Four years ago, as he sent troops and tanks swarming into Ukraine, Vladimir Putin laid down the law about what the media couldn’t say about it.
“War” would be forbidden, for instance. “Invasion” — another hard “nyet.”
The state-approved euphemism would be “special military operation.”
Violators would face up to 15 years in prison for the crime of “false information.”
On the other side of the planet, the man who would be America’s first king if he was returned to power took notes. Last week he brought down the golden hammer.
He did it the Putin way. For giving “purposely negative news,” he banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
To have access to public information, the rest of the media had better internalize state-approved euphemisms for truth from now on.
“Virtually no inflation.” The new state line.
“Strait of Hormuz under our control.” That.
“Conditions optimal” for extended stays on overstressed, undersupplied U.S. carriers.
Observe the editor and reporter fired at Stars and Stripes for reporting otherwise. They knew the Hegseth Doctrine: “Truth is what I say.” They defied it.
“I don’t have to let them into my – the people’s house,” said the emperor. What is it, Sir? Yours or ours? We know the answer to that. (See: Kennedy Center; White House East Wing; Air Force One, et. al)
Of the offending media:
“They purposely write negative news. And they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.” Ah, yes. The Party.
(Notice I capitalized that. I think that’s the new, approved style. Don’t want to get into trouble with Party leaders.)
You’re saying he won’t get away with this. The First Amendment and all. The courts rejected the king’s decree that former CNN reporter Jim Acosta be similarly banned a couple years ago. If the White House allows for press conferences, it can’t choose participants based on loyalty questionnaires. Can it?
With this Supreme Court, who knows? The imperator knows he has loyal droids on the court to serve his every desire.
What about the people? Ah, now there’s the rub.
Of banning news outlets from the “people’s house” for unflattering news, the Freedom of the Press Foundation said, “It’s difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment,” and, “It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move.”
Dumb, the foundation implied, because presumably voters – the people — still have a say in how this man’s reign will pan out.
When unprecedented marches — staggering numbers; I among them – have marched in No Kings protests, his apologists have said, “Hey, he’s no king. Look. He lets people march around with nasty signs about him.”
Translation: We marchers were to be appreciative that troops didn’t Tiananmen us down.
We shouldn’t give him any credit. Recall Lafayette Square, 2020: tear gas, rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades. Because what? Because people gathered.
No credit at all. People outraged over the actions of ICE thugs became the enemy, called radical terrorists, gassed and manhandled. Two were murdered before our very eyes. Their killers still have not been hauled before a judge.
Vlad Putin emptied prisons for killers to address Ukraine’s lack of hospitality. Our great leader commanded National Guard troops to deal with discouraging words in Los Angeles, Portland, D.C. and Chicago.
Put “authoritarian” aside. Too academic. Too many syllables. Use what he is and always aspired to be: dictator. It suits his style, his fashion.
Like his pal Putin, he believes he can do whatever he wants. Because congressional Republicans have oatmeal in their spinal columns, it’s been more fact than brag.
One distinction: Unlike in Russia, a little more than a month from now Americans will have a fair chance to change that.
Longtime newspaperman John Young lives in Colorado. Email: jyoungcolumn@gmail.com.
