…the “gentlemen of the press” – a phrase that’s always had a sarcastic undertone – have not run up a white flag. Indeed, places where one might expect a more conservative stance are among the best indicators. Consider this Wall Street Journal article:
Trump’s sweeping pardons mark a dramatic turnaround for the far-right groups involved in the Jan. 6 attack. Some resorted to violence to try to prevent the certification of Trump’s 2020 electoral loss. The rampage led to the largest prosecution in Justice Department history. Former President Joe Biden vowed to defeat domestic extremism, launching a national effort to refocus U.S. national security agencies from foreign terrorism to what he said was the more pressing threat back home.
The crackdown seemed to spell the end of many of the groups involved, including the Proud Boys and self-styled militias such as the Oath Keepers. As their leaders faced prison, the organizations were torn apart by infighting, members went underground, and many local chapters spun off or went silent.
Four years later, they are jubilant—and feeling vindicated. This week, dozens of Proud Boys once again marched through the streets of Washington. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes visited congressional offices on Capitol Hill, and waves of pardoned inmates were released from jail to cheers of “We are back!”
I added the emphases. Please read the whole thing.
The Journal has a reputation for being in the Right, but it’s largely incorrect. Its conservatism begins and ends on its editorial page. Its reporters are reliably left-of-center in their coverage of anything with a social or political character. The newsroom editors appear to be comfortable with that.
They who steer the legacy media intend that the Overton Window shall remain as it was: any stance to the right of LBJ-style liberalism must be tarred as “far-right.” We should not expect that attitude to change, as it’s been internalized by legacy journalists, and by the young aspirants they’ve allowed places within their ranks, for some time.
It does no good to remind them that Right-aligned groups have perpetrated no violence. That’s irrelevant to them. They mean for their favored groups and causes to be celebrated. Defaming those of opposed convictions comes naturally.
The elections are behind us, and the mandate for the MAGA agenda is strong. Still, it remains critical that we of the alternative media continue to work at advancing it. The infamies of the legacy press must be countered as relentlessly as ever. The struggle for Americans’ minds is not over.
