The Chris Abraham Show

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/on-the-media-some-weird

January 22, 2021

On this week’s show, we take a deep breath. Plus, journalists reflect on the deep damage done to our information ecosystem and how we can begin to repair it. And, Brooke and Bob take a journey through 20 years of OTM.

1. Brooke and Bob on the (short-lived) reprieve following the 45th president's departure, and McKay Coppins [@mckaycoppins], staff writer at The Atlantic, on how the environment for "elite" journalists has changed in the past four years. Listen.

2. Yamiche Alcindor [@Yamiche], White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, Jay Rosen [@jayrosen_nyu], media critic and journalism professor at New York University, and Karen Attiah [@KarenAttiah], global opinions editor at the Washington Post, on what they've learned as journalists from the Trump era, and what comes next. Listen.

3. Bob and Brooke reflect on more than a thousand shows together, and twenty years of On the Media. Listen.

Watch Johnny (aka Tommy Wiseau) go all ape shit on his girlfriend in this classic scene from the film "The Room:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM7qNm_Mmrw

"In the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, liberals and conservatives flew American flags outside their homes and let them flutter from their car antennas. A Republican president spoke kindly and reassuringly at a mosque. Lawmakers from both parties sang “God Bless America” — together — on the steps of the Capitol."

'“America is united,” President George W. Bush proclaimed a decade ago after the horror that terrorists wrought. And it felt that way. Not Republicans. Not Democrats. Just Americans clinging to one another as we coped with the attacks on our freedom, on our security, on our way of life. We mourned together, raged together, resolved together.'

'After Sept. 11, signs of newfound unity seemed to well up everywhere, from the homes where American flags appeared virtually overnight to the Capitol steps where lawmakers pushed aside party lines to sing "God Bless America" together.'

"In the days following 9/11, there were no political parties posturing against one another to put their own spin on the events of that day- only Americans serving the United States of America and turning all our hearts and minds to God in prayer. I marvel at the unity and prayerful spirit of our nation in a time of war.  As I read the stories of heroes and grieve with the shattered loved ones left behind, I am inspired by those who went on to build lives of hope. Tragedy paused our busy lives and we united as Americans against an unseen enemy which threatened our freedom and our very existence."

'So we should pause today to remember these attacks on American soil, and to remember the sense of unity we felt as a nation in the immediate aftermath of what has come to be known simply as 9/11. Four in five Americans spontaneously displayed the U.S. flag in the following days, one poll found. Some 150 members of Congress from both parties gathered on the Capitol steps and sang “God Bless America.”'

"Seventeen years ago today, 9/11 brought America together. Our diverse nation flew the American flag, donated blood and gathered for candlelight vigils together. On the steps of the Capitol, Republicans and Democrats in Congress sang “God Bless America” as one voice. We also tightened the rules of our country dramatically. Soon after they sang, Congress introduced strict measures and initiated monitoring as means of protection. Officials passed 48 pieces of legislation, created over 260 new government organizations and spent over $600 billion on homeland security from 2001 to 2011. The Patriot Act, hurriedly drafted and signed a month after the attacks by 98 out of 100 senators, authorized unprecedented scrutiny of Americans. The Transportation Security Administration launched elaborate security requirements and pre-screening processes at airports."

The video I mentioned wherein Chris Hayes talks about the members of the political class who were threatened by white supremacists: Must-See New Video Shows Capitol Riot Was Way Worse Than We Thought | All In | MSNBC

"We have before us the opportunity to forge for ourselves and for future generations a new world order, a world where the rule of law, not the law of the jungle, governs the conduct of nations." -GEORGE H. W. BUSH, speech from the Oval office, Jan. 16, 1991

Domestic terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.

The 2021 storming of the United States Capitol was a riot and violent attack against the United States Congress on January 6, 2021, carried out by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. 

The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the United States Congress that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. USA PATRIOT is a backronym that stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.

Political class, or political elite is a concept in comparative political science originally developed by Italian political theorist Gaetano Mosca. It refers to the relatively small group of activists that is highly aware and active in politics, and from whom the national leadership is largely drawn.

Class conflict, also referred to as class struggle and class warfare, is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society consequent to socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor.

In the United States there has long been a conflict between the working class majority and the professional class. The conflict goes back to the workers revolution and age of unionized labor in the late nineteenth century. In the 1960s, tensions between classes flared up again. The student protestors, many of whom had deferments and were therefore exempt from fighting in the Vietnam War, were generally the youth of the professional middle class. Though the student protestors envisioned solidarity with the working class as a means of opposing "establishment" policies with regard to war, race, and other social issues, the student protestors' lack of support for the Vietnam War, as well as generalized antipathy toward youthful rebellion, alienated the working classes. 

Social class in the United States refers to the idea of grouping Americans by some measure of social status, typically economic, however it could also refer to social status or location. The idea that American society can be divided into social classes is disputed, and there are many competing class systems.

Domestic terrorism or homegrown terrorism is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims. There are many definitions of terrorism, and none of them are universally accepted.

You shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house

GlassJaw: 1.) Someone who can't take a punch.

Glass jaw (noun) a weak jaw that is easily broken, especially as an indication of a fighter's vulnerability to an opponent's punches.

Glass jaw (plural glass jaws) (chiefly boxing) A fighting vulnerability where one is easily knocked out via a single hard blow to the chin or jaw (due to lack of conditioning, insufficient training or damage from past cerebral concussions). Metaphorically, a vulnerability of that sort.

Glass Jaw is the redemption story of Travis Austin, a one time champion boxer who goes to prison and loses everything. After his release, he experiences the trials and tribulations of redeeming his reputation, his belt, and his true love.

A glass jaw is a term, used in combat sport, to describe a limited 'ability' to absorb blows to the jaw or chin. It's a significant disadvantage, but the likes of Amir Khan and Wladimir Klitschko have managed to become champions despite supposedly weak mandibles.

Afib (Atrial fibrillation) An irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow.

Tachycardia: A rapid heartbeat that may be regular or irregular, but is out of proportion to age and level of exertion or activity. A fast heart rate can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease. Examples include exercise, fear, anxiety, stress, anger, or love.

Heart failure can occur if the heart cannot pump (systolic) or fill (diastolic) adequately. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, swollen legs, and rapid heartbeat. A chronic condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should.

High blood pressure: a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high. Usually hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90, and is considered severe if the pressure is above 180/120.

Cardioversion is a medical procedure by which an abnormally fast heart rate or other cardiac arrhythmia is converted to a normal rhythm using electricity or drugs.

Dofetilide: Brand name: Tikosyn: Description: Antiarrhythmic: It can treat an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

Edema: Swelling can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease. Examples include muscle injury, prolonged standing, or eating large amounts of salt.

Pulmonary edema is usually caused by a heart condition. Other causes include pneumonia, exposure to certain toxins and drugs, and being at high elevations.

Shame: (noun) a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. (verb) (of a person, action, or situation) make (someone) feel ashamed.

Command and control: term can refer to the influence an attacker has over a compromised computer system that they control. For example, a valid usage of the term is to say that attackers use "command and control infrastructure" to issue "command and control instructions" to their victims. Advanced analysis of command and control methodologies can be used to identify attackers, associate attacks, and disrupt ongoing malicious activity.

Winning hearts and minds is a concept occasionally expressed in the resolution of war, insurgency, and other conflicts, in which one side seeks to prevail not by the use of superior force, but by making emotional or intellectual appeals to sway supporters of the other side.

A debunker is a person or organization that exposes or discredits claims believed to be false, exaggerated, or pretentious.

Now, about 13.1 percent of U.S. adults have an advanced degree, up from 8.6 percent in 2000. These findings come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Educational Attainment in the United States: 2018 table package that uses data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

In the fields of sociology and political science, authority is the legitimate power that a person or a group of persons consensually possess and practice over other people. In a civil state, authority is made formal by way of a judicial branch and an executive branch of government.

A shame campaign is a tactic in which particular individuals are singled out because of their behavior or suspected crimes, often by marking them publicly, such as Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. In the Philippines, Alfredo Lim popularized such tactics during his term as mayor of Manila.

Fear tactics or scare tactics: emphasizing the worst dangers of drug. use in order to create fear and anxiety, in. hopes that the fear alone will prevent or stop risky behaviors.

Fear: (noun) an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. (verb) be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.

Zwift is a massively multiplayer online cycling and running physical training program that enables users to interact, train and compete in a virtual world. The company responsible for Zwift, Zwift Inc., was cofounded by Jon Mayfield, Eric Min, Scott Barger and Alarik Myrin in California, United States, in 2014.

Now that you are ready to get started with Zwift, there are a couple basic things you need to start running. Some of this might be a bit overwhelming, but don't worry, we are here to help!

First—you'll need a treadmill. This is what you'll need to run on while you're connected to Zwift. In some cases, it will also give us the info we need to make you move in-game and let you run with Zwifters all around the world.

Second—you'll need a footpod, connected shoe, or treadmill sensor. We’ll help you figure out what works best with Zwift.

If you have a treadmill that transmits directly to Zwift via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)—sometimes called a smart treadmill—you won’t need a footpod, connect shoe, or treadmill sensor. For a list of smart treadmills that we support, check out this article.

Third—but definitely not least, you will need a Device to run Zwift on. We support a ton of different devices.

To sum it all up, here is a simplified list of what you need:

If you are looking to move beyond a basic setup, think about adding a Heart Rate Monitors to boost your Zwift experience.

Yes, I am fully are that I am ending the first season of my podcast ripely, by being the biggest hypocrite of them all. King of the hypocrites. I am duly aware and fully willing. Enjoy!

Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the failure to follow one's own expressed moral rules and principles.

A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

In the Bible, hypocrisy is a Simulation; a feigning to be what one is not; or dissimulation, a concealment of one's real character or motives. More generally, hypocrisy is simulation, or the assuming of a false appearance of virtue or religion; a deceitful show of a good character, in morals or religion; a counterfeiting of religion.

A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another.

Split personality: Multiple personality disorder, a neurosis in which the personality becomes dissociated into two or more distinct parts each of which becomes dominant and controls behavior from time to time to the exclusion of the other parts. A modern name for this condition is dissociative identity disorder.

The idea of doubleness is at the core of duplicity. Duplicity comes from a Latin word meaning "double" or "twofold," and its original meaning in English has to do with a kind of deception in which you intentionally hide your true feelings or intentions behind false words or actions.

A black market, underground economy or shadow economy, is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by some form of noncompliant behavior with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the set of goods and services whose production and distribution is prohibited by law, non-compliance with the rule constitutes a black market trade since the transaction itself is illegal. 

Parties engaging in the production or distribution of prohibited goods and services are members of the illegal economy. Examples include the drug trade, prostitution (where prohibited), illegal currency transactions and human trafficking. Violations of the tax code involving income tax evasion constitute membership in the unreported economy.

Because tax evasion or participation in a black market activity is illegal, participants will attempt to hide their behavior from the government or regulatory authority. Cash usage is the preferred medium of exchange in illegal transactions since cash usage does not leave a footprint. Common motives for operating in black markets are to trade contraband, avoid taxes and regulations, or skirt price controls or rationing. Typically the totality of such activity is referred to with the definite article as a complement to the official economies, by market for such goods and services, e.g. "the black market in bush meat".

Noam Chomsky argues that "U.S. democratic rhetoric and undemocratic substance have a long history," and the United States only supports democracy "if and only if it conforms to U.S. economic and strategic objectives."

"Some critics have also argued that the U.S. has used democracy to justify military intervention abroad."

"Polling data in the Arab world suggests that Arab public opinion largely rejects the assertion that U.S. democracy assistance is helpful."

'Critical perspectives on U.S. democracy promotion often stress that praise heaped on projects funded by the American government tends to be exaggerated. This criticism is rooted in democracy and governance indicators that show illiberalism in the Arab world has actually increased in some cases, due in part to short-term stability considerations that trump top-down democracy promotion and the failure of bottom-up projects to address the ability of Arab regimes to act as "veto-players".'

'The more serious criticism of American DG work in the region is that it can lead to more harm than good. "Dishonest" democratization involving superficial political liberalization can serve as a facade for continued authoritarianism and repression of civil society, and even help reinforce and stabilize autocratic regimes. By praising disingenuous reforms, the United States runs the risk of further entrenching authoritarianism in the region.'

'By focusing on funding civil society organizations, foreign donors can create dependency "at the expense of building a domestic democratic movement" and open NGOs up to criticism from their compatriots, not least from the state, which can use foreign funding as justification for cracking down on activists and democracy proponents, such as Saad Eddin Ibrahim and Ayman Nour in Egypt.' 

'Furthermore, regimes have proven adept at co-opting and neutralizing many civil society organizations, which calls into question the assumption that support for civil society should "be equated with support for democratization, given that civil society has also played a role in normalizing authoritarianism in the postindependence period."'

"According to Mitchell, the projects USAID pursues are built on a discourse subservient to American political and economic interests and can potentially do more harm than good for Egyptians."

"America was sharply criticized for seemingly applying a double standard in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections – encouraging free and fair elections, only to withdraw aid and diplomatically boycott the new government when Hamas emerged the victor."

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders — the most famous of which is, “Never get involved in a land war in Asia” — but only slightly less well-known is this: “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”!