Trump signs EO to defund PBS and NPR -

This is the kind of thing that has me worried about all these Trump admin cuts. There are real failings of different division of our society. But complaining that a media company reviewed a non-fiction book by a vertebrate zoologist about the science of animals eating each other is just unfathomable to me. Schutt’s book is extremely well regarded. Coincidentally, I learned just last week that one of our grad students was studying cannibalism in salamanders, and I recommended to her this exact book.

 

Good

 

I actually think there is good reason not to publicly fund any media. Unfortunately, Trump as usual has instead appealed to a terrible reason: left leaning bias. Doing this suggests that a “fair” media would deserve government support, but who decides what is fair? Trump’s answer is himself, of course.

So long as, for instance, the distinction is favored by the majority both inside and outside the group, there is a strong presumption that it serves the ends of both. When, however, only those inside the group favor the distinction, it is clearly privilege; while if only those outside favor it, it is discrimination. What is privilege to some is, of course, always discrimination to the rest.
-FA Hayek​

 

Me too. I enjoy Masterpiece Theater and documentaries

 

PBS does way more than news and "shilling".
I mean 95% of PBS programming isnt even news/politics.

But keep spiking the ball... Trump is also killing Americorps (which you probably dont care about because its typical behavior for the ultra side of any party) but it will harm a LOT of non-profits like the one I work for and put 1000's of college aged kids who were considering service careers on a different track....
And will leave many of them with a wasted year of their life because their plans just got ripped out from under them.

So yeah, keep celebrating because of politics, while those of us impacted FOR REAL have to figure out what to do next.

 

I agree with this. Actually, in my opinion, this is what true journalism should look like. They cover the news dryly, almost boringly so. They will have a story that leans conservative that gets liberals upset. Later, they show a story that leans way left, which riles up MAGA. In other words, this is what fair and balanced should look like. However, fair and balanced does not generate ratings. We as people tend to remember what is negative or what we did wrong and ignore the positive or what we do right. We want to avoid what we have coded as negative according to our beliefs. Thus we tend to reject one pov or the other and huddle up in our silos of Fox News or MSNBC. True understanding only comes when we leave our silos, coming outside and into the light and meet in the middle. I feel like this is what NPR and PBS tries to do. But this makes them a target in today’s society. And I for one am saddened to see this happening.

 

My kids used to watch PBS Kids but now there are more options

 

Remember when a bunch of MAGA media was discovered to be funded by Russia? And MAGA is more concerned with PBS and NPR getting a few dollars from our govt.

 

I’ve always thought Americorps should be privately funded. Perhaps this is the opportunity for that to happen.

 

Maybe, but not by gutting it overnight and leaving it to die. Like much of this, my former party is just slicing and dicing and not really doing any homework on how to rationally do this.

An organization like that cant just grab that much private support overnight.

There should be a long term plan for all this.

 

In this day and age with social media and online banking, any entity can reach out to supporters and non-supporters for almost immediate funding. It requires effort and resilience but is possible.

It’s interesting how we always look at the negative without fully considering the rewards of creatively responding to an opportunity.

We’ll see what happens as time passes.

 

Who is supposed to raise the money? They gutted the organization. 1000's of kids live in places doing the service work and will have to figure out what to do on a whim.

Again, you have to gove the organizations time to organize.

But who says this wasnt money well spent to start with? Americorps vistas/volunteers do what most people refuse to do.

People who want this slashed arent likely to turn around and open their checkbooks.

It's like saying the DOT should find itself. We would suddenly realize how many potholes would go unfixed.

We are just slashing blind and that isnt the tight way. But we can't call dear leader out can we?

 

I have no idea what their programming is like anymore, but if it's good then the private sector can take care of their funding. That's the way all businesses should be run... should work.

 

Why do that when he can just sue them for millions... take their cash instead? Lol... CBS... you're on deck.

 

Look, we'll just disagree on this.

Actually, if the organizations try to do something they will likely be far more successful in raising private funds to replace the lost US taxpayer funds .... than standing around with arms in the airs chanting "who is supposed to raise the money"? Surely, if these folks are capable of performing service functions, they can find donations for their cause. Logically, if they can't find replacement funds, do Americans see their service as important, worthy?

Trying to compare Amicorps work to the DOT is laughable .... and indicative of a perspective that is not only biased (self-serving?) but perhaps irrational.

 

I wasnt comparing the two, just showing that public dollars do public good. I can understand your pov IF this thing is gradually installed. Americorps doesnt have a fund raIsing arm like many non-profits. Should they have one? Perhaps, but that will take time.

As for self serving, I dont work for them. They do a lot of good for my organization, bit not life or death.

I am talking about the 1000's of people impacted. Many who I do deal with and see the good they do.

 

I'm no Constitutional scholar, but does MAGA care about the Constitution again?

Last time I checked, they were either quiet about, or advocating for, people in America being shipped off to foreign prisons after being accused of being criminals without having a trial.

Would you agree that it seems like Trump and his supporters utilize the benefits of the Constitution when it's convenient or it helps them, but ignore it when it does not? Must be nice ....

 

I don't know if we have to uphold that amendment. At least right here.

 

Not a bug but a feature in maga land.