Very factual and interesting article here from Salon.com with this
headline:
“Right-wing lies like Biden's beef ban and Kamala's
book spread too fast for corrections to counter”
Recent corrections from Fox News and the NY Post
aren't going to stop them from becoming right wing gospel online
Over the weekend, two sensational fake stories: (1) a Fox Business Network segment about President Biden's
supposed plans to impose strict beef rations on America, and (2) a New York Post news article claiming Vice President Harris's
book was being distributed
to migrant children in shelters spread rapidly through right wing
social media after being injected into the bloodstream by outlets owned by
Rupert Murdoch and his family.
Both stories were corrected by Fox on air and the Post in two separate corrected articles after both were debunked
by fact-checkers.
In both cases, however, it's highly unlikely that corrections will ever penetrate the consciousness of the average person who shared straight-faced posts referencing these fake stories on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or the other social media sites.
On the contrary, you'll
probably be hearing right wing relatives griping about Harris using her
book to indoctrinate migrant children and jokes about Biden's burgers for
years to come.
There's a popular maxim — often attributed to figures like
Mark Twain or Winston Churchill — that a lie can travel around the world while
the truth is still lacing up its boots.
Nowadays, and more so in right wing circles, that
observation is starting to morph into what looks very much like a sustained
political strategy.
Laura Italiano, the NY Post reporter who wrote the
original story about Harris, dramatically resigned, claiming on Twitter that she was “ordered to write the
story and that it was my breaking point.”
Here from The Guardian on this same
story:
Shame on so many
Republicans for jumping the gun and not fact-checking this kind of story –
seems they merely trust Fox when it comes to smearing President Joe Biden and
his administration, and even before the story was partially retracted hinting
in many venues that “public funds were being misused.”
Two high-level examples:
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked
if the Biden administration was forcing taxpayers to buy Harris’s book to give
to those illegal immigrants.
Ronna McDaniel, chair of
the RNC, also asked: “After learning officials are handing out Kamala Harris’s
book to migrants in facilities at the border, it’s worth asking … Was Harris
paid for these books? Is she profiting from Biden’s border crisis?”
The Washington Post revealed that the single copy of
the Harris book had turned up at the Long Beach facility as part of a book and toy
drive for migrant children.
Long Beach city spokesman Kevin Lee told the Post: “The city
of Long Beach, in partnership with the Long Beach convention and visitors
bureau, has a city-wide book and toy drive that is ongoing to support the
migrant children who are temporarily staying in Long Beach at the HHS shelter. The
book you reference is one of hundreds of books that have already been donated.
The book was not purchased by HHS or the city.”
Note that the original story falsely claimed migrant centers
are issuing “Welcome Packs for Migrant Children” that, along with basic
hygiene supplies and clothing also included copies of Harris’ book Superheroes Are
Everywhere.
In reality, there was one copy of the book at one HHS
center in California — a donation, not part of any official welcome pack.
Like many lies that find
credulous ears, this one bears a resemblance to a true, yet utterly
unrelated to Harris, story: Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine
Pugh got caught profiteering off her position with a scheme
involving children's book sales.
Still, as Zachary Petrizzo documents, the false Harris book story tore through right wing media, referenced by figures like Fox News host Tucker Carlson. It also — and perhaps more importantly — ripped through social media.
Figures like Dan Bongino and Glenn Beck, who routinely show up on the list of Facebook's most popular posters, amplified the story.
Bongino's post on it has more than 12,000 reactions from his fans, with thousands of irate comments about Harris “pawning off her book to kids.”
For weeks now, Tucker
Carlson has been exploiting the influx of refugees at the southern
border to mainstream replacement theory.
Replacement Theory is a white
nationalist conspiracy theory that accuses shadowy elites that neo-Nazis call
“Jews.”
But Carlson cleans it up that
definition and replaces the word “Jews” by saying “Democrats.”
Carlson says they are trying to replace the current white electorate with new people “who are more obedient voters from the Third World.”
Of course that is a preposterous accusation — it's well known that
most refugees are fleeing violence in Central America, and the Biden
administration has actually been criticized for not processing applicants fast enough.
Carlson has not only pushed the “replacement theory” lie, but
he's been publicly defended by Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert
Murdoch and CEO of Fox News for doing so.
My 2 cents: GOPers
practically every day blast and rip DEMS and many times for 100% no reason
other than for political gain, even changing elections to try and ensure they
won’t lose the next series of elections.
And, they have the unmitigated gall to say in ever speech: “We serve the public.”
Yeah, sure – but which public?
They are basically and collectively nasty, mean, and corrupt
people with one goal to stay in power anyway possible. This story proves my
point. I’m sure more will be updated later. Stay tuned.
Related: My other post on
this same subject: Disinformation
from the GOP.
Thanks for stopping by.
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