Stories of People Whose Loved Ones Were Transformed by Fox News

[RandomGuy]

No matter where the stories came from they all featured a few familiar beats: A loved one seemed to have changed over time. Maybe that person was already somewhat conservative to start. Maybe they were apolitical. But at one point or another, they sat down in front of Fox News, found some kind of deep, addictive comfort in the anger and paranoia, and became a different person — someone difficult, if not impossible, to spend time with. The fallout led to failed marriages and estranged parental relationships. For at least one person, it marks the final memory he’ll ever have of his father: “When I found my dad dead in his armchair, fucking Fox News was on the TV,” this reader told me. “It’s likely the last thing he saw. I hate what that channel and conservative talk radio did to my funny, compassionate dad. He spent the last years of his life increasingly angry, bigoted, and paranoid.”

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/i-gathered-stories-of-people-transformed-by-fox-news.html

[Chucho]

RG regulated to posting Boutons-level shit now...

[FrostKing]

> He spent the last years of his life increasingly angry, bigoted, and paranoid.

Are you disputing that nearly all of Western Civilization is worse off today than 50 years ago?

I actually applaud old man for still having compassion for his society and what troubled shape he was leaving it in.

[a777pilot]

RG regulated to posting Boutons-level shit now...

Could you have possibly meant "relegated"?

[Chucho]

Could you have possibly meant "relegated"?

Sure, sure. Want a cookie for you astounding work there, professor?

[a777pilot]

Sure, sure. Want a cookie for you astounding work there, professor?

Oh, yes! I love cookies.

p.s., If you don't know your own language how can you have a conversation let alone a debate?

[a777pilot]

I make word/grammar mistakes based on impatience all the time. I appreciate those that take the time to correct me.

[Chucho]

Oh, yes! I love cookies.

p.s., If you don't know your own language how can you have a conversation let alone a debate?

Yes, a typo = complete ignorance of and inability to use the language.

[a777pilot]

Yes, a typo = complete ignorance of and inability to use the language.


"regulated vice relegated"

That is not a typo.

[a777pilot]

"let's eat kids."

"Let's eat, kids."

Difference or no difference?

Word use, grammar, and punctuation are important to communication.

[clambake]

"let's eat kids."

"Let's eat, kids."

Difference or no difference?

Word use, grammar, and punctuation are important to communication.

dead giveaway post.

[TheGreatYacht]

There is a movie called "The brainwashing of my dad"





https://youtu.be/_OQqJjGneos

[Chucho]

"let's eat kids."

"Let's eat, kids."

Difference or no difference?

Word use, grammar, and punctuation are important to communication.

:wakeup

[RandomGuy]

RG regulated to posting Boutons-level shit now...

Simply trying to present to those in teh Fox news delusional bubble what they look like to those outside of it.

Seen the effects first hand.

[FrostKing]

Simply trying to present to those in teh Fox news delusional bubble what they look like to those outside of it.

Seen the effects first hand.
Fox and CNN tend to run the same stories. I notice while I'm on the treadmill. There are exceptions that usually make the end of segments I.E. Fox will mention law enforcement being slayed in the line of duty while CNN will mention blacks killed by law enforcement. CNN tends to ignore what occurs at the border and Fox ignores what occurs within minority communities

I don't think one station scaremongers more than the other. Their target audience and thus end of segment stories contrast

[ElNono]

Are you disputing that nearly all of Western Civilization is worse off today than 50 years ago?

Sure. I would even argue it would be very difficult to make a compelling argument that overall life was better 50 years ago.

[Spurminator]

Sure. I would even argue it would be very difficult to make a compelling argument that overall life was better 50 years ago.

For whom?

I wasn't alive 50 years ago but it seems like life is pretty good now. I can't imagine even our poorest and most desperate would find themselves in a better situation in 1969, especially if they were an ethnic, religious or sexual minority.

[FrostKing]

For whom?

I wasn't alive 50 years ago but it seems like life is pretty good now. I can't imagine even our poorest and most desperate would find themselves in a better situation in 1969, especially if they were an ethnic, religious or sexual minority.
Exactly. Minorities are better off. The outliers of society benefited at the cost of the greater good. Liberalism mission accomplished.

[TheGreatYacht]

Most of the population is better off materially. But income wise and debt? More than half the population in the US can't afford a $500 emergency and live paycheck to paycheck. Wages are stagnant and haven't kept up with inflation. So perhaps we're better off materially. Suicide rates are on the rise. Income inequality is at an all time high. Hope we hit rock bottom.

[RandomGuy]

Fox and CNN tend to run the same stories. I notice while I'm on the treadmill. There are exceptions that usually make the end of segments I.E. Fox will mention law enforcement being slayed in the line of duty while CNN will mention blacks killed by law enforcement. CNN tends to ignore what occurs at the border and Fox ignores what occurs within minority communities

I don't think one station scaremongers more than the other. Their target audience and thus end of segment stories contrast

That is the tragedy of modern media. CNN trying to gin up the kind of outrage ratings that makes money for Fox.

[ElNono]

For whom?

I wasn't alive 50 years ago but it seems like life is pretty good now. I can't imagine even our poorest and most desperate would find themselves in a better situation in 1969, especially if they were an ethnic, religious or sexual minority.


Exactly. Minorities are better off. The outliers of society benefited at the cost of the greater good. Liberalism mission accomplished.

Just minorities? That's quite the reach.

Better medicine, better communications, lower barriers to education and entrepreneurship, lower crime, longer lifespan... list just goes on an on...

And honestly, if we're talking strictly economics and socioeconomic status, the income distribution has gone further up to the top. I would argue that despite the advances for minorities, the rich actually has gotten richer (besides benefiting from all the social and technological advances the poor have).

Now, since 1969, there has been 6 Republican presidents and only 3 Democrats, so it's kinda weird to blame Liberalism, IMO.

[midnightpulp]

Exactly. Minorities are better off. The outliers of society benefited at the cost of the greater good. Liberalism mission accomplished.

:lol why wouldn't you want minorities to be better off? Poles were once considered a minority, and they were the butt of much discrimination and "bad jokes" in early 20th century. In fact, pretty much everyone who wasn't a WASP was at some time or another treated like shit by the nativists and blamed for all manner of all social ills. Aren't you glad American society wisened up moving forward into the 20th century so that Slavic immigrants could be better off? The KKK was as a anti-Catholic as they were anti-black. And in your beloved Europe, Poles were without a doubt the most discriminated ethnicity in Western Europe. Hitler wanted to wipe out the entire people. The Soviets sent millions to Siberian death camps.

It's not a zero sum game. Minorites improving their quality of life doesn't come at the expense of the greater good.

I somewhat agree that Western Civilization is worse off in many ways, despite the cheap tech toys we now have access to. We can see strong correlations between the stagnation of middle-class growth and these addiction, divorce/not married and obesity epidemics (hint: all this started on an upward trend when St. Ronnie Reagan was elected: http://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2015/11/20/6358359882436216361965175721_obese.gif, http://origins.osu.edu/sites/origins.osu.edu/files/whitevsblackarrestsfor%20drugs.jpg, https://prospect.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/marriage_and_divorce_over_time.jpg?itok=lglYCI9G).

The outliers who benefitted at the cost of the greater good weren't minorities, but so-called "captains of industry." The Sacklers have destroyed a lot of Midwestern communities with their "business plan," along with Big Auto and Big Steel outsourcing their livelihoods over the last 40 years, but the Fox News watchers in those communities remain convinced it's all because them "durn Luhtinos, Neeegros, and Homo-sexshuals."

[pgardn]

Better off...

Living longer, having more money, etc does not necessarily lead to satisfaction.
Im one of the younger members on here that would say fulfillment is the key. And sadly, if you look around and realize how easy it is to compare “quality” of life via communication, self fulfillment is hardly ever mentioned.

You go out and dig holes for fence posts, put em in; they are sturdy and line up perfectly in your plans.
Thats a fckn great day. Tomorrow will be even better now. IMO this is so much more than achieving level eleventy billion on some stupid program someone else wrote. Write your own gd program and move on.

Make something. Fail, fail, fail.... succeed in making something even bettter.
Finally understand a math problem in a profound way. Get a song on guitar just how YOU want it and no you are not Jimmy Hendricks and it doesn’t matter. Cmon, with this life is “better” . Take the fckn reins. Seize YOUR day.

-Zen pgardn

[Spurtacular]

There is a movie called "The brainwashing of my dad"





https://youtu.be/_OQqJjGneos

Pretty sad that this lady is dragging her dead dad's memory through the mud just to be a good liberal minion.

[pgardn]

Oh...

The Fox News thing.

Self examination is a very human behavior.
Become human today.
Maybe ask yourself why you believe the things you do.

What in your background, events in your life, family, and those around you... influence the way you think.

Ya think so? Well how and what core beliefs need rethinking.
Are you making Don Lemmon or Sean Hannity your go to use for arguments.
Good for you, you follow celebrities, and for some reason they have more insight than you do?

[Spurminator]

Just minorities? That's quite the reach.

Better medicine, better communications, lower barriers to education and entrepreneurship, lower crime, longer lifespan... list just goes on an on...

And honestly, if we're talking strictly economics and socioeconomic status, the income distribution has gone further up to the top. I would argue that despite the advances for minorities, the rich actually has gotten richer (besides benefiting from all the social and technological advances the poor have).

Now, since 1969, there has been 6 Republican presidents and only 3 Democrats, so it's kinda weird to blame Liberalism, IMO.

I just realized I misread your first post. I thought you were saying life was worse now, hence my "For whom?" response.

[ElNono]

Better off...

Living longer, having more money, etc does not necessarily lead to satisfaction.
Im one of the younger members on here that would say fulfillment is the key. And sadly, if you look around and realize how easy it is to compare “quality” of life via communication, self fulfillment is hardly ever mentioned.

You go out and dig holes for fence posts, put em in; they are sturdy and line up perfectly in your plans.
Thats a fckn great day. Tomorrow will be even better now. IMO this is so much more than achieving level eleventy billion on some stupid program someone else wrote. Write your own gd program and move on.

Make something. Fail, fail, fail.... succeed in making something even bettter.
Finally understand a math problem in a profound way. Get a song on guitar just how YOU want it and no you are not Jimmy Hendricks and it doesn’t matter. Cmon, with this life is “better” . Take the fckn reins. Seize YOUR day.

-Zen pgardn

When you get into things such as 'satisfaction' or 'happiness', that's all very personal. I'm talking about the ability to do things we couldn't do before, which translate into other things where the consensus is that it's a net positive (ie: longevity through advances in medicine/technology).

I mean, sure, maybe the doctors aren't happy they have to deal with Obamacare, but, it's undeniable that the advances in medicine over the past 50 years have been a net positive.

Similarly, I'm sure some people hate cell phones, make them feel tethered to work, etc, but the ability to communicate with whoever at any time, respond or report emergencies immediately, etc... again, net positive, no doubt.

[pgardn]

When you get into things such as 'satisfaction' or 'happiness', that's all very personal. I'm talking about the ability to do things we couldn't do before, which translate into other things where the consensus is that it's a net positive (ie: longevity through advances in medicine/technology).

I mean, sure, maybe the doctors aren't happy they have to deal with Obamacare, but, it's undeniable that the advances in medicine over the past 50 years have been a net positive.

Similarly, I'm sure some people hate cell phones, make them feel tethered to work, etc, but the ability to communicate with whoever at any time, respond or report emergencies immediately, etc... again, net positive, no doubt.

Being able to react to any situation quickly even instantaneously is not necessarily a net positive for more complex human situations. Knowing but not having a “solution” can be extremely discomforting for our brains. However Most of your argument seems to revolve around health. I would say alleviation of pain and suffering is important ( and of course has led to abuse ) But literally living longer ... I question that one.

I think this question of progress and net gain is actually very difficult. Because of the way we interpret an outcome. It is weighed against the context of what is possible at that time.

[pgardn]

We know the wheel was an advance from a historical perspective.
But the reaction to working with what you have at that time is reality.

[TheGreatYacht]

Pretty sad that this lady is dragging her dead dad's memory through the mud just to be a good liberal minion.

It's the truth though. A good Christian who abides by the teachings of Jesuss in helping out the poor and foreign brothers and sisters will become the complete opposite of Jesus after years of watching Fox news. That lady's dad ended up hating poor people and immigrants. That's exactly what Fox news viewers become after years of brainwashing.

The old right-wing strategy: Billionaires pay a group of rich people to convince the working class to blame immigrants and poor people for all your problems.

[baseline bum]

The old right-wing strategy: Billionaires pay a group of rich people to convince the working class to blame immigrants and poor people for all your problems.

https://newmatilda.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/giphy.gif

[boutons_deux]

Billionaires pay a group of rich people to convince the working class to blame immigrants and poor people for all your problems.

... which deflects from the real culprits: hyper-wealthy Capitalists who have fucked up Americans into a "precariat" of 100Ms, Americans who are blamed, insulted, disgraced because they are told their precarious life is their own damn fault and/or that they are fucked because they are bad people that God is punishing.

[Spurtacular]

It's the truth though. A good Christian who abides by the teachings of Jesuss in helping out the poor and foreign brothers and sisters will become the complete opposite of Jesus after years of watching Fox news. That lady's dad ended up hating poor people and immigrants. That's exactly what Fox news viewers become after years of brainwashing.

The old right-wing strategy: Billionaires pay a group of rich people to convince the working class to blame immigrants and poor people for all your problems.

Seen this straw man over and over. If you want to find bad Christians though, you'll have no problem finding them.

[ElNono]

Being able to react to any situation quickly even instantaneously is not necessarily a net positive for more complex human situations. Knowing but not having a “solution” can be extremely discomforting for our brains. However Most of your argument seems to revolve around health. I would say alleviation of pain and suffering is important ( and of course has led to abuse ) But literally living longer ... I question that one.

I think this question of progress and net gain is actually very difficult. Because of the way we interpret an outcome. It is weighed against the context of what is possible at that time.

Fair points, but I wanted to mention it’s not just health. Access to education, as another example, has improved dramatically. Whereas in the past you could only pick a selection of literature that was available on your library, now you can sit down on a computer there, and have vast amounts at your fingertips.

Communications is another one. IE: Video conferencing with your loved ones when you’re away.

I mean, when you actually think how limited we were 50 years ago (and I’m not that old, but just think of the amount of things we take for granted today that didn’t exist back then), it’s mind boggling somebody would actually want to go back.

[a777pilot]

What is wrong with being rich?

Do a bit of research: Look up the CEO's of ten of the top fortune 500 companies. See how many of those individuals were willed their high positions by their daddy and how many earned their positions.

Most American rich stories are of self-made persons of modest means working their way up. Even the arguably the richest private individual that ever live John D. Rockefeller, started out with nothing but an idea and a will of steal.

[pgardn]

Fair points, but I wanted to mention it’s not just health. Access to education, as another example, has improved dramatically. Whereas in the past you could only pick a selection of literature that was available on your library, now you can sit down on a computer there, and have vast amounts at your fingertips.

Communications is another one. IE: Video conferencing with your loved ones when you’re away.

I mean, when you actually think how limited we were 50 years ago (and I’m not that old, but just think of the amount of things we take for granted today that didn’t exist back then), it’s mind boggling somebody would actually want to go back.

You would not want to go back if you knew what was possible today.
It’s all in relation to what you know about today or even the future.

I think I could argue, from an evolutionary perspective, that human beings are in a very odd world now.
A world that does not suit what at least 100,000 years of natural selection made us good at.

We get anxiety over schooling and jobs? We can actually initiate a fight or flight response and there is nothing waiting to eat us? This is not a pleasant situation. I could go on but I think we get the point.
So sieze the day, I guess. But that 401(k).... Hold off and plan. This is messy. We got to prepare for more than just the coming winter.

[RandomGuy]

https://newmatilda.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/giphy.gif

Eyup.

That is it in a nutshell.

[RandomGuy]

What is wrong with being rich?

Do a bit of research: Look up the CEO's of ten of the top fortune 500 companies. See how many of those individuals were willed their high positions by their daddy and how many earned their positions.

Most American rich stories are of self-made persons of modest means working their way up. Even the arguably the richest private individual that ever live John D. Rockefeller, started out with nothing but an idea and a will of steal.

No, they aren't. Feel free to prove that myth to any degree of evidence.

"Will of steal" :rollin

Won't argue with you there. Rich get rich by stealing labor's results from others.

[boutons_deux]

Most of the billionaires in USA now are there by inheritance, not by "working their way up from mail room"

Billionaire Bonanza 2018: Inherited Wealth Dynasties in the 21st-Century U.S.

https://inequality.org/great-divide/billionaire-bonanza-2018-inherited-wealth-dynasties-in-the-21st-century-u-s/

socio-economic upward mobility in USA is now lower than in social democratic Europe, mainly because of govt programs that provide an equality of opportunity.

In USA, for the majority, the rule is "Born poor, die poor. Born rich, die rich" (and fuck all y'all's "mailroom boy" anecdotes)

[TheGreatYacht]

Most of the billionaires in USA now are there by inheritance, not by "working their way up from mail room"

Billionaire Bonanza 2018: Inherited Wealth Dynasties in the 21st-Century U.S.

https://inequality.org/great-divide/billionaire-bonanza-2018-inherited-wealth-dynasties-in-the-21st-century-u-s/

socio-economic upward mobility in USA is now lower than in social democratic Europe, mainly because of govt programs that provide an equality of opportunity.

In USA, for the majority, the rule is "Born poor, die poor. Born rich, die rich" (and fuck all y'all's "mailroom boy" anecdotes)

They have been indoctrinated to defend the elites.

[RandomGuy]

They have been indoctrinated to defend the elites.

The rich have weaponized the stupid.

[boutons_deux]

The rich have weaponized the stupid.

and billionaires' attacks on public education is a strategy to create more stupid.

low-ed people are perfect for low-wage shitty jobs and suckers for oligarchy's propaganda, like, MAGA