
Investigative journalism is a vital element within a functioning democracy. It polices leadership on behalf of the electorate. It holds government accountable to the law. At least that is what it should do. Thankfully Thailand is one country where true journalism is taught and generally practised, thanks to journalists like Suthichai Yoon.
Unfortunately, on both sides of the Atlantic, but particularly in the United States, the profession has been degraded to an unprecedented level. The mainstream media have become prostitutes. No longer working on behalf of the people, in the interests of democratic governance, they have been bought and paid for as a propaganda machine. Their loss of identity is not due to a lust for advertising revenue, but rather a take-over by an anti-democratic ideology that has totalitarian global ambitions.
The level to which mainstream media have sunk would perhaps have made even Machiavelli wince. They have thrown just about everything at Trump, including the kitchen sink and the toilet. As a result, established journalists have lost credibility as purveyors of news.
The fact that Trump not only survived this onslaught of slander and libel but arrived supreme as president-elect well qualifies him for the post. He also has a track record that is proof of his leadership qualities.
Yes, Trump is a serious danger. But only to those of a self-serving, antisocial nature, indulged in corruption with fascist intentions. He is not a danger to those endowed with sound common sense and powers of reasoning and who value the freedom offered by democracy.
JC Wilcox