"Absolute power" and "not to be questioned" are two of the phrases bandied about by presidential aides in defending actions by the current occupant of the Oval Office, who calls judicial decisions overturning his executive order regarding immigration "shameful."
Sorry, guys, the new guy does not have absolute power, and every citizen of America has the right to question and disagree with his actions.
Moreover, the judiciary has the constitutional obligation to review his actions and overturn them when they clash with the law and the rights of the people. To claim otherwise is the first step on the road to dictatorship.
Meanwhile, questioning the actions and motivations of government officials is the duty and responsibility of journalists, who do so on behalf of all the people. Limiting their ability to ask questions is the first step toward media control, another goal of dictators.
In recent days, we have seen that in the White House briefing room, where the press secretary fails to take questions from reporters representing major news outlets, instead calling on those who are less likely to ask tough questions.
That tactic was evident again today during a news conference held after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with U.S. President Donald Trump. The only reporters recognized were those who asked soft questions, which prevented any discussion of hard news topics such as the legally challenged immigration ban.
Refusing to acknowledge controversial topics, much less failing to respond to questions posed by citizens on behalf of other citizens smacks of a blatant attempt at news control, especially when combined with repeated falsehoods, easily disproven "alternative facts" and outlandish statements that flout the rules of ethics.
It's no accident that sales of George Orwell's book "1984" have soared.
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