I just read the daily poop (DP) from the New York Times. Each day the NYT writes a short news, but mostly opinion piece*. As a person who is pretty much politically neutral, I read it for fun and to support my belief that the NYT is one of several publications that profit from making us all a little less happy each day. In my case their goal is thwarted because it makes me happy to know that they are so transparent. Of course, they probably are pretty successful at stirring up a lot of pessimism. I guess pessimism sells papers.
I read their DP on Friday, December 10th. Afterward I felt like stabbing myself in the eye with a bowl of oatmeal. I can't believe they get away with this stuff.
The piece was motivated by a poll they quoted that found that only 35% of the population thinks the economy is good. Meanwhile 65% think their own finances are just corker dandy. Apparently most people think they are doing a lot better than their neighbors. Somehow, the NYT thinks that is horrible, so they wrote a whole piece about that. Seems to me that they should be happy. Would they rather take a poll and find out that most people think they are doing worse than their neighbors?
The article is about Covid. I wonder how many negative articles they have written about Covid? The number infinity seems to be close to the reality. Remember the good old days when they used to write about murder and mayhem?
In their attempt to make everything look horrible, they explain that Covid's impact on the economy is very broad and varied. In their own words, "
Sure, some major statistics look good, and they reflect true economic strengths, including the state of families’ finances. But the economy is more than a household balance sheet; it is the combined experience of working, shopping and interacting in society.
With that bold statement, the NYT goes on and on about anything and everything they can think of that is bad or worse these days. And the implicit opinion is that while some macro statistics and personal finances are good, it is all that other stuff that matters the most. Gloom. The world is horrible.
Whatever happened to Mary Poppins? What happened to the glass half-full? Nope. The NYT thinks the glass is pretty much empty.
Of course, the NYT article never quotes a number to support their angst, except for the poll numbers described above.
And worse than not quoting a number, they don't distinguish between trends of 2020 and those of 2021. They mention that social distancing makes us socially distant and makes us cry ourselves to sleep at night. While things were pretty uncomfortable in 2020, there have been some improvements in our discomforts and challenges. From this article you would never even guess that anything had improved since 2020.
What is missing as well is some balanced view of human resilience. It doesn't help that the NYT constantly reminds us that things are always getting more horrible. But the truth is that we have been through horrible many times. The state of nature is that the lion is out there and it is going to eat us if we are not careful. And yes, Covid sucks dirty pond water. But World War II was pretty crappy too.
As with Covid, we had different opinions about entering WWII (or WWI or Vietnam or Korea) and the effects it would have on us. But with WWII many supported the war effort and many communicated a positive and optimistic psychology. Let's win that war!
But we don't need to go to WWII to make this point. Take any given non-war day in the last 100 years and there is always a mixture of good and bad happening. Leave it to the NYT and you'd never know it because they will prefer to write about the bad stuff.
Covid is terrible and we have made many sacrifices in our lives to try to win that war. I venture that the NYT is not helping in that regard. They would rather make money by stirring the pot than helping people adjust to an important and difficult challenge. They are a major part of the problem. If you tell people enough times that they are doing poorly -- pretty soon they will start to believe it and feel poorly.
Poo on them and their DP.
Dear LSD. I agwee you are not wrong that the NYT is a major part of the problem—as in general are the lame-brain-left-wing-media. They cannot report objectively cuz they’re all pinko-leftists deep in the pockets of the DNC spewing the Regressive dogma—the word ‘balance’ is anathema to them: worse than Covid or other viruses and plagues. Yepper, you can tell I’m not politically neutral as you say you are and I am unabashedly politically UN-kerect.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think the proverbial glass is at least half full. But I tend to agwee wid the NYT the glass may be pretty empty . . . . but not fer de reasonz it suggests. Rather, me tinks it’s losing volume due to the left turn the county has taken. That’s the dismal newz . . . as in the dismal science (heh heh). But, if the country turns right in the mid-termz ‘n ‘24 there’ll be a mighty fine cold boddle of chardonnay or JD await’n to refill the glass. Unfortunately, the lame-brain media et al won’t partake of the c-nay/JD less it compelz’m to cheerily reverse course, think right, report objectively, and be ‘appy. But, I won’t be even yer bippy on that.
Hope you aktually didn’t stab yo-self in de eye wid oatmeal . . . it can be mighty sticky. CHEERZ two 'ourz 'n 15 minutes to 'appy 'our!
Thanks dearest Chicken of the Sea,
DeleteI think the truth -- get ready for heavy philosophy -- is that there ain't no glass. We make our choices and we live with the consequences. We make choices. The NYT, as you say, makes a deliberate business choice to see evil in their ideological competitors. It may or may not turn out to be a good business decision.
Well, LSD. I weighed the heavy dose of philosophy. Way-y-y-y to heavy. Now try a modicum of reality. Widout a glass you and I wud go mighty thirsty ‘n dry. Whilst you might not have a glass I’ve got a 16-oz. wine goblet side-by-side a 750 ml. boddle of mighty fine cold-d-d-d-d c-nay. Hoo-ha! Reality reigns!
DeleteSilly boy. We can still drink out of the pitcher or the trough.
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