Fox & Frauds

As I have revealed in prior posts, I record and try to watch the first 20 minutes or so of both MSNBC's Morning Joe and FOX's Fox&Friends weekday mornings. Where the biases of both are obvious, my attempts at objectivity are constantly challenge by the FOX network. Case in point:

This morning (June 11th) the lead story on Joe was about how Trump had distanced himself at the G-7 meeting and had published his usual low-bar Tweets directed at Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau. Two of Trumps senior economic advisors, Larry Kudlow and Peter Navarro, were on the Sunday circuit also trashing Trudeau (using some questionably identical language). Navarro went so far as to say Trudeau was reserving for himself a "special place in Hell".

Trudeau on Saturday, as the G-7 host, had given a statement regarding the overall conclusion of the Conference, then opened up for a few questions. Morning Joe played clips from the statement which were upbeat, even on working out differences between the US and Canada/Europe. MJ was pointing out the contrast between Trudeau's words and the Trump responses (Tweets).

When I watch Fox&Friends the clips they played were different. Trudeau was more specific in his words describing Canadian/US relations. He was more aggressive using terms like "retaliation" and we won't be "pushed around".

Whoa I thought! Both Progressives and Conservatives cherry picking their narrative! Who to trust? Then I decided to listen to the entire 43 minute Trudeau statement and press conference (which unfortunately for me he repeated everything in both English and French making the actual briefing about 25 minutes).

The reality was that Morning Joe had used words from Trudeau's initial statement. F&F on the other hand edited comments which were responses to questions later on. In fact, the questions referenced the aggressive trade actions by Trump specifically wanting to know how Canada would respond. Fox&Friends, of course, chose not to include the questions, or even that there were questions.

Overall the Trudeau statement and answers to questions were extraordinarily conciliatory. He constantly expressed concerns for both Canadian and American workers. He also repeatedly expressed optimism that an equitable solution could be worked out. Frankly, it made me jealous of Canadians in no small measure.

We are becoming a shameful country and not simply because of Trump. Where are the so-called patriotic Republicans who used to take pride in American leadership? No where to be found. Fox&Frauds could just as easily be labeled Fox$Fiends (the $$ is not a typo). If you watch it for information you are as dumb and gullible as Trump himself.

The US relationship to Canada has been so close during my lifetime I have never even thought of Canadians as "foreigners". Cousins is a more apt description. It is profoundly sad how Trump is undermining generations of foreign policy. He may decide he wants a wall on the Canadian/American boarder, but he should realize it would only be useful in keeping Americans in.