Over the Weekend: Gorka Leaves White House Under "Weekend Cover"
Sebastian Gorka left the White House under cover of weekend news.
By way of reminder, when organizations, including the government, want
to minimize the impact of (and thereby control the response to) a piece
of news, they put it out on the weekend. To be clear, "the weekend"
begins late Friday and extends through Sunday. In the case of Gorka's
leaving, it was put out there late Friday, thereby qualifying as weekend news. (The Wall Street Journal version HERE.)
The theory behind all this is simple: most people stop following media stories, or at least minimize their inquiries, once Friday rolls around. The weekend beckons, and so they're occupied with matters practical and enjoyable that typically fill up our weekends. And that theory does, in fact, generally hold up. So remember when you see a story after, let's say, 5 PM on Friday, that it's likely someone wants to minimize its impact for some reason.
In the case of Gorka, a good guess might be that he was supposedly an ally of Stephen Bannon, who left his post previously.
As for Gorka, he'll likely pursue his career as a "counter-terrorist," trumpeting (sort-of-pun intended) his focus on Islam as the motivation for terrorism. This singular focus of course annoys those who prefer a more nuanced or "sophisticated" view. Such folks claim that terrorism must be seen, as the article notes, "as the result of overlapping factors such as poverty, social immobility, or lack of education." Of course, the glaring contradiction to this view remains the backgrounds of the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, most notorious and deadly act of terrorism we've seen.
There's a lesson here that's got something to do with considering the facts when we evaluate a position we're holding. And in the case of terrorism, ignore them at your peril.
However, there's one more lesson we all can take away from this semi-sub rosa weekend announcement. At the end of the article we find this little tidbit:
Our lesson here is simple: If you're going to spend your precious time reading articles created by the media - left, right, or anything in between - at the very least don't allow yourself to be manipulated by these sorts of implants. They're really not so subtle when you read with an alert, discriminating mind. But, unfortunately, too may of us don't engage with what we're reading with an active brain. In stead, we allow our opinions to be swayed by this sort of manipulation. Don't let yourself be one of those so swayed.
The theory behind all this is simple: most people stop following media stories, or at least minimize their inquiries, once Friday rolls around. The weekend beckons, and so they're occupied with matters practical and enjoyable that typically fill up our weekends. And that theory does, in fact, generally hold up. So remember when you see a story after, let's say, 5 PM on Friday, that it's likely someone wants to minimize its impact for some reason.
In the case of Gorka, a good guess might be that he was supposedly an ally of Stephen Bannon, who left his post previously.
Mr. Bannon, who was most closely aligned with the president’s “America First” agenda, which he described as economic nationalism, was ousted by Mr. Trump earlier this month...So what's the significance of all this?
Since his departure, some conservatives have criticized the White House advisers whose influence they perceive to be rising—including Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law—for their history of supporting Democrats.So there is it. The modern day version of the Guelphs and the Ghibbelines continue to play out their drama in Trump's White House. Where it all goes, nobody knows.
As for Gorka, he'll likely pursue his career as a "counter-terrorist," trumpeting (sort-of-pun intended) his focus on Islam as the motivation for terrorism. This singular focus of course annoys those who prefer a more nuanced or "sophisticated" view. Such folks claim that terrorism must be seen, as the article notes, "as the result of overlapping factors such as poverty, social immobility, or lack of education." Of course, the glaring contradiction to this view remains the backgrounds of the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, most notorious and deadly act of terrorism we've seen.
There's a lesson here that's got something to do with considering the facts when we evaluate a position we're holding. And in the case of terrorism, ignore them at your peril.
However, there's one more lesson we all can take away from this semi-sub rosa weekend announcement. At the end of the article we find this little tidbit:
In May, 55 House Democrats signed a letter urging the president to fire Mr. Gorka, who they said had ties to an anti-Semitic party in Hungary. “As members of the U.S. Congress who care deeply about fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad, we urge you to immediately dismiss senior White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka,” the letter said. Mr. Gorka hasn’t commented on those alleged ties.Was this shot at Gorka, intended to damage his reputation, really necessary? After all what does "ties to an anti-Semitic party in Hungary" really mean? But, of course, the author should be well aware that most readers will not bother to ask that question, never mind verify the accuracy of the charge. Most of us will instead be left with the impression that Gorka is indeed an anti-Semite and, based on that, conclude: Good riddance!
Our lesson here is simple: If you're going to spend your precious time reading articles created by the media - left, right, or anything in between - at the very least don't allow yourself to be manipulated by these sorts of implants. They're really not so subtle when you read with an alert, discriminating mind. But, unfortunately, too may of us don't engage with what we're reading with an active brain. In stead, we allow our opinions to be swayed by this sort of manipulation. Don't let yourself be one of those so swayed.
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