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Bruce Miller's avatar

Any surprise that Katherine Maher's mother is State Senator Ceci Maher? Apples and trees.

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Joseph Bentivegna's avatar

Bruce. Thanks for letting me know. I never made the connection. And part of her district in in Fairfield County.

https://www.senatedems.ct.gov/senator/ceci-maher

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Jan Hollerbach's avatar

I pay for certain news outlets and Substacks that I like. I think PBS/NPR should be no different. Let the people who want to listen to them pay for them.

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Tom Hedberg's avatar

Hi Joe,

I'm always happy to read your articles, chiefly because you express yourself well and intelligently. Unfortunately, the kind of troglodytes who are always in agreement rarely manage anything better than: "...G-d bless Donald Trump the only chance we have against the satanist Dems and liberals and their communist-led corruption of our American patriotism and hatred of decency..." or some nonsense like that, but rarely as coherent or involving that many words strung together. And what is especially scary is how many hundreds of like comments there are in multiple forums without even a whiff of objectivity anywhere. Frankly, THAT's the real problem with 2025.

Regarding your points, just briefly: 1) Berliner was deeply involved with some kind of external business dealings which were strictly forbidden by NPR (...and any other corporate entity doe that matter). 2) Just check into Trump and project Lakhta from reliable honest sources and you can answer your own question but (beware of toasting with a plutonium cocktail!) 3) Fox and Newsmax are propaganda outlets and little more. I've watched "Fox Nation" at my parents place in FLA and believe me I don't care if they were talking about nothing but the price of tea in China, the stuff is utterly one-sided, manipulative, agenda'd and dementing. You're scientifically trained I believe and that stuff is an insult to empiricism regardless of what its reporting about. That kind of garbage should NOT be anything but fringe evil.

Just two quick questions and please forgive me for asking: 1) Are you fed any materials by some outside source? Again, excuse me but the question has come up. 2) How about we meet sometime if you live in the Norwalk Stamford Greenwich area. Might be illuminating!

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Michael Hermens's avatar

Yes. Going further, many people think there shouldn’t be taxpayers.

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Joseph Bentivegna's avatar

Didn't really say that in the article.

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Michael Hermens's avatar

Certainly. I was making a broader comment.

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Tom Hedberg's avatar

Hi Joe,

Finally got a chance to take this up for a while:

1. Most comments thusfar are of the usual one-line, juvenile, name-calling variety which does not reflect well on the people agreeing with you

2. You've also got Amy Williams who starts out reasonably but ends up with overwrought brain dead hysterical nonsense like: ("My tax money should not be used to fuel yours and their HATRED for our beloved country. If you were to leave communist New England, you would realize that 80% of this country LOVES Donald Trump!!!!!) It's a shame that this is the best people can do who read your stuff.

3. Regarding the article itself, you seem to be falling into the same psycho pathological mindlock that anything challenging the whole MAGAT Trumpist regime is automatically "liberal" and bad. We've seen this over and over again to the point where the DSM 5 should consider "Trump Derangement Syndrome" as an actual mental condition where either openly or privately this criminal is worshiped like a god and savior and His cattle completely lose their rationality whenever He is opposed in any way.

4. Regarding PBS and NPR, The objective and informational good that they do is not only rare and precious but has constantly been endangered by lack of funding. Why? The same reason that decades ago in NY we had 11 channels of mostly mindless garbage designed to suck money out of consumers and just one channel "13" that dispensed intelligence. If we didn't have NPR and PBS we'd instead have just more violent or mercantile commercial crap and the progressive dementing of the population could continue unhindered (...but maybe that's what you want? totally mindless compliant cattle who are putty in the hands of the MAGAT manipulators)

5. Regarding Uri Berliner's "revelations" about NPR, let's look at three aspects:

A) I've never seen or heard any program on NPR or PBS that could be characterized as completely one-sided far left liberal close-minded preaching. To be fair, they have featured some people on occasion who do the cause of equanimity and objectivity no good, but its not standard.

B) Yet again you are saying things (Mueller says no No Trump / Russian collusion!) as if they were reality. Just take a look at Project Lakhta and tell me how totally independent the Trumpists were of Russian election interference.

C) Regarding Uri Berliner, first, this is just one guy who actually was the business editor, second, he wasn't "laid off" Actually he got a five-day suspension without pay for having violated the network’s policy prohibiting unauthorized work for other outlets. Warned that if he did it again, he could be fired, Berliner resigned. Portraying this otherwise is deliberate deception. Third you are tossing around statements without foundation because one disgruntled guy who had other business interests decided to bite the hand that fed him.

6. There's lot more to say, but what's the point if you're going to fall into the same brainwashed trap of MAGAT=Good / Everything Else=Bad. Please come back with your thoughts on this before we commit any more time to this.

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Joseph Bentivegna's avatar

Tom,

Thanks for reading my article.

You are correct. Berliner was not fired. He resigned. But having people resign is often a face-saving measure to avoid the embarrassment of being fired.

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/17/1245283076/npr-editor-uri-berliner-resigns-ceo-katherine-maher

Mueller himself said there was no Trump Russian collusion after an exhaustive investigation. If Project Lakhta proved otherwise, why wasn't Trump charged?

You are correct that most TV is "mindless," but that is what people enjoy. I am guilty of getting a kick out of "The Housewives of New Jersey." And you can't get any more mindless than that.

But you never counter this statement:

"If the government wants to subsidized PBS and NPR, fine. But then they should also subsidize Fox New and Newsmax TV. Otherwise, let these liberal outlets find other sources for their revenue if they wish to fund huge salaries for their CEOs."

Perhaps a reasonable compromise would be to fund PBS and NPR except for their News divisions.

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Tom Hedberg's avatar

Joe,

Alas, I don't have time to respond to this properly now, but I will. Also I'm surprised that you have nothing better to do than serve as a shill for this criminal regime. Right off the bat it very tellingly seems that scientifically objective NPR and PBS became unconscionably "liberal" in your mind the minute they opposed Trumpism. I don't know what the mental condition is that makes smart people worship this human offal and his ignorant cronies but we'll find out in time. Please stay tuned...

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Amy Williams's avatar

There is no argument that PBS/NPR have been 100% Liberal for decades- absolutely nothing to do with Trump. However, their completely unprofessional, spewing of their hatred for Trump, is what pushed the public to finally realize they need to go! You can’t expect tax payers to pay for a one-sided show(with zero control over unprofessional behavior). Both sides get a voice, or you can pay privately to listen to any garbage you choose. My tax money should not be used to fuel yours and their HATRED for our beloved country. If you were to leave communist New England, you would realize that 80% of this country LOVES Donald Trump!!!!!

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Joe Pugliese's avatar

I've felt this way for a long time and CT PBS is part of the problem.

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Joseph Bentivegna's avatar

Joe. Thanks for reading my article. I must admit I do not watch CT PBS. But if I ever feel my blood pressure it too low, I will do so.

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