Washington Post - Influence And Power Wrongly Placed!

Influence And Power Wrongly Placed!

The Washington Post is by far Americas most influential newspaper and its subtle ability to influence, shape, and mold the opinion of Americans cannot be overestimated. Day after day those working for the Washington Post are quoted time and time again as experts and authorities as they appear on talk-shows and news-feeds spreading their message. This amplifies their spin and in many ways determines the focus and direction in how we view issues. Almost as frightening as the concentrated power of which I write is the fact is Jeff Bezos CEO of Amazon and the worlds richest man is the person who owns and controls the Washington Post. To be blunt, the Washington Post controls the narrative put before us and Jeff Bezos, the epitome of a person who rises to the top in unregulated capitalist systems where money rewards people who are comfortable with exploiting and harming others should not be wielding such power.

It is not a coincidence that the Washington Post has broken many big stories that move the needle of public opinion in huge ways. This is done "over time" meaning that while many of these stories don't immediately wow us they seem to rapidly spread throughout the mainstream media taking on a life of their own and eventually have huge ramifications that can be so subtle they go unnoticed by the average American. A story about Roy Moore the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama and the Republican nominee in the 2017 special election in Alabama to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions was first published in the Washington Post on November 9, 2017. They reported that Moore had initiated a sexual encounter with a young girl in 1979 when she was 14 and he was 32 years old. The allegations of sexual misconduct dumped out a month before the election while never proven spread like wildfire as the term "pedophile" went viral causing Moore to lose to Democratic candidate Doug Jones.

The reason this is so important is that it effectively undermined President Trump and as a bonus, it reminded the electorate and women especially that Trump "does not respect women" and flipped a very valuable vote from an evenly split Senate. Also, it helped to fuel the "MeToo" movement that was raging at the time due to high profile revelations relating to Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men acting like pigs. This has continued and is expected to be a force in the 2018 elections. In an article titled, "The Marginalized Voices Of The #MeeToo Movement" the Post took a victory lap of sorts on December 7, 2017 by pointing out that when Time magazine recognized the #MeToo movement as its Person of the Year, it solidified just how much of a cultural moment we are in when dealing with sexual harassment and assault allegations against powerful men. Unstated was how the growth of the movement has further polarized our divided nation. Even the mention of this movement in a negative light can get a person to be cast off a show or dis-invited to an event, this was recently experienced by Norm McDonald after he made a few comments that appeared in the press.

Another example of "Post power" is still in play and that is their timely article which again the Post was "first to break" concerned Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University and how she was accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. She says Kavanaugh tried to force himself on her at a party when they were 17-year-old high school students. Following the article others rapidly appeared often referring to the piece in the Post and the words rape and descriptions of how she at the time feared he might kill her slipped into the narrative. Stories quickly sprouted about how Kavanaugh’s nomination was in serious jeopardy and how he must be stopped and how unless Ford’s allegations are discredited, it seems virtually unthinkable that he would be approved. Kavanaugh has forcefully denied the allegation of the decades-old sexual assault which now has become a key part of his increasingly nasty Senate confirmation battle.

Not Everyone Sees Kavanaugh As Far Right

Circling back to the crux of this article, the danger here is having influence and power controlled by someone wishing to manipulate the way the public thinks, again the ramifications and even the timing of the allegations against Kavanaugh are massive. President Trump selected Judge Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who is set to retire. If confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh would cement a conservative hold on the court. A big issue here is timing because if a Trump nominee is not approved by the 2018 elections and the Democrats take control of the Senate they will have the power to block future picks.

Many people do not realize it but the Washington Post is without a doubt the most pro-establishment among all large mainstream publications, not only do they defend establishment narratives but actively attacks anyone who challenges them. By this I mean it serves the wealthy and the powerful which can only exist with nonstop advertising to convince the American public that the "overall status quo" is in their best interest. The Washington Post is used to manufacture consent for that system; for the economic system, for the wars which prop it up, for the politicians which the plutocrats own and operate, for the political system which wealthy insiders have infiltrated every level. The propaganda they dish out can be very seductive, they simply add in a few gentle jabs to embarrass their enemies and then stir the power of suggestion.

All this adds fuel to an atmosphere that constantly warps our perception of the Trump administration when coupled with a constant barrage of headlines such as "Trump Decides To remove National Security Advisor And Others May Follow" or, "Trump To Fire McMaster As National Security Advisor, WaPo Reports But White House Denies." These often well-laundered stories tend to repeat vague rumors and innuendos which feed into the narrative the White House is in chaos but not only are most of these articles untrue they usually seem to loop back on themselves. These articles described as news continually jolt the emotions of both those on the left and the right reinforcing the polarization that grips our nation but leaving nobody to blame.

This type of reporting does not stop at attacking Trump but extends into our feelings about the world including our view of Russia, North Korea, Iran and even issues like trade. It all seems a bit ironic that it was the Washington Post which was the first to print these stories that you would normally expect to flow from a source closer to home such as a newspaper in the city or state where the event took place or the accuser lived. While this is inconclusive in proving that they were prefabricated of wrongdoing. it can be taken as proof of the power the Post wields. I contend the Washington Post has power far beyond just reporting the news but has the ability to plant an idea like you would a seed then shape public opinion utilizing various tools and even coordinating the timing to maximize their impact.

One of the best descriptions I have ever read of Jeff Bezos calls him the most crafty plutocrat alive and stated he purchased the Washington Post so he could shape America's agenda. The neo-liberal Orwellian establishment that Bezos is building his empire upon has been greatly enhanced by using the long-trusted US newspaper as a propaganda mouthpiece and a tool to propel his agenda forward. This is why we should all find it very troubling that Jeff Bezos is also a contractor with the CIA and sits on a Pentagon advisory board all part of doing everything he can to cozy up and ingratiate himself to the establishment on which his empire is built. This includes kicking WikiLeaks off Amazon servers in 2010 and dovetails in a creepy way with Amazon’s involvement in surveillance systems and digital “assistance” devices like Alexa.

It amazes me that average Americans still have a difficult time internalizing the fact businesses are dying and workers are getting poorer as Bezo's empire continues to grow. Bezos is happily collaborating with depraved intelligence agencies, manipulating and propagandizing Americans, and expanding the gulf between the rich and the poor all in his effort to garner more wealth. In our system where money rewards sociopaths and money equals power the plutocrats that form alliances with each other and with defense and intelligence agencies to ensure the continuation and expansion of their empires have little concern for the average American.