We Stand With President Biden. Youth Populism and Journalistic Populism Destroy Democracy

by LELE JANDON

In the debate between the two presidential candidates, American private television CNN played the role of the schoolmarm and forbade them to keep any memo sheets, as if it were a quiz game or an oral exam to two schoolboys. This TV station had no moral scruples in considering that the President in office has a certain age and responsibility. The result of this stupid rule is that the Commander in Chief, without notes and support, has been put in difficulty. In the name of what? To get a wider audience and to make headlines. This ridiculous rigorism is just an example of the TV populism borrowed from reality television shows. Populism comes from Latin “populus”, “the people” (meaning “the majority” or “the crowd”): ask the people what they want and it will be given to them! Do the people, ready with chips and popcorn, want sadistic entertainment (suspense, twists and turns and memory lapses)? Et voilà, here you are served! Candidates, take away the notes! And in fact, as it was expected, Joseph R. Biden Jr., 81 years old like another authoritative liberal-Catholic, the Italian president Sergio Mattarella (who is actually 82), showed uncertainties (which we had already learned about, this is also why we love him: for his humanity).

All the evil comments said they were embarrassed for themselves, for their own party, no one felt empathy for him and put themselves in his shoes. “Biden-is-old”, “Old-is-ugly”, “Old-is-unpresentable”, “Old-is-Out-Of-Fashion”. Sensationalism and Scandalmongering are fundamental ingredients of populism. And populism can be everywhere, also in journalism. In fact, before taking this popular and populist political position against Biden, these “journalists” took into account the results of the various opinion polls carried out in the previous months. All those demoscopic polls (from the Greek “demos”, “the people”), for instance the one taken by the ABC television, revealed that the overwhelming majority of Americans (“the people”) consider Biden “too old”.

All the commentators shouted about the “Senility Scandal” (Italian far-left commentator of Palestinian origins Rula Jebreal said «in the eyes of the Americans he seemed senile»). The real scandal is that there was no live fact checking on Trump’s countless lies: everything was objectively to the disadvantage of the only candidate who believes in the liberal democracy. As if it were not enough, and to further demonstrate that this is not a public service but Pure Populism, this vulgar television conducted a survey among the “people”: it did not ask which of the two had the best arguments but who won, who made at their eyes the best “impression”. The “people” preferred the plastic candidate to the natural candidate. It seemed to be the Sanremo Song Festival where it is normal to read and hear commentators judge the competitors based on their outfit and not on the basis of the song. But politics is a form of art, not a show. And truth is not a jingle. Another arrogant “liberal” media, the daily paper “New York Times”, ruled in an editorial by its “opinionists” that Mr. Biden “must” withdraw. Stupid opinion that has infected not only other “progressive” newspapers but also many financiers, causing a very serious problem for the credibility and unity of the only truly democratic Party and therefore for the stability of American democracy in an election that is decisive for the future not only of Ukraine and NATO but also of the entire (little) free world. It should be remembered that the world-celebrated NYT not only in 2008 did not endorse Barack Obama (who later saved America from Sarah Palin) but in 2016, instead of dedicating journalistic inquiries to the Russian interferences (by means of fake news in favor of Trump), contributed to the defeat of the most qualified candidate ever, Mrs. Clinton, by means of another form of scandalmongering: the so called “email controversy” (that means the fake “emails scandal”). As Secretary of State she had never used her official account for her correspondence, which is irregular but not illegal. Wanting to play at being “influencers” rather than reporters, aspiring to go beyond their role and become protagonists of the theater of politics with an easy populism of British tabloids whose specialty is character assassination (see for example Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan), these failed journalists continue to create cases and messes based on nothing (“Does Biden have Parkinson’s Disease?”). That is packaging fake news. And the press that spreads unfounded alarms is bad press. The British weekly “Economist”, whose editorial policy is to always create a fantasy, sensationalist cover, even dared to put a satirical drawing with a walker instead of Biden’s face on its cover. But politics is a serious matter and ancient Greece shows us that satire and democracy do not go together: let’s not forget that Socrates was mocked at the theater by a comedian before being sentenced to death by his fellow “democratic” citizens. Political correctness, that means respect, is still necessary. Let’s look for example at the disastrous consequences caused by the tolerance towards anti-Semitic satire: I refer to the fact that it has become normal for the American comedians to mock Jews, as Franklin Foer noted at the end of his article “The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending” (published in “The Atlantic” on March 4th). Each of these “media”, who show a high opinion of themselves and a very low opinion of president Biden, should be ashamed of their undue interference. History will judge them with the condemnation they deserve. Who do they think they are, to dictate the party line? How can they exchange good for evil? How can they mistake tenacity for obstinacy? The old age for senility? And what is the difference between the redneck “haters”, the “keyboard warriors”, and these hate speeches against a very respectable elder who saved democracy and put all his effort into saving it again? What is the substantial difference between the common bullying of teenagers and similar mobbing by the “Big Newspapers” against the president? Why, instead of sensationalizing president Biden’s mistakes, didn’t these “liberal” journals insistently ask for the resignation of Trump, found guilty of 34 charges, the first candidate convicted in US history?

Why ageism (the prejudice against the elderly) is now considered to be “politically correct”? Because the self-proclaimed “progressive” media use it. And why do they use it? In order to gain new viewers and more readers and influence politics. Look at the last four years. The far-left American youth movements have constantly caused anti-system agitation that have hit president Biden undeservedly: first the so-called “activists” calling for a stop to funding for the entire police departments (that means defunding the protection of the citizens!), taking as a pretext some cases (statistically irrelevant) of murders by individual bad apples among the policemen; then the “acampados” students who occupied illegally the public spaces of universities (preventing the right to study) shouting criminal slogans against Israel (not against Premier Netanyahu: against the Jewish State!); now, after the anti-police and the anti-Israel movements, it’s time for another extremist movement, that we may call “the Anti-Biden” youth. Look how disrespectful those self-proclaimed “activists” in slippers are towards the President: «Step down for democracy!», «Thank you, next…». They look like voters of Trump, their slogans are equally vulgar.

And the American “Progressive Press”, instead of supporting this great president underlining his historic reforms (that are facts, not opinions), instead of commenting objectively “Well done, Mr. President!”, has given prominence to destructive movements devoid of any credibility, animated only by the desire to destroy and vent their repressed hatred against scapegoats, who shout put completely irrational, impracticable, anti-political and apolitical demands (always against someone, never in favor of something concrete and positive). This is because the desperate press is greedy for new “followers” among illiterate young people (who notoriously no longer have the patience, culture and maturity to read newspapers and present many cognitive handicaps such as difficulty to concentrated and follow University lessons without constantly checking messages on their cell phones, as the American sociologist and psychologist Sherry Turkle notes in her book “Reclaiming Conversation”). There is no justice and no compassion in such deplorable movements. They are fake progressives. In fact, among those “anti-Biden” there is unsurprisingly the Amal Clooney’s husband. Many say he has always been hiding his own homosexuality not to damage his career and to remain popular among the women; his wife is also very narcissistic and as a lawyer brought in front of the ICC the false Islamist accusation against Israel of «intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population». Both of them exploit the cynically exploit such youth trends to gain personal power.

Against these thankless moral idiots, as a true moral leader of the nation, Joseph Biden heroically continues his path with enormous dignity: «No one is more qualified for the presidency than me», he reiterated without false modesty. He is actually the best also (and above all) by virtue of his venerable age and not “despite” his age. By virtue of his experience as a senator and vice President in just four years (but with great influence already as Obama’s deputy) Biden has already been the most reformist President in American history. The progressive leader has already defeated Trump once and is the only man in America capable of defeating him again.

He pointed out: «I’m old, but only three years older than Trump». And he explained that his lack of energy at the recent debate was due to tiredness from too many electoral campaign trips and it is a perfectly credible explanation that should satisfy us. Nancy Pelosi said that it’s not about judging a debate performance but about the performance of a presidency. In fact, not only all the governors of the Democratic Party are on good Joe’s side but also the award-winning Jewish American historian Allan Lichtman who wisely said to the “Wall Street Journal” that Biden must stay in the race (and possibly, in case he is tired, he will give way to the Vice President Kamala Harris). As we all know, Biden made new little blunders later during the exhausting presidential campaign but he immediately corrected himself without the suggestions from collaborators. And even if he had little confusions, I remind you that older people have different times, another rhythm, they are slower and it is normal that many of them may also have a mild neurocognitive disorder that does not create practical problem. They confuse for one moment some things or repeat the same concepts. This is not a Political Problem. Intolerance for old age is a social problem. Biden gaffes makes him as likable as our beloved grandparents.

The most important American Jungian psychoanalyst, James Hillman (1926 – 2011), dedicated his book “The Force of Character” to illustrate his inspirational thesis that old age has the advantage of making character flourish. And Biden demonstrated his strength of Character on this challenging occasion too. President Biden is not only a man of extraordinary political intelligence but he is endowed with an emotional intelligence: his reforms, his policies, his words and his hugs are there to demonstrate it. The American writer Marilynne Robinson said in an interview to the NYT: «I’m less than a year younger than Joe Biden, so I believe utterly in his competence, his brilliance, his worldview. I really do. You have to live to be 80 to find this out: Anybody under 50 feels they’re in a position to condescend to you. You get boxed into this position where people who deal with you are making assumptions about your intellect. It’s very disturbing. Most people my age is just fine. What can I say? It’s a kind of a good fortune that America is categorically incapable of accepting: that someone with a strong institutional memory, who knows how things are supposed to work, who was habituated to their appropriate functioning is president. I consider him a gift of God. All 81 years of him».

All this considered, it’s not that Biden is the wrong candidate. What is wrong is the scale of false values of a hyper-performing, superficial and sick society which now lacks respect even for its great elders. What is morally wrong is the populism of these mass media which, in order to be complacent with their (potential) readers and viewers, illiterate about politics, raise and idolize stupid opinions. As the Italian political scientist Giovanni Sartori (1924 – 2017), Professor at Columbia University, already wrote in his 1997 essay “Homo Videns”, television is bad for democracy, it has become the spokesman of the public opinion. That is often bad and superficial. “Vox populi, vox Dei” (in Latin: “Voice of the people, voice of God”) has always been the Machiavellian motto of the Roman Catholic Church, as the Yale historian John Boswell (1947 – 1994) wrote in one of his fundamental books (“Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century”, the University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London 1980, page 38, Introduction).

Let’s not forget that the masses are serial killers, assassins. And they are now engaging in Joseph Biden’s character assassination. The philosopher Kierkegaard (1813 – 1855) underlined this tragic truth in various books, for instance: «I have never read this commandment in Scripture: you must love the Crowd, Christ never wanted to deal with the Crowd, the Crowd is falsehood, the Christian duty is to turn against the Crowd». Look at a recent example of double standard of the “people”: while the boss of the Catholic Church and Head of State of the Vatican Bergoglio, following the ancient “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” method of government, continues to deny homosexuality as a natural orientation and has just badly reiterated the ban on homosexual men from becoming priests (thus denying a human right, the right to choose one’s own job), on the contrary the most illustrious (together with President Macron) progressive Catholic politician, Joseph Biden, not following the transphobic masses, recognized the injustices suffered by former soldiers convicted only for being gay during their service by granting them the presidential pardon. The former remains popular, the latter is even more and more unpopular: on the one hand we see the genuflections of the masses who idolize the homophobic Pope in a wheelchair (Italian Catholic theologian Adriana Zarri, 1919 – 2010, defined this form of idolatry as “papolatry”), on the other side the masses who mock the US President, a tireless progressive fighter, because he is “too old” (three years older than his opponent). “The People”, idol of right-wing and left-wing populisms, are reconfirmed to be irrational, inconsistent, ungrateful, homophobic and superstitious. Instead of valorizing the extraordinary experience of this great old gentleman who should be the pride of the Nation, and instead of opposing the wisdom of this hero to the populism of the far right, these papers propose another form of populism of the opposite sign: younger-is-better. Taking as a pretext the new trend of scrapping old ones, these bankrupt journalists reduced to newsboys, have created for commercial reasons a daily soap opera (“Does he resign or not?”) which has already caused irreparable damages: it will be their fault, as in 2016, if Trump wins. In her commentary on the ‘Biden-Scandal’ in the Berlin good newspaper “Tagesspiegel”, the German journalist Sabine Rennefanz took the market men’s opinion as her own: «I’d be in favor of an age limit for top political positions». And the same day the very good parliamentarian of the Green Party Renate Künast (who is only 69!) announced her retirement from active politics with these words: «It’s time to make room for the youth». I don’t think that “making room for young people” is a smart trend to be copied from the US. Let’s draw inspiration from the best of America, such as the Experience and Empathy in political art constantly demonstrated by Biden. Long live President Biden! Lele Jandon The original Italian version: http://lelejandon.blogspot.com/2024/07/restiamo-col-presidente-biden.html

Restiamo col presidente Biden. Scandalismo e Populismo giornalistico distruggono la Democrazia

di LELE JANDON

Qui in Germania, fra i canali TV gratuiti, nostro malgrado ci tocca vedere la CNN. Una specie di La7 in salsa americana con tutti volti piacenti e piacioni perché ciò che conta per questi progressisti immaginari è la telegenia. Con una formuletta di chiacchere & intrattenimento questa cattiva televisione privata è l’ennesima dimostrazione che il mezzo televisivo nuoce alla democrazia. Come si vede nel caso delle elezioni presidenziali: la presuntuosa televisione di Atlanta ha fatto la maestrina al confronto fra i due candidati alla presidenza ed ha vietato loro di tenere con sé qualunque foglio-promemoria, come se si trattasse di un quiz o di un esame orale di due scolaretti. E senza considerare che il presidente in carica ha una certa età e responsabilità. Il risultato di questa stupida regola è che il Comandante in Capo, senz’appunti e senz’appigli, è stato messo in difficoltà.

Questo ridicolo rigorismo non è che l’ennesima tappa del populismo televisivo mutuato dai reality show. Date al popolo ciò che vuole e gli sarà dato. Il popolo, pronto con le patatine e i popcorn, vuole divertimento sadico (colpi di scena dovuti all’improvvisazione e vuoti di memoria)? Et voilà, eccoVi serviti! Via gli appunti! E infatti Joseph Biden, 81 anni (il nostro presidente Sergio Mattarella ne ha 82), ha avuto incertezze. Che peraltro già avevamo imparato a conoscere. Anche per questo gli vogliamo bene: per la sua umanità. Ma gli opinionisti-strilloni hanno gridato allo “Scandalo della Senilità”.

Come se ciò non bastasse, e ad ulteriore dimostrazione che questo non è un servizio pubblico bensì Puro Populismo, questa volgare televisione ha condotto un sondaggetto fra il “popolo”: non ha chiesto chi fra i due avesse i migliori argomenti ma chi avesse fatto una migliore impressione, chi avesse “vinto”. Quindi il “popolo” al candidato al naturale ha preferito il candidato di plastica probabilmente imbottito di cocaina. Sembra il Sanremo degl’italiani ci cui commentatori (televisivi e non solo) giudicano i concorrenti in base all’outfit e non sulla base della canzone. Un altro arrogantissimo mass media “liberal”, il “New York Times”, ha sentenziato in un editoriale dei suoi “opinionisti” che Biden “deve” ritirarsi. Opinione stupida che ha contagiato non solo altri giornali “progressisti” ma anche tanti finanziatori creando un problema gravissimo per la credibilità e l’unità dell’unico Partito realmente democratico e quindi per la tenuta della democrazia americana in un’elezione decisiva per il futuro non solo dell’Ucraina e della NATO ma anche del nostro mondo libero. Va ricordato che il tanto blasonato NYT non solo non fece endorsement per Barack Obama (il quale poi salvò l’America da Sarah Palin) ma nel 2016, anziché dedicarsi ad approfondire le decisive ingerenze russe (per mezzo di fake news) a favore del candidato Trump, contribuì a far perdere la candidata più preparata di sempre, la Clinton, con un’altra forma di scandalismo che avrebbe potuto risparmiarsi, il finto scandalo delle email (da segretaria di Stato non aveva mai usato il suo account ufficiale per la sua corrispondenza, cosa irrituale ma non illegale). Volendo giocare a fare gli “influencer” anziché i cronisti, volendo sconfinare dal proprio ruolo e diventare protagonisti della Politica con facile populismo da giornaletti per portinaie, questi giornalisti falliti continuano a creare casi e casini basati sul nulla. Cioè confezionando fake news, notizie fasulle (come quelle recenti contro la Puglia). E la stampa che diffonde allarmi infondati è cattiva stampa.

Il settimanale britannico “Economist” ha addirittura osato mettere in copertina un disegno satirico con un deambulatore al posto di Biden. La Politica è cosa seria e l’antica Grecia ci mostra che satira e democrazia non vanno d’accordo: non dimentichiamo che Socrate fu sbeffeggiato a teatro da un comico prima di venir condannato a morte dai giurati suoi concittadini. E tutti noi italiano conosciamo bene le conseguenze delle diffamazioni di Beppe Grillo contro i suoi avversari politici. Tutti e tre questi “media” dovrebbero vergognarsi di queste loro indebite ingerenze. Chi si credono di essere, per dettare la linea dei partiti? E qual è la differenza fra gli “haters” bifolchi, i “leoni da tastiera”, e questi discorsi d’odio contro un rispettabilissimo anziano che ha salvato la democrazia e ha messo tutto il suo impegno per salvarla di nuovo?

Qual è la differenza sostanziale fra il comune bullismo degli odiatori ed un simile pressing e mobbing dei “Grandi Giornali” che attaccano ad personam il “Commander in Chief” dicendogli che “deve” dimettersi? Perché questi giornaloni liberal non hanno piuttosto chiesto insistentemente le dimissioni di Trump, giudicato da una giuria colpevole di 34 capi d’accusa, il primo candidato condannato della storia USA? L’estrema sinistra giovanilista americana ha costantemente creato movimenti anti-sistema che hanno sempre colpito Biden: prima le manifestazioni giovanili che chiedevano lo Stop ai finanziamenti alla Polizia (cioè alla protezione dei cittadini!) prendendo come pretesto alcuni casi (peraltro statisticamente irrilevanti) di omicidi da parte di singole mele marce fra i poliziotti; poi gli studentelli acampados che occupavano gli spazi pubblici delle Università (impedendo il diritto allo studio) gridando slogan criminali contro Israele; ora è il momento dell’ennesimo movimento sociopatico, gli “anti-Biden”. E la stampa americana, anziché sostenere questo grande presidente e sottolinearne le storiche riforme, volendo conquistare “followers” fra i giovani analfabeti che (notoriamente) non leggono più i giornali, ha dato risalto a movimenti distruttivi di giovinastri privi di qualsiasi credibilità, animati solo dalla smania di distruggere e sfogare i loro odî repressi contro capri espiatori, che gridano istanze assurde, inaudite, completamente irrazionali, impraticabili, antipolitiche ed impolitiche (sempre CONTRO qualcuno, mai in favore di qualcosa di concreto). Contro questi idioti, da vero Leader morale della Nazione, Joseph Biden eroicamente tira dritto per la sua strada con enorme dignità: «Nessuno è più qualificato di me per la presidenza», ha ribadito senza falsa modestia. Egli è effettivamente il migliore anche (e soprattutto) in virtù della sua veneranda età e non “nonostante” la sua età. In virtù della sua esperienza di senatore e vicepresidente in soli quattr’anni (ma con grande influenza già come vice di Obama) Biden è già stato il presidente più riformista della Storia americana. Il leone progressista ha già sconfitto una volta Trump ed è l’Unico Uomo in America in grado di sconfiggerlo di nuovo. Peraltro Biden ha spiegato bene che le sue défaillances al confronto con lo sfidante erano dovute alla stanchezza per i troppi viaggi della campagna elettorale ed è una spiegazione che, vista l’età, è perfettamente credibile. Come ha detto Nancy Pelosi, «non si tratta di giudicare una prestazione in un dibattito bensì la prestazione di una presidenza». Infatti sono dalla parte del buon Joe non solo tutti i governatori del Partito democratico ma anche il pluripremiato storico ebreo americano Allan Lichtman il quale dice saggiamente che Biden deve restare in gara (ed eventualmente, se sarà stanco, cederà il passo alla vicepresidente). E se anche Biden avesse nuove incertezze durante la dura campagna presidenziale, vi ricordo che le persone anziane hanno altri tempi, sono più lente ed è normale che tante di loro possono anche avere un disturbo neurocognitivo lieve che non crea problemi pratici. Il fatto che Biden faccia delle gaffes lo rende simpatico come i nostri Nonni.

Non è lui il candidato sbagliato, è sbagliata la scala di falsi valori di una società iper-performante, superficiale e malata che oramai manca di rispetto persino ai suoi grandi vecchi, e del populismo di una stampa che per essere compiacente con i suoi lettori e telespettatori, analfabeti della politica, rilancia e idolatra opinioni stupide. Anziché valorizzare l’esperienza straordinaria di questo Grande Vecchio che dovrebbe essere l’orgoglio dell’America, ed opporre al populismo dell’estrema destra la saggezza di quest’Eroe, questi fogli -peraltro col loro pessimo inglese da quattro soldi- propongono un’ennesima forma di populismo: il giovanilismo (“giovane-è-meglio”). Così ha sentenziato la voce del popolo dei giovani. Prendendo a pretesto la nuova moda della rottamazione dei vecchi, questi giornalisti falliti e ridotti a commercianti-strilloni hanno creato per motivi commerciali una telenovela quotidiana (“si-dimette o non-si-dimette?”) che ha già causato danni forse irreparabili: sarà colpa loro, come nel 2016, se vincerà Trump. Il “largo-ai-giovani” è un’altra moda sciocca da non copiare dall’America. Copiamo dagli Stati Uniti solo il meglio, come l’Esperienza, l’Eroismo e l’Empatia nell’arte politica sempre dimostrate da Biden. Lunga vita al presidente Biden! Lele Jandon