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"We make America what it is — without a free press, democracy dies." The second part is certainly true. But are you sure about the first part? If you ask anybo
by temp8964 6y ago
"We make America what it is — without a free press, democracy dies."
The second part is certainly true. But are you sure about the first part? If you ask anybody who make America what it is, the answer "journalists" maybe won't pass 10%.
- paxys 6y agoPeople might not say it, but it is absolutely true. The biggest thing that separates a good democracy from a bad one is a free press that holds government accountable by providing transparency into its operations.
- temp8964 6y ago"Who make America what it is?" != "Who make democracy what it is". America's uniqueness is not democracy. There are many other countries are democratic and have free press and have journalists.
- tablespoon 6y ago> The second part is certainly true. But are you sure about the first part? If you ask anybody who make America what it is, the answer "journalists" maybe won't pass 10%. Without a free press, you're left with PR (or propaganda, to use its original name). You can't have much of a democracy if that's how the citizenry are "informed." This is shown by how one of the first things budding authoritarians do in backsliding democracy is attack the free press and gain control over it (e.g. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/24/hungary-editors-sacking-blow-press-freedom https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/24/hungary-editors-sacking-...). There's a high likelihood that someone will respond to my comment with a false equivalency claiming journalism is propaganda.
- temp8964 6y agoThe question is "Who make America what it is?", it is not "Who make democracy what it is". America's uniqueness is not democracy. There are many other countries are democratic and have free press and have journalists.
- tablespoon 6y ago> America's uniqueness is not democracy. There are many other countries are democratic and have free press and have journalists. Most of those countries developed those things after America. Democracy, free press, etc. are absolutely vital to American identity. You can't take them away and be left with something recognizably "American."
- temp8964 6y agoI am not sure what kind of word game are we playing here, but let me make it simple: 1) journalists are important to free press 2) free press is important to democracy 3) democracy is important to America because of 1->2->3, journalists make America what it is. Do you understand by this logic, basically any profession can fit "xxx make America what it is". At least "programmers make America what it is" is certainly true.
- tablespoon 6y ago> Do you understand by this logic, basically any profession can fit "xxx make America what it is". At least "programmers make America what it is" is certainly true. The error you're making is treating all kinds of "important" as equivalent. Your 3) should be something more like "democracy is an important part of American identity." Programming may be important to America today, but it's not really part of its identity.
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoBy that logic, many things make America what it is. Journalists, but also truck drivers and the automobile and the electric grid and...
- temp8964 6y agoBut I guess truck drivers won't be so arrogant to make that kind of statement for themselves.
- IAmWorried 6y agoI know this will get downvoted, but in the current state of affairs, I would rather have no press or journalists at all than this woke sanctimonious ministry of truth.