Hoo-ray! CNN has learned the consequences of FAKE NEWS, deciding to settle a $275 million lawsuit with Nick Sandman, the 16-year-old boy in the MAGA hat the cable news network smeared in January 2019. In fairness to CNN, the settlement is not an admission of guilt and could have amounted to $1.00 – but don’t bet on Sandman’s lawyers having agreed to chump change.
The guess here is CNN wanted to settle before other media giants (i.e. The Washington Post and USA Today) settled for “too much” money. Mind you, CNN agreed last week to pay a record $76 million to settle a union-busting case, in which it was alleged they fired 200 camera operators rather than work with the union that represented them (source: National Labor Relations Board). CNN chief Jeff Zucker might proclaim his benevolence, but this proves (1) his network broadcasts “fake news” and (2) he doesn’t care about the common man.
CNN alleged in one opinion segment that Sandmann acted with “racist disrespect” toward Native American Nathan Phillips, and CNN’s Bakari Sellers publicly contemplated “assaulting” the teenage boy. It is now factually known the racist disrespect video was subjectively edited to put Sandmann in the worst light, and the Covington High School boys were not chanting “build that wall.” In short, this story precisely meets the definition of fake news.
Before you expect the mainstream media to buck up and fly right, consider their anti-Trump spin after the recent drone strike that killed Iranian strong man Qasem Soleimani:
- The Boston Globe claimed President Obama “killed” Osama bin Laden, but Trump “assassinated” Soleimani.
- The Washington Post called Soleimani a “revered military figure.”
- CBN and other networks predicted World War III.
- MSNBC falsely reported American casualties after Iran fired retaliatory ballistic missiles into Iraq.
- NBC and CNN broadcast reports of “huge crowds” [that] swarmed Tehran to mourn slain Iranian military leader” despite the crowds being forced to attend the public mourning.
As it turns out, Mr. Trump’s message – there’s a new US commander in chief and real consequences these days – exposed the inept theocracy. Their retaliation was a mere face-saving gesture, meant to cow the Iranian people. It might have worked but for the embarrassment of the bumbling Iranian military, which simultaneously shot down a civilian airline flight from Ukraine, killing all 176 passengers (including 82 Iranians and 57 Canadians). Honestly, would any World War involving Iran be much of a war?
If the mainstream media was doing its job, it would have predicted the real protests in Tehran on Saturday, when thousands of students marched and social media erupted against the Islamic State: they are lying that America is our enemy…our enemy is right here. Riot police fired tear gas at protesters, who continued chanting “Death to the Dictator,” and Iranian agents arrested the British ambassador (source: Reuters). Remind me: who’s the bad guy in all of this?
On Sunday, Iran’s moderate newspaper, Etemad, ran a banner headline: “Apologize and resign.” In response, Hussein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guards said, “we are more upset over the incident than anyone” (except maybe the victims’ families). Ali Shazari, the ayatollah’s Quds representative offered this PR pearl: “Iran’s enemies want to take revenge on the guards for a military mistake.” Nothing like a general playing the victim card, is there?
The BBC reported Sunday’s protest crowds as larger and bolder: students honoring Israeli and US flags and chanting anti-government slogans. The UK has condemned the arrest of their ambassador, and Iran’s only female Olympic medalist, Kimia Alizada, has defected; claiming she refuses to live in a country where women are forced to wear hijabs. This does not sound like a people willing to die for their country – except to really dumb reporters.
Time to call the FAKE NEWS what it really is: partisan sirens willing to lead America to half-baked conclusions, based on inadequate knowledge and theories of the world. In closing, look at the pictures of Nick Sandman. He’s just a kid, who was smeared by adults that have children of their own. To such grown-ups, here’s my media advice: go pick on someone your own size like that crack-smoking, influence-peddling, bimbo-humping son of Joe Biden. Bam!