If You Really Had Good Sources... Version 2

First of all, I would greatly appreciate it if we could drop snide comments and just for once talk like we were in the same room looking across from each other. None of us have a computer or smartphone in our hands, or a current World Book Encyclopedia set... we only have our brains, and possibly a cocktail or beer. I'm betting not many of you have had many debates/discussions with friends and family of the opposite ideology/party. It's really not easy, in fact, I've never been able to do if with people I've known for years. I have been able to do it with the guys I play poker with because they didn't know me, but they got to know me before they knew my politics., and I got to know them. Anyway, I don't see the point in the constant vitriol, it's getting boring and definitely not productive, I tried something like this years ago and it didn't go well, but maybe we are all different now, or just getting tired of it. If you disagree with me, please just tell me why in your own words, from what you've ;learned from what you've consumed. If I think you're wrong, I'll just tell you why, (politely) without shoving my smartphone into your face in an attempt to prove it. If you have to, just give me the name of the source and I'll look into it later and I'll do the same for you. This really does work so please jump in if you have a contrary opinion, or maybe you may actually agree with me.

So for my first topic, I'm going to use a big one that should be bugging everybody, especially people who call themselves, journalists.

I keep waiting for the media to start talking about Hunter Biden's laptop. I've heard that they are finding very damning stuff on it, which, you would think would be a big deal, considering who his dad is.

Or have I just been misinformed for about a year? What do you all think, is it really still nothing for the media to talk about or is there something major they just refuse to touch?

For the most part,my brother and I see things similarly. We are both Independent and are NOT sheeples.
POLITICALLY we r very far apart, he is a rabid,radical (talk over U) Trumper. I have attempted to not engage
when he goes over the top. In general, he can not "see" the corruption,autocratic,dictatorial side of Trump.

THAT being said,we both agree there r serious problems with social media, sourcing information and the
VOID of accurate information. Both sides of the political spectrum r negligent in transparency. There is a reason for that. It is the nature of the beast. (this has not happened in a vacuum).....the willingness of the
masses to "just go along",I got other things to do...NO time to forward think,is a problem. Accepting status quo is easy...re tweeting and hit send.

The "laptop lapse" is equal to the BENEGAHZI debacle. I found only ONE SOURCE,ONE....that gave
a complete picture of the disaster that became an albatross around Hillary's neck.

Thanks for your input HA. I think there's a lot we agree on even though there are subjects where we will never find common ground.

I like that we can agree on the flawed and dishonest media (all of it}... but it's too bad it's currently impossible to reform our news sources into being accurate and honest.

At this very minute I'm watching Meet The Press. Chuck Todd is interviewing Bernie Sanders, who IMO is one of the main reasons Biden has gone so far left of campaign he ran. Chuck was asking him about the 3.5 trillion dollar bill Democrats are trying to get passed and Sanders mimicked what Biden and Pelosi have said, the bill would be paid for by corporations and the rich who haven't been paying their 'fair share'. In fact, Sanders said the bill could be 6 Trillion and it would still be no cost to average taxpayers. Chuck Todd did not question what Sanders said and that is just horrible journalism. His next guest was a Biden advisor, Cedric Richmond, who again spewed similar talking points and there was no push back from Todd.

A good and honest press would at the very least question how that would be no cost to Americans. A good journalist would bring up the fact that businesses raise their prices for goods and services as their expenses increase. This means that the tax increases to businesses will be paid for by Americans across the board, rich, poor, and middle class. This will be a massive tax on Americans and the press that favors Democrats is refusing to inform their audiences of this fact.

Tim Russert was one of the last good journalists on that show that would have dug deeper into that lie, but he died and so has journalism, for the most part.

TOTAL agreement on Tim Russert...I was in shock when they reported he was gone,almost in bereavement.

HERE is a nugget of news...perhaps THIS is why the "bern" was so confident about payment....THE
PANDORA PAPERS.....(nothing new about off shore accounts, BUT the compilation of WHO, WHERE
WHAT has been made into a "nice novel"......

www.bbc.com/news/world-58780561

No snide remarks? Okay, so then you will stop using the term "leftists" or "slo joe?" Can you agree to that?

If you really want a discussion, then we need to agree on what are sources that are reliable, that don't use "alternative facts." Once that is established, then we might be able to have a conversation.

I'd love to have a civil conversation with you koobookie. If you are too skeptical that I could do that, all I can say is, try me.

As far as sources go, I've yet to see any that are truly reliable. A reliable source would broadcast or print the good and the bad of every administration equally and I know for a fact that you can't show me one source where that applies. I'd love for you to give it your best to prove me wrong because I would use that source exclusively, I just don't think that is possible. The the only way to find truth in politics is to look at all the sources, including the ones you think are BS (every source that leans right).

If you want to test my theory, name the most reliable and fair source you can think of. If I can't prove they are NOT reliable and fair, I'll concede that you beat me and I will give you the last word. Fair?

Edit to add, the source has to be well known since I have no way of knowing every tiny source on the planet.

You know, Rick, I'm not gonna go to bitchute or youtube or breitbart or townhall or any of those extreme right sites that I assume you use to get your information.

I'm not sure what you mean when you want to have a discussion as if we were sitting around the table having coffee or a cocktail, because if you start saying derogatory terms about people in the news, like sloe joe or Lord Fauci, I'm leaving the table. If you start telling me that Hunter's laptop is for real, cuz you read it on townhall or whatever right wing sites you frequent, I'm walking out the door and you can finish your beer by yourself. I don't really want to know your opinion, I want you to understand real world facts, something I believe you've been reluctant to do.

Tel me what sources are acceptable to you for facts and maybe we can find common ground.

Your first mistake is to assume where I get my information from. As I've stated many times, I consume a lot of left wing information along with the right so I can figure out who got it right. Your second mistake is to automatically think that every right wing site must have false information because they don't relay stories in the same way your trusted sources do. Politico is not a right wing source and they have a recent article about Hunters confirmed laptop if you're interested.

I'm not going to beg you to stick around if you're absolutely sure whatever I say is going to be right wing disinformation. That would be a waste of time for both of us.

How about you just read what I say about the next news story and we can discuss why I was given bad information? Have a good night.

One of the biggest stories of the year that made our country look extremely weak was the Afghanistan exit that left many Americans and Afghan allies to the mercy of the Taliban and other terrorists like ISIS and Al Qaeda.

My point? Look for the most recent story you can find about this national disaster. Then look for the most recent story you can find about the Jan 6th riot (non-insurrection as per the FBI). Why is it that 9 months later the riot is still being talked about daily like it was truly a coordinated attack on the government and the Afghan horror is fading at record speed? Are those people who are stuck over there not worth the air time or is it too damaging to this administration and we should all just forget about it?

Ok, last post... I have a source challenge for you that may make you laugh... probably not though.

You want a source I trust? Ok here's one................. GUTFELD! I wouldn't consider him a source though because I always know a story before his show airs. Greg Gutfeld is a politic commentator comedian. I'm sure a lot of people use him as a source, getting his version of a story, but I just like his take on most issues and stories. He hasn't been on very long and he's beating every late night comedy show. But hey, he's just a Fox employee so pretty much everything he says is right wing bullshit. Well, lets test it. Get on youtube and search gutfeld! pick any random episode or clip. The monologue is always political and funny if you agree with what he's saying, and I always do. All you have to do is pick an actual episode and not someone else's critique, then watch the monologue or skim through the other topics till you find one where he is wrong. He also has a good group of of like minded people who I usually agree with as well... feel free to pick them apart as well. Keep in mind, if he's saying something meant to make the audience laugh, it's not meant to be factual, it's a joke.