Friday, June 21, 2019

Into The Void

Anybody remember Sean Spicer?
It's been a while since he took his "victory lap" after being drummed out of the White House Press Room two years ago. He was replaced by his then deputy Sarah Huckabee Sanders, which is not exactly like Andy Taylor being replaced by Barney Fife. It was a little like Barney Fife being replaced by Warren Ferguson after Barney slipped off to Mount Pilot.
Feeling that I have stretched your knowledge of the inner workings of the municipal affairs of Mayberry, I will now ask for a moment of silence to note the passing of Ms. Sanders. I will ask for it, but I expect that the grumbling and snickering will probably keep this from being the moving tribute that this public servant might somehow deserve. 
Okay. Thanks for that effort, but let's get right down to it: The silence we did or did not just experience is endemic to the current regime's relationship with the press. What relationship is that, you might ask? The best way I can explain it comes in one word: obfuscation. Sarah's job has been "the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible." Which might account for statements she has made such as this: "I can say that it is very biblical to enforce the law. That is actually repeated a number of times throughout the Bible." It should also be noted that in the book of Leviticus includes these lines: "When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt."
So maybe it's just a matter of interpretation. Like this one: "The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence." Well, having never been a dedicated follower of fashion, I would only point to the video that shows the "president" doing just that and in the manner we have all become accustomed to, denying it the next day.
Which is pretty much the business of a press secretary for Donald "J for Janus-faced" Trump. Garbage in, garbage out. Don't blame the messenger. Unless the messenger wants to tell you how to do your job. Don't write what happened, write what I tell you happened. And if you think she did an awful job, you can only imagine who might replace the deputy's deputy.

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