NYT Discovers Xenophobia Only Bad When Trump Does It
When Donald Trump calls Somalis 'garbage' (as per the NYT, allegedly), the mainstream media springs into action. Yet, where was this outrage when bipartisan policies led to the bombing of Somalia, creating the very refugee crises these outlets then decry? Or when figures like Bill Maher called Islam 'the one religion that acts like the Mafia without any nuance'? (Maher made this claim on 'Real
Time' in 2014, for instance). This manufactured indignation ignores the systemic xenophobia woven into both policy and media commentary, often tacitly justifying interventions that displace communities. It appears xenophobia is only newsworthy when it comes from a politician the establishment dislikes, not when it underpins the 'national security' justifications for endless wars, arms deals, or
the very surveillance of Muslim communities that the Times itself once normalized. One might wonder if the concern is truly about xenophobia, or merely about who is allowed to say the quiet parts out loud. Where's the deep dive into the bipartisan consensus that produced these 'garbage' conditions in the first place?