not understand the surprise! IsRaEl was gladly funding them indirectly now they are paying the just price for such adventure.
When did the IRA dissolve?
The Irish Republican Army (1922–1969), the anti-treaty IRA which fought and lost the civil war and thereafter refused to recognize either the Irish Free State or Northern Ireland, deemed both of them to be the creations of British imperialism. It existed in one form or another for over 40 years before it split in 1969.
– Wiki
so to then is the United States, government, Israeli government, etc. etc. etc.
The Orwellian-ness of AP deciding which words mean what on this day or that, is not going unnoticed. Yet, like all legacy media, AP left it’s credibility in the rearview mirror long ago. It simply doesn’t care about attracting the largest readership possible. It only cares about manipulating the shrinking numbers in it’s audience knowing full well their syndicate members will nod along like bubbleheads.
“The Orwellian-ness of AP deciding which words mean what on this day or that, is not going unnoticed.”
– JAFO
________
“It’s the [communism], stupid!”
– James Carville
__________________
It’s a communist continuum, of which AP is merely a symptom.
Enslavement and Dictatorship vs. Freedom and Self-Reliance.
Dictators are gonna dictate.
Dupes are gonna be duped.
Karl Marx and Abraham Lincoln were fellow travelers.
The entire communist American welfare state is the very antithesis of the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the American Founders and Framers and is absolutely unconstitutional.
American freedom will be restored only after the communist effects of Lincoln are erased.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
“These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people.”
– Abraham Lincoln, from his first speech as an Illinois state legislator, 1837
_______________________________________________________________________________
“Everyone now is more or less a Socialist.”
– Charles Dana, managing editor of the New York Tribune, and Lincoln’s assistant secretary of war, 1848
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“The goal of Socialism is Communism.”
– Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
________________________
“They consider…that it fell to…Abraham Lincoln…to lead his country through…the RECONSTRUCTION of a social world.”
– Karl Marx to Abraham Lincoln, 1865 https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/iwma/documents/1864/lincoln-letter.ht
Professor Turley oddly insists the CBS poll he cites about the American public’s reaction to the January 6 storming of the Capitol shows “the view that it was an actual ‘insurrection’ was far less settled.” The CBS poll shows 55% of Americans would describe the actions of the people who forced their way into the Capitol on January 6, 2021 as an insurrection.
The professor clearly disagrees with the Senate Republican leader about “using the most loaded term of “insurrection” given the legal and factual contradictions in such usage.”
McConnell: “It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election.”
That doesn’t stop Turley from asserting that “almost half (of Americans) rejected the (insurrection) claim, a division breaking along partisan lines.”
As Confucius says “The object of the superior man is the truth.”
What did Confucius say about moronic trolls that infest and try to take over a website’s comment section?
Ah, yes, the predictable school yard insults aimed at any American who dares make any dissenting comments to Professor Turley’s posts.
Infesting & trying to take over this website comments section? I greatly look forward to your next, well crafted, juvenile putdowns.
Don’t bother with his juvenile putdowns. Allow me.
How do those boogers taste?
ILLEGAL ACTS ADVERSELY EFFECTED THE 2020 ELECTION
______________________________________________________________
“It’s the [law], stupid!”
– James Carville
__________________
Illegal acts are commonly referred to as crimes or criminal acts, your convoluted and absurd prevarication and equivocation notwithstanding.
Just as Lincoln illegally and unconstitutionally denied fully constitutional secession, incurring deleterious effects to this day, you arbitrarily ignore and nullify the law.
You simply don’t get to do that —-, comrade!
__________________________________________________
“AG Paxton Sues Battleground States for Unconstitutional Changes to 2020 Election Laws”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the United States Supreme Court. The four states exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to justify ignoring federal and state election laws and unlawfully enacting last-minute changes, thus skewing the results of the 2020 General Election. The battleground states flooded their people with unlawful ballot applications and ballots while ignoring statutory requirements as to how they were received, evaluated and counted.
– Attorney General of Texas https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-sues-battleground-states-unconstitutional-changes-2020-election-laws
A “violent insurrection,” with absolutely no intent or hope of “overthrowing” the government, by unarmed Capitol tourists who were escorted by Capitol police and encouraged by covert FBI “agitators,” all captured on camera.
With the sole exception of that rabid misogynist murderer gripping a nine-millimeter, whose heart was so filled with terror and “stricken with fear” by an unarmed, 5-foot-2, 115-pound female, he was compelled, not to physically restrain, not to shoot to disable, but to shoot to instantaneously kill by the administration of a round through the throat, neck, carotid arteries, and cervical spine.
“Professor Turley oddly insists . . .”
Given your malicious habit of intentionally distorting JT’s ideas and arguments, it is beyond me why a single person reads one word of your comments.
Darren Smith, why don’t the YouTube or video images appear rather than simply the URLs?
Which video URL does this site require—the one in the address bar at the top of the PC page or one of the several that pop up on a right click of the video itself?
Also, why doesn’t the WordPress sign-in block provide the “remember me” box option?
George , it took me sometime to figure this out.
If you put the YouTube address up 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, the Video’s Image will appear.
If you put the YouTube address up 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, the Video’s Hyperlink will appear.
It just a WordPress thing. Hope that helps.
Thank you. I appreciate your familiarity with WordPress. Do you also know how to cause WordPress to “remember me,” that is, to remember my log-in data? I am compelled to enter the same data upon every posting of comments. Gracias, eres muy amable, amigo.
Not sure, I think that has more to do with your Operating System rather than WordPress. If you are dumping your Cookies regularly that may effect the ‘remembrance’.
𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐬
By: Scott Reilly
https://wordpress.org/plugins/remember-me-controls/
I don’t use the Remember Me option cause I still don’t trust these confounded machines.
I seldom clear my machine. In any case, cearing all “history” causes my Windows 11 to require re-entry only one time, after which it remembers. WordPress on this Turley blog has removed the “remember me” box deliberately and without good reason, from this user’s perspective. Previously, there was a “remember me” box on this WordPress site that provided the option to commenters.
Now you get the same thing by hitting the email button (as opposed to the FB or WordPress button) when you go to Enter
George
Not knowing Word Presses architecture or cloud management or who they use such as AWS, Oracle, Unisys, their own or others, they may reason the requirement to retain individual users sign-in data is too many bits of storage (which costs $).
Do you reenter your data every time you post?