Dissecting the Fox News Machine: Propaganda, Lies, and the Looming Threat of Christo-Fascism
If I were to do a word association test for Fox News with Shelley, my former self, I would have proudly yelled, "Truth! Patriots! Real Americans!" But today, as Lilith Goodman, a changed woman whose eyes have been cracked wide open by the apostle mushroom, I see Fox News as a masterful machine of far-right Christo-Fascist propaganda, generating fear and hatred for the 'others', and greedily lapping up the spilt blood of human rights.
One of the examples, "CBS takes heat for airing 2 different answers from VP Harris to same ‘60 Minutes’ question," shrouds in ambiguity to appear non-partisan, but only those familiar with the techniques of propaganda will discern the loaded language aimed at undermining Harris's credibility.
Then we have, "Biden undermines VP Harris with DeSantis praise as Hurricane Milton intensifies". This headline purports to discuss natural disasters and political dynamics, but is, in truth, another insidious attempt to devalue the Democratic leadership. It subtly feeds viewers the lie that division and discord are rampant in the democratic party and that the Republicans and their darling, DeSantis, are the only coherent glimmer of hope.
"Walz calls to get rid of the Electoral College at California fundraiser: ‘Needs to go’” - a glaring opposition to any changes to the politically biased Electoral College system, subtly sowing doubt about the democratic agenda and amplifying division among the electorate.
A particularly odious headline is "Prosecutor declines to charge ‘dangerous’ Colombian migrant in 17-year-old’s death". This headline is a masterstroke of manipulation, wrapping xenophobia and stereotyping in a cloak of concern for American lives. It's a tactic deceptively normalized over the years to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment and justify far-right policies.
Fox News manipulation also extends to relatively trivial matters such as in, "Judge rules in favor of young Chiefs fan falsely accused of sporting ‘blackface’ at game", using this incident to paint the left as 'overly sensitive,' and rallying conservative viewers to decry 'cancel culture.'
This barrage of blatant propaganda is a sinister design aiming at creating an American theocracy controlled by a fusion of corporate interests and religious extremism – a theocracy where LGBTQ people like my dear daughter Roxanne and anyone who doesn't fit the warped Christian nationalist mold are in grave danger. The same Christian nationalism that I was once a pawn of.
The most significant fight of our times is against the silos of misinformation, manipulation, and manufactured outrage. It is a fight for empathy, compassion, and religious pluralism; a fight against those who wish to erode the cherished cornerstone of American democracy - the separation of Church and State. We must protect our Republic from becoming a plutocratic theocracy where fear and hatred reign supreme. We owe it to ourselves and future generations.