𝐈𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬"?

Reuters August 28, 2025: “Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un will attend a military parade in Beijing, marking the first public appearance of the two leaders alongside President Xi Jinping in a show of collective defiance amid Western pressure.” 

COMMENT: On the face of it this appears to be a statement of fact. Look closer. It's somewhat rather loaded with the opinion that this shows “defiance”. Could be. Who's to say? Reuters evidently. 

But, the point is that the “news” in general is loaded with such spin; and, we form our opinions not always filtering out the colorations.

One recent that stands out — and just because I point it out, don't make me necessarily a MAGA —  a group supposed of MAGA Trump supporters characterized as a MAGA "horde". Denotatively any group might be called a "horde". Connotatively, however, "horde" doesn't exactly conjure up an image of a kindly, benevolent bunch of folks. Translate: "Not Good!"

You might remember AOC using the term "concentration camps" for the government's at the time holding border crossing immigrants. "Kids in cages" also used as a kicker to cast shade on the political opponents holding children in fenced in areas. [Which by the way Barry is the one who set that all up.] Interesting that in Israel they're setting up "concentration camps" in Gaza and everybody is just fine with that. Or, at least we haven't heard much from the political leadership on that.

Does current day education inculcate the discernment to recognize such slanting? I'm sort of thinking, not so much. Like those drug — er, "medicine" — commercials with the arms length recitation of some rather dire potential side effects delivered in an appealing voice with nice music and and smiling, happy faces on the screen. Never mind the arguable question whether a pharmaceutical drug is a medicine. Or, how "... ask your doctor ..." is the assumed given universal dispenser of health care. Where is that in the law? Of course, let's concede, alopathic medicine does seem to be the prevalent modality. Just again pointing out how common language is reinforcing our beliefs and assumptions. And, let's not even get into how modern "health care" is good a keeping sick people alive. Or how the discussion on "health care" boils down to how to pay for it. Never mind any critical discussion on the system itself. [Don't get me started.]

We're being educated — er, conditioned — to be compliant consumers of stuff and opinions.

Kapische?