CNN Is Better than Reality

 

When an interesting event occurs, I usually try to find out what happened. Sometimes, I’ll also read The New York Times or CNN’s website, to find out what the Democratic Party wants me to think about it. The second part is usually more interesting because the events themselves tend to be predictable and repetitive. But the efforts of Democrats to conceal reality behind layers of laughable leftism can be entertaining at times. Since the actual events can be boring and horrifying simultaneously, reading leftist propaganda rather than news can be a pleasant diversion. I’m convinced that some people intentionally watch CNN to avoid facing reality. The CNN version is better — more comforting. I understand.

Take, for example, the Texas synagogue where a ‘gunman’ took hostages yesterday. Presuming that I already knew what happened and why before actually reading about it, I figured ‘what the heck‘ and went to CNN’s website. I can learn about the event later. CNN didn’t disappoint. Check out the first four paragraphs of the story (emphasis mine):

(CNN)  An elite FBI hostage rescue team breached a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, Saturday night, safely recovering three remaining captives after a nearly 11-hour hostage situation, federal and local officials said.

The lone suspect is dead, authorities added.

“Prayers answered. All hostages are out alive and safe,” Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted about 20 minutes after a large bang and gunfire were heard in the direction of the synagogue, just outside Fort Worth.

A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in an email to CNN on Sunday that the government was “aware of the death of a British man in Texas and are in contact with the local authorities,” but stopped short of confirming that he was the same man as the hostage-taker.

Later in the story, CNN pointed out that authorities actually do know who did this:

The suspect has been identified, FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno told reporters in a news conference after the hostage rescue, but authorities are not revealing his identity as the investigation continues.

Ok, so while the spin is planned out the investigation continues, they are understandably not releasing the information they know, in fears that it might be misinterpreted. They want to be sure they have the facts in order before releasing any information, just like they did with George Floyd.

Ha!

Sorry.  I know this isn’t funny.  But it gets boring, watching different versions of the same thing happen over and over again. Horrifying.  But boring.

So anyway, based on the CNN story, what do we know about the hostage taker?

We know that he is British.  They have not yet released his name.  So for now, let’s call him ‘Nigel’.

We know that Nigel has regrettably passed away.  No cause of death has been released.  So for now, let’s presume COVID.

We know that he prefers the pronouns he/him.  I’m not sure how CNN ascertained that – perhaps the FBI discussed that with the suspect before his untimely death.  We’re not sure of his biological sex, of course, so we won’t presume.  We certainly don’t want to offend anyone.

But why did Nigel take these hostages?  Why did he choose a Jewish synagogue as a target?

Toward the end of the CNN story, we find these two remarkable paragraphs:

Two law enforcement officials told CNN earlier Saturday that investigators believe the hostage taker may have been motivated by a desire to release Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year sentence at a facility in Texas. She was convicted in 2010 on seven charges, including attempted murder and armed assault on US officers in Afghanistan.

“We do believe from our engaging with this subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community, but we’ll continue to work to find motive,” DeSarno said.

So FBI agent in charge DeSarno is not sure exactly what the motivation was behind this attack.  Although he believes that the suspect’s motives were, “singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community“.  Right.

He would probably say the same thing if a MAGA hat wearing Texas redneck had taken hostages at a mosque, and demanded the release of the January 6 protestors.  That would not be hate crime against Muslims, of course.  That would be a “subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Muslim community“.  That’s exactly what the Democrat party FBI would say.  Right.

Barack Obama repeatedly said that antisemitism would not be tolerated.  Then a Muslim kills a bunch of Jews at a kosher deli in France, and President Obama said that the attack was carried out by, “a bunch of violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris.”  They weren’t victims of an antisemitic hate crime. No, it was just a random bunch of folks who were killed by a zealot.  Nothing to see here. Right.

Allow me to make three points, which are so obvious that I hesitate to waste your time with them.  But it’s easy to overlook the obvious sometimes, like a fish being unaware of water.  So for the sake of not missing the blindingly obvious:

1.  The left will defend anyone who attacks Jews.

2.  Jews have voted 70-80% Democrat for decades.

3.  The Texas synagogue news story is going to disappear faster than a Clinton informant.

This is why CNN is better than reality. Reality is horrifying.

Predictable. Boring. Obvious. Repetitive.

But horrifying.

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  1. Phil Turmel Inactive
    Phil Turmel
    @PhilTurmel

    Dr. Bastiat: The left will defend anyone who attacks Jews.

    The left has been so success with media message control in recent years that they’re letting their true opinions come to the fore.  All the more reason to condemn/ridicule Godwin’s Law.

    • #1
  2. Doug Kimball Thatcher
    Doug Kimball
    @DougKimball

    This makes perfect sense.  If Nigel is identified as Hassan Al Farouki, those sheltering conservatives and Trump supporters, those within white supremacist terror cells, will be activated to take out Sikhs in Circle Ks around the country.  In their blood frenzy, these violent deplorables may expand their targets to include liberals (the masks, like the Sikhs’ turbans, give them away) and their leaders.  And so, democracy will end in a bloody revolution ending with masked heads rolling down the capital steps.  So, they censor the news and hold back the truth from the deplorable terrorists.  No need to trigger them.

    The truth is, however, the end of democracy is near.  They can feel it coming.

    • #2
  3. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Wouldn’t it be interesting if he came in the country through our southern border?

    • #3
  4. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    As long as it isn’t Nigel Tufnel.

     

    • #4
  5. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Wouldn’t it be interesting if he came in the country through our southern border?

    Why would he need to? He’s British. Just needs to buy a plane ticket. 

    • #5
  6. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    More evidence that the FBI needs to be defunded.

    • #6
  7. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Dr. Bastiat: he hostage taker may have been motivated by a desire to release Aafia Siddiqui

    Also known as Lady Al Qaeda. Seems CAIR loves her too (but they are totally not a terrorist front group).

    But the real take away from this is that we should not jump to conclusions that lead to islamophobia.

    • #7
  8. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Dr. Bastiat: Then a Muslim kills a bunch of Jews at a kosher deli in France, and President Obama said that the attack was carried out by, “a bunch of violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris.”

    • #8
  9. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    FBI would have caught him sooner but, evidently, he didn’t go to any school board meetings.

    • #9
  10. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    CORRECTION:

    The British man who attacked the synagogue was not, in fact, named Nigel.

    His actual name was Malik Faisal Akram.

    I regret the error.

    • #10
  11. philo Member
    philo
    @philo

    Dr. Bastiat: We know that he is British.  They have not yet released his name.  So for now, let’s call him ‘Nigel’.

    We know that Nigel has regrettably passed away.  No cause of death has been released.  So for now, let’s presume COVID.

    Excellent. My big giggle for the day.

    • #11
  12. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    I assume the FBI shot him so that he wouldn’t accidentally reveal that he’s an FBI asset.

    • #12
  13. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    CORRECTION:

    The British man who attacked the synagogue was not, in fact, named Nigel.

    His actual name was Malik Faisal Akram.

    I regret the error.

    Well that name is about as British as Nigel. Seriously, just hearing that name makes me want to devour a shepherd’s pie while listening to a Winston Churchill speech.

    • #13
  14. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Dr. Bastiat: The British man who attacked the synagogue was not, in fact, named Nigel.

    You mean this wasn’t Farage?

    • #14
  15. Hartmann von Aue Member
    Hartmann von Aue
    @HartmannvonAue

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    CORRECTION:

    The British man who attacked the synagogue was not, in fact, named Nigel.

    His actual name was Malik Faisal Akram.

    I regret the error.

    Well that name is about as British as Nigel. Seriously, just hearing that name makes me want to devour a shepherd’s pie while listening to a Winston Churchill speech.

    Or at least eat a chicken tikka sandwich, chase it down with some Tetley’s and watch the West Indies v. Ireland one-day international test match. West Indies are ahead right now, by the way. 

    • #15
  16. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    We can prevent workplace violence with more midnight basketball.

    • #16
  17. Charles Mark Member
    Charles Mark
    @CharlesMark

    Hartmann von Aue (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    CORRECTION:

    The British man who attacked the synagogue was not, in fact, named Nigel.

    His actual name was Malik Faisal Akram.

    I regret the error.

    Well that name is about as British as Nigel. Seriously, just hearing that name makes me want to devour a shepherd’s pie while listening to a Winston Churchill speech.

    Or at least eat a chicken tikka sandwich, chase it down with some Tetley’s and watch the West Indies v. Ireland one-day international test match. West Indies are ahead right now, by the way.

    Go Ireland!!

    • #17
  18. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    I worried about @iwe—-Dude how is #1 son?

     

     

    • #18
  19. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Looks like I’m not the only one who found the FBI’s handling of this case to be predictable and boring and horrifying.

    ‘Corrupt’ FBI should be ‘eliminated’ for statement on synagogue hostage taker:  Critics

    Read the article.  It quotes a tweet from Sean Davis:

    The FBI is an irreparably corrupt and broken agency that needs to be defunded and eliminated. Recall: the FBI claimed the Ft. Hood terrorist attack was “workplace violence,” and that a mass assassination attack on GOPers was a “suicide by cop” incident. Corrupt and unfixable.

    It sounds extreme, but I think this is true.  I don’t see how we can maintain a free country as long as the FBI has this much power.  They’re essentially the military wing of the Democrat party.  The old media and Hollywood are the propaganda wing of the Democrat party.  The educational system is the recruitment wing of the Democrat party.

    We have a problem…

    • #19
  20. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    The FBI is subservient to the CIA.  The CIA gets its funding through the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.  But the members of this committee get their all-important security clearances through the FBI, which is subservient to the CIA.

    Altering the character of the FBI will be very difficult.

    • #20
  21. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    Flicker (View Comment):
    Altering the character of the FBI will be very difficult.

    Very, very true.

    We have a problem.

    • #21
  22. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    Altering the character of the FBI will be very difficult.

    Very, very true.

    We have a problem.

    Set the significant portion of the FBI who have not been playing games with the Rule of Law loose on the jokers who have. 

    Just imagine the reality TV ratings on that show.

    • #22
  23. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Percival (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    Altering the character of the FBI will be very difficult.

    Very, very true.

    We have a problem.

    Set the significant portion of the FBI who have not been playing games with the Rule of Law loose on the jokers who have.

    Just imagine the reality TV ratings on that show.

    FBI: At Large, moderated by Stephanie Zimbalist, Jr.

    • #23
  24. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    I assume the FBI shot him so that he wouldn’t accidentally reveal that he’s an FBI asset.

    A very reasonable assumption

    • #24
  25. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Percival (View Comment):
    Set the significant portion of the FBI who have not been playing games with the Rule of Law loose on the jokers who have. 

    What makes you think it’s significant? I believe the idea that there are good agents out there to be a silly myth. Take the black pill, bro.

    • #25
  26. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    I assume the FBI shot him so that he wouldn’t accidentally reveal that he’s an FBI asset.

    A very reasonable assumption.

    Wait. This article says he’s serving a 30 year prison sentence. So how did he get out?

    • #26
  27. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    Set the significant portion of the FBI who have not been playing games with the Rule of Law loose on the jokers who have.

    What makes you think it’s significant? I believe the idea that there are good agents out there to be a silly myth. Take the black pill, bro.

    Isn’t Black supposed to be capitalized?

    • #27
  28. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    I assume the FBI shot him so that he wouldn’t accidentally reveal that he’s an FBI asset.

    A very reasonable assumption.

    Wait. This article says he’s serving a 30 year prison sentence. So how did he get out?

    It’s a different case with a different guy.

    • #28
  29. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Oh.

    Two teenagers in Manchester have been arrested tonight in connection with the 44-year-old British terrorist who was shot dead after taking four people hostage during a 10-hour stand-off inside a Texas synagogue.

    The teenagers, from South Manchester, are currently being quizzed by police over events that transpired more than 4,700 miles away, counter terror specialists confirmed on Sunday night.  

     . . .

    Akram’s ‘devastated’ brother Gulbar Akram shared a message on social media in which he revealed he had been working with the FBI and ‘liaising’ with his sibling throughout the stand-off. He also apologised and blamed ‘mental health issues’ for Malik’s actions.

    Gulbar later revealed his brother had a criminal record and questioned how he was eligible to enter the United States in the first place. 

    • #29
  30. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    I worried about @ iwe—-Dude how is #1 son?

     

    @kidcoder   and @ishottheserif were not there – that particular synagogue apparently had a strict no-guns policy. 

    • #30
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