sometimes follow social media to a second location.

Classic bully behaviour.

Stupid and self defeating.

Says regime that is cosplaying Nazi Germany.

Yep. Cool. There’s a place for them, certainly.

Still don’t think that’s reading though.

I think you make some interesting points… Content is important.

Although I think there’s such a desperation to get people into the reading habit that anything is considered good enough.

Remember the Harry Potter book when they first came out. I seem to remember a lot of chat about how those books were low effort, but that they encouraged a lot of life-long readers.

I know that here, in the UK, our education system tends to make people resent reading. Furthermore it instills some awful habits… Like feeling you have to finish a book even if you aren’t enjoying it (which usually means you stop reading altogether).

Anyway. That’s a long way of saying I think you are right.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but listening to audio books isn’t reading.

It is a different sensory experience. It uses different parts of the brain and imagination too.

It is far closer to listening to a radio play.

I’m not saying it is any worse or better, just different.

I’m not sure that conflating the two is useful, particularly when talking about reading habits.

Real Art of The Deal shit.

Absolute fucking masterclass in statesman-like diplomacy.

Genuinely a moment for all Americans to be proud of. Truly, exceptional.

To answer all your points.

1.) It didn’t.

2.) Didn’t say it wasn’t.

3.) They don’t.

4.) Fuck you you arrogant prick. You are being willfully ignorant and deliberately misinterpreting what I’m saying. And the insults are really unwarranted. Stop. Please just stop. But also, fuck you again.

It seems not everyone can work that out

Here’s the thing. You have twice insinuated I don’t understand the news, or how it works. , it demeans us both.

I feel insulted and you come across as a smug prick.

I was just saying that different papers spin the news differently. There are no papers in the UK that lack bias.

There is no such thing as “just reporting the news”. The very selection of what you report onis the news.

We could get into an academic debate, if you want. We could wheel out Sontag and Marshall McLuhan. We could go over all the basic first year undergraduate lessons in journalistic practice, or we could just drop this and move on.

I suspect you won’t be able to restrain yourself though. You’ll have to point out for a third time that you think some people are incapable of being able to understand things that you, yourself, seem to be the one struggling with.

Yes, you are very smart.

No, they are spinning the news. A headline like that when the report goes into detail how damaging it was is deliberately misleading.

They are focussing on the fact that larger companies seem more resilient. That’s the one positive in the research. The rest is pretty brutal.

That’s like reporting a headline “Child escapes school shooting” and then mentioning the fact that five others died in the body of the text.

They are not “just reporting the news”.

Meanwhile the rich people that are responsible for the majority of climate damage stand in their own private collections completely undisturbed.

Sure this grabs headlines, but momentarily and often preaching to the converted or the disenfranchised.

I’m not saying I have any good answers, and I’m sure we’ll all burn and starve thinking of ways to change the minds of people that have power… But there has to be some way to take the protest to them in ways that actually inconveniences them, as opposed to the people that already broadly support this cause.

And yeah, it grabs headlines, briefly, but look at how the media is complicit with the companies and individuals and governments causing the destruction. If they were really bothered about this sort of protest, the chances are you wouldn’t see it. The fact we are seeing it probably means that they’ve evaluated it to cause more contention among the voters, which works in their favour.

I realise I’m starting to sound like a conspiracy nut. Too many references to shady power and control… But sanctioned protest isn’t protest at all. It’s a sideshow that makes people think they are helpless or that work is being done when it isn’t.

And before the “acshurly this wasn’t sanctioned” reply… No, you’re right, not explicitly, but we still allow people to walk into public buildings without the sort of security you find at airports. I do wonder if that will start changing. I already know a few that won’t let you walk around with bags of any kind, and next up comes a frisk and an interview.