Ed Zitron

Despite the fact that Elon Musk has spent years telegraphing his intent to use his billions of dollars to wield power equivalent to that of a nation state, as you may remember from my first episode of anything over on It Could Happen Here, too much of the media, both legacy and otherwise, responded slowly, cautiously, failing to call him a liar, a con artist, an aggressor, a manipulator, a racist, a deadbeat dad, you know, all the things actually happening.

Despite the fact that Elon Musk has spent years telegraphing his intent to use his billions of dollars to wield power equivalent to that of a nation state, as you may remember from my first episode of anything over on It Could Happen Here, too much of the media, both legacy and otherwise, responded slowly, cautiously, failing to call him a liar, a con artist, an aggressor, a manipulator, a racist, a deadbeat dad, you know, all the things actually happening.

Despite the fact that Elon Musk has spent years telegraphing his intent to use his billions of dollars to wield power equivalent to that of a nation state, as you may remember from my first episode of anything over on It Could Happen Here, too much of the media, both legacy and otherwise, responded slowly, cautiously, failing to call him a liar, a con artist, an aggressor, a manipulator, a racist, a deadbeat dad, you know, all the things actually happening.

No, no, no. They kind of danced around him. They reported stories that might make you think that they maybe noticed it. But there was this desperation to guard objectivity. And it was just... It lacked any real intent. It lacked any interest in calling account to a man who has pretty much bought an election for Donald Trump.

No, no, no. They kind of danced around him. They reported stories that might make you think that they maybe noticed it. But there was this desperation to guard objectivity. And it was just... It lacked any real intent. It lacked any interest in calling account to a man who has pretty much bought an election for Donald Trump.

No, no, no. They kind of danced around him. They reported stories that might make you think that they maybe noticed it. But there was this desperation to guard objectivity. And it was just... It lacked any real intent. It lacked any interest in calling account to a man who has pretty much bought an election for Donald Trump.

A racist billionaire using his outsized capital to bend society to his will just isn't a fucking problem for the media, or at least not as much of a problem as a worker who might not work 50 to 100 hours a week for a boss who makes 130 times what they do.

A racist billionaire using his outsized capital to bend society to his will just isn't a fucking problem for the media, or at least not as much of a problem as a worker who might not work 50 to 100 hours a week for a boss who makes 130 times what they do.

A racist billionaire using his outsized capital to bend society to his will just isn't a fucking problem for the media, or at least not as much of a problem as a worker who might not work 50 to 100 hours a week for a boss who makes 130 times what they do.

The news, at least outside of the right wing, is always separate from opinion, always guarded, always safe, for fear that they might piss somebody off and be declared biased, something that happens anyway.

The news, at least outside of the right wing, is always separate from opinion, always guarded, always safe, for fear that they might piss somebody off and be declared biased, something that happens anyway.

The news, at least outside of the right wing, is always separate from opinion, always guarded, always safe, for fear that they might piss somebody off and be declared biased, something that happens anyway.

And while there are columnists that are given some space to have their own thoughts, sometimes in the newspaper, sometimes online, the stories themselves are delivered with the kind of reserved tone that often fails to express any actual consequences or context around the news itself. and just doesn't seem to care about making sure that the reader or listener learns something.

And while there are columnists that are given some space to have their own thoughts, sometimes in the newspaper, sometimes online, the stories themselves are delivered with the kind of reserved tone that often fails to express any actual consequences or context around the news itself. and just doesn't seem to care about making sure that the reader or listener learns something.

And while there are columnists that are given some space to have their own thoughts, sometimes in the newspaper, sometimes online, the stories themselves are delivered with the kind of reserved tone that often fails to express any actual consequences or context around the news itself. and just doesn't seem to care about making sure that the reader or listener learns something.

My mate Casey has a good point about podcasts, and I'd apply it to some of the news too, that there's too much stuff out there that is there to make you feel intelligent rather than make you intelligent. I think this falls into it. Now, this isn't to say that outlets are incapable of doing this correctly. I love the Washington Post. They've done an excellent job on analyzing major tech stories.

My mate Casey has a good point about podcasts, and I'd apply it to some of the news too, that there's too much stuff out there that is there to make you feel intelligent rather than make you intelligent. I think this falls into it. Now, this isn't to say that outlets are incapable of doing this correctly. I love the Washington Post. They've done an excellent job on analyzing major tech stories.

My mate Casey has a good point about podcasts, and I'd apply it to some of the news too, that there's too much stuff out there that is there to make you feel intelligent rather than make you intelligent. I think this falls into it. Now, this isn't to say that outlets are incapable of doing this correctly. I love the Washington Post. They've done an excellent job on analyzing major tech stories.

But a lot of these outlets feel custom-built to be bulldozed the moment an authoritarian turns up. This force that exists to crush those desperately attached to norms and objectivity. Authoritarians know that their ideologically charged words be quoted ad verbatim with the occasional, Huh, this could mean...

But a lot of these outlets feel custom-built to be bulldozed the moment an authoritarian turns up. This force that exists to crush those desperately attached to norms and objectivity. Authoritarians know that their ideologically charged words be quoted ad verbatim with the occasional, Huh, this could mean...