Seems like this is important enough to merit it's own thread, rather then in the "oh, what a lovely day thread"...
Thanks to Kellyanne Conway of Team Trump, we will now have a new term to serve as a substitute for the word "lie". For Team Trump, a lie will henceforth be known as an "alternative fact". Thus when Press Secretary Sean Spicer said "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period — both in person and around the globe", this is an example of an "alternative fact". Most of us will probably still know it as a "lie", but for translation purposes, and to better understand the new language being developed by Team Trump, one can substitute the term "alternative fact".
So, we know authoritarian rulers are no fans of a free press. A free press is a pretty inconvenient institution. We may see the White House briefing room removed from the White House to aid in putting more separation between Trump and a free press.
We might also note that authoritarian leaders would understandably be fond of inventing a language to sanitize what would not ordinarily be sanitized in a democratic society. So, since Trump is clearly a serial liar, no surprise that his team, rather then ask the boss to just stop lying, he can't after all, has instead caved to the ever present Trump lie by calling it by a more sanitized term: alternative fact. Can't very well call it a lie. People attach negative connotations to lies. Can't have that, and we certainly can't expect the Pres to actually reduce lies about himself and his accomplishments.
As for Spicer, I have heard friends of his, commentators, saying. "Not the Sean I know", and the like, and suggesting he was fed erroneous facts by people who were poor fact checkers. Poor Sean, in other words. It was the combative, angry tone that caused my jaw to drop. As it did to many who watched the first press briefing live. I wondered if his anger was genuine, he was, after all, simply reading what Trump had dictated, or if some of the anger was him angry at himself for tossing out his pride and going out there to make a complete *** of himself. Which he most certainly did! I took note of the threat most of all: the President is going to take his press office and go home, and not play with you guys anymore. Lol. That's what it amounted to, after all. Twitter it shall be. His supporters won't be asking him tough questions now, will they?
All this nonsense, on the 2nd and 3rd day, for heaven's sake, because the man did not like truthful photos. Why? That's what Chuck Todd kept asking Conway. Why would Trump want to litigate in public such an inconsequential, trivial thing??
Enough of this nonsense! So what if the crowd was larger in 2009? Who the hell cares? Trump. Trump cares. I think he's going to do enough damage as it is. He's already erased all reference to climate change from the official White House website. I guess, if he has his way, we'll be spewing CO2 emmisions up the whazoo. Thanks, Drumpf. Outrageous that he thinks he is going to referee and decide the climate debate! I hope we can bring as many people onto the street over his climate actions as the women did yesterday. I believe we can. But, in the meantime, is it asking too much for Trump to simply grow up? Is it asking too much that he stop worrying about things like photos of his inaugural crowd, and pay a little less attention to himself and the needs of his ego?
There is something wrong with this man that he simply cannot get over himself. To the extent of sending Sean Spicer out there to read such an asinine statement. A wee bit insecure are we, Mr. Trump?
People really need to stop apologizing for him, stop making excuses for him. Enough already. If you can't see there's something wrong with this guy by now, what will it take?
Three days in, and already this administration seems more like a complete farce then something to be taken seriously. Yet take it seriously we must.
Trump wants to ensure he cannot be held accountable by a free press. That is as serious as it gets. Borrowing a page from a friend of his on the other side of the world methinks.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/altern...-war-on-mainstream-media-20170122-gtwmdl.html
