5 Things on My Mind (Patreon)

Hello, patrons! I'm sure you've noticed that I'm posting on twitter less, and this will continue for the rest of the month while I focus on my next patreon series (see #5!). But that doesn't mean I haven't been formulating opinions (only half of which are abrasive in nature) or checking out current affairs. So over the next few weeks I'll be giving you a list of things on my mind. You'll also get 1-2 videos in the coming weeks, and I promise to re-start book club in September. 

As a side note, I want to mention that I've been plotting on a weekly video series that details five of the biggest news stories, along with my commentary in 90 second increments. I planned this show months ago, and commissioned a now-fired graphic designer to complete the show's logo and graphics. Some of you saw the drama on twitter, but long story short the graphic designer delivered half-ass graphics months late and I've put the show on hold so that I can recalibrate my budget for a more professional designer. I guess you can say that this written series is a primitive version of that show, and it will be replaced soon.

1. Big Businesses and Trump

A whole bunch of people, mainly white liberals in NYC and LA, got pissed that the guy who runs the company housing Equinox and SoulCycle, Stephen Ross, is throwing a fundraiser for Trump's election campaign. Seats for the Hampton event go for $100,000 a pop. I used to work at Equinox for a soul crushing $11/hr in NYC (but that's another story), so I was especially interested to hear this news. The company promotes itself as a liberal, inclusive (if you can afford the $250/mo fees), LGBTQ-friendly health club, so many current and wannabe members were upset that Stephen Ross is supporting Trump and his republican administration. But are they really surprised? Numerous companies have shown that if there is money to be made from Trump's  racism, they will support him. I was slightly embarrassed to find out that a company that used to provide Intelexual Media's shipping supplies, ULine, supports him. The president and her husband are the largest political donors in the country, and they supported Trump's 2016 campaign and spent over $20 million in the 2018 midterms. Other companies and company heads that have donated to Trump include LL bean, Nathan's Famous Hotdogs, New Balance, and WWE. You can keep track of which businesses give to Trump on #GrabYourWallet. 

Related: How To Find Out Which Companies Support Trump, So You Know Where Your Money's Going (Sarah Friedmann)

2. The US/China Trade War

I admit that with all of the racism, sexism and religious extremism permeating this country, sometimes it's hard to look internationally to see the bigger picture. One thing I keep reminding myself to remain informed on is the brewing US/China trade war, which I originally addressed back in Lexi's Notes: China Rules. Back in March it was reported that farmers were going to plant their third largest crop of soybeans ever, despite growing concern about the trade war. China used to be the biggest buyer of soybeans in the world, but has stopped buying them from America in retaliation of Trump raising tariffs on $250 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods. His administration is threatening tariffs on another $350 billion worth of goods. This sucks for over 300,000 American soybean farmers, and the New York Times just wrote a piece on how farmers are now coping with this new reality. The trade war is impacting the U.S. economy and will only stop when one country gets the upper hand. 

Related Read: Lexi's Notes: China Rules  

3. Sexual Abuse of Underage Boys

Did you hear about the huge lawsuit against Boy Scouts of America? Over 800 men have organized to bring the 18th largest non-profit  in the country to justice for decades of sexual abuse. For years, boys did not come forward about their abuse out of both fear and sexual stigma. A common refrain to victims of repeated sexual abuse are accusations of enjoying their abuse, and for boys living in a country riddled with toxic masculinity, speaking up about being assaulted by a man can mean being called "gay". I thought of this when a friend messaged me earlier this morning about a video of a 21-year old girl being kicked in the face. Why did she get kicked? She repeatedly raped her friend's 12-year-old cousin, bragged about it, and gave him herpes. I was sick to my stomach. When I tracked down the story on twitter, it was upsetting to see so many grown men, themselves likely the victims of sexual abuse in their youth, playing down the event or acting like it was okay. When you widen the scope to abuses of power, it's even more chilling. Female teacher on student  abuse is disgustingly common, and there are sections of the internet that cheer on such vile behavior with articles like "The 42 Sexiest Female Sex Offenders." Back in 2004 a study on child sexual abuse by teachers showed that black, hispanic, and indigenous youth (of all genders) are disproportionately victims, which can be partially explained by stereotypes about sexuaity and savagery attached to these races.

How many men, particularly black men, were groomed and assaulted by female predators in their youth? How many of them pushed negative feelings about their abuse to the backs of their minds to avoid being ridiculed as ungrateful or gay by peers or family? It's disgusting that if men come forward about sexual abuse at the hands of men, they similarly feel shame or face accusations about being gay. It's time for child abusers of all genders to face consequences. 

Related: Debra Lafave: Why We Can’t See Women as Sexual Predators, and Why It Matters (Anna Dorn)

4. The Propaganda Machine

I'm trying to imagine what it'd be like to spend thousands of dollars advertising Intelexual Media. Im trying to comprehend the budget needed to feasibly reach a greater chunk of the population. One of the things a lot of people point out as the main exacerbator of right wing extremism and racism is Fox News. Per The New Yorker: "A 2017 study from researchers at Emory and Stanford estimated that Fox News increased the Republican Party’s share of the two-party vote in 2004 and 2008 by 3.59 and 6.34 percentage points respectively. Just this month, a study using the same methodology found that counties where Fox News has a low channel number (and thus, slightly higher viewership) tend to have more conservative fiscal policies as a result." 

Though Fox News primetime viewers are less than 1% of the population, it has a long history of racist dog whistling rhetoric, and numerous top executives and anchors contribute to republican causes and politicians. As Vox broke down in this must-view piece, Fox also has an amazing amount of power in directing national news conversations. But it isn't the only source of propaganda. It's got some competition from other right wing outlets who spend big bucks to reach average Americans who casually keep up with politics. As the Daily Beast reports, two facebook pages have appeared in the past few weeks to encourage older Americans to switch from Fox to One America News Network (OANN). The pages have spent over $70,000  on facebook ads, and target people over the age of 55. OANN promises to be both more conservative and fact-based than Fox (as if that's possible). A quick scroll of the pedestrian looking OANN website shows that it is Pro-Trump and biased, with a ticker on the top of the page entitled "The Cost of Illegal Immigration." 

A while ago outlets reported that the pro-Trump Sinclair Broadcasting Group bought up a bunch of local television stations. The New Yorker wrote in April, "Since the mogul’s election, the media giant (SBG) has ordered all of its affiliates to air commentary that advances White House talking points, and coerced their own anchors into personally reporting that the mainstream news media is biased against the president." Another network doling out conservative propaganda is The Christian Broadcast Network. I first discovered them in college in 2015  while at a local nail salon. I looked up from my pedicure to see a phony aborted fetus, with an accompanying story about Planned Parenthood selling baby parts. 

All of this matters because as the right-wing grows in power, one of its most crucial components is it's dedication to investing in media outlets that report their agenda and propaganda. When will the left-wing keep up? Can it even keep up? I plan to address the origins of this phenomenon in an upcoming series, which brings me to...

5) Lexi Does The Seventies 

Why don't people take the 70's seriously? I mean, it was the decade that marked the 200-year celebration of American independence and followed the turbulent societal changes of the 1960s. But it's especially because of the turbulence of the 1960s, namely Civil Rights, assassinations, and the Vietnam War, that many people regard the 70s as being a pitstop filled with disco music and platform shoes on the way to the Reagan years. But the 70s are a key decade to understanding politics and racism today. This 6-episode series, which I'm planning to drop on patreon in october, will be thorough in it's recollection of black and national experiences. I can't wait for it, and its most of the reason why I've been less active on twitter. I have been planning and researching for this project for the past few months, mainly because when I was in grade school, our history course sputtered out when we reached the Civil Rights movement. I wondered how many people don't know about the importance of the 70s and why it led to the rise of Donald Trump.