What does it say when those working at our college newspapers may be even worse than those in the mainstream media when it comes to ideological intransigence?
Alin Maimon in USC’s Daily Trojan is but the latest to feign desire for unity and healing in post-Trump America.
I say “feign” because, like his DT colleague, he wants unity and healing — without any type of understanding.
Not to mention an acknowledgment of hypocrisy.
“Former President Donald Trump has not served to make matters any easier for [President] Biden,” Maimon writes. “His divisive rhetoric over the past four years empowered the racists, conspiracy theorists and insurrectionists in the United States. It only worsened in his waning months as he baselessly claimed he won the election — which polls say over 50% of Republicans believe — and incited the riot and invasion of the U.S. Capitol.”
Alas, nothing says “unity” and “healing” better than calling 75 million of your fellow Americans “racists, conspiracy theorists and insurrectionists,” in addition to indulging in fantasies that QAnon actually plays a significant role in our culture. Or that there are “constant threats of rebellion from alt right groups” across the land.
Still more “unifying” is Maimon’s parroting of the Democratic Party’s wish to crackdown on so-called “fake news” (which makes sense given he served as an intern to Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr. and fellow for the Hillary for America Campaign). He says President Biden should make use of “speeches and messaging [and] executive actions to stop the spread” of allegedly ersatz facts “without infringing on First Amendment rights.”
He also wants “an enhanced focus on civics education in American schools.”
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Of course, many of the aforementioned 75 million Americans wonder why “fake news” wasn’t much of a concern when forces within our own government, along with their sympathetic minions in the media, tried to frame the now-former president as a puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This includes Hillary Clinton’s continued claims about this (even very recently), and how the Trump-Putin connection was the deciding factor in giving the 2016 election to her opponent.
And when was the last time you saw a tweet or Facebook post tagged with a warning or disclaimer about the Charlottesville hoax — that is, President Trump allegedly saying that white supremacists and neo-Nazis were “fine people”? Joe Biden certainly wasn’t called out for it during the campaign (except by conservative media), nor even in the first presidential debate. NBC talking head Chuck Todd still brings it up.
There’s also Georgia’s Stacey Abrams’ continued claims about actually winning the governor’s race in that state two years ago. Instead of calling out Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Abrams (among others) for “baseless claims” about election shenanigans, the mainstream media gleefully joined their causes. Social media ostracized Mr. Trump for his election allegations; Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Abrams continue to happily post their banter.
Biden’s alleged wish for better civics knowledge includes promptly excising the 1776 Report from the government website. He also overturned Trump’s order forbidding the teaching of racially divisive critical race theory-style “trainings” in the federal government, and signaled a return to Obama-era Title IX recommendations which thumb their nose at fundamental due process.
Maimon concludes by saying a catalyst for unity could be “reaching out to a friend or neighbor who has doubts about the sanctity of our elections or government” or by “engaging in dialogue with members of the opposite party.”
Of course, “reaching out” means “give a lecture,” and “engaging in dialogue” equals “shut up and listen.”
No, thank you.
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