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Donald Trump's anti-media campaign 'is how dictators get started' claims Republican heavyweight John McCain: 'When you look at history, the first thing dictators do is shut down press. We need free press. It’s vital."

19/2/2017

5 Comments

 
Heavyweight Republican John McCain has slammed Donald Trump ’s campaign against the media, saying it is “how dictators get started”.

The ex-naval captain, who has clashed with the US President despite being in the same party, issued his warning a day after the leader again criticised the press.

Senator McCain said: “The fact is we need you. We need a free press. We must have it. It’s vital.

“If you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and, many times, adversarial press. And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That’s how dictators get started.”

Mr McCain, who stood against Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, added: “When you look at history, the first thing dictators do is shut down the press.

“I’m not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I’m just saying we need to learn the lessons of history.”

Mr Trump has branded negative stories about his administration “fake news”.

Criticising the media, he told supporters at a rally on Saturday: “They just don’t want to report the truth. They have their own agenda, and their agenda is not your agenda.”

Mr Trump also likened himself to predecessors Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, saying they had fought against the press.

He went on: “Thomas Jefferson said, ‘Nothing can be believed which is seen in a newspaper’.”

Yet the quote was from a speech where Jefferson backed a free press. The Daily Mail, London, 19 February 2017

The man who brought down President Richard Nixon says Trump is even 'more treacherous'
Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein criticises Donald Trump's 'unhinged conduct' and warns

'The most dangerous ‘enemy of the people’ is presidential lying'

Carl Bernstein warned early Saturday that President Trump's repeated criticisms of the media is "more treacherous" than President Richard Nixon's.

"The most dangerous 'enemy of the people' is presidential lying—always. Attacks on press by @realDonaldTrump more treacherous than Nixon's," Bernstein tweeted.

Real news (not fake) is that @realDonaldTrump trying to make conduct of press the issue instead of egregious (and unhinged)conduct of POTUS.— Carl Bernstein (@carlbernstein) February 18, 2017

The most dangerous 'enemy of the people' is presidential lying—always. Attacks on press by @realDonaldTrump more treacherous than Nixon's.— Carl Bernstein (@carlbernstein) February 18, 2017


He also noted that when the press reported on Hillary Clinton's unauthorized email server, Trump saw journalists as "patriots.

"When focus of press was on Hillary's server—by same 'fake news' orgs/'enemies of the people' cited by @realDonaldTrump—he saw patriots.— Carl Bernstein (@carlbernstein) February 18, 2017

Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric against the "fake" news media, using part of a press conference Thursday to remark on the "hatred" from journalists.

The president has also taken to Twitter to accuse reporters of making up stories and "'sources'" after leaks about Mike Flynn misleading administration officials on his communications with Russia led to his resignation Monday.

Bernstein is best known for his investigative reporting for the Washington Post that shed light on the Watergate scandal, leading to Nixon's resignation in 1974.

In December, Bernstein warned against Trump's "disdain for the truth."

"Trump lives and thrives in a fact-free environment," Bernstein said on CNN. "No president, including Richard Nixon, has been so ignorant of fact and disdains fact in the way this president-elect does."

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STRIDING WITH COUPIST: FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry (left).
He had become Interim Finance Minister and Sugar Minister after the 2006 coup;
he claimed he was not hiding $2million in Australia
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Fijileaks: Like Donald Trump, Frank Bainimarama suggested it was "FAKE" exposure, to damage his Interim Government and Chaudhry; not long afterwards Aiyaz Khaiyum brought his notorious MEDIA DECREE

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The first person to congratulate the Fiji Sun for exposing Chaudhry's secret millions in Australia was Sitiveni Rabuka (now SODELPA leader) when he ran into the then Fiji Sun editor Samisoni Kakaivalu at the golf course on the morning Victor Lal's story broke out in the paper

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http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2010/04/gandhi-and-lessons-for-fiji.html
http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2010/04/gandhi-and-lessons-for-fiji-press.html

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5 Comments
Rajend Naidu
19/2/2017 09:01:50 pm

Editor,
Free Press Vital For Democracy
Simon Jackman US Studies Centre said in his ABC interview this morning (20/2 ) that someone of senator John McCain's stature criticising Trump - a president from his own Republican Party - for attacking and denigrating the media is massive even though most other Republicans are keeping mumb.
As a student of history I couldn't agree more with what Senator McCain says about how a dictator conducts himself.
And, what's more, we have first hand experience of that in Fiji.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Reply
Gulong
19/2/2017 09:17:30 pm

When 4 of the 5 major media companies in America are super profit making entities with close links to Wall St bankers and who during the election campaign were supporting Hilary Clinton and ridiculing Trump with their fake news there is no such thing as a free press these days. What we are witnessing now in America is a George Soros funded colour revolution aimed at toppling Trummp who with his promise to repeal the Dodd Franks Act and bring back Glass Strigal in order to reign in the inordinate power of the banks has scared Wall St who want to see him go.
John MaCaun like Obama was when he was President are tools of the war mongering Neo Cons and military industrial complex and the so called deep state who Trump has marginalised

Reply
Rajend Naidu
21/2/2017 06:34:15 pm

Editor,
Arbitrary Rule
Trump's ban on who can enter the US is more blatant and wide scale but it's not an altogether new phenomenon as the following letter by " A Disgruntled American" in The Southeast Asian Times 21/2 attests.
The letter titled ' Thai women refused US visas on grounds That they are going to US to work as prostitutes' reads " ... The US Embassy has a terrible reputation among Thai people I know who've requested visas to either visit or study in the US. Thai female friends have requested visas only to be told at their interview that their reasons for visiting aren't credible and that they are undoubtedly going to the US to work as prostitutes. I know of young Thais who have had letters from members of the US Congress supporting their visit and yet we're still refused a visa and told " Congress doesn't make the decision, I do" I've also heard from Thais who have received European tourist visas quickly, but then found difficulty getting a visa for the US, and at a higher cost. Most countries I'm familiar with have set standard for issuing visa, but the US has no such system. THE DECISION IS BASED SOLELY ON THE INTERVIEWER ( my emphasis ). If that interviewer has had a rough day or is otherwise in a bad mood, had a fight with the wife, etc; there is nothing to stop them from refusing any and all visa application.
When I brought this up with the US Embassy and State Department as a US citizen I got no response at all. And, when I brought it up with my Congressman I was told they had received numerous complaints about US Embassies around the world and that they are " not accountable for their actions" in issuing visas. Something needs to be done to bring issuance of US visas under proper rules and regulations, rather than leaving it to the whim of people at the embassy".
Nothing will be done.
If you get an arsehole visa processing interviewing official you will get fucked.
I know this to be the case from direct experience.
So at one level Trump has not introduced an arbitrary US entry system. It's always been there. He has just increased the scale and scope of it.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Reply
Chiku
24/2/2017 12:18:38 am

That's true. That is indeed the way the dictator gets started. That's the dictator's way. His modus operandi .
But a dictator - any dictator - can only stay in power and pursue his perverse political and personal agenda if good men and women do nothing...
In America good men and good women are already onto Donald Trump to stop his march to undemocratic rule.
We must draw inspiration from that.

Reply
Rajend Naidu
24/2/2017 06:55:54 pm

Trump demonised Muslims. Positing all of them as potential terrorists and banning them from entering the US, conveniently forgetting that some of them had made great sacrifices to serve the US military.
Today we learn from the news ( Aljazeera 25/2 ) that Muslims in America raised over $100,000 to repair the 170 headstones vandalised and damaged in a Jewish cement causing immense hurt and grieve to the Jewish community.
Wonder what Trump makes of that spirit of good citizenry displayed by the Muslims in America?

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