“Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”
~ Sun Tzu (credited)
There is possibly no greater threat to U.S. democratic institutions than Donald J. Trump.
From algorithmically generated disinformation to an epidemic of odds-not-stakes reporting … it’s going to “take a village” to create awareness and understanding among voters who don’t eat-sleep-and-breathe politics. Which is most people!
Today’s highlight: On Friday, the world learned that Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny was dead. World leaders praised his courage and criticized Putin.
Trump was silent.
So much so that his silence became news.
Trump broke his silence on TruthSocial at 5:04 am EST on Monday.
Trump did not mourn Navalny’s death, nor did he criticize Vladimir Putin. Instead, he compared himself to Navalny and America’s democratic institutions to the Russian government run by a dictator, Putin.
Too many US news organizations — ABC News, CBS News, FOX News, Wall Street Journal — are silent 12 hours later. Others reported but without much (or any) context, such CNN, NBC News, New York Times and the Washington Post (twice).
I object to news organizations amplifying, rather than contextualizing, Trump’s rhetoric and lies. However, their current practice of ignoring his antidemocratic screeds does the country a disservice.
However, in the past 42 hours, Trump has ranted 64 times on TruthSocial:
The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) reported last fall that 3-in-4 Americans they surveyed “agree[d] that the future of American democracy is at risk in the 2024 presidential election.” Many fear violence.
As Dr. Benjamin Franklin reportedly said in 1787, the United States is “a republic, if you can keep it.”
I have to believe that open-minded voters want to understand consequences. However, too many of us don’t have the time, energy or expertise to ferret out that information.
So, if you have the time, please stay informed and then spread the word!
It will take active citizens to keep the village that is American democracy alive and thriving. Will you join me?
More at WiredPen, including how to monitor Truth Social posts without an account.
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The post Monitoring, contextualizing and sharing Trump’s rhetoric is key to keeping our democratic republic. appeared first on The Moderate Voice.
