I don’t care if you’re the most MAGA person on the planet, I don’t care if you think the paper enabled George Clooney, et al, to push aside Biden. THAT WAS NOT MY POINT! It’s not the content of the paper, but its PRINCIPLES!

When I said:

“it appears that the only outfit that will stand up to Trump is the “New York Times.”

What I meant was that the “Times” wouldn’t compromise, do what was expedient for the bottom line. The “Times” has a long history of fighting legal claims. As do its reporters. Going to jail rather than testifying. Whereas every other news outlet…

Let’s forget the cable news channels, they’re biased one way or the other. ABC settled with Trump rather than fight the accusations. And now CBS is considering doing the same thing. Not because they’re guilty, but it’s easier to pay and move on, and put a little pixie dust on their relationship with Trump and cross their fingers for the future.

In both the ABC and CBS cases essentially all lawyers (except those working for Trump with their cockamamie theories), believe the networks would never be held liable. The laws are on the side of the media, especially when it comes to libel/slander/defamation. Truth is an absolute defense. As for falsehoods… You have to prove that there was actual malice, that the perpetrator knew of the statement’s falsity or had a reckless disregard for the truth, and this is a very heavy lift, nearly impossible…unless, of course, you’re Fox and Dominion…

The dirty little secret is if you’re an individual and you’re up against the corporation or the government you can almost never win…BECAUSE YOU CAN’T AFFORD THE DEFENSE! The corporate law firm will bury you in paper. The government will do the same and hold jail time over your head. Sure, billionaires can defend themselves, but you and me? GOOD LUCK!

That’s a flaw in the system. Which is why we depend upon certain entities to push back.

That’s what tort law is all about. Sure, there are a lot of sleazy tort lawyers, but when you read about these astronomical awards…oftentimes there’s a settlement for less than one hundred cents on the dollar and it’s a pittance relative to the corporation but the truth is the tort lawyers keep the companies in line.

Ditto the media.

So the “Washington Post” and “Los Angeles Times” have already punted. If you’re not aware of the changes at these papers as a result of Trump…you live in a right wing bubble or believe news is irrelevant. So, all we’ve got left is the “Wall Street Journal” and the “New York Times.” The “Journal” has a history of standing up, but Trump is more on the “Journal”‘s side here (not that the “Journal” has not been excoriating him on Ukraine and tariffs and…)

So that leaves the “Times.”

And the “Times” is fighting for you.

Hopefully the courts will too. But that’s up in the air. It’s one thing to get a decision, but to enforce it is another matter, didn’t we just see this with the Venezuelan “gang members”?

So what is protecting you?

You think you’re immune, but…

There are a lot of people in red states whose Medicaid hangs in the balance, who will be negatively affected by DOGE.

But how about your rights?

Do you want to be snatched unawares like that Columbia student, and then jailed without a hearing/due process?

The laws are there for you.

As are the regulations.

Are they imperfect, absolutely.

And the ACLU defends Nazis and KKK members not because it agrees with the cause, but because they have a right to speak, like every American.

And you don’t want to compromise that.

Seems like the entire nation is compromised. Nobody has any principles. If it involves losing money, they fold.

Hell, in the record business acts used to stand up to labels all the time. Maybe even losing money in the process. But that was back when the acts were king as opposed to the executives. Lucian Grainge and Universal are forever. You, you’re expendable.

I won’t even bother to go into the fact that the “Times” has reporters all over the world, more than any other outlet, and whether you’re on the right or left you need the facts, then you can bloviate. That’s not my point.

Once again, who is going to stand up to Trump? To the very end? Not settle, not do what is expedient?

So far, no one.

So the “Times” is our backstop.

Unless you are suddenly going to grow a pair…