I don’t remember the exact date, but it was 17+ years ago when my trust in journalism shattered.
Before that, I believed that journalism was actually the 4th pillar of democracy and investigated and kept the other three pillars in check—especially the politicians.
But then a new political party emerged here in Germany, Die Piratenpartei (a pirate party), which had a focus on privacy and digital stuff as it originated from the tech scene,
They made great progress and were more successful than any other small party in their early days until the media started to play dirty.
They ridiculed the party, used the party members’ inexperience with media stuff, and made fools of them.
When that did not work as intended, they played the biggest a-hole-card here in Germany and called the other party “right-wings, right extremist or just claimed they’re infiltrated by rights winged extremists” and “common” consensus in the media and political world is that one does not need to converse with them anymore.
They’re openly declared as the enemy.
And almost nobody cares about the truth anymore.
All are captured in their “I am good, they are bad”-bubble strengthened by the indoctrination of guilt because of what some national socialist did roughly 90 years ago.
Suddenly, the pirate party declined and is now irrelevant.
And I was wondering wtf happened and why the media uniform bashed and hunted them.
Fast-forward a few years, and they tried the same with another new political party and are still trying it.
But the new guys either learned from the others or were generally more media-savvy; they survived and are striving through the chaos of recent years.
But the other parties and media still play the same card even though some other parties share the same goals.
But if A wants it, it is declared as bad, aka right, but if B wants it, it is totally fine.
It’s even getting so ridiculous that B, C, etc, sabotage work if A suggests it.
And then suggest it themself as like it was from them.
Just because they don’t like the other party.
And the media hails those in power.
Don’t want lockdowns = you’re a right-extremist.
Don’t want vacc mandates = you’re a right-extremist.
Don’t want to support the war in Ukraine = you’re a right-extremist, uhm, no, you’re a Putin-lover.
And what’s missing in all those situations is journalists doing journalism and being the 4th pillar of democracy.
Somewhere during that time, I realized that you and I were just declared as chess pieces. Maybe we were always seen as such.
Truth does not matter.
What might be the morally correct thing to do does not matter, either.
If you don’t do as the media declares what’s good, you’re the enemy.
It does not matter if you’re for or against something.
When they can push your buttons, and you react, you become the chess piece.
Whatever you do as a chess piece plays into the hand of whoever pulls the strings.
Don’t like that?
Disconnect your emotions. Don’t let the button pushing trigger you.
The fewer emotions you get involved, the clearer the thing becomes, and you can decide calmly.
People have two superpowers in today’s world.
First, staying calm and not getting pushed around by those externally triggered emotional rollercoasters.
Second, spending your money in ways that support your beliefs and avoid the things you do not want to support as much as you can.
Money is power, every single penny is.
More on that another time.
Remember, they’re all lying to you and want you to act as a mere chess piece. Don’t trust anybody - not even me.
Think for yourself.
And act for yourself.