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Op-Ed: Sleepwalking into 2024 — The politics of apathy and useless media

A country literally born and made of ideas isn’t thinking at all anymore.

US President Joe Biden abruptly canceled a visit to Colorado
US President Joe Biden. — © AFP ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
US President Joe Biden. — © AFP ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Whatever the outcome of the 2024 election, the fossilization of US politics is now apparently complete. Illiterate Republicans and overly verbose Democrats have completed the process.

Nothing moves. At all. Ever. There are only reiterations of dogma. People are actually paid good money on US media specifically to mindlessly agree with each other.  Check the headlines any day of the week. It’s nothing new and hasn’t been since 2016.

The age factor of Biden vs Trump, an octogenarian vs a septuagenarian, is suddenly an issue. They weren’t teenagers in 2020, either. The “Duh Hyuck” version of American media has been yodeling about this issue for the last year.

This is the same sainted media that never holds politicians accountable for anything.

Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump look set for a rematch in 2024
Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump look set for a rematch in 2024 – Copyright AFP Sergio FLORES, Brendan Smialowski

For example, historically:

A so-called President spends four years cozying up with America’s worst enemies? Not a problem.

Republicans For Putin and Hamas seem to be a thing lately. …But according to the “news”, it’s all about spending, not seriously compromised allegiances.

Corporate crime might get mentioned occasionally. That’s awfully sweet of you.

Not really covering various legal disasters affecting democracy? What’s the problem? That’s the biggest problem for 2024, and it’s not going away.

Price gouging on an unbelievable scale? You don’t say! It’s Super peachy dandy keen, says US media, or worse and far more often, says nothing.

The decline in American standards for news reflects an advanced state of national decay. 2024 is looking grim like never before. As long as it has nothing to do with human reality, it’s news. The GOP has been doing well, according to itself, and absolutely nobody else. It’s doing well because it’s complaining bitterly about the disasters it created.

Try and find a mention of any social issues in GOP press statements over the last 9 years. Not a squeak. That’s OK, too. It must be, according to somebody.

On the Democrat side, a total inability to communicate is the issue. Political obstruction is one thing. Talking yourselves to death is another ball game. Not even addressing issues in the mid-terms was the result of a disorganized, unfocused party that would never survive day one of a basic communications course.

If you’re obstructed in legislative processes, you can work around it with new and better ideas. You can build outside the disaster areas. If your communications are blocked on some media, there are so many others.

Doing nothing and reciting from the playbook is not an option.  The Democrats seem just as tied up in old media and old methodologies as the GOP.

I’ve often wondered why Rupert Murdoch, of all people, would even have bothered speaking to the sorry collection of trivial throwaway idiots now calling themselves “conservatives”, let alone effectively sponsoring them.

Their political careers come and go like June bugs. They have nothing to say. They do very little if anything at all in office and usually what they do is either criminal or just plain wrong.

So, here’s a question for you:

What does America demand of its political parties?

Not much, obviously.

Why not? Because the stagnation is that deeply established. No demands are made of generations of political freeloaders.

A country literally born and made of ideas isn’t thinking at all anymore.

2024 will explain how bad that is.

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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.

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Written By

Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia.

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