LOL! How sad for folks like Edwing Lyngar, and other confused, minsinformed and hate filled far left extremists! Thankfully, "We" are still in the majority, and hopefully it's not too late to rid our Nation of the Anti-Americans.
On Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 12:02 PM, plainolamerican <[email protected] > wrote: > Fox News tried to tear my family apart: How they failed to incite my > fatherMurdoch’s > news channel invited my dad on to slam me for being liberal. Instead he > proved my anti-Fox points for meEDWIN LYNGAR > <http://www.salon.com/writer/edwin_lyngar/> > > - Share8K > > <http://www.salon.com/2014/03/12/fox_news_tried_to_tear_my_family_apart_how_they_failed_to_incite_my_father/> > - > > <http://www.salon.com/2014/03/12/fox_news_tried_to_tear_my_family_apart_how_they_failed_to_incite_my_father/> > - > - > Post > - 0 > > <http://www.salon.com/2014/03/12/fox_news_tried_to_tear_my_family_apart_how_they_failed_to_incite_my_father/#comments> > - > - > > TOPICS: FOX NEWS <http://www.salon.com/topic/fox_news>, ANDREA TANTAROS > <http://www.salon.com/topic/andrea_tantaros>, THE FIVE > <http://www.salon.com/topic/the_five>, THE RIGHT > <http://www.salon.com/topic/the_right>, GOP > <http://www.salon.com/topic/gop_2>, FATHERHOOD > <http://www.salon.com/topic/fatherhood>, CABLE NEWS > <http://www.salon.com/topic/cable_news>, EDITOR'S PICKS > <http://www.salon.com/topic/editors_picks>,MEDIA NEWS > <http://www.salon.com/category/media/>, POLITICS NEWS > <http://www.salon.com/category/politics/> > [image: Fox News tried to tear my family apart: How they failed to incite > my father] <http://media.salon.com/2014/03/gary_lyngar.jpg>Gary Lyngar on > Fox News (Credit: Fox News) > > A pundit on Fox News was so upset about my recent Salon piece, “I lost my > dad to Fox News: How a generation was captured by thrashing hysteria > <http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/>,” > that she invited my dad on the network to blast me > <http://video.foxnews.com/v/3308933418001/gary-lyngar-my-son-is-dead-wrong-about-me-and-fox-news/#sp=show-clips>. > The ham-handed attempt failed, and gave me new respect for my father. Next > to the lunatic Fox News host, Andrea Tantaros, my dad looked like a > textbook case of decency — even when he was dismissing evolution. > > After my post on Salon about my dad’s destructive Fox News habit, my > Twitter feed and email exploded with people sharing their sad stories of > lost loved ones. The sentiments were near universal: That is *my* father, > mother, spouse or other loved one. It seems I could start another political > party of Fox News orphans, and we’d be bigger than the current Republican > Party. > ADVERTISING > > For every five nice comments, there was at least one furious note of some > kind or another. Some had a point. I *was* insensitive comparing the loss > of a parent to Fox News to that of a cancer patient, and I’d reconsider > that choice of metaphor if I could. I would also say that I was too focused > on the older population. It’s true the median age for Fox viewers is 68, > but I should not have dismissed those people who are middle aged or younger > caught up in the impotent fury of Fox News. Sadly, hysteria crosses > generations. > > There were other comments that only served to prove my point about > manufactured outrage. Many Fox defenders dismissed me as a liberal, a > socialist or a communist — those magic words that hold sacred power to so > many. Some people got silly; one person called me a graphic female body > part. > > Labels don’t mean much to me. I embrace some and reject many more. > Listening to Fox News defenders, I heard the world “liberal” spat out like > someone bit into a piece of dog shit. I’m not even sure I like the word > liberal. It’s too reductive and damaged. But why does it matter? Are we not > all human beings? > > I also heard the claim that “the left and MSNBC is exactly the same as Fox > News,” which is of course a false equivalence. I know many on the left who > despise left-wing media. MSNBC does not in any way, shape or form drive > politics on the left. The most common trait I’ve noticed from hanging > around so-called liberals is that they almost *never* agree on anything. > > Despite all the attention, I was still surprised when someone at Fox News > called up my dad. This exemplifies Fox News “balance.” Rather than invite > someone who would challenge their orthodoxy, they called up my dad to > confirm that I am, indeed, just some asshole. > > My dad hadn’t even read the essay (in the previous essay I noted that he > never uses the Internet) when Fox News first called. He finally broke down > and read it. I was never afraid of hurting his feelings, because he doesn’t > take it that way. To Dad, my writing is just white noise. Any hurt feelings > my father *might* have had were overshadowed by his tremendous excitement > about meeting interchangeable, nondescript Fox News host Tantaros. > > Before my father went on the show, I gave him good advice about being on > camera, like “look into the lens instead of the monitor” and “have them > turn up the ear piece” (my father is hard of hearing). Mostly, I told him > to be careful and have fun with it. I have a deeper understanding of media > than perhaps some people, because I’ve earned my living in public relations > for more than 15 years. In my day job, I’ve worked with journalists, > magazines and television news programs far more than the average person. > > In the full interview, which only aired on the Internet (meaning he won’t > be able to see it), my dad surprised me. Even though I don’t agree with > him, he was measured and thoughtful in his comments. Tantaros was a > completely different story. > > She misstated, misunderstood or fibbed about the tone of the original > piece, picking the most salacious moments, trying to rile up my dad. She > acted exactly how I portrayed Fox News in my first piece, needlessly > inflammatory and defamatory. > > Tantaros also led my dad into one of his favorite Fox-inspired topics: > People getting “free stuff.” This is at the heart of current Fox News > messaging. Many hosts use this loaded phrase as shorthand for demonizing > poor people, single women on birth control and the Affordable Care Act. > “You are just trying to avoid the mistakes of history. You’re just trying > to save this country as you say and not give it away for a bunch of free > stuff,” she said toward the end of the interview. > > The on-air piece and opinion piece that followed on FoxNews.com seemed to > dismiss my entire opinion because I went to college. To quote Tantaros: > “You could say (you lost your) son to a raging liberal academia.” > > Despite it all, I’m honestly happy for my dad. He had the chance to appear > on one of his favorite programs. Not many people can say that. In the years > I’ve known him, he’s never been on television or even met a journalist that > I know about. And I’m glad he got a platform to talk about the first essay > I wrote about him. I’m open to constructive dialogue with him, and this > might be as close as we ever get. > ADVERTISEMENT > > In my first essay, I examined not only my father’s Fox habit but also my > own history of watching. The most powerful story in human creation is the > heartfelt conversion, and my personal opinions have changed, even > dramatically in recent years. However, I did not go from one “certainty” to > another, but rather I went from convinced-about-everything to unsure-about > many-things. > > Certainty is the most dangerous emotion a human being can feel in politics > and religion. Certainty stops all outside thought or reason. It closes the > door and is a metaphorical spit in the face of anyone who disagrees. > Changing one’s mind is the essence of critical thinking. As Thomas > Jefferson himself said, “Question with boldness even the existence of a > God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of > reason, than that of blind-folded fear.” > > In America we’ve stopped hearing each other in the streets, restaurants, > churches and, in my case, in my own home, talking with my father. It is > tragic, but it’s not *all*our fault. Fox News makes a living dividing > people, offering the seductive lie of certainty to some people who just > want to be reassured. Who doesn’t want ironclad answers? > > My father said something to me before the interview that struck me. He > said I’m wrong about Fox News. “Fox didn’t warp me,” he said. “I created > Fox News so I’d have something to watch.” > > What a nugget of pure genius. Dad has always been conservative, although > as I said, not to the extent that he is now. He and like-minded > conservatives created a “news” source that would tell them what they wanted > to hear, without calling into question their preconceived notions. > Confirmation bias is a much different thing than news. > > <http://www.salon.com/2014/03/12/fox_news_tried_to_tear_my_family_apart_how_they_failed_to_incite_my_father/> > You can follow Edwin Lyngar on twitter @Edwin_Lyngar > <https://twitter.com/Edwin_Lyngar> > > On Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at 11:02:27 AM UTC-6, plainolamerican wrote: >> >> Old white people are drowning in despair and rage. Here's how my father >> lost his mind -- thanks to his cable diet >> EDWIN LYNGAR <http://www.salon.com/writer/edwin_lyngar/> >> >> - Share273K >> >> <http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/> >> - >> >> <http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/> >> - >> - >> Post >> - 2818 >> >> <http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/#comments> >> - >> - >> >> TOPICS: THE RIGHT <http://www.salon.com/topic/the_right>, FOX NEWS >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/fox_news>, THE FIVE >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/the_five>, STUART VARNEY >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/stuart_varney>, MEDIA CRITICISM >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/media_criticism>, GREATEST GENERATION >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/greatest_generation>, OLD PEOPLE >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/old_people>, WHITE PEOPLE >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/white_people>, EDITOR'S PICKS >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/editors_picks>, CLIMATE CHANGE >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/climate_change>, SCIENCE >> <http://www.salon.com/topic/science>, MEDIA NEWS >> <http://www.salon.com/category/media/>, POLITICS NEWS >> <http://www.salon.com/category/politics/> >> [image: I lost my dad to Fox News: How a generation was captured by >> thrashing hysteria] <http://media.salon.com/2014/02/fox_news_grid.jpg> >> >> Old, white, wrinkled and angry, they are slipping from polite society in >> alarming numbers. We’re losing much of a generation. They often sport hats >> or other clothing, some marking their status as veterans, Tea Partyers or >> “patriots” of some kind or another. They have yellow flags, bumper stickers >> and an unquenchable rage. They used to be the brave men and women who took >> on America’s challenges, tackling the ’60s, the Cold War and the Reagan >> years — but now many are terrified by the idea of slightly more affordable >> healthcare and a very moderate Democrat in the White House. >> >> We’re losing people like my father to the despair of Fox News, and it’s >> all by design. >> >> My dad is 67 years old, a full year younger than the average Fox viewer, >> who is 68, according to an analysis in New York magazine by columnist Frank >> Rich. I’ve read accounts of people my age — 40 or so — losing parents to >> cancer or Alzheimer’s, but just as big a tragedy are the crops of >> grandmothers and grandfathers debilitated by Fox News-induced hysteria. >> >> I *enjoyed* Fox News for many years, as a libertarian and frequent >> Republican voter. I used to share many, though not all, of my father’s >> values, but something happened over the past few years. As I drifted left, >> the white, Republican right veered into incalculable levels of conservative >> rage, arriving at their inevitable destination with the creation of the Tea >> Party movement. >> >> When I finally pulled the handle for Obama in 2012, my father could not >> believe how far I’d fallen. I have avoided talking politics with him as >> much as possible ever since. Last week, I invited him to my house for >> dinner with the express purpose of talking about politics and most >> especially his Fox News addiction. Since he retired, he *only*watches >> Fox. As we started chatting up politics, I repeated one mantra over and >> over: “Please, please, consume another source of information.” I repeated >> my plea a dozen times. He defended with stridency his choices, citing his >> favorites, like Stuart Varney, “The Five” and the great Charles >> Krauthammer. When it came to any other source of information he was >> emphatic. >> >> “I don’t care to see any more of that liberal bullshit,” he said in one >> form or another all night. >> >> We rehashed some issues, starting with his absolute skepticism about >> global warming and evolution. “Science and religion are the same thing,” he >> said. And, “We didn’t come from a fucking monkey,” he added like he always >> does. >> >> In real life Archie Bunker isn’t that cute. If he’s Archie, that makes me >> either Meat Head or Sallie Struthers (the very definition of lose-lose). >> >> I’m overeducated in the humanities, so I’m an imperfect ambassador for >> science. I respect scholarship, peer review and the scientific method. When >> I tell my dad he should believe the experts in climate science, he gets >> really mad. >> >> “Global warming is your religion,” he says. Because I’m an atheist, >> calling me religious is the worst insult he can summon, so he uses it often. >> >> My father sincerely believes that science is a political plot, Christians >> are America’s most persecuted minority and Barack Obama is a full-blown >> communist. He supports the use of force without question, as long as it’s >> aimed at foreigners. He thinks liberals are all stupid, ignorant fucks who >> hate America. >> >> I don’t recall my father being so hostile when I was growing up. He was >> conservative, to be sure, but conventionally and thoughtfully so. He is a >> kind and generous man and a good father, but over the past five or 10 >> years, he’s become so conservative that I can’t even find a label for it. >> >> What has changed? He consumes a daily diet of nothing except Fox News. He >> has for a decade or more. He has no email account and doesn’t watch sports. >> He refuses to so much as touch a keyboard and has never been on the >> Internet, ever. He thinks higher education destroys people, not only >> because of Fox News, but also because I drifted left during and after >> graduate school. >> >> I do not blame or condemn my father for his opinions. If you consumed a >> daily diet of right-wing fury, erroneously labeled “news,” *you* could >> very likely end up in the same place. Again, this is all by design. Let’s >> call it the Fox News effect. Take sweet, kindly senior citizens and feed >> them a steady stream of demagoguery and repetition, all wrapped in the >> laughable slogan of “fair and balanced.” Even watching the commercials on >> Fox, one is treated to sales pitches for gold and emergency food rations, >> the product cornerstones of the paranoid. To some people the idea of >> retirees yelling at the television all day may seem funny, but this isn’t a >> joke. We’re losing the nation’s grandparents, and it’s an American tragedy. >> >> People talk about the imminent “death” of Fox News itself, because of an >> ever-aging demographic. Again, Frank Rich makes this case, but I think his >> argument is dubious. Certainly the audience is graying to oblivion, but >> it’s a cold comfort to those of us who watch our parents or grandparents >> drown in an incessant downpour of outrage. We will only see the “End of Fox >> News” when my father and his contemporaries die. I do not want to watch my >> father and his entire generation spend their remaining years enraged at >> utter nonsense. >> >> My cohort, Generation X, is stuck between two generations of suffering >> Americans. The millennial generation is losing job opportunities and income >> as the nation stagnates. They put off marriage and buying homes. While >> white, Fox News-addicted baby boomers have lost their sense of hope. >> They’ve been passed over by shifting attitudes about gay marriage, the role >> of government and a host of issues. They still think of themselves as the >> “silent majority,” when in reality they are a wounded and thrashing legacy >> of white hegemony. My parents’ generation is becoming fragile antiques, >> relics by choice, reassured by Fox News that they are still the only voice >> that matters. >> >> I, and people like me, have managed to break the cycle of conservative >> red-and race-baiting. I’ve noticed similar attitude shifts among some of my >> close friends, who have likewise drifted from the televised rage of our >> fathers. I only wish I could do something to ease the anxiety of those I >> love, an emotion that is a cash cow for exploitative right-wing >> commentators. But I have no real solution, other than to turn off the >> television. Sadly, for some of the nation’s elderly, they seem to have no >> desire whatsoever to rethink the politics of fear and Fox News. It’s a >> criminal waste of retirement. >> >> >> <http://www.salon.com/2014/02/27/i_lost_my_dad_to_fox_news_how_a_generation_was_captured_by_thrashing_hysteria/> >> You can follow Edwin Lyngar on twitter @Edwin_Lyngar >> <https://twitter.com/Edwin_Lyngar> >> > -- > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. 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