Poisonous Headlines

by Armando Simón

Every time that I open up my laptop and get on the internet, the first thing that I am treated to is sequential clickbait. The topic can be politics, celebrities, accidents, nostalgia articles, science news, commercials, travel offers, etc. They work. I click on a lot of them.

If you are a newsaholic or a politics junkie, the fact that the country is under constant bombardment by leftist propaganda will come as no surprise. In fact, we are living in what I have dubbed “the perfect censorship” (a tip of the hat to Mario Vargas Llosa). However, there are many others who are not as interested. Whether you are one or the other, I will offer a sample (think of it as proof) of one week’s worth clickbait leftist propaganda in the form of headlines:

One trump puppet stands between Ukraine and the aid it needs.       LA Times

Majority of US textbooks teach outdated ideas about gender and sex, study finds.  Forbes

My calling as a Christian minister: stand up against evangelical hypocrisy. Salon

Why is America afraid of black history? The Atlantic

I’m a Christian pastor. I won’t lie to my son about our history and white heritage.    USA Today

Here’s why the term “reality-based woman” has nothing to do with reality. Into/Microsoft

Expressions With Racist Origins You Should Stop Saying.   Stapler/Micros

“A blueprint for a Trump autocracy”: Authoritarianism expert on which global dictators Trump models,    Salon

Despite attempts to be less ‘divisive,’ Kari Lake finds it hard to shed her MAGA instincts.  NBC

The rainbow flag was an international beacon of hope. Republicans killed it.      LGBTQ Nation

Farewell — and good riddance — to the ‘typical American family.’  Business Insider

Why there’s no big wave of immigrants voting illegally.                                           Axios

Here Are 6 Things White People Say That Shows Their Privilege.      The State of the Union

Was Jesus a man of color? Why this question matters more than ever.                     CNN

Do We Face the Gravest Threat [picture of Trump] to Our Democracy Since the Cold War? The Nation

Nancy Mace demonstrates how easy it is to fear-monger on crime.  Washington Post

Misinformation-spouting RFK Jr. muses that Biden is threat to democracy.  Washington Post

For her many critics, arresting JK Rowling wouldn’t have made her anti-trans comments any less harmful.           The Independent

Right-Wing Influencers Are Fighting Over What It Means to Be White.           The New Republic  

Squatters have become a right-wing talking point. What to know about the rare practice. Washington Post

Trump’s Ugly Calls For Violence Laid Out In Chilling New Supercut Video. Huffington Post

Steve Bannon Wanted the MAGA Movement to Rule for 100 Years .           Daily Beast

More Blood on Trump’s Hands.         Newsweek

Anonymous users dominate right-wing discussions online and spread false information.  LA Times

MSNBC’s Katie Phang reports on the right-wing scammers who paved the way for Trump. Vox

However, it is MSNBC that offers round the clock Trump hatred. The fanaticism and their obsession are frightening, particularly if you realize that there are millions swallowing this propaganda and wallowing in it:

‘Our duty is to the truth’: Newspaper editor reminds readers Trump ‘sparked an insurrection.’  MSNBC

Trump cult ‘mind hack’: MAGA GOPers are ‘indoctrinated into alternate reality’ expert. MSNBC

Michigan GOP’s racist tweet can be seen as a sure sign of fascism.              MSNBC

Ali Velshi: Violence is who Donald Trump is. But he can be stopped.          MSNBC

Trump and Musk have regaled the right with racist junk science.                 MSNBC

How do you report on wanna-be-tyrant Trump? Media under scrutiny for downplaying risks.            MSNBC

‘We’ve never had anything like this’: The effect of Trump’s violent rhetoric on his base. MSNBC

Trump’s donors are all ‘billionaires, scammers, extremists, and racists,’ says Biden ’24 comms director,            MSNBC

 

And this goes on, week after week after week after week.

Armando Simón is the author of A Cuban from Kansas.