“The greatest power of the mass media is the power to ignore.” – Sam Smith
Both conservative pundit Cal Thomas and radio talk show host Chris Plant have mentioned “the power to ignore.” It is a dangerous and seductive power. It is a dangerous power when used in the mass media because it deprives the public of information and knowledge that individuals can use to make informed decisions. These decisions can involve countless alternatives from politics, health, travel, entertainment, food or modes of transportation, just to name a few.
It is seductive because it allows the mainstream media to slant news items to their point of view without the burden of showing an opposing view. It allows them to ask softball questions to politicians they agree with, and confrontational and antagonistic inquiries of those with a different opinion. This power to ignore is so seductive that the progressive media has been using it for years.
Since at least the Obama years, the media has neglected to report on almost anything that makes Democrats look bad. The Obama Administration’s first scandal was the “Fast and Furious” fiasco. That outrage started as an attempt to disrupt Mexican cartels, but wound up gifting some 2000 weapons to the cartels. A great many Mexicans and Border Patrolman Brian Terry were killed by some of those arms. When it was mentioned in most of the media, it was almost always stated that this “gun walking program started in the Bush Administration. What they didn’t tell the public was that “Fast and Furious” was solely started and proceeded during the early Obama years.
Another Obama debacle the mainstream ignored, was the lies told about Obama care that were later exposed after its implementation, such as, “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”, “if you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance”, or “Obama care will save the average family $2000 or $2500 a year”.
Going into the 2020 elections cycle, no major news organization other than Fox News and some conservative periodicals, mentioned Hunter Biden’s laptop computer or the evidence on it. None of them published or broadcast about the millions Hunter and Jim Biden made from the influence peddling in Ukraine or China. Since then, no one from any of these legacy news organizations has asked President Biden, his press secretaries or anyone else in his administration about this corruption, nor did they ask any follow up questions when it is denied, described as “old news” or as a “distraction”. Why hasn’t anyone asked Joe Biden if he is “the Big Guy”?
Why aren’t there any inquiries by major news organizations about our energy crisis being a direct cause of Biden’s energy policies? Biden stated publicly that he planned to end fossil fuels. He stopped drilling on public lands, and stopped the Keystone pipeline. Why hasn’t it been pointed out that these implemented plans have resulted in higher fuel prices, and inflation?
It is obvious the vast majority of the media is really the propaganda arm of the Democrat Party. Why else would they completely ignore the complete emasculation of our southern border? Why else would they ignore the apparent cognitive decline of an inarticulate, bumbling, stumbling President Biden?
The power to ignore is the power to subvert and that is just what they are doing to our Constitutional Republic.
3 thoughts on “Opinion: The Power to Ignore | Buz Williams”
Mr. Williams, Good morning, you wrote “Why aren’t there any inquiries by major news organizations about our energy crisis being a direct cause of Biden’s energy policies? Biden stated publicly that he planned to end fossil fuels. He stopped drilling on public lands, and stopped the Keystone pipeline. Why hasn’t it been pointed out that these implemented plans have resulted in higher fuel prices, and inflation?”. Unfortunately, you are misinforming your readers. Firstly. President Biden paused federal oil and gas leases for review, the leasing has been resumed. But, in reality it does not affect our gas prices at all. Leases are a future enterprise, the industry has thousands of leases they have not drilled on and the actual drilling and delivering crude to market takes years after a lease is purchased.
Secondly, the Keystone XL pipeline was not scheduled to be operational until 2024, so clearly not a factor in our gas prices.
Finally, most Americans do not understand how the price of oil is set. Oil is a world market, the price of oil is set daily on a per barrel basis (Even though barrels are not really used any more). A barrel of oil is approximately 42 gallons, those 42 gallons make about 42 gallons of products (on average). The oil companies are mostly international conglomerates that serve their boards of directors and stockholders. These oil companies really do not give a hoot about about us consumers, if they make more money on oil that is passed on to stockholders not used to lower pump prices. But, none of that really matters in price at the pump, OPEC actually controls the pricing. The 13 countries in OPEC control a little over 40% of worldwide oil production, they regularly cut production to raise oil prices. So, if the U.S. increases it’s oil production, OPEC will just lower theirs. The bottom line is, U.S. oil production does not affect our prices at the pump, period. I believe President Biden handled this whole thing badly, the oil companies are no more to blame for the climate changes we are experiencing, than General Mills or Monsanto, they are just an industry selling their wares to the buying public. The president was playing to the left with all of the hoopla about leases and funding etc… If president Biden wants to move away from fossil fuels, then build a better mousetrap, if electric cars were cheaper and if there were more charging stations people would be beating down the doors to get them…Have a great day!
You can call it misinformation if you want, but the fact remains, we were energy independent until Biden got into office. While we were energy independent, gas and diesel were cheaper so the price of everything that is transported by diesel trucks, ships and trains was cheaper and stable. In less than two years, Bidens has caused a major rise in inflation. I don’t believe this was a miscalculation. It was done on purpose. Obama wanted our fuel prices to be as high as Europe and told us that our electricity prices would skyrocket. To imply that everything Biden did to counter Trump’s energy policy didn’t cause our current inflation and higher energy cost is pure fantasy. And, lastly, George, I would have a much greater day if I could afford to take my motorhome to California, but I can’t thanks to Biden’s policies. You have a great day.
Mr. Williams, as a registered Independent in AZ, I have no dog in this fight. You seem hell bent on blaming President Biden for the current high gas prices and consumer inflation, but if President Trump had won, the economy and gas prices would be the same. In the U.S. I think we are sometimes spoiled by by being citizens of such a great and powerful nation as the U.S., but we don’t control everything, including gas prices. If the U.S. produces more oil the price does not go down, if it produces less oil the price does not go up, oil is based on a world market. The reason gas was so inexpensive during the Trump presidency was because our economy and the world economy tanked due to the Corona Virus, gas was $3.10 a gallon before the Corona Virus, it is $3.26 nationally today. When you have 30 million people all of a sudden not going to work, oil piles up, prices go down it is just that simple.
As far as energy independence goes, it means absolutely nothing. It is just a political tool to get people’s hackles up. During the Trump presidency the U.S. exported oil all around the world and imported oil from all around the world, including Russia. Energy independence only has value if the U.S. gets into a real shooting war, at that point the military will use it’s reserves and as much of the domestic oil supply it needs to run it’s military machines.
I have real disagreements with how President Biden has handled the climate change and energy issues. I believe he catered too much to the anti-oil, global warming crowd. I believe there are real issues re: climate change, but is far more complex than most people care to know. The best way, in the short term, to get people on both sides of the climate issue on the same path is too bribe them. That’s right buy societal change, we are capitalists that is how our country works. When Joe Blow can afford to buy an electric car and use it regularly instead of a gas powered car, then we will be on the right track. But, right now you have to wildly intractable sides shouting past each other, and the rest of the country throwing up their hands because of the gridlock.
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