Giving Voice to Treachery

Larry

May 6, 2017

Woke up, fed Larry, made coffee, let Larry out – turned on NPR. A successful morning routine can establish the day – tra, la, la. And today started with a soothing Public Radio voice talking with a shrill Republican about the Trump / Ryan healthcare plan. The conversation met the typically lofty NPR standard. There was no name calling, yelling or snarky questions; follow-ups were limited, so as not to appear argumentative. Oh, and the guest was not compelled, in any way, to actually answer any of the non-snarky questions.

The moderator asked a stuff like, “It looks like under the new law, over twenty million will lose coverage. Is that true?”

The Republican recited a non-answer, “Obamacare is failing. We feel (there they go, feeling again) it’s our duty to rescue the American people from the inevitable crash.”

The silky voiced public radio orator followed-up with, “Did you read the bill?”

That’s when I accidentally inhaled hot coffee. Couldn’t suppress a gasp, while sipping; I need to be more careful when drinking and listening. Multi-tasking is getting tougher in my advanced years. Larry reacted to my coughing and gasping for air by pointing to his food bowl – much like Trump, Larry gravitates to a single simple solution to all problems.

So anyway, NPR just let that bullshit by. Rather than challenge the “Obamacare is failing” assumption, the silver-tongued radio guy just shook it off and moved on. Fuck. When we grant these asshats little lies, they use them as building blocks. And that wasn’t a little lie, it was like middle sized. Great, Public Radio has given up calling them on all the bullshit.

Public Radio, of course, isn’t alone in the “ignore all but the biggest lies” practice. Commercial media gave up arguing the little stuff back in the Kellyanne Conway days. (Way back a couple months ago.) And the Republic understands the press needs to “pick their battles” because there is so much deception, but at what point does battle selection become complicity?

Over the last one-hundred-seventy-nine post-election mornings, our routine has become less about discovery and more about defense. Can’t even get through a cup of coffee without hearing something breathtaking with no press push back. Perhaps Larry’s right and a more rational plan would be to shut it off and have a second breakfast – the meal that establishes the day.

In Peace and Justice,
osv