MSM Collapsing: NY Times Now “Irrelevant,” According to its Own Writers

Opinion pieces have no impact on public discourse as statist media sinks
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
February 5, 2014

Image: New York Times Building (Wikimedia Commons).

In another example of how the mainstream media is in a state of collapse, the New York Times’s own writers told a newspaper that NY Times opinion pieces are now seen as “irrelevant” and have no impact on public discourse whatsoever.

This is a stunning turnaround from as little as five years ago, when a New York Times opinion piece was viewed with respect and held a certain level of gravitas.

The New York Observer interviewed more than two dozen current and former NY Times writers, virtually all of whom were unanimous in acknowledging that the Old Gray Lady is becoming increasingly insignificant.

“I think the editorials are viewed by most reporters as largely irrelevant, and there’s not a lot of respect for the editorial page,” one source told the newspaper. “The editorials are dull, and that’s a cardinal sin.”

“They’re completely reflexively liberal, utterly predictable, usually poorly written and totally ineffectual,” said another. “I mean, just try and remember the last time that anybody was talking about one of those editorials. You know, I can think of one time recently, which is with the [Edward] Snowden stuff, but mostly nobody pays attention, and millions of dollars is being spent on that stuff.”

This is yet another consequence of the fact that more and more people are turning away from mainstream media as a result of its habitual efforts to twist the truth and deceive the public in order to serve the interests of the state.

The corporate press is in a blind panic because it is quickly losing its ability to dictate reality and shape narratives, which is why people like Hillary Clinton have bemoaned the fact that the establishment is “losing the Infowar” to newly emerging media sources.

In 2012, the New York Times reported a net loss of 85% on earnings as a result of lost advertising revenue due to dwindling readership figures, but they are actually not doing too badly in comparison to other mainstream news outlets.

From November 2012 to November 2013, MSNBC lost almost half its viewers over the course of just 12 months, shedding 45 per cent of its audience. CNN also lost 48 per cent of its viewers over the same time period.

The corporate press’ refusal to challenge authority and cover real issues has also led to record high levels of distrust in media. Last year, a Gallup poll found that just 23 per cent of Americans trust the institution of television news.

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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.

This article was posted: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 10:38 am

Speaker Boehner, find the courage to establish a Benghazi select committee

Speaker Boehner, find the courage to establish a Benghazi select committee
Written by Allen West on February 5, 2014
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This morning I had a chance to visit with a former colleague, someone for whom I have the utmost respect, Virginia Representative Frank Wolf. Rep. Wolf is the author of House Resolution 36, which calls for a Benghazi select committee with subpoena powers to formally and singularly focus on the incidents surrounding the US Consulate attack in Benghazi Libya.

Rep. Wolf shared with me today that he now has 182 cosponsors, all from the House GOP. One has to ask if the Democrats are more aligned with their political party or truth? The 182 cosponsors represent approximately 80 percent of the House Republican conference, and according to former Speaker Dennis Hastert, meet the standard of the “Hastert Rule,” a majority of the majority. Yet this piece of legislation is blocked from being brought to the House floor for a vote.

Rep. Wolf and I mused — actually we both became infuriated — considering how in the State of New Jersey Democrats have established a select committee and are pursuing subpoenas against Governor Chris Christie over traffic lanes being closed. Is it possible that traffic lane closures are more important than the abandonment, murder, and lying that hangs like a dark cloud over the events of September 11, 2012? Have we become so degraded that we do not see the utterly despicable hypocrisy of the Democrats in New Jersey and the liberal progressive media?

Over the weekend, we witnessed the arrogant dismissal of President Obama, who has already referred to Benghazi as a “phony scandal,” as he chided Bill O’Reilly, stating that Benghazi, among other nefarious actions, are just talking points driven by Fox News. The belligerence of President Obama has been enabled by a House GOP leadership reluctant to stop the diluted process of five different committees who must ask for information by way of FOIA requests. Just yesterday before a House Intelligence Committee hearing, Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, and others were asked when will someone be held responsible for the incidents surrounding Benghazi? The question was met with nearly 10 seconds of silence.

Losing an American Ambassador is not the new normal. Abandoning brave Americans to die is not the new normal. Supplying arms to Islamic terrorist and jihadists and running a covert weapons program is treasonous and represents high crimes and misdemeanors.

And liberals, just stop it. Stop telling America there is nothing there. You all know that if it were Speaker Pelosi and a Republican president, there would have been a select committee, an incessant screech calling for impeachment, and calls for imprisonment. If Democrats can become frenzied over the closing of traffic lanes and create a select committee to investigate a Republican governor, we all know what you would do in this case to a Republican President — lying hypocrites that you all are.

However, I am beginning to develop an even stronger concern about House GOP leadership, primarily Speaker John Boehner. Speaker Boehner, you know very well, your approach on this has not been effective. President Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as the entire Democrat party are laughing at you. You have a majority of your conference supporting this select committee — explain why you do not? It can’t be that resources do not exist and there’s not enough time.

Here is my recommendation. Select five individuals to make up this committee, three Republican and two Democrat. We don’t need a committee of pontificators who will not get to the bottom of this. I recommend you select from House GOP Representatives Jim Jordan, Jason Chaffetz, and Trey Gowdy as head of the Select Committee. I really don’t care who the House Democrats are since they lack any integrity and concern on the matter. They’d all be the same. If you do not want a select committee, then appoint a special investigator with subpoena powers. I would be happy to volunteer. All I ask for is a staff of five and cranberry juice.

Whether you pursue a select committee or special investigator with subpoena powers here is the initial list to be called: President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, Leon Panetta, General David Petraeus, John Brennan, Victoria Nuland, Michael Morell, General Carter Ham, General Martin Dempsey. As well, they would need to have their Chiefs of Staff prepared for subpoena and testimony. This would be a public hearing and all subpoenaed would present themselves in person before the committee.

Speaker Boehner, this should make you angry — angry at what happened in Benghazi, which cannot be the new normal. I implore you to find the courage to make the right decision and establish the select committee with subpoena powers on Benghazi, and operations in Libya. If you cannot find the courage to do so, Americans will see it as one of two things: cowardice or complicit. Neither are good, combined they are disheartening.

Speaker Boehner, Thomas Paine once stated, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in the crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

The choice is yours, summer soldier and sunshine patriot, or will you win the love and thanks of all Americans? One thing I know, in keeping with the finest traditions of our Founding Fathers from Virginia, Representative Frank Wolf has earned the love and thanks of man and woman, especially those who lost their loved ones at Benghazi.

Read more at http://allenbwest.com/2014/02/speaker-boehner-find-courage-establish-benghazi-select-committee/#dTVKs8uDqkCpTrZS.99

Speaker Boehner, find the courage to establish a Benghazi select committee - Allen B. West -...

Your inaction is one of two things: cowardice or complicit. Neither are good, combined they are disheartening.

allenbwest.com

Cats In A Sandbox: John McCain Throws A Syria Fit; Lindsey Graham Apologizes To Syrian Christians For His Behavior

February 5, 2014 by Ben Bullard 

Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), so devoted to supporting “our” moderate “friends” (a.k.a. Islamist terrorists with al-Qaida ties) in the Free Syrian Army, became incensed during a meeting with Syrian Christian leaders visiting the Capitol recently, allegedly yelling angrily after the clergymen voiced their concern that Western leaders have turned a blind eye to Christian persecution at the hands of Syrian rebel groups.
According to a Judicial Watch report today, an unnamed, high-level source present at the meeting said McCain stalked into the Senate Arms Services Committee meeting room, where three Democratic Senators and South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, along with the Syrians, were waiting for him to join them.
But McCain was already agitated from having to listen to the Syrians’ concerns about how American policies aren’t helping Christians caught in the middle of Syria’s civil conflict. Evidently, he raised such a stink that Senator Graham found himself in the unique position of having to apologize for his fellow neocon’s temper tantrum.
From Judicial Watch:

…Senator McCain, an Arizona Republican, evidently doesn’t want to hear negative stories about the rebels he’s working to arm. So he stormed out of a closed-door meeting with the Syrian clergy officials last week.
… McCain marched into the committee room yelling, according to a high-level source that attended the meeting, and quickly stormed out. “He was incredibly rude,” the source told Judicial Watch “because he didn’t think the Syrian church leaders should even be allowed in the room.” Following the shameful tantrum McCain reentered the room and sat briefly but refused to make eye contact with the participants, instead ignoring them by looking down at what appeared to be random papers.
The outburst was so embarrassing that Senator Graham, also an advocate of U.S. military intervention in Syria, apologized for McCain’s disturbing outburst. “Graham actually apologized to the group for McCain’s behavior,” according to the source, who sat through the entire meeting. “It was truly unbelievable.”

GOP Senator Apologizes for McCain Tantrum at Syrian Christian Leader Meeting

February 05, 2014 | 1 Comment

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Hell-bent on arming opposition forces in Syria—despite strong evidence that they’re run by Islamic terrorists—John McCain displayed behavior unbecoming of a United States Senator during a recent meeting with Syrian Christian leaders touring Capitol Hill.
The delegation of Syrian clergy came to Washington to raise awareness among lawmakers of the growing crisis among the region’s minority Christian community. Christians make up about 10% of the Syrian population and they are being targeted and ruthlessly murdered by radical elements of the rebel forces, according to the visiting church officials. They say the media and human rights groups in the west have been largely silent on the ordeal of the Christians in Syria.
A number of churches have been destroyed or burned, children were killed when rebels fired mortar rockets at an Armenian Christian school in Damascus and countless others have been abducted by Islamic fighters, the Syrian delegation reveals in a statement published by the research group, Westminster Institute, that brought them to Washington. Eleven nuns have also been abducted and are still in captivity and two bishops are still missing after getting kidnapped during a humanitarian mission.
But Senator McCain, an Arizona Republican, evidently doesn’t want to hear negative stories about the rebels he’s working to arm. So he stormed out of a closed-door meeting with the Syrian clergy officials last week. Held in the Senate Arms Services Committee meeting room, the reunion also included senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Graham is a Republican and the rest are Democrats.
McCain marched into the committee room yelling, according to a high-level source that attended the meeting, and quickly stormed out. “He was incredibly rude,” the source told Judicial Watch “because he didn’t think the Syrian church leaders should even be allowed in the room.” Following the shameful tantrum McCain reentered the room and sat briefly but refused to make eye contact with the participants, instead ignoring them by looking down at what appeared to be random papers.
The outburst was so embarrassing that Senator Graham, also an advocate of U.S. military intervention in Syria, apologized for McCain’s disturbing outburst. “Graham actually apologized to the group for McCain’s behavior,” according to the source, who sat through the entire meeting. “It was truly unbelievable.”
Not really, for those familiar with McCain’s history on this matter. The veteran lawmaker is enamored with a controversial young “Syria expert,” Elizabeth O’Bagy, who has managed to convince him as well as the president and secretary of state that Syrian rebels are mostly moderate and not terrorists. While persuading the U.S. of this, O’Bagy concealed that she was a political director for the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), a group that advocates for Syria’s rebels from Washington D.C.
Before getting exposed by conservative media outlets, O’Bagy claimed to be an objective analyst at a Washington D.C. think-tank that studies military affairs when in fact she had a “reputation as the leading expert on the armed opposition in the Syrian revolution,” according to SETF. In September O’Bagy was abruptly fired from the think-tank for padding her resume and McCain graciously hired her. “Elizabeth is a talented researcher, and I have been very impressed by her knowledge and analysis in multiple briefings over the last year,” McCain said in a statement to the political news publication that broke the story in late September.
Besides the fact that a Syrian Islamist group is essentially steering U.S. policy, a number of domestic and international media outlets have confirmed that terrorists—mainly Al Qaeda—are running opposition forces in Syria. For instance the New York Times published a piece that reveals Islamist rebels—including the most extreme groups in the notorious Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda-aligned force—are running the show in Syria. “The Islamist character of the opposition reflects the main constituency of the rebellion,” the story says. “Nowhere in rebel-controlled Syria is there a secular fighting force to speak of.”
Incredibly, last month an international news agency reported that Congress secretly approved U.S. weapons flow to what officials describe as “moderate” Syrian rebel factions. The White House refused to comment on the back-door operation, but the story cites U.S. and European officials who say the weapons deliveries have been funded by the U.S. Congress, in votes behind closed doors, through the end of government fiscal year 2014.

U.S. Intelligence: At Least 50 Americans Fighting Alongside Al-Qaeda In Syria…

U.S. Intelligence: At Least 50 Americans Fighting Alongside Al-Qaeda In Syria…

I’m sure they will return and lead peaceful lives.
WASHINGTON — At least 50 Americans have joined the mix of extremist groups that are fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, and some could try to mount terrorist attacks at home, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday.
Intelligence officials say the Syrian civil war has become one of the biggest magnets for Islamic extremists around the globe since CIA-backed militants fought to oust Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the 1980s, a war that ultimately gave rise to Al Qaeda.
James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, told the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that “7,500 or so” foreign fighters are in Syria from 50 countries. Clapper had cited an estimate of 7,000 at a Senate hearing last week.
A U.S. intelligence official told The Times that the total includes at least 50 Americans, a more concrete estimate than authorities have given previously. He declined to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the figure publicly.
A report in January by the Israel-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center estimated that as many as 1,800 people from European countries have also fought in Syria.
CIA Director John Brennan said Tuesday that Al Qaeda is training foreign fighters at camps in Syria and neighboring Iraq

Bullied 11-year-old ‘brony’ clings to life following suicide attempt

Bullied 11-year-old ‘brony’ clings to life following suicide attempt

to the mom of this child i will pray for him god will heal him 

Boy "teased mercilessly," called gay over his love of "My Little Pony"

BRODY LEVESQUE | LGBTQ Nation

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

208 Comments ↓

RALEIGH, N.C. — An 11-year-old boy clings to life and may have suffered brain damage following a suicide attempt last month.
Family members say Michael Morones was repeatedly bullied at school and called gay because he was a fan of the children’s television cartoon “My Little Pony.”

Michael Morones

Michael’s mother, Tiffany Morones-Suttle, told WTVD-TV in Raleigh that her son was teased mercilessly over his love for the show, that although it has a predominantly female audience, also draws male enthusiasts of all ages who are referred to as “bronies.”
His stepfather, Shannon Suttle, said, “Michael was upset because the kids were calling him gay for liking a girls’ TV show. His mom and I, well, we told him that it didn’t matter what other people think. It only matters what he thinks.”
Michael’s favorite “My Little Pony” character is Pinkie Pie, a hyper excitable pony.
His parent say that Michael, who has ADHD and rarely sits still for a minute, feels a connection to bouncy Pinkie Pie.
“He’s the kid that never walks. He dances everywhere,” his mother says. “He’s so full of energy. He’s always on the move.”
“A few weeks ago, Michael told us he wanted to take the bus straight home after school, instead of going to the boys and girls club with the other kids,” Suttle told Carrie Goldman, a Chicago-based freelance writer and author. “And at the time, we thought it was because he wanted a chance to have the TV to himself for a couple hours before his brothers came home.“
Michael has a 13-year-old brother and a 5-year-old brother, and since the family has only one television, the boys often to argue over what they watch.
“But now,” Suttle said quietly, “I wonder about why he wanted to come home instead of being with the other kids. He said to us that the other kids were telling him he was gay for loving Pinkie Pie and they were trying to make him feel ashamed for being gay. We said that we didn’t care if he was gay or straight; he was our son and we would love him.”

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On Jan. 23, Michael had another rough day at school. That night, his parents found him hanging from the top rail of his bunk bed. Now, Michael continues to cling to life and his parents say his prognosis is uncertain.
“We won’t know for months how much is going to heal,” his mother said. “It could even be years before we find out what potential for healing he has.”
Fans of the show have donated money to help pay his medical bills, and there is a “Michael Morones Recovery Fund” on gofundme.com, which has raised over $50,000 as of Wednesday evening.
Members of the show’s cast have also recorded personal messages for Michael’s parents to play for him.

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