Posts by analogbison96

silentridge3 said:I wonder how much of this is a coordinated system, you know, an intentional effort to shut down information channels. Fox, for instance, is basically just foreign media to us.

For days now, they've been spoon-feeding us stories about "struggling restaurant owners and smoking bans," while I can't help but feel like something major is happening right under our noses—something those "ambitious young careerists" and their bosses are working so hard to hide from us. Are our forests being sold off while small business owners are crying over falling revenues? What’s the deal with Exelon? How are the shipyard sales actually going?

And honestly, how can the same reporter cover the power grid one day and then pivot to talking about cookies at a local county fair the next? Is she really that brilliant and versatile, or is it all just... I don't know, completely insignificant? News is just a commodity, and it feels like Fox and local networks only produce content for viewers they consider intellectually inferior...?

What gives? Is that what advertisers want? Or maybe it's politics? Foreign politicians? Foreign capital?

If you ask me, it's all a massive distraction designed to mask the actual state of crisis in our country.
The nation was gutted by the Republican Party—a process that really kicked off during the Gulf War era—and now they’re pivoting to blame a global economic downturn that isn't even half as bad as they claim. In reality, our own system has completely collapsed because they dismantled everything and refuse to admit it. First, they blamed the sudden drop in retail revenue on the move toward a four-day workweek—which, honestly, only a fool would buy—and now they're using smoking bans in restaurants as the scapegoat for declining business.
I'm genuinely curious to see what kind of lie they cook up next.

silentridge3 said:I find myself scrolling through the daily news on Fox, or CNN...

I honestly can't wrap my head around why every single headline seems to revolve around smoking bans and bar owners. Yesterday, it was "someone said something regarding smoking legislation" (which I guess is just vital information to lead with), today it’s "someone responded to that" (as if we all need this urgent update), and tomorrow it'll be "some tavern owner is complaining about something" (so we absolutely have to see it on TV), and it just goes on and on like that forever...

In America, maybe 30% of people smoke, while 70% don't. And there are roughly 20 thousand small business owners in the hospitality sector—not just coffee shops, but everyone
.
Just imagine if business for everyone dropped by 30%. Or suppose 30% of the local spots close down, meaning 6 thousand business owners—who are probably doing better financially than most teachers or blue-collar workers, given they likely own property and nice cars—have to lock up for good because those 6 thousand people simply can't attract customers unless they allow smoking
.
On the flip side, you have people in America losing their jobs every single day. Furniture factories are crumbling, the textile industry is basically on its knees, and 50 thousand workers in shipyards and steel mills are either nearing the end of the line or are already out on the street...

Why don't Fox or CNN talk about them every day? Why isn't there daily coverage on "what the current situation is in American furniture manufacturing"? What did a factory worker say today, or what kind of tax incentive proposal is being discussed for that specific industry? What is a factory hand complaining about today, or what will the owner be lamenting tomorrow? I don't know, why not?

Is it just because it's easier for these young, talentless reporters (and the same kind of editors they work under) to just wander into a nearby pub, where they can grab a free cup of coffee and interview some bar owner, then whip up a little segment featuring his "tragic story"? All while 100 people from some factory are walking home for the last time—likely without their last six paychecks—and this bar owner, who probably bought beachfront property and a luxury car instead of investing in better ventilation, stands there with a tear in his eye talking about how hard his life has become because of the smoking ban...?

What kind of "News" is this, really? What kind of "Daily Reports"? It's just a cycle of smoking laws, followed by ads for Tom Bradley, then ads for Donald Trump, then updates on Kim Kardashian... and then back to smoking and bar owners, over and over again in a circle...

It’s impossible that every single smoker—that entire 30%—will suddenly stop going to cafes. People are exaggerating this way too much; it's infuriating. Most people are just naive sheep who believe every sensationalist headline they hear on TV or read in the papers.