The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
American journalists have been complicit in these evils of the America Empire. Each time America commits atrocities, they claim that these violations are against American values and, therefore, proof of what America is not. Yet when countries like China or Russia commit similar violations, the same journalists present them as proof of who/what these countries are. This jingoism (we are good and the others are bad or evil) has been the bedrock of American media and academic presentation of others.
In fact Trump is the first American president to have the honesty to admit that America kills people and, therefore, lacks the moral authority to judge Russia and its president, Vladmir Putin. It seems to me that the only crime Trump has committed is to refuse to play by Washington’s rulebook of hypocrisy, self-deception and deceit that has characterised the alliance between media and power in America. He has also refused to massage the inflated egos of the Washington press corps and that is why he is under attack.
The America system has come under increasing stress lately because of the inequities the media has for far too long ignored. While America has sustained economic growth, this has only concentrated income at the top. The income of the median household in America has not increased in real terms since 1973. In fact the income of the top one percent is now equal to the income of the bottom 90%. Most Americans have increased consumption through accumulating debt rather than increasing their income.
This disconnect between the claim that America is a prosperous society with the reality of stagnating real incomes of the poor and middle classes and ever growing indebtedness has led to popular anger. In the absence of a counter ideology to challenge the hegemony of unrestrained free market fundamentalism, people are turning to demagogues – and there comes Trump. Ironically, Trump is the ultimate representative of the wealthy, white patriarchal order that rules America. He, therefore, cannot be a threat to it.
Trump has grown his political brand by articulating a narrow-minded nationalism with overt racism and sexism. But he has done exactly what the most successful American politicians have always done i.e. divert the anger of poor white Americans from the system that has impoverished them by inventing pseudo enemies in Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims and immigrants. But this has been the practice of Americans politicians both Democratic and Republican, liberal and conservative best illustrated by Ian Lopez in his book, `Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middleclass’.
The difference between Trump and other American politicians is that he is not sophisticated in articulating the prejudices of his society. This form, not the substance of his positions, is what has brought him into conflict with the status quo. He has refused to play by the rulebook of coded racial messages American politicians and media employ when dealing with these issues. He has stripped the American system bare by holding a mirror before it; and America doesn’t like the reflection. I think this is the reason everyone is fighting him.
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amwenda@independent.co.ug
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editor@independent.co.ug
This is Andrew Mwenda’s most accurate article – though it is biased towards the right wing view.
It is well written and provides a pretty accurate picture of the United States and the lie that America has always projected to the rest of the world – that “she is the land of the brave and the free”. Americans are neither free nor brave. The illusion of the “American dream” is just that – an illusion.
Granted, America had made gigantic strides – however, most of the economy is held in the hands of a few white men.
African Americans, Latinos have been largely locked out if the economy – and continue to be brutalized – (the evidence is all over the Internet – on YouTube).
The emperor is indeed naked.
The best names in the wold for men are Andrew and Ian.
The press is both good and bad its good in the sense that they carry out investigative journalism where alot is unearthed.Recently, i read about Leon Lee who received an award from the prestigious Peadody Board. She carried out an investigation on China’s illegal Organ Trade where it was discovered that body parts of prisoners were removed after execution. ,She further revealed that practitioners of Falon Gong in China would have their body organs removed this revelation was followed up by the UN.
Because of journalists,incidences of Famine,War,Sexual Slavery and voluntary slavery etc have been exposed.
The press builds and kills people (they have become a terrorist organization) they killed Princess Diana they have deprived the rich and famous of their privacy in USA, every famous family has a reporter whose job is to follow celebrities.just go to any airport in USA journalists sleep on the floor waiting for any celebrity to turn up i am told they track them thru travel bureaus since they have their travel itinerary .
In this era of financial stress,most media houses thrive on blackmail and extortion it has worked for them coz the wealthy have weakness for women and money.
I dont know whether its by coincidence or deliberate that all prominent news organizations are owned by rich families e.g Rupert Murdoch owns Fox News,21st Century Fox,Philanthropist George Peabody owns the company that recognizes great journalists back in E.Africa Aga Khan owners the biggest and most successful media house in the region i strongly believe that they have interest in the media coz the media owners know that govt’s are their biggest advertisers and 2ndly they know that they blunder alot so once it a while they are willing to buy off stories that would taint their image.
Every media mogul in USA supports a specific party so it should not surprise anyone that Trump is haunted by the press
Trump has made the world believe that USA is a ordinary State with similar economic,social and political challenges His heart is full of courage not anger.
During inauguration of the USA presidents, the handing over of gold codes/Nuclear football to the imcoming POTUS is a ritual that is carried out in private when one reads such, you can pee in your pants.
This article is full of half truths. To suggest that Trump hasn’t been lying and misrepresenting the truth is to indulge in being his useful fool. The difference between the liberals and the conservatives is that the liberals do not easily acknowledge the wrongs that are being perpetrated on daily basis in America. They put their heads in the sand like the ostrich. The conservative side which includes Trump lie and deceive but when they are caught in the act they brush it aside as if nothing wrong happened. It is their country after all. Trump has been constantly stepping on his message during and after the elections. His tweets are replete with contradictions of himself and his subordinates most people, including American allies, have just become jaded or indifferent to it. A sign that if you keep telling lies over and over again soon or later the opposition gets warn out and relents. You may be mad about the liberal hypocrisy but you wouldn’t buy in to the conservative pernicious propaganda either.