The intellectual dishonesty associated with the mainstream media’s coverage of the so-called government “shutdown” is truly staggering.
First, the MSM continues to portray the “shutdown” as some sort of apocalyptic event … even though the vast majority of the federal government has kept on truckin. The MSM also refuses to discuss the massive dollar amounts taxpayers are about to get stuck with … choosing instead to focus on the meaningless rhetoric associated with the partisan wrangling.
One of the most intellectually dishonest pieces we’ve seen, though, comes courtesy of left-leaning CNN – which this week blared the headline “Small Businesses Reel From Shutdown.”
Eager to see how a 17 percent reduction in government was causing small businesses to “reel,” we clicked on the link.
Not surprisingly, it was a recapitulation of businesses which rely exclusively on government – often non-core government – to survive. In fact most of the “small businesses” featured in the story had a direct link to the bloated, inefficient American military industrial complex.
For example the story focused on a gentleman by the name of Ron Putnam, who operates two smoothie carts.
Wait what? Smoothie carts???
That’s right. According to the CNN story, Putnam is upset that the federal government cancelled the Miramar Air Show because he was planning to sell his “Maui Wowie” smoothies there.
“Putnam had already spent thousands of dollars on hundreds of pounds of bananas, gallons of cold-brewed coffee and large supplies of milk to prepare the smoothies and drinks he planned to sell through his two Maui Wowi carts at the show,” the website reported, noting that Putnam is now out of 25 percent of his annual revenue.
Really?
Pardon our French but “boo f*cking hoo,” dude.
Given the unmitigated debacle that is the federal government’s multi-billion dollar joint fighter program, taxpayer subsidization of an air show is beyond ridiculous. Seriously … this is a perfect example of misappropriated resources, and while we feel sorry for Putnam (and others who are losing money due to the small slice of government that was actually shutdown), that doesn’t mean we should subsidize unnecessary government expenses to keep them in business.
Why not?
Because doing so hurts real small businesses …
16 comments
Good catch. Thoroughly disgusting.
Even though “essential” workers have been kept working, they are not actually gettting paychecks. I understand that some may even think that is “progress,” but it is hurting real Americans, by the hundres of thousands.
Fits News is too fucking brainwashed to have ever heard of collateral damage. Like most repug assholes if it doesn’t directly affect them or their corporate meal ticket they could give a shit about the rest of the country.
Let’s look at who CNN was able to come up with as “collateral damage”:
Cindi Smith – a government contractor
Rene Banglesdorf – sells planes to the government and other private entities.
Ron Putman – the “Shaved Ice” guy
Of the three only one has a legitimate bitch – that’s Banglesdorf, who’s sale of an aircraft is being held up by the FAA. Why the FAA is even involved in the sale is beyond me. Smith needs a more diverse business plan and Ron needs to be pushing that cart a little faster to a happier hunting ground rather than standing around whining and mugging for CNN.
That list reminds me of the one that Romney came up with when Faux News was running with its “you did not build that” talking point. All the successful businessmen Romney paraded out to say “I built my business” turned out to be government contractors. The irony apparently went right over his head.
Faux News, you must be the one that watches MSNBC.
I watch both, but MSNBC does not claim to be balanced. Fox creates Faux news by attempting to disguise their commentary as news and calling themselves News. They are no different than Fitsnews except in size and their claim to be fair and balanced. Which they are not.
So you are the one that watches MSNBC.
Thank goodness some networks “balance” all the liberal slant coming off MSNBC and CNN
I was in a gas station convenience store this week, talking with the guy behind the counter about this shutdown business. He mentioned that because the E-Verify system is down, they could not check employment eligibility of three new hires, and had to terminate them.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=75bce2e261405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=75bce2e261405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD
“ALERT: E-Verify is unavailable due to the federal government shutdown. For more information please click here”
When you “click here” you get the following webpage:
https://e-verify.uscis.gov/emp/vislogin.aspx?JS=YES
E-Verify is currently unavailable due to a government shutdown.
While E-Verify is unavailable, you will not be able to access your E-Verify account. As a result, you will be unable to:
* Enroll any company in E-Verify
* Verify employment eligibility
*… and the list goes on.
Complete bull – unless your friendly neighborhood gas station employees on illegals or commuters from Charlotte.
SC Code Section 41-8-20(B) requires that “[o]n and after 1 July 2009,
all private employers of one hundred or more employees who are required
by federal law to complete and maintain federal employment eligibility
verification forms or documents must … (1) … “participate in the
E-Verify” [system] … or “(2) employ only workers who, at the time of
employment” have or qualify for a SC driver’s license or identification
card. SC Code Section 41-8-20(C) extends this requirement to private
employers who employ less than one hundred employees on or after 1 July
2010.
Helluva gas station if they have more than 100 employees.
Faux News’ “slimdown” isn’t propaganda either.
Except it’s more accurate than a “shutdown.” 83% of the government still working is hardly a “shutdown.” If it were less than 50%, I’d probably be OK calling it a shutdown.
E Verify is down because Obama’s executive order-don’t enforce laws prohibiting entry into the USA. Not really but it sounded good.
For the 26% of Americans who still question who is responsible for the government shutdown:
http://mashable.com/2013/10/14/van-hollen-youtube-hit/