CNN accuses Fox News viewers of being brain-washed

[NightHawkeye]

From the "Pot meet kettle" files: Fans of Fox News, Rush & WND accused of self-brainwashing | WND

On CNN’s “Reliable Sources” over Memorial Day weekend, historian Bruce Bartlett was discussing his paper published earlier this month, in which he said: “It can almost be called self-brainwashing – many conservatives now refuse to listen to any news or opinion not vetted through Fox, and to believe whatever appears on it as the gospel truth.”
...
Limbaugh indicated Fox News has liberals “all over the place.”

“You can’t miss liberalism by watching Fox News. Half of their analysts are,” he noted.

“I just have to laugh, here we have CNN, which has an audience you can now fit in a thimble. And MSNBC, an audience that you couldn’t find in a thimble, sitting here lamenting what’s wrong with Fox News. It’s like the chickens describing how Colonel Sanders is screwing up. I mean, these people are sitting there dying professionally. They have no audience, nobody cares what’s happening on CNN or MSNBC, and yet every day they do their media shows and try to tell everybody what’s wrong with Fox.​

 

[dgiharris]

Whenever I've argued with extreme conservatives, I am always impressed at their ability to refuse to acknowledge truths or admit they are wrong about something. It's like a kind of truth immunity, that is, they have a system of beliefs that are immune to any fact, argument, evidence, or data that disproves their beliefs.

But it goes further than that.... its hard to explain. Conservatives have done a great job demonizing and sabotaging opposing views. In fact, it's like there is a systematic campaign to not only demonize the other side but to ensure that no matter what, opposing viewpoints cannot get through the brainwashing. For instance, Take the word "liberal". Conservatives have actually turned that word into a serious negative over the past two decades. But it goes further than that... Man it's so hard to explain....

I remember arguing once with a conservative about XYZ and the conservative was just flat out wrong. The conservative then puts the onus on me to "Prove my argument". So, I submit 4 links to studies that refute XYZ with data and evidence. The conservative then counters with "Well, those are liberal sites and those universities that did the study were Liberal universities!"

and that was his refutation. That was why I was wrong. Not because the data was wrong, not because the evidence was false, not because my arguments were not logical. No. I was wrong simply because my studies came from "liberal universities and sites". So I then asked him to find any studies from "conservative sites and universities" that refute my links and studies. His reply was simply that he didn't have to, that there was no need. Why? Because unless I could find the evidence and data on one of his "approved" universities list (which he refused to provide) then it wasn't worth believing. Nevermind that one of the colleges was Harvard.

But it's more than that. Having watched Fox News for years and listened to Rush Limbaugh for years, I honestly have to give them credit for the level of brainwashing, spin, obfuscation, quibbling, twisting, and downright lies they spew. They have created an impressive paradigm in which it is impossible to disprove them. Trying to disprove them is akin to trying to catch a fish swimming in a vat a vegetable oil with your bare hands. And truth be told, I am impressed by the brainwashing paradigm conservatives have created.

#1) Turning "liberal" into a bad word.
#2) Associating "liberal" with all things evil.
#3) Deifying Reagan to a Conservative God while simultaneously forgetting "liberal" actions Reagan championed
#4) Rewriting , Revising, and Spinning History
#5) Keeping the fight alive for legal issues that have long been decided by the Supreme Court and American Public
#6) Creating a list of "enemies" of the conservative party and thus enemies of America
#7) Creating a state of mind where only Conservatives love and protect America while everyone else is hell bent on destroying the country (this is absolute genius and deserves a tip of the hat)
#8) Creating a false dichotomy to where opposition to Conservative ideals and principles is synonymous with destroying America

I could go on.

FWIW, you could accuse liberals of similar actions but truth be told, liberals just are not as good as conservatives with the above. Liberals are in elementary school with the above actions whereas Conservatives are finishing up their PhDs

 

[nightflight]

Awesome projection, and a cool story!

 

[Paradoxum]

I'd say they are correct.

 

[iluvatar5150]

From the "Pot meet kettle" files: Fans of Fox News, Rush & WND accused of self-brainwashing | WND

On CNN’s “Reliable Sources” over Memorial Day weekend, historian Bruce Bartlett was discussing his paper published earlier this month, in which he said: “It can almost be called self-brainwashing – many conservatives now refuse to listen to any news or opinion not vetted through Fox, and to believe whatever appears on it as the gospel truth.”
...
Limbaugh indicated Fox News has liberals “all over the place.”

“You can’t miss liberalism by watching Fox News. Half of their analysts are,” he noted.

“I just have to laugh, here we have CNN, which has an audience you can now fit in a thimble. And MSNBC, an audience that you couldn’t find in a thimble, sitting here lamenting what’s wrong with Fox News. It’s like the chickens describing how Colonel Sanders is screwing up. I mean, these people are sitting there dying professionally. They have no audience, nobody cares what’s happening on CNN or MSNBC, and yet every day they do their media shows and try to tell everybody what’s wrong with Fox.​

What do ratings have to do with whether or not something constitutes brainwashing?

 

[Cearbhall]

But it's more than that. Having watched Fox News for years and listened to Rush Limbaugh for years, I honestly have to give them credit for the level of brainwashing, spin, obfuscation, quibbling, twisting, and downright lies they spew.

Limbaugh is in his own class of disgusting human beings. I try to judge him separately from Fox News, though my analyses end up roughly the same.

 

[wing2000]

...well said. And the inability of many to logically make an argument with facts instead of dogmatic ideology does not bode well for our country.

Whenever I've argued with extreme conservatives, I am always impressed at their ability to refuse to acknowledge truths or admit they are wrong about something. It's like a kind of truth immunity, that is, they have a system of beliefs that are immune to any fact, argument, evidence, or data that disproves their beliefs.

But it goes further than that.... its hard to explain. Conservatives have done a great job demonizing and sabotaging opposing views. In fact, it's like there is a systematic campaign to not only demonize the other side but to ensure that no matter what, opposing viewpoints cannot get through the brainwashing. For instance, Take the word "liberal". Conservatives have actually turned that word into a serious negative over the past two decades. But it goes further than that... Man it's so hard to explain....

I remember arguing once with a conservative about XYZ and the conservative was just flat out wrong. The conservative then puts the onus on me to "Prove my argument". So, I submit 4 links to studies that refute XYZ with data and evidence. The conservative then counters with "Well, those are liberal sites and those universities that did the study were Liberal universities!"

and that was his refutation. That was why I was wrong. Not because the data was wrong, not because the evidence was false, not because my arguments were not logical. No. I was wrong simply because my studies came from "liberal universities and sites". So I then asked him to find any studies from "conservative sites and universities" that refute my links and studies. His reply was simply that he didn't have to, that there was no need. Why? Because unless I could find the evidence and data on one of his "approved" universities list (which he refused to provide) then it wasn't worth believing. Nevermind that one of the colleges was Harvard.

But it's more than that. Having watched Fox News for years and listened to Rush Limbaugh for years, I honestly have to give them credit for the level of brainwashing, spin, obfuscation, quibbling, twisting, and downright lies they spew. They have created an impressive paradigm in which it is impossible to disprove them. Trying to disprove them is akin to trying to catch a fish swimming in a vat a vegetable oil with your bare hands. And truth be told, I am impressed by the brainwashing paradigm conservatives have created.

#1) Turning "liberal" into a bad word.
#2) Associating "liberal" with all things evil.
#3) Deifying Reagan to a Conservative God while simultaneously forgetting "liberal" actions Reagan championed
#4) Rewriting , Revising, and Spinning History
#5) Keeping the fight alive for legal issues that have long been decided by the Supreme Court and American Public
#6) Creating a list of "enemies" of the conservative party and thus enemies of America
#7) Creating a state of mind where only Conservatives love and protect America while everyone else is hell bent on destroying the country (this is absolute genius and deserves a tip of the hat)
#8) Creating a false dichotomy to where opposition to Conservative ideals and principles is synonymous with destroying America

I could go on.

FWIW, you could accuse liberals of similar actions but truth be told, liberals just are not as good as conservatives with the above. Liberals are in elementary school with the above actions whereas Conservatives are finishing up their PhDs

 

[essentialsaltes]

"It’s like the chickens describing how Colonel Sanders is screwing up."

Or maybe the Jews describing how the Nazis are screwing up. Popularity is hardly a measurement of correctness.

 

[rambot]

Whenever I've argued with extreme conservatives, I am always impressed at their ability to refuse to acknowledge truths or admit they are wrong about something. It's like a kind of truth immunity, that is, they have a system of beliefs that are immune to any fact, argument, evidence, or data that disproves their beliefs.

But it goes further than that.... its hard to explain. Conservatives have done a great job demonizing and sabotaging opposing views. In fact, it's like there is a systematic campaign to not only demonize the other side but to ensure that no matter what, opposing viewpoints cannot get through the brainwashing. For instance, Take the word "liberal". Conservatives have actually turned that word into a serious negative over the past two decades. But it goes further than that... Man it's so hard to explain....

I remember arguing once with a conservative about XYZ and the conservative was just flat out wrong. The conservative then puts the onus on me to "Prove my argument". So, I submit 4 links to studies that refute XYZ with data and evidence. The conservative then counters with "Well, those are liberal sites and those universities that did the study were Liberal universities!"

and that was his refutation. That was why I was wrong. Not because the data was wrong, not because the evidence was false, not because my arguments were not logical. No. I was wrong simply because my studies came from "liberal universities and sites". So I then asked him to find any studies from "conservative sites and universities" that refute my links and studies. His reply was simply that he didn't have to, that there was no need. Why? Because unless I could find the evidence and data on one of his "approved" universities list (which he refused to provide) then it wasn't worth believing. Nevermind that one of the colleges was Harvard.

But it's more than that. Having watched Fox News for years and listened to Rush Limbaugh for years, I honestly have to give them credit for the level of brainwashing, spin, obfuscation, quibbling, twisting, and downright lies they spew. They have created an impressive paradigm in which it is impossible to disprove them. Trying to disprove them is akin to trying to catch a fish swimming in a vat a vegetable oil with your bare hands. And truth be told, I am impressed by the brainwashing paradigm conservatives have created.

#1) Turning "liberal" into a bad word.
#2) Associating "liberal" with all things evil.
#3) Deifying Reagan to a Conservative God while simultaneously forgetting "liberal" actions Reagan championed
#4) Rewriting , Revising, and Spinning History
#5) Keeping the fight alive for legal issues that have long been decided by the Supreme Court and American Public
#6) Creating a list of "enemies" of the conservative party and thus enemies of America
#7) Creating a state of mind where only Conservatives love and protect America while everyone else is hell bent on destroying the country (this is absolute genius and deserves a tip of the hat)
#8) Creating a false dichotomy to where opposition to Conservative ideals and principles is synonymous with destroying America

I could go on.

FWIW, you could accuse liberals of similar actions but truth be told, liberals just are not as good as conservatives with the above. Liberals are in elementary school with the above actions whereas Conservatives are finishing up their PhDs

In my experience, I get the "No I'm not going to 'do your work for you' when I ask them to support their position. Of course, this usually happens right after I post my sites and support for my opinions. I think people like that (Be they liberal or conservative) are dumb. Though I've certainly seen it happen here, I'm not goading one particular poster; just that people who refuse to post their own support or put the onus on others to do their work, well that's just dumb.

 

[dgiharris]

In my experience, I get the "No I'm not going to 'do your work for you' when I ask them to support their position. Of course, this usually happens right after I post my sites and support for my opinions. I think people like that (Be they liberal or conservative) are dumb. Though I've certainly seen it happen here, I'm not goading one particular poster; just that people who refuse to post their own support or put the onus on others to do their work, well that's just dumb.

The "refusing to prove a point" and "put the onus on you" crowd have learned that it is the easiest way to argue a point. All you have to do is say "no no no" and keep shifting the burden to the other side to keep proving their points. The argument then becomes a war of attrition with only one side firing bullet points into an impervious logic defying shield. Eventually their opponents will tire and then when that happens the other side claims victory in the argument when truth is, they never proved their point, they merely just got the other side to surrender first through exhaustion...

There are several posters on here who have a blackbelt in requiring others to prove their points while never proving theirs.

The biggest sign of someone doing the above is when they respond to repeated in-depth arguments with one or two line responses as well as absolutely refusing to ever site a source to counter a point or to prove their own argument.

 

[High Fidelity]

Very strong terminology, but I've always considered that part of the political problem in the US is down to the lack of a real middle-ground news outlet.

It seems like the news is either vehemently for or vehemently against and 'anyone that thinks otherwise is an idiot'.

That's how it seems and why it doesn't seem surprising why mo progress is made on important issues because it's so ingrained that nobody is willing to make concessions.

Look at Obama. There are prop that think he can and has done no wrong. Then there are people that call him King mockingly and think he's a Muslim, socialist, Communist, fascist etc, it's just ridiculous lol.

 

[Armoured]

The "refusing to prove a point" and "put the onus on you" crowd have learned that it is the easiest way to argue a point. All you have to do is say "no no no" and keep shifting the burden to the other side to keep proving their points. The argument then becomes a war of attrition with only one side firing bullet points into an impervious logic defying shield. Eventually their opponents will tire and then when that happens the other side claims victory in the argument when truth is, they never proved their point, they merely just got the other side to surrender first through exhaustion...

There are several posters on here who have a blackbelt in requiring others to prove their points while never proving theirs.

The biggest sign of someone doing the above is when they respond to repeated in-depth arguments with one or two line responses as well as absolutely refusing to ever site a source to counter a point or to prove their own argument.

Have you read the "playing chess with a pigeon" analogy?

 

[Cearbhall]

Very strong terminology, but I've always considered that part of the political problem in the US is down to the lack of a real middle-ground news outlet.

Well not in cable news. They have no motivation to stick to the middle. Sources such as NBC Nightly News and local news programs are usually better.

 

[Armoured]

"It’s like the chickens describing how Colonel Sanders is screwing up."

Or maybe the Jews describing how the Nazis are screwing up. Popularity is hardly a measurement of correctness.

Truth is determined by plebiscite, didn't you know? That's how we're fixing global warming. Convince enough people it isn't happening, and bingo, problem solved.

(Unless the plebiscite is about gay marriage, of course, then it's an "insidious liberal plot")

 

[RhaegarTargaryen]

Conservatives have done a great job demonizing and sabotaging opposing views. In fact, it's like there is a systematic campaign to not only demonize the other side but to ensure that no matter what, opposing viewpoints cannot get through the brainwashing.

That's just as rightly, actually even more so, said about leftists, or, as they're known across the pond, "liberals". Leftists are some of the most hateful, most vitriolic people around. Anyone who don't agree with them are "hateful", "ignorant", "stupid", etc.

 

[Armoured]

That's just as rightly, actually even more so, said about leftists, or, as they're known across the pond, "liberals". Leftists are some of the most hateful, most vitriolic people around. Anyone who don't agree with them are "hateful", "ignorant", "stupid", etc.

I don't think either "side" has a monopoly on being insultingly dismissive of the other.

It's neither a conservative nor a liberal trait. It's a human trait.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Well not in cable news. They have no motivation to stick to the middle. Sources such as NBC Nightly News ...

Really?

 

[SharonL]

Depending on your views you can find like views on the stations - if you are liberal progressive and agree with the way the alphabet stations cover up the corruption then you will not be happy with Fox News.

Fox has both sides and tells the whole story - like it or not. Myself I cannot understand the thinking of the liberals and progressives. Do not understand why people are so willing to give up their freedoms and let a 'dictator minded' person take our country into destruction. But to each his own.

 

[AirPo]

What do ratings have to do with whether or not something constitutes brainwashing?

Brainwashing creates ratings.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Brainwashing creates ratings.

Judging by MSNBC's and CNN's ratings ... brainwashing has the opposite effect. It's an encouraging sign.