{"id":1355,"date":"2009-08-07T10:26:31","date_gmt":"2009-08-07T17:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1355"},"modified":"2009-08-07T17:31:46","modified_gmt":"2009-08-08T00:31:46","slug":"the-fox-nation-of-fanatics-fails-again-health-care-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1355","title":{"rendered":"The Fox Nation Of Fanatics Fails Again: Health Care Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

As if it weren’t bad enough that Fox Nation populates its web site with right-wing hysteria and links to uber-conservative purveyors of propaganda, they have now demonstrated that their editors are (at least) as stupid as their readers are gullible.<\/p>\n

Today I observed a graphic at Fox Nation linking to a column in the Washington “Moonie”<\/em> Times written by Amanda Carpenter, an O’Reilly Factor frequent fluffer. The article itself was chock full of nuttiness that I’ll get to momentarily. First I need to point out that Fox Nation is so desperate to disparage its enemies that they will project whatever demon suits them into their coverage whether it’s there or not. Here is the graphic showing the groups they say are allegedly mobilizing against town hall protesters:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The National Endowment for the Arts??? Are they really mobilizing against town hall protesters? Were those artists who were crashing community centers and public halls where Tea Baggers were fighting to keep the insurance companies between you and your doctor?<\/p>\n

The problem with this picture is that Carpenter’s article<\/a> says nothing about the National Endowment for the Arts whose logo is prominently displayed in the upper-right corner. There is a passage that mentions the NEA, but she is referring to the National Education Association. Rather than ascertain the facts<\/a>, Fox Nation saw an acronym that could just as well have belonged to a favorite foe of theirs, so they giddily inserted the wrong logo into their graphic. And they consider themselves to be a “news”<\/em> organization. I suppose it’s easier to demonize artists than teachers. The only thing Fox Nation cares about is assembling the usual targets of their wrath – community organizers (ACORN), unions (SEIU), minorities (NCLR), and, of course, those subversive artists – for a public whipping.<\/p>\n

<\/a>As an artist myself, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Endowment get more actively involved in countering the thugs who are brazenly trying to shut down democratic discourse. I have long believed<\/a> that the role artists have traditionally played in social movements has been diminished in this age of corporate controlled marketing and the cultural aversion to artists who speak their minds (i.e. shut up and sing). But for Fox Nation to falsely charge that the NEA is mobilizing against protesters (an absurd charge in any context) is slanderous. And it is especially egregious when the slander is the result of an idiotic editor who can’t figure out which organiztion he’s supposed to be hating.<\/p>\n

The article itself is rich with ridiculous reportage. It’s premise is that there is something terribly wrong with the way that Democrats plan to respond to the right-wing mobs that are disrupting town hall meetings between congressional representatives and their constituents.<\/p>\n

It has been well documented that the right is coordinating their protests<\/a> through political and industry front groups like Conservatives for Patients Rights, Americans for Prosperity, and FreedomWorks. These organized creators of chaos have distributed instructions<\/a> on how to cause a commotion. Participating in a productive and civil discussion is the farthest thing from their minds.<\/p>\n

What makes this article exceptionally ludicrous is that Carpenter’s examples of what she characterizes as untoward behavior from leftie activists pales in comparison to what the Tea Bagging bullies have put forth. Let’s take a look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Left-Wing Mob<\/a><\/td>\nRight-Wing Mob<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ask the Member’s staff what would be most helpful<\/strong> and talk through a strategy for making sure the right messages don’t get drowned out by chaotic protesters.<\/td>\nArtificially Inflate Your Numbers<\/strong>: Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put the Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Address the [Member of Congress] directly with a positive message<\/strong>: Remember, these Members need cover and they are getting beaten up by right wing zealots in these meetings.<\/td>\nBe Disruptive<\/strong> Early And Often: You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Don’t get into a shouting match<\/strong> with them. Instead, prep people on our side to keep raising the questions that we want answered.<\/td>\nTry To “Rattle Him,” Not Have An Intelligent Debate: The goal is to rattle him<\/strong>, get him off his prepared script and agenda.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

So while the left wants to be helpful, positive, and avoid shouting matches, the right wants to lie, disrupt and rattle the targets of their tantrums. Which side really sounds like a mob to you?<\/p>\n

The fact that Carpenter and the Washington Times thought that it served their purpose to illustrate these differences just defies comprehension. And to complete the circle of the Murdoch-driven disinformation campaign, Carpenter appeared on Fox News this morning to make the same scandalous assertion that health care advocates are conspiring to be “helpful.”<\/em> OMG!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As if it weren’t bad enough that Fox Nation populates its web site with right-wing hysteria and links to uber-conservative purveyors of propaganda, they have now demonstrated that their editors are (at least) as stupid as their readers are gullible. Today I observed a graphic at Fox Nation linking to a column in the Washington […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1,361,8],"tags":[615,527,33,616,500,366],"class_list":["post-1355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-healthcare","category-propaganda","tag-amanda-carpenter","tag-fox-nation","tag-fox-news","tag-freedomworks","tag-nea","tag-washington-times"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4Ijg-lR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1550,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1550","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":0},"title":"Fox Nation Still Rooting For Terrorist Attacks","author":"Mark NC","date":"2\/4\/2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's more proof that Rupert Murdoch and his Fox News empire are anxiously awaiting a terrorist attack that they can celebrate. It has already been established that they are aiding and abetting terrorism by helping to spread the fear that terrorists rely on. Fox wants us to be just as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10444,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=10444","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":1},"title":"The Fox News Audience Continues To Display Its Blatant, Frothing Racism","author":"Mark NC","date":"8\/26\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"While most Americans are still feeling the afterglow of this weekend's commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's \"I Have a Dream\" speech, the Fox News audience is dripping with rancid bigotry that they simply cannot contain. On the day of the anniversary of the historic March on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5137,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=5137","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":2},"title":"Fox Nation vs. MoveOn: Indoctrinating Children","author":"Mark NC","date":"8\/10\/2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The Fox Nation is very upset about an insidiously cute video from MoveOn.org that features kids advocating a Contract for the American Dream. Check out this horrifying example of child abuse for yourself: Shocking, isn't it? The gang at Fox & Friends thinks so too. The posting on Fox Nation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6221,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=6221","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":3},"title":"Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Case Of The Tea Party Smoke Bomber","author":"Mark NC","date":"1\/18\/2012","format":false,"excerpt":"If there is still anyone who wonders where Fox News gets the information it publishes, let there be no mistake - They make it up. Take, for instance, this article featured on Fox Nation with the headline, \"Occupier (Not a Tea Partier) Throws Smoke Bomb Over White House Fence.\" The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3631,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=3631","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":4},"title":"Fox News Attacks The Tucson Memorial","author":"Mark NC","date":"1\/13\/2011","format":false,"excerpt":"It didn't last 24 hours. The good feelings and hopes for unity that were universally expressed at the Tucson memorial for the victims of the shootings on January 8, were unceremoniously cast into a ditch by Fox News at their Fox Nation web site. The featured headline on Fox Nation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1329,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1329","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":5},"title":"The Fox Nation Declares Victory Over Obama","author":"Mark NC","date":"7\/11\/2009","format":false,"excerpt":"From the start, the Fox Nation presented itself as a community intended to reflect \"your values, your voice.\" In its official Statement of Purpose they claim that... \"The Fox Nation is for those committed to the core principles of tolerance, open debate, civil discourse--and fair and balanced coverage of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1355\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}