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Trump wants the truth to be whatever he says it is; Thomas M. Finch; Beaver County Times; January 20, 2017.
The BCT has published at least 44 letters from Mr. Finch (TMF) since December 2004. At least 31 of these letters were anti-Bush and/or anti-Republican and they never disappoint. Here is one example. You can find the remaining Finch letters I critiqued in the critique archives. As usual, this letter is little more than a string of leftist talking points. I wish he could get a regular column in the BCT. I also wish he could get at least five minutes per day on a local radio and/or TV station. The most recent letter I reviewed was “What happened to the promises Trump made?”
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“Time for a few thoughts to refute all of the Republican name-callers.”
[RWC] You have to appreciate the chutzpah when a flame-throwing “name-caller” calls someone else a “name-caller.” Heck, TMF’s girl Mrs. Bill Clinton said, “you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.”
If the letter title is true, TMF must be thrilled to know he and Donald Trump have something in common.
“Just because Trump ‘won’ the presidency, that doesn’t allow a mandate to insult those who thinks differently. Derogatory terms like ‘liberal, progressive, crybabies’ (which I presume includes every breathing Democrat) provoke my ire. It is ironic that letter write Mike Neely chooses to quote Winston Churchill -- a dreaded ‘liberal’ -- in his lecture about facts and the truth. Fascists like Trump want the truth to be whatever he says it is -- regardless of the facts.”
[RWC] Along with “ironic,” “mandate” is one of the most abused words in the English language and knows no ideological or political boundary.
Mr. Neely referred to “the liberal, progressive crybabies who didn’t get their way this time around,” not TMF’s “every breathing Democrat.” There’s a huge disconnect between today’s “liberal, progressive” Democrat party leadership and the traditional rank-and-file Democrat.
For a guy worried about facts and the truth, TMF omitted a lot when he wrote, “Winston Churchill – [was] a dreaded ‘liberal.’” At one time or another, Mr. Churchill was a member of both the Conservative and Liberal parties. Mr. Churchill started as a Conservative then switched to the Liberal Party in 1904. Mr. Churchill returned to the Conservative Party in 1924 and remained a Conservative until his death in 1965. Mr. Churchill was the United Kingdom Prime Minister during WWII.
In 1963 via Public Law 88-6, Congress and JFK proclaimed Mr. Churchill to be an honorary citizen of the United States.
As for “Fascists like Trump,” it appears TMF wants his readers to believe fascism is a branch of rightist ideology. In truth, fascism is one of the leftism variants.
“For the next four years, any criticism -- or red-handed lie -- will be because of ‘fake news’ and ‘lies’ about him. That is why the free press will be skewered every time they dare to tell the truth.”
[RWC] Like any criticism of Obama policies were signs of racism?
If we can use history as a guide, the good news for TMF is his “free press” won’t “be skewered” very often.
“Letter writer Ruth Barrett wants us to ‘think like real patriots ... on behalf of our treasured democracy,’ but it’s too late for that. Our treasured democracy got put to death with the Citizens United decision, which allows Republican millionaires and Wall Street to buy our elections to establish one-party rule, forsaking the good of ‘we the people.’”
[RWC] If you don’t have access to the Barrett (RB) letter, it was 100% nonpartisan with no name-calling. I have no clue why TMF put RB in his group of “Republican name-callers.”
As TMF knows, Citizens United v. FEC (CU) was about free speech and the right of anyone (including groups of people) to take out their own ads, commercials, etc. expressing their position regarding candidates and issues. As groups of people, the ruling includes corporations – the NAACP, GM, and so on - and labor unions.
Regarding TMF’s “Republican millionaires” comment, why wouldn’t his allegations apply to Democrat millionaires as well?
As for “Wall Street,” why didn’t TMF take Mrs. Bill Clinton to the woodshed? As I noted in a review of a previous TMF letter, Mrs. Clinton made a fortune giving speeches to “Wall Street.”
“As for letter writer Gary Wink telling me that ‘Trump deserves respect,’ no, he does not. The office deserves respect -- not the man. He is a narcissistic liar and con man; you voted for him, not me. If you think that insults our service personnel, ask Trump where his military service was.”
[RWC] If you don’t have access to the Wink letter, he noted how attendees of the VFW national convention in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago showed respect for President Obama even though “most [attendees] did not vote for him.” Mr. Wink then wrote, “President-elect Donald Trump deserves no less.”
Though TMF wrote, “The office deserves respect -- not the man,” I’ve seen no evidence he practices what he preaches at least as far back as 2004.
© 2004-2017 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.