JohnPhilpin
JohnPhilpin

Contrary to Fox’s ‘reopen the country’ rhetoric, Fox News offices will remain closed until mid-June.

It’s like the protestors out on the streets about lockdown - but all wearing masks.

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JohnPhilpin
JohnPhilpin

@Ron My comparison or CNN's reporting?

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jcburns
jcburns

@Ron excuse me for jumping in, but we’re in a situation where arguably the world’s gold standard for assessing and fighting new viruses and infections is being politically muzzled and managed. The CDC is, historically, at its core, apolitical and the best at the very complex science that is needed. And we have an administration is filtering, distorting, turning scientific truth into ‘its all fine’ propaganda. The CDC! The President thinks COVID deaths are overestimated. Most scientists worldwide—worldwide!—think just the opposite. There are way way too many people out of jobs, I agree, but putting them at risk is not a calculation that individuals can make. One asymptomatic person walking into a meat packing plant or an Amazon warehouse is potentially responsible for many lives. Our a Congress should put money DIRECTLY into the hands of the new jobless long enough for us to make it safe to raise our heads from the foxhole and give working closer together another try. As I say, don’t get me started.

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JohnPhilpin
JohnPhilpin

@Ron sorry - maybe this is one of those ‘agree to disagree’ moments.

As a 30 year resident and tax payer of America, I don’t really feel like a visitor. What goes on in the USA affects me. And what goes on in the USA affects everyone in the world.

That is why The US President has always (since the cold war at least) been dubbed ‘The Leader of The Free World’.

It is clear that Trump does not hold that position (At least if you pay attention to media like the Atlantic, The Independent, The Hill et al - who have all opined that this is no longer the case.)

They can say what they want .. sadly, despite the man in the office - he still is supposedly in that role. Many people still hope that … but no. You don’t have to interpret his words through the ‘biased media that hate trump' ... you can listen to him talk, read his Tweets, watch his actions.

Intelligent people might be able to read between the lines and justify his words and behavior. I am just not that clever.

America First clearly means Everyone Else Second.

The only question is ‘Which America’ should be first ... because it surely isn’t the America that most of his base belong to.

Finally, if Trump feels free to shoot his crap and ignorance across the Atlantic and insult my country’s leaders on TV through his tweets, make no mistake ... I am perfectly entitled to make my opinion about him known ... to BOTH my readers. 😊

Maybe you have missed my positions on the USA over time, but a random dip into my archives found this from 2016.

And so to your point and my point in the original message.

My partisanship is clear - most definitely. Most of my life I have been a centrist. In the UK I have voted both sides of ‘the aisle’. Of course, I don’t vote in the US - although I do campaign - including out on the trail knocking on the doors. I might not be able to vote, but I can sure try to influence others - and really - even if they vote for the other side - that’s good ... right? I think so.

But where I sit on the spectrum politically is also a flag that doesn’t translate. Back in the day the UK’s conservative party could at times be seen as left wing when put on the US spectrum.

So in the US, I have naturally sided with the Democrats. I mean healthcare for all, fair wages for all, the right to vote ... that’s what I wanted in the UK - why should that change in the US? The side of the aisle I sit is decided not by blue and red - but by ideas, and policies and actions.

And those ideas, policies and actions of the Republican party as a whole absolutely moved even further to the right - and Trump has doubled down on a position that I find untenable.

And Fox News as his propaganda arm is just extraordinary.

No need to get into it - suffice to say that when over 70 journalists and academics write an open letter to Murdoch calling for an end to Fox News COVID misinformation ... there has to be something going on. Let’s face it - Murdoch also owns Sky in the UK - and Sky arguably has even more power there than ‘Phaux News’ does here - but nobody has had to write such a letter in the UK.

You wrote

”I grew up in ham radio, where we were taught that we were ambassadors to the world when we were on the air, always wanting to promote good will in the world.

I didn't. But I was brought up and taught that as an English boy in a military family, I would find myself in all kinds of places where I was different. My job - unlike yours didn’t have airwaves , but very much like you - I was told to ... and have always tried ... to promote good will in the world. That includes pointing out snake oil salesmen, liars, and bandits. Standing up for people that can’t stand up for themselves and being driven by my conscience and ideas and actions that I observe - trying to make right what I see as wrong.

I do that unashamedly. It's not partisanship. It’s doing what is right.

// @jcburns

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canion
canion

@JohnPhilpin That’s one heck of an excellent, thoughtful response.

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In reply to
JohnPhilpin
JohnPhilpin

@canion why thankyou, apologies for the length - I didn’t have time to write something short 🤪

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pratik
pratik

@JohnPhilpin Excellent response. It is important to call out BS and not try to be overly accommodating.

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