I’m happy to see this new initiative that helps us identify the real journalists who offer trusted work, with accountability. Now we need to get more media literacy, so consumers will know to use tools like this Transparency Tracker to select reality-based, fact-based journalism providers instead of falling prey to the propagandists, newsbots and conspiracy theorists who are making money or gaining power by duping us into spreading and believing stuff that isn’t true.
Most importantly, tools like this confirm that some content is much more trustworthy than other content You CAN figure out what is useful news from what is propaganda. Don’t be left powerless by cynicism that tells you everything is a scam. If you decide that, you will never be able to hold the bad guys to account.
Journalism has never been, and will never be, perfect. But it is a tragedy when people don’t understand who is working in the public interest, to help empower them with information, versus all those jerks who are trying to sell them something for their own amusement or ill-gotten gains.
This 2012 rebuke from war correspondent Marie Colvin to her London editor, as she returned to die in the horrors of Syria, is the best description of journalism I ‘ve ever heard. “A Private War,” Matt Heineman’s morally fierce new film about Colvin, reminds us that some people give up everything, trying to give us the truth.
How terrible then, for so many Americans to live in a world of deliberate lies. It is inevitable that the Trump-Fox News bubble will burst, as our country faces the real impacts of climate change, Russian cyberwarfare, economic inequality and Republican corruption. I feel sorry for the genuine conservatives out there who have made this devil’s bargain with Trump. If history is any guide, the gains they have made will be threatened, if not reversed, by the coming wave of revulsion.
While Colvin’s retort was about war, it could apply also to the tedious journalism of court documents, transcripts, government fine print, and data of all kinds that reporters plow through to figure out what’s true. The public can see this evidence for themselves, if they want to do this investigation of documents in plain sight. But who wants to take the time? So thank goodness nonprofit and for-profit mainstream reporters all over the world, including The New York Times and Washington Post, Propublica, The New Yorker and the Atlantic—are doing this for us. Check out the Post’s summary Dec. 3 report about the Mueller investigations, based on actual court convictions and guilty pleas.
I won’t be going to see the film about Gary Hart, not because I think the press was always terrific in covering him, but because I think they did an honest job outing his hypocrisy and weirdness. Matt Bai, who wasn’t there at the time and has a gauzy view of how Hart might have served as president, has done a disservice to history. Hart was a hypocrite and a liar. He was no Donald Trump, to be sure. But looking back to say he would have been a great president, and setting it up to blame the media, is a waste of everyone’s time.
Instead see “A Private War,” where an imperfect—crazy and sometimes out of control—journalist does the job. That is the real story.
I write to you in a spirit of respect and cooperation. We are all Americans, and I think it is better for our country if we can try to work together. Abraham Lincoln was quoting the Bible when he said a house divided against itself cannot stand. The letter below reflects my recent trip across the country–see the “road trip” section of this website— included meeting different Americans of all kinds, and listening carefully to them.
I listen to Hannity on Fox and the other pro-Trump pundits on Fox, Medium, etc. and am alarmed at how off the mark they are. Their descriptions of Democrats, Hillary voters, the media, and “libtards” are simply bizarre. Do they care that they are getting this so wrong?
Why is it that Hannity finds Trump perfect in every way, and changes the subject to Hillary Clinton if any question about Trump is raised? This seems fishy to me. On the other hand, on MSNBC and CNN, there seems nothing that Trump can do right, offending my conservative friends who want Trump to succeed.
Before the 2016 election, the mainstream media and the Democrats failed to understand how angry and conservative many Americans were. Polls show that most Trump voters don’t love everything about him (despite Hannity), but they want to stand by him as a warrior for their economic and cultural issues. By excusing every sin he commits, the people showing up at Trump rallies are acting more like a cult than a smart group of citizens. No politician deserves this fervent level of uncritical support.
It’s time to get past the labels to something more authentic. Here is my try at respectfully understanding Trump’s supporters:
I don’t think you are “stupid” for supporting Donald Trump. I respect that there are issues you want him to push.
The Democrats haven’t offered you the solutions you want or the candidates you trust.
Trump is a warrior who seems to care about the “little guy,” who has been pushed around.
If he is shaking up the Establishment, it’s okay with you. You don’t think the Establishment powers (political parties, the media, Wall Street, government, etc.) have been on your side.
Trump seems fearless, rather than beholden to money interests or traditional political allies. You like that he is rich and think that he can therefore be more “independent” from special interests.
Some of you believe that Hillary Clinton was dishonest, and endangered American security with her email server. You think that this is worse, or equal to, anything Trump is accused of doing.
Some of you feel that immigrants are getting a better break than you are. That goes for minorities, too. You think they are getting unfair advantages, provided by “liberals.”
Some of you are unhappy with the way Hollywood, the mainstream media, and global culture have overwhelmed old-fashioned values of marriage and gender.
You see global trade deals as hurting American jobs and sovereignty. It’s time to cancel those alliances and build a wall at the border. Same thing for military alliances—other countries should bear more of the burden of defense and not sponge off the USA.
You believe liberals want you to feel guilty. You want to feel proud.
You believe liberals want to take away your freedoms, and give the government way too much power.
You believe government should get out of the way, and let business do its business. This is how you get jobs and make America great again.
You love it when Trump berates the media and the Establishment. You think the media are out to make money and promote a liberal agenda. The Establishment doesn’t do anything for you.
Do I have it about right?
Now let me describe my side. Please try to keep an open mind. It is an honest effort.
Some of us are as frustrated as you are, about some of the same issues. We think there are different causes and solutions.
We think there is way too much money in politics. The Supreme Court decision that money is “free speech” was nuts.
We know that while American business is the heart of creating jobs, it’s main focus is making a profit for its investors, not the welfare of its employees or our nation.
Unlike business, government is set up to represent and serve the American people, not make money. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the alternatives. That is why we all have to contribute by paying taxes and keeping a close watch on the government.
We understand that the mainstream media are not perfect either, but good reporters are actually trying to check the facts for us and hold the powerful accountable. (Did you know that the New York Times’ Jeff Gerth actually started the Whitewater investigations, that led ultimately to the impeachment of Democratic President Bill Clinton? Ask yourself: why would the New York Times do that if they are just a “liberal bias” news organization?)
Liberals are not about feeling “guilty.” They are about being generous. They draw on a powerful religious tradition of caring for the weak, the poor, and the stranger at the door.
Liberals care about fairness. They recognize that all people, including minorities and majority white people, together make America great, with their blood, sweat and tears. If you think minorities are getting unfair advantages, try walking in their shoes for a day. You’ll see the reality of what is unfair!
We do not see being gay as a “lifestyle choice” that threatens anyone or any religion. It is a physical fact. We do not see gender orientation, religion, poverty or ethnic background as sins. We see hatred and discrimination as sins.
We are not afraid of immigrants. We find compelling evidence that today’s immigrants are contributing more to our country than they are taking away. How do we know this? We look at the actual economic data. We respect that immigrant ancestors helped build America. However, we do believe America’s borders should be secure and immigrants should go through a process.
We want everyone to have a job. We are on the side of anyone who is doing the best they can to survive economically and make America great, including every American worker struggling to make a decent living.
We want America to be the land of opportunity. We don’t want regulations to strangle the economy. But we want safe air, food, water and streets. To pay for this, we support reasonable taxes and fair government regulations.
We don’t like “welfare queens” but see that this is largely a myth created by politicians. We see many poor people working at jobs that don’t pay enough to support their families.
We would like a fairer tax system, rather than one that simply allows the rich to get richer while starving our public treasury.
We do not believe in “political correctness.” We believe in being “polite” and “respectful.” We are dismayed that some think it’s okay to call people slurs and ugly names, charging that people with better manners are “politically correct.”
We don’t think Obamacare has worked perfectly, but we believe that the private health marketplace was worse. We want everyone to be able to afford health care. We want to have our pre-existing conditions and adult children covered by health insurance. We don’t see this happening under the Trump-backed GOP proposals.
We know that those who work for the American government are essential to our nation’s safety and prosperity. We honor their service, whether they are in the military or a civilian job.
Our public spaces—including our national parks—are sacred and should not be plundered for the profit of a few. Trump is privatizing some of our public lands and offering them for sale to big business.
We are determined that our political leaders should follow the law, no matter what office they hold or what party they represent.
We are appalled by Donald Trump. It is not because we disrespect you, or think your concerns should be ignored. It is because:
We think Trump is a corrupt politician who wants to useyou to build up his ego and his bank account. How do we know this? Check out his past bankruptcies, his failure to pay his bills, the way his family businesses are now using government to make more money. Don’t just take the media’s word for it, look at where they got it: in public court records.
We think Trump is way over his head, and has no idea what he is doing. This is why he changes his mind and flip-flops what he says from one minute to the next. Ask Tony Schwartz, the man who co-wrote Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal.” He thinks Trump is dangerously unstable.
We think Trump’s deal-maker personality is fake, a character made up for his TV show. How do we know this? We see him being outplayed by Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jung Un, and Benjamin Netanyahu on the world stage.
We do not believe Trump has your back or is working in an effective way to help “the little guy.” For every American business that may have benefitted in the short run from his trade war, he has hurt as many or more American workers in another industry. How do we know this? Check out the actual economic data, including for example, the losses to American soybean farmers, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and metal nail manufacturers.
We see Trump creating the swamp of corrupt people in his administration who want to use our tax dollars to make themselves feel good and get richer. The many examples of his Cabinet’s first-class vacation travel, business contracts and other sleazy practices on the taxpayer’s dollar are unprecedented in the modern era.
We see our freedoms disappearing fast under Trump. Except for the military, he has attacked literally all the checks and balances on his power: law enforcement, intelligence experts, the courts, the media, independent agencies, independent political officials, international allies and respected experts.
He claims to be against big government but he supports the GOP platform directing the government to regulate how women deal with their bodies, ending their basic freedom to decide whether or not to have children.
Trump is about the past, not the future. Trump is promising you that American will return to a world that is long gone, or never existed, instead of helping us all take advantage of new opportunities. Example: solar energy instead of coal mines. If America goes backward, instead of forward, someone else—China?—will dominate the new global economy.
Hillary Clinton’s private email server, and questionable Clinton Foundation donations, are disappointing. But they are minor in comparison to the security breaches and corruption we see in Donald Trump’s administration. So far, the highest US legal authorities agree that Clinton’s so-called “crimes” were not crimes. Yet Trump and Fox pundits always change the subject to Hillary Clinton. She has been off the stage for two years! Are they still trying to discredit her because they are insecure about the 2016 election results?
For criminal activity, let’s take a look at how Trump and his friends are making money off the presidency! Example: The Saudi government’s use of Trump hotels since he became president. China giving Trump business patents that they previously denied before he became President.
The Russia problem is real. The probe is not a witch hunt, but a matter of the utmost US national security. If the President is not willing to protect us against Vladimir Putin’s cyber attacks, for whatever reason, this is dangerous weakness that puts our country at risk, and may even be treason.
Thank you for listening. We need to find ways to hear each other, and compromise, because a united country is a strong country. That is the only way we will ever make America great again.
As we approached New England, we took some serendipitous diversions along the Hudson River : the CIA (training cooks, not spies), Valley Forge, where Washington’s army weathered a challenging winter, and the stately grounds of Hyde Park, FDR’s home where his and Eleanor’s legacy are preserved.
The extraordinary sacrifices and productivity of civilians on the home front were as important to winning World War II as were the soldiers they equipped with food, weapons, clothing and transport. The 1940s propaganda posters felt very fresh indeed, raising the specter of foreign enemies lurking everywhere around us.
I especially loved the image of FDR’s little dog Fala as Truth itself, chasing the Republican party’s lies.
At Valley Forge, reconstructed log cabins showed how the Revolutionary army lived during the harsh winter of 1777-8 before the French agreed to join us, and turned the tide in the war against the British Crown. The national park “honors and celebrates the ability of citizens to pull together and overcome adversity during extraordinary times,” the Valley Forge plaque read.
We stopped for a serendipitous lunch created by students of the CIA—the Culinary Institute of America, with its gorgeous campus overlooking the Hudson River.
Driving through Pennsylvania, we stopped at the Gettysburg battlefield, where Lincoln’s Union army defeated the South in the final turning point of the Civil War. Vicksburg’s 47 days of siege and death still haunted me, from our trip through the South in January. https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm
Gettysburg was even worse, with more than 51,000 dead and injured. The National Park Service visitor center recreates the July 1-3, 1864 battle in photos, exhibits and even a giant 360-degree walk-in diorama, featuring lifelike images of soldiers killing each other. Today it’s another national park to visit, a bucolic field with giant stone markers identifying the state battalions that fought and died there. But underneath the surface lie the bones and bullets and horrors of war.
How could anyone think this should be where to spend a family vacation? Sure enough, there were tourists, just as at Vicksburg, gawking at all the gory details. As we drove away, I couldn’t shake off the gloom of this place. The ghosts of all those desperate men and horses were still lingering there, sucking all the oxygen and hope out of the air. There was no talk in the museum about how we need to end such wars. In fact, the American Civil War was just a prelude to the larger, more terrible world wars of the 20th century.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” Lincoln said before the Civil War began. At Gettysburg, he rededicated us to our finest national aspirations. It is hard to overlook how divided we are again now in 2018, between Trump supporters and those who think he is destroying the world. I am among those who are distraught by Trump’s actions, while still trying to find some bridge to my neighbors who believe he is saving them.
I hoped to ease my sadness and anger, in the Amish farms of Lancaster County. Surely the Amish people would provide a peaceful contrast to what we had just seen, at Gettysburg and on the nightly news.
Like most Americans, I had a simplistic, romantic view of the horse-and-buggy Amish, with their large families, working the land without the modern conveniences of electricity and Facebook. We stayed at Bird-in-Hand, PA for two nights, and took a tour of the countryside which opened our eyes considerably. Here is what we learned.
If our tour guide is to be trusted, the Amish offer their work to God and choose not to use modern conveniences because that would compromise this commitment. They do use battery-driven tools and gas-fueled diesel engines, as needed, but the electrical power grid is forbidden. It was not clear whether solar energy is allowed. Each Amish community has elders who decide these specific do’s and don’ts. They don’t go to churches, or have ministers, but rather meet in each other’s homes for religious observances every two weeks.
The reason for the horse-driven carriages is to keep people close to their families, less than 40 miles from home, the guide said. They are not looking for a leisurely ride! The Amish, keen judges of horseflesh, like to buy horses that were bred to be racing champions, but fell short somehow, so they were put up for sale. Phone calls are permitted only outside the house or barn, from phone booths they install along the road. Portable phones are not allowed. They consult the nearest doctor when they get sick.
Even if they are born in Amish families, young people are not officially Amish until they commit themselves, sometime between the age of about 16 and 22, to join the faith. They are even expected, as teenagers, to sample the outer world before returning to their families and the constraints they require. However there is a catch—Amish children are forbidden to continue their formal educations past 8th grade. ”That’s why there aren’t any Amish doctors, lawyers or accountants,” our guide observed.
Amish students stop at 8th grade
Instead, the Amish are famous for their skills at the old-fashioned trades, such as agriculture, horsemanship, cooking, basket-weaving and carpentry. Amish children who choose to stay outside the religion must leave home. They can go off to high school and college, and visit the family from time to time. But if they choose to be officially Amish, and then leave the faith, they are shunned. There is to be no further contact with them.
It began to feel more like a cult than a holy way of life. Is it not too harsh to have to shut off your mind to advanced mathematics, science, medicine, and all the other disciplines, in order to be part of your loving family, in the community where you were raised? How could anyone make such an impossible choice?
As we drove around the well-tended Amish farms, we saw long rows of laundry waving on clotheslines. While the men worked the fields., the women were fulfilling their domestic destinies, bearing large numbers of children, washing, sewing, cooking and making a home for everyone, without the modern choices that have freed other women to pursue different dreams.
I was grateful that if we ever have a world war that wipes out the Internet, cell phones and electricity, the Amish can keep the human race alive. But I was also grateful that my own Pennsylvania ancestors were Mennonites rather than Amish. The Mennonites still dress and worship in many of the same quaint old ways, but they allow themselves an advanced education, with automobiles, and other modern conveniences.
My grandparents’ homestead
As we headed through Philadelphia toward Valley Forge, we paused briefly in front of the wood frame house where my father grew up, in a strict, religious household where not a penny, or a moment, was wasted. Both of his parents were high school principals, and he became a university professor.
Loud rap music wafted out of an upstairs window. A middle-aged Black woman came out the front door, but she didn’t notice us sitting in the car. Not wanting to disturb her privacy, we drove away.
People may try to hang on to the old ways, as a dedication to God. But they can’t stop history. And why should we? Everything changes. It is up to us to make these changes for the better.
From the gory battlefield of Gettysburg, through the frozen Amish way of life, to the Philadelphia suburbs, we were looking for America’s future. That was our journey, and we were almost home!
We are appalled by Donald Trump. It is not because we disrespect you, or think your concerns should be ignored. It is because:
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” Lincoln said before the Civil War began. At Gettysburg, he rededicated us to our finest national aspirations. It is hard to overlook how divided we are again now in 2018, between Trump supporters and those who think he is destroying the world. I am among those who are distraught by Trump’s actions, while still trying to find some bridge to my neighbors who believe he is saving them.
Like most Americans, I had a simplistic, romantic view of the horse-and-buggy Amish, with their large families, working the land without the modern conveniences of electricity and Facebook. We stayed at 
As we drove around the well-tended Amish farms, we saw long rows of laundry waving on clotheslines. While the men worked the fields., the women were fulfilling their domestic destinies, bearing large numbers of children, washing, sewing, cooking and making a home for everyone, without the modern choices that have freed other women to pursue different dreams.