5 ms·

The fact that this is a relatively obscure story and the otherwise vocal western media journalists who screech about press freedom when someone is mean to them

The fact that this is a relatively obscure story and the otherwise vocal western media journalists who screech about press freedom when someone is mean to them are so silent about it by comparison, is frankly really disgusting to witness. It's embarrassing.

bboygravity 6y ago
The political (US) indoctrination is incredibly effective in the Western world I feel. I'm from The Netherlands (living abroad now in the EU) and most people there believe that the 100% state sponsored news is mostly factual, with good intent and unbiased, because we are the good people. This news is consumed by the vast majority of Dutch. From what I've seen in other EU countries is that their news systems are comparable (owned by a handful of companies and/or completely reliant on state sponsoring). Ask a person on the street about Assange and assuming they know who you're talking about their image of him will most likely be: scary criminal sociopath nerd rapist who leaked important military state secrets and doesn't wash himself. "Coincidentally" that's the opinion in the best interest of the US elite who's egos where hurt by Assange. This is to say: the consent which the political US manufactures is extremely effective outside of the US as well. It seems to me the US has full control over media in any Western country for any issue that matters to the US. At school we where/are actively taught that this sort of manipulation only happens in evil dictatorships and can never ever happen "here". The majority of people seem to believe this strongly. I find all of this mind blowing and tragic. When Assange gets sent to the US the feelings of the vast majority of people in the Western world will be "ah, good, that's another bad guy out of the way". And guess what: they'd think the same about Snowden if he ever gets suicided/dissapeared/extradited/used as political change.
- dontcarethrow2 6y ago
  Reminds me of a quote: "It's hard to see yourself a villain when you think you're the hero."
- bgorman 6y ago
  This is one of the v things Donald Trump is helping address. He has called CNN "fake news", and is generally making a mockery of the press and truth. Trump is correct that CNN, MSNBC and the New York times are propoganda machines. It if getting less subtle all the time
  - cmiles74 6y ago
    In my opinion, Donald Trump isn't making anything better by criticizing news sources as "fake news" whenever they carry a story he finds critical of himself, his administration or simple inconvenient. On the contrary, this appears to have pushed all sorts of weird, marginal news sources into the limelight. Many of these carry stories far more dangerous to the establishment than the New York Times or CNN (the whole Q-Anon thing comes to mind).
  - mullingitover 6y ago
    > Trump is correct that CNN, MSNBC and the New York times are propoganda machines. Let's not delude ourselves: he's not complaining that they have a slant, he's complaining that their slant doesn't always go his way. He also complains when Fox News reports facts he doesn't like.

bboygravity 6y ago

The political (US) indoctrination is incredibly effective in the Western world I feel. I'm from The Netherlands (living abroad now in the EU) and most people there believe that the 100% state sponsored news is mostly factual, with good intent and unbiased, because we are the good people. This news is consumed by the vast majority of Dutch. From what I've seen in other EU countries is that their news systems are comparable (owned by a handful of companies and/or completely reliant on state sponsoring). Ask a person on the street about Assange and assuming they know who you're talking about their image of him will most likely be: scary criminal sociopath nerd rapist who leaked important military state secrets and doesn't wash himself. "Coincidentally" that's the opinion in the best interest of the US elite who's egos where hurt by Assange. This is to say: the consent which the political US manufactures is extremely effective outside of the US as well. It seems to me the US has full control over media in any Western country for any issue that matters to the US. At school we where/are actively taught that this sort of manipulation only happens in evil dictatorships and can never ever happen "here". The majority of people seem to believe this strongly. I find all of this mind blowing and tragic. When Assange gets sent to the US the feelings of the vast majority of people in the Western world will be "ah, good, that's another bad guy out of the way". And guess what: they'd think the same about Snowden if he ever gets suicided/dissapeared/extradited/used as political change.

dontcarethrow2 6y ago
Reminds me of a quote: "It's hard to see yourself a villain when you think you're the hero."
bgorman 6y ago
This is one of the v things Donald Trump is helping address. He has called CNN "fake news", and is generally making a mockery of the press and truth. Trump is correct that CNN, MSNBC and the New York times are propoganda machines. It if getting less subtle all the time
- cmiles74 6y ago
  In my opinion, Donald Trump isn't making anything better by criticizing news sources as "fake news" whenever they carry a story he finds critical of himself, his administration or simple inconvenient. On the contrary, this appears to have pushed all sorts of weird, marginal news sources into the limelight. Many of these carry stories far more dangerous to the establishment than the New York Times or CNN (the whole Q-Anon thing comes to mind).
- mullingitover 6y ago
  > Trump is correct that CNN, MSNBC and the New York times are propoganda machines. Let's not delude ourselves: he's not complaining that they have a slant, he's complaining that their slant doesn't always go his way. He also complains when Fox News reports facts he doesn't like.