Just ask George.

Sunday, 16 July:

As you all sit around bombarded by the Final Salvo popgun attack against the President, a little advice is offered, and some comfort might be had.

First of all, Trump has won the 'impeachment/removal' sweepstakes. Never a true threat, it was prosecuted with a fury it never deserved. This may have affected Trump's approvals in the short run, but it will prove a long term benefit.

Lesson #1: Constant attacks must be rooted in solid fact, not innuendo and conjecture, for it will end up innoculating the target against actual wrongdoing. It's called 'the boy who cried wolf' syndrome.

You might have heard of it.

Repetition has it's strengths; like the 'Big Lie' if you repeat something often enough it becomes the truth. Big problem with that is NOT having control of the medium. It's one thing to accuse the President of lying when YOUR lies are being exposed elsewhere.

Lesson #2: There is an 'alternate media', CNN and pals. You may not like it but it exists.

Effective journalism is rooted in advancing the public's well being. In order for someone to relate to what you're selling there needs to be an apparent benefit. Simply pushing a political agenda will not achieve the goal.

If any association with Russia is bad, it needs to be explained exactly why. The public is rightly confused about the 'good/bad Russia thing'. Not too long ago the Previous Occupant was assuring the Russian government just how 'flexible' he was going to be after the election.

However, a candidate's son having a meeting based on false assurances of your opponent's misdeeds is somehow tantamount to treason. This is a contradiction in terms; logic is tossed out the window and a blank slate of a mind is required to buy into it.

Lesson #3: If you are going to base a whole campaign on a single issue it had better make sense.

When an opposition force becomes a monolith- like a tidal wave; all together at once, cresting- it had better be damn accurate. If you are threatening the beachgoer with life threatening surf and it turns out to be a smooth wave depositing you gently on the beach the lifeguard will not be believed next time.

You just can't preach harm when none is present. It adds to the 'cry wolf' syndrome and makes it that much harder to believe. CNN's Chris Cuomo is just starting to learn this. But begging people not to refer to you as 'fake news' won't help as long as you keep on pushing it.

Finally, this:

To all of our esteemed readers, we urge you to relax.

The media is in a self destructive whirlpool right now; they are piling on hoping to get something, anything out of it. Listening to it is brain damage.

So, for at least the next few days or so, don't watch any of the news shows. They will keep pushing the Trump Jr meme, it's all they have left and even FOX is on it. The media outlets have differing agendas; CNN and MSNBC want the man gone, FOX wants the tweeting to stop so they can control the message, and so on.

The simple fact that nothing, zero is gained from this demands them to be ignored. 

Lesson #4: Watch them if you must, but the MOMENT the word 'Russia' is mentioned mute the sound. You will miss nothing, your mind will be at ease and you'll get the side benefit of watching people make asses out of themselves over all this; their tortured expressions now subject to whatever comments you want to make.

Like when George Harrison, in the classic film 'Hard Day's Night' is queried by a TV producer over a program on BBC. Harrison admits he and the other Beatles often turn it on 'for a giggle'.

The dialogue:

Simon Marshall: Anyway, if you don't cooperate, you won't meet Susan.

George: And who's this Susan when she's at home?

Simon Marshall: Only Susan Canby, our resident teenager. You'll have to love her, she's your symbol.

George: Oh, you mean that posh bird who gets everything wrong?

Simon Marshall: I beg your pardon?

George: Oh, yeah. The lads frequently sit 'round the television and watch her for a giggle. In fact, once, we all sat down, wrote these letters, saying how gear she was and all that rubbish.

Simon Marshall: She's a trendsetter. It's her profession!

George: She's a DRAG - a well-known drag. You turn the sound down on her and say rude things.

Simon Marshall: [horrified] Get him out of here!

George: Have I said something amiss?

Simon Marshall: Get him out! He's knocking the program's image!

George: Sorry about the shirts!

Simon Marshall: [angrily] GET HIM OUT!

So, there you have it. Things never really change; the fake news media is now the 'posh bird' to make fun of, and we highly recommend heaping doses of humor to go with your skepticism...