Summary
Historian Nicole Hemmer discussed Donald Trump’s strategy of exploiting tragedies for political gain, labeling it part of a broader right-wing effort to sow division.
Hemmer noted Trump’s pattern of politicizing disasters, from Hurricane Maria to the California wildfires, to attack political opponents and promote conspiracy theories.
This tactic is linked to a media environment that thrives on outrage and a conservative ecosystem that weaponizes anger for electoral gains.
This approach degrades public life, fosters animosity, and amplifies societal despair.
I surely wish someone in the opposition showed up on Fox and other similar propaganda machines and said pretty much this, like it is. Eventually some will see it, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it. This needs to be hammered starting right now, with the LA fires.
Mayor Pete could totally do it and get thru to some.
Most people don’t watch politics, and people that do overwhelming voted Democrat in the last election. Mayor Pete or whoever isn’t going to convince my dad that Fox news was lying to him the whole time. We really need a new media strategy that cuts the corporate network middleman out.
If the strategy is teaching people basic media literacy and critical thinking skills then we should do it. Fund the program by taxing all the “entertainment” news companies.
If the strategy is to use power we don’t have to create new educational programs, then we’re missing a step.