In former times, news and entertainment media served as a noise filter for both money swindlers and political swindlers. They devoted considerable time to dramatizing scams.
The Fairness Doctrine REQUIRED media to skip partisanship and pay attention to reality.
Frank Edwards, the best newsman of that era, did the best job of filtering political noise. For both parties, he told his listeners which proposals were pure noise with no chance of passing, and which proposals were headed for implementation.
Nearly everything in the public side of politics is pure noise. Congress plays this game intensely. Party A writes a “law” and gets funds from its fools, knowing GOOD AND GODDAMN WELL that the other house controlled by Party B will knock it down immediately, or that the president will veto it immediately, or the courts will override it.
Since the media gave up its filtering function, this type of trick has become absolutely universal. Biden’s proposal to “fix” the Supremes is the latest example. Media treats it as a serious idea, asking what will happen when it’s achieved. They should be quoting it in a dismissive way, telling us why it can’t possibly happen.
Polistra's Mill 