A Timely Post From Shaun Mullen

From the award -winning journalist, author, and master blogger comes this brilliantly insightful essay on the changing role of the press and other news media in the new Trumpian era.


Portland, OR
January 25, 2017

Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain ...

Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

Thousands of words have been written about this tweet, most focusing on the aggressive and inappropriate referencing of Nazi Germany. It has been deeply offensive to many. There is little doubt that his final sentence is inflammatory, not to mention egregiously incorrect, but I think it's shock value has caused most to overlook what is likely the scariest single sentence he has uttered, or Tweeted. Yes, I'm taking about the penultimate sentence: "One last shot at me."

If you read my previous post entitled The Last Gasp, you can see where I'm going with this. This sentence is more than a hint that after the inauguration this kind of "shot" at Mr. Trump will not be allowed. He is tipping us off that he is preparing to decimate or even eliminate first amendment rights when it comes to criticizing or calling to task the POTUS. And this is not even nearly the first time he has intimated as much, repeatedly calling for the weakening of freedom of the press and simultaneous strengthening of our libel laws. That this is a terrible direction in which to take our country is to me self-evident, but Mr. Trump does not care, his supporters care even less, and the docile and spineless congress may care but has not the will to act.

Our cherished democratic constitutional republic has never been more at risk.



Portland, January 13, 2017