Some day, when Donald Trump is behind us and the Republican Party lies beside the Whigs in the American History Cemetery, we’ll have to turn our gaze on the news media. The press utterly failed us at the moment we most needed them to fulfill their Constitutionally mandated role as the last check on power. Instead, the chattering class stood back and claimed they were “neutral”. Just there to report the facts. And the most important fact? Whatever “it” is, “both sides do it”. That was horse shit the first moment someone thought it and it’s even more horse-shitty today.
Both sides don’t do it and never have.
Politics
The problem starts with the assumption that everyone does everything for entirely political reasons. No, they do not.
If we set aside the retail labels – “Republican” and “Democrat” and, instead, go with their political intentions – conservatism and progress – we get a more accurate picture of what everyone wants. And they’re not even remotely alike! Conservatives, per their name, want to conserve. The question then is WHAT do conservatives want to conserve? Considering as you can’t conserve the future, that means conservatives are limited to conserving the past – and as much of the past as still exists in the present.
Progressives – as our name says – want America to progress into a future that’s better than our past. More fair to more people.
While both sides may have idealized Americas in their minds, those two Americas look nothing alike. How about method then? Do both sides take the same tacks to achieve their desired goals?
Is that what “both sides do”?
Gerrymandering
Hmmmmm… well, both sides have been guilty of gerrymandering. But, let’s talk degree. Both sides may gerrymander, but Republicans gerrymander much more aggressively – and for a reason. Republicans gerrymander because they’d be a minority party in much of the country otherwise.
Take away gerrymandering – giving every vote the same weight – and plenty of red states suddenly turn purple while all the purple states suddenly turn deep blue.
Voter Suppression
How about voter suppression. Do both sides do that? Do Democrats ever spend time and money attempting to stop registered Republicans from voting? Do modern Democrats (we ain’t talking Dixiecrats here!) ever craft laws that criminalize voting – or giving water to those waiting in line to vote? Of course not! Because Democrats don’t have to resort to bullshit like that!
Instead, Democrats focus on policies and ideas that will float as many boats as possible. Whereas Democrats want to make the American playing field as level as possible, Republicans want to permanently tilt it toward white people. What are both sides doing here that’s alike?
Answer: nothing.
Carrying Water For Fun & Profit
To this day, our news media has willingly carried water for one side while constantly dumping on the other. They’ve allowed one side to spew hate across their airways while demanding that the side on the receiving end of that hate fix everything the haters broke. The press repeats easily disproven drivel that Republicans are better for the economy than Democrats. Same goes for defense. The conventional wisdom here is long on convention but painfully short on wisdom.
Nothing underscores the news media’s inadequacies quite like an election. Any moron can cover a horse race – including our news media. Someone’s going to win and everyone else is going to lose. Simple! But, our news media is so inept that as they breathlessly report on the various horses they see trotting around, the race track itself is burning down around them!
Both sides don’t plot against America from within. Only one side does that – and always has. The one that flies Confederate flags and still dreams of slavery. Only one side clings to America the way it was and dreams of making America “great” again.
Hey, that’s another thing both sides don’t do!