Headline vs Body; Left vs Right

Donald Trump has requested that congressional republicans fund the ‘Wall’ with tax payer dollars with Mexico to ‘fund’ after the fact.

Left:

www.truthdig.com...

“Breaking Campaign Promise, Trump Now Says U.S. Taxpayers will Play for Border Wall”

Here is the lead:

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has signaled to Republicans in Congress that Trump would like to fund his infamous planned U.S.-Mexico border wall through the Congressional appropriations process in April, House Republican officials toldCNN Thursday.

In doing so, the president-elect appears poised to break one of his  core anti-immigrant campaign promises: that Trump would build a wall to “keep the Mexicans out,” and that Mexico would pay for it. (Early in his presidential campaign, he even promised to force Mexico to build the wall.)

With embedded links to underlined statements.

In the body of the text just below the lead posts DTs actual tweet on the subject and later quotes the republican justification (for the change):

Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), congressional liaison for the Trump transition team, doubled down on Trump’s position in comments to CNN: “When you understand that Mexico’s economy is dependent upon U.S. consumers, Donald Trump has all the cards he needs to play,” Collins said. “On the trade negotiation side, I don’t think it’s that difficult for Donald Trump to convince Mexico that it’s in their best interest to reimburse us for building the wall.”

Right:

www.breitbart.com...

“Trump’s Policy was Always to get Mexico to Reimburse us for the Border Wall”

Their lead:

When the Trump transition team told Congress that American taxpayers would finance the construction of the border wall with Mexico, with reimbursement to come later from the Mexican government, it was treated as a major policy retreat by the media. For example, here’s the CNN report:

Then does post an actual attributable CNN report and the tweet and the republican justification as does the left article.

Then the editorial commentary using sensationalist language and irrelevant content begin:

It’s a bit rich to see the media that staunchly defended Barack Obama doubling the U.S. national debt in a single presidency — the media that thinks quibbles about deficit spending only come from heartless grinches looking for an excuse to defund social programs so they can enjoy watching poor people die — suddenly become deeply concerned about Trump launching the border wall project before the last shrink-wrapped pallet of cash has been delivered to the White House by the government of Mexico.

This is purported to be a NEWS story not an ad hominin attack editoral.

Both stories do talk about Trump’s discussion of various ways to get Mexico to pay for the wall (hmm – new regulations and fees folks).

Lessons learned from this exercise in comparison have been that:

1) Headlines, left and right, are deceiving. Lesson – read the whole article.
2) The left is more factual in their lead the right’s lead is focused on blame and justification. Lesson – read the whole article.
3) The left provides is more concise and provides more links for support then the right. Lesson – check the sources of facts after reading the whole article.

My conclusion, based on these two articles (more the right one actually), recent and long term history and my own experience of left and right behavior over many years is:

Once again, republicans are spending money that they have not idea how they fund. I have never seen a democratic proposal of any sort that lacked the basic financial analysis and funding options that this proposal represents. It’s simple psychology 101 – PROJECTION – or projecting your character flaws onto others. Republicans moan about ‘how are we going to pay for XXXX’ when in truth the spend without regard for the public purse or the effects of their reckless spending on citizens.


I took a few journalism courses in my youth and didn't do well because I let 'my opinion' interfere with how I reported the actual facts of a given story. I was taught that a new article was to outline the who, what, when, where and how of a story and that the 'how' was only logistical not motivational. That news did not consign motivation or meaning to the facts - those were to be opined by the readers and expert commentators writing their Interpretation of events on the editorial pages.

The difference between journalism (news) and propaganda is largely seen in whether or not news and commentary are kept pure. Journalistic standards are a footnote in the history books for most in media, simply an anachronism.

Both left and right are guilty in this trend and it's up to you to go beyond the headlines and sort out truth from fiction before decided what to believe and act upon.

Happy New Year ATS -- where have all the grown-ups gone?

a reply to: FyreByrd

2) The left is more factual in their lead the right’s lead is focused on blame and justification. Lesson – read the whole article.

Yep! The blame game! Trump won thanks you those of you on the extremities of political zealots.


Why shouldn't Mexico pay?

Are you comfortable with denying Veterans benefits because of lack of funds because we are shelling out billions to "refugees/illegals" whom come here and hate our Constitution and values?

Sorry, but we have plenty of our own who need a little bit of help rather than bringing those who hate our way of life and culture!

But go on and let your bleeding heart bleed......

If America wants a wall, America should pay for the wall!

I thought you right luvvies were all about paying your own way through life...why would you then expect someone else to pay for it?!

That's a left ideology.

originally posted by: solargeddon
If America wants a wall, America should pay for the wall!

I thought you right luvvies were all about paying your own way through life...why would you then expect someone else to pay for it?!

That's a left ideology.

Illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. send $50 billion in remittances to their home countries each year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The World Bank estimates that number is even higher, closer to $120 billion.

immigrationreform.com...

That wall would be paid for in ONE YEAR.

As I've said another threads, both my wife and I are able bodied Texans who may not be construction workers but are quick studies…

Point us where to go and we will gladly learn how to lay mortar and brick… For free…

And from my neighborhood alone I could rustle you up a dump truck full of money by noon Monday...and probably another 100 volunteers who would help build it free of charge…

To say I'm not alone in the sentiment is an understatement of the highest order…

The wall will be built and we are ready to do it…at least in Texas we are...

-Chris

a reply to: FyreByrd

I'm not sure why Mexico is supposed to be responsible for protecting our border in the first place. I'm not sure either how we stop remittance without penalizing millions of legal residents and citizens without creating a new bureau. The wall isn't going to get built but taxpayers are going to fund it anyway.

Hmmm - a bit off topic everyone.

I was hoping to discuss the different ways that left and right present their news and was just using 'the Wall' issue as an example.

How many people actually read my post beyond the first sentence. And I applaud you for reading beyond the headline to the first sentence. But my headline actually states my intention for this post.

I guess you see what you want to see. We're doomed if we can't communicate.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Sorry

I don't really know what to say other than what I've always said about Breitbart and some other right wing sources, it's deliberately deceptive. The headlines (and articles) are meant to herd people into supporting the GOP and their agenda.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
Hmmm - a bit off topic everyone.

I was hoping to discuss the different ways that left and right present their news and was just using 'the Wall' issue as an example.

How many people actually read my post beyond the first sentence. And I applaud you for reading beyond the headline to the first sentence. But my headline actually states my intention for this post.

I guess you see what you want to see. We're doomed if we can't communicate.

Does this need repeating?

2) The left is more factual in their lead the right’s lead is focused on blame and justification. Lesson – read the whole article.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Well one rebuttal might be the way (for example) CNN handled the Donna Brazile boondoggle compared to the way any "right wing" source did.

Everything is case by case.

There is no single source that is accurate all the time.

No need for apologies. I was trying to point out the difference in intent between the left and right. And yes I understand that the labels are a largely arbitrary but useful distinction.

The left and right both use distorted 'news' to suit their intentions. I find that the left tends to want to educate and convince with facts and evidence and the right's intention is mostly to inflame passions regardless of facts and evidence.

I was attempting to discuss this generalized, with very few exceptions (and remember that A. Breitbart was a founding partner of the Huffington Post), decline in the factual basis of public discourse across all outlets. The largest difference I am seeing is the left favors the rational whereas the right favors emotionalism.

This is in my thinking right now because a friend (a traditional, old school Hillary democrat) has asked me to participate in an organization to 'resist' the republican (Trump being a figure head and nuisance) agenda that is modeled on the Tea Party playbook and it offends me. I am more frightened by the implications of using deceptive and manipulative tactics by normally well meaning people. Or fighting force (of a type) with force witch will only lead to endless escalation.

I'm with Martin Luther King Jr when I say that the Ends are never justification for 'evil' means. Rather that the means of any movement foreshadow the ENDS. The mean's are the very basis of the ENDS. There is no doing something wrong for the right reasons or to produce a wholesome outcome.

The Standing Rock protests were so sucessfull, even with a media blackout, because of their tactics of ritual, prayer and persistance in the face of tremendous wrong doing by corporate and governmental agencies. This 'spiritual' strategy made them allies and eventually broke the media blackout and gave them an interim win. They haven't gone away and their allies have committed to carrying fight to other hazardous situations and I hope with use similiar strategies.

All people of good will need to look closely at how we 'resist' oppression and aggression and to act with particular care for the message we are sending with our actions.

Obstruction is a tactic and has it's use as such but needs to be part of a productive strategy that leads us out of the mire we've been circling for the last several decades.

originally posted by: solargeddon
If America wants a wall, America should pay for the wall!

I thought you right luvvies were all about paying your own way through life...why would you then expect someone else to pay for it?!

That's a left ideology.

Thanks to exporting so much of their population to our country who then sponge up our provided services through various means, Mexico sort of owes us quite a bit. The money their people make under the table and then send back home via wire transfer is enough to fund about 1/4 of their economy each year.

Taxing those wire transfers alone would be a big drop in the bucket.

I have to know though, when you were selecting sources and bits to showcase, did your own bias show?

When you scroll through websites, it's easy to find articles or sites that use a more newsy approach as opposed to those that are more conversational and opinion-based. And when you contrast them, they will show up as markedly different. And you can find different examples of the same kind of writing on the same site.

If We End Up With a Border Wall, Taxpayers Will Foot the Bill

legalinsurrection.com...

Maybe you are just going to wrong right wing sites?

Huh, that article even cites CNN and has the tweet from Trump pictured.

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: solargeddon
If America wants a wall, America should pay for the wall!

I thought you right luvvies were all about paying your own way through life...why would you then expect someone else to pay for it?!

That's a left ideology.

Thanks to exporting so much of their population to our country who then sponge up our provided services through various means, Mexico sort of owes us quite a bit. The money their people make under the table and then send back home via wire transfer is enough to fund about 1/4 of their economy each year.

Taxing those wire transfers alone would be a big drop in the bucket.

This illustrates Fyrebird's point beautifully....the right using justification from their viewpoint.

Left viewpoint: If you want to build a wall, build a wall, but you have to pay for the wall, you cannot expect people to pay for a wall they haven't expressed a desire to build on the promise that the "wall builders" believe that they are owed in some way, as this is subjective.

As I stated above, in a strange way, my viewpoint would traditionally represent the right, as the right are always quick to deny their hard earned tax dollars to the those they deem unworthy...the poor etc, they also believe if you want to make it, you make it on your own, of course many who do have this mindset make it because they have been given a leg up from their families, yet still purport to being stand alone successes and cannot see how anyone could possibly struggle.

Note: I am left leaning, therefore I am applying my leftist beliefs when I state left viewpoint, I am not speaking on behalf of all left leaning people (I'm not that arrogant), however this is how I riddle it out based on my ideology.

a reply to: ketsuko

I think you're missing the OP's point, which was to deduce how the wall being built is perceived and who should pay for it based on ideology.

Trump gave the it the shtick when he said...

"I'm gonna build a wall, it's gonna be a big wall, the greatest wall ever built and Mexico is going to pay for it!"

(Slightly paraphrased, but you get the gist).