The Specter of Christo-Fascist Propaganda: Cloaked in Hateful Headlines
In a world full of unique perspectives, colorful voices and varied ideologies, it pains me that a section of media purports to paint a monochrome picture of reality laced with half-truths and distorted into an unrecognizable nightmare. They want to draw us toward an uncaring theocracy where the rich, the hateful Christian-nationalists and theocrats ordain norms with no tolerance for divergence. My focus today is on Fox News, a right-leaning news outlet, and how it executes this malignant propagandistic rhetoric under the banner of journalism, habitually.
Headlines coming from Fox News particularly reek of right-wing bias. Take the recent gem, "Comedian says if it’s a choice between Trump and Biden, only one candidate will protect democracy." Democracy, as they state, isn't only about protecting the systems we have in place, it's about continually striving to make them equitable for all. This calls for inclusivity including LGBTQ rights - something, which Trump notoriously ignored during his presidency. Their chosen 'comedian,' of course remains unidentified, a perfect envoy of faceless, dishonest journalism.
Biden fails at times, no one denies that. Yet, Fox chooses to amplify his errors in articles like "Shocking footage reveals Biden's Normandy confusion caught on camera" while overlooking major national issues like the rampant homophobia, transphobia, and systematic racism that plague our society. Cherry-picking Biden's mishaps while glossing over Trump's long list of apparent misdeeds, is a case of deliberate, flagrant bias.
"As is typical in conspiracy theories, Fox News omit crucial context. In one such example they fulminate - "Biden claims to have known Putin for ‘over 40 years’ — even when he worked as a KGB agent". This does not mean that Biden agrees with Putin or that he has a secret agenda with him. It means that he's been around for 40 years and he sees through Putin. Thus he knows when to push and when to hold back. That's mature diplomacy, not a conspiracy.
Archeological discoveries and Elon Musk-related news pepper their narrative, projecting a facade of diversity. Yet, their critical contribution - the zealot quest for an American Theocracy under a Trump leadership isn't concealed in the least.
I conclude with a plea to my readers. Let's break free from this one-sided narrative. Celebrate multiple viewpoints, support empathy, compassion, and religious pluralism. Open a dialogue, encourage diversity, and learn to distinguish between factual reporting and fear-mongering propaganda. Protect democracy, not just in terms of electoral votes, but from a standpoint of human rights, equality, and freedom – for all citizens. Most importantly, let's stand up against any attempt to form a cruel, Christian-nationalist theocracy that threatens to swallow the foundations of our free and just society.