Today, it’s not the military-industrial complex we have to fear threatening our republic. It’s the culture-war political-entertainment complex. The culture-war political-entertainment complex marries the power of those who gain from the culture war in political terms with those who gain from it in the ratings; both the politicians who engage in cultural battles and the media who pump those battles for increased revenue have a stake in the continued fracturing of the republic.

This week’s example comes courtesy of the NFL, President Trump, and the mass media. The saga began three years ago, when several NFL players decided to protest the justified shooting of black Ferguson teenager Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson; St. Louis Rams players emerged from the tunnel in the infamous “hands up, don’t shoot” pose. The NFL didn’t penalize them. The NFL did warn Dallas Cowboys players, however, not to put police decals on their helmets two years later after a mass shooting of officers in the city. That same year, flailing San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick donned socks festooned with cartoon pigs in police outfits and began kneeling for the National Anthem, proclaiming himself a martyr for civil rights. Sports networks such as ESPN ate up the narrative — they praised Kaepernick to the skies, pushing the notion that he was acting with a sort of bravery all too rare in the world of sports. Politicians including President Obama paid homage to Kaepernick, believing that they could pander to minorities who felt sympathy for Kaepernick’s routine.

Meanwhile, many Americans, frustrated at the worshipful treatment of those who would protest one of the few unifying symbols in American life, tuned out the NFL and ESPN; polls showed that for those who tuned out, the top reason cited was the national-anthem protests

This week, this simmering tension broke out into the open when President Trump sounded off on the topic. Trump didn’t just condemn the national-anthem protests. He suggested that the NFL should adopt rules barring sideline protests by players during the anthem and called on owners to fire any “son of a bitch” who “disrespects our flag.” This is more or less unprecedented stuff for a president: It’s the purview of private business to determine what sort of behavior they wish to accept from their employees in terms of political protest. The president’s intervening smacks of governmental overreach. Imagine the conservative response, for example, if President Obama had suggested that Tim Tebow be fired for kneeling in prayer before games.

But putting aside the principle, this was obviously smart politics for Trump: Kaepernick’s National Anthem protest is wildly unpopular by polls. And Trump figured, correctly, that the Left would rush to the defense of those protesting the anthem. The Left, convinced its own base would cheer such a defense, immediately engaged in the stupidest of all possible tactics: encouraging everyone to kneel for the anthem. This, of course, led to precisely the war Trump wanted: Everyone against him is also against the flag and the anthem; everyone for the flag and the anthem is also for him.

So, who benefits from this culture war? Certainly not the country. Before the NFL, the media, and Trump polarized the nation and decided that their own political and financial gain was more important than the separation between sports and politics, there was a relative consensus on these issues: Protesting the anthem and the flag is stupid, but players should be allowed to do it unless team owners feel like firing them. Now that consensus is gone. Anyone who says protesting the anthem is dumb is now labeled a knee-jerk jingoist with a Trumpist streak; anyone who says firing anthem protesters is dumb is now labeled an anti-American sympathizer. Viewers don’t benefit, either — now they can’t escape politics. And nor does the NFL; its inconsistent approach to politics has led to this impasse.

So, who does gain? Only the cultural figures who get to lead their constituents into battle over these newly drawn battle lines. Trump benefits politically. The media benefit from the additional traffic and coverage. The culture-war political-media complex has an interest in tearing apart the country for ratings and power. And that’s not going to stop so long as the American people see politics as entertainment and entertainment as politics.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/451724/trump-nfl-rant-doesnt-help-country-or-sport-football

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298764)

The NFL, criticized as the No Fun League, has actually been quite good at addressing issues before they become problems.

>> But the one thing that this is not going to do… I don’t care what anybody says: The one thing this is not going to do is make the NFL more popular. It is not going to make the NFL more ingrained in our society. You just cannot have a business as large as the National Football League — which is as dependent on public dollars as it is. You simply cannot have a business that allows itself to be used to promote “social justice” when that promotion of social justice requires displays of anti-Americanism, however you want to define it. <<

Limbaugh's take on it is spot on. How did the NFL not see this coming? Really, when you step back and think about it, and especially given the NFL's fan base, protesting during the National Anthem is probably the one thing that would have created this much of an uproar. If players had knelt in a moment of silence or something at the conclusion of a game, or worn tshirts during the press conference after the game, I even think that would have glossed over by much of the public, even though the public doesn't want to be smacked in the face by politics at all turns.

So, why did the NFL take the position it did? What was their thought process? How did they say to themselves "allowing anti-American protesting is going to be good for the league, or at worst neutral"? Or do they just think so little of their audience that they can do anything and people's demand for the product won't waiver? Surely that can't be the case given some prior decisions.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298807)

That said, Trump didn't need to throw gasoline on this fire

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298880)

Constant appeasement of anti-American sentiment corrodes the unity upon which this country was built.

You can argue and bitch and moan about race, health care, gay marriage, taxes, war, etc., but even though we disagree on those issues, we all like to think that each side truly loves the country and wants what's best for it.

Trump has put a HUGE spotlight on liberals with this.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298893)

not that that excuses the people taking the bait

----------------------

I don't disagree that this is probably good politics for Trump

but the country is bigger than Trump

If giving credence to the BLM narrative is good politics for the democrats, that doesn't excuse it for them either

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298955)

That's just more appeasement.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298963)

was he appeasing anti-American sentiment then?

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when a President speaks, subtle distinctions matter

"stop with this divisive protesting of the national anthem of all things" is different than "They should be fired, and you should boycott them"

just like they did when Obama commented on Trayvon

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299036)

its hard to see how Trump throwing gasoline on this fire improved the country he got elected to run

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298892)

Trump is shining a spotlight on them, and mobilizing massive opposition to them.

That improves the country in the long term, even if it does result in more tumult in the short term.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298909)

>> RUSH: Wasn’t President Trump called a white supremacist and a racist and a bunch of other horrible things by an ESPN announcer? He was. And, course, the White House press secretary said that’s a fireable offence, but ESPN said, “No, it’s not! We’re not political,” and they did some sort of suspension thing, or they didn’t do some suspension thing. They didn’t do anything. And the left rallied around. Her name is Jemele Hill.

Where were the NFL owners then? Where were the NFL owners then, upset and protesting divisive comments, divisive comments — as though what the players are doing, disrespecting the flag, taking a knee, that’s not divisive? You see, in the universe of the left, nothing they do that tears down is ever divisive. Ever. Disagreeing with them is what becomes divisive. It all started, I believe — I really do. <<

That's pretty important. The left NEVER thinks anything it does is divisive. They think they have the moral authority on EVERY issue.

From that standpoint, why can't we view this as Trump saying "stop with this divisive protesting of the national anthem of all things"? What's divisive, and what started this mess, was a bunch of attention-seeking babies protesting the anthem in the first place.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298948)

leadership obv not expected of individual NFL literal niggerfaggots

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299019)

WTF this is such a terrible analogy

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34298895)

i think if the players did something before games or after games, nobody would really care.

likewise, if Tim Tebow opted out of standing with his team during the national anthem and chose to pray in the locker room instead, i think a lot of people would take issue with it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299018)

point is in both cases potus is urging sum1 fired 4 perceived disruptive behavior

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299032)

if Trump had merely said "we should all be respectful of the national anthem, and although we all have the right to protest it should be done during a more respectful time", the media absolutely would have ran with it. people would have said Trump was silencing blacks and that he was racist.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299104)

it's the left that was looking for attention, and it's the left that was looking to make this an issue, not Trump. my personal opinion is that they would have reacted similarly if his statement were toned down.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299192)

that makes is more imperative that whatever he says makes them look more ridiculous if they make an issues out of it, and more defensible by his defenders

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The 'trying to get people fired who upset us' is one of the worst things the left does, to see him copy it, idk, I think that's bad

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299266)

Stop being a cuck. That "principled" stance has only led to decades of losing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299345)

Trumptards?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299008)

http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&mc=12&forum_id=2#34298909

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299022)

only enables trump to move to the left himself by distracting his supporters from the things they actually care about. like the wall, trade etc.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299056)

I support Trump 100% in his cultural battles, just as I oppose him 100% in his efforts to introduce a terrible tax plan and amnesty. He's campaigning for Strange and I hope he loses big time to Moore.

But you've introduced a red herring. He's spot on here.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299158)

But someone passed a link that said he was considering amnesty for 5 million people. The DACA kids and their parents. Personally, I don't understand why he publicly says one word of support for "helping" the DACA people when Dems publicly say they won't give Trump any immigration concessions.

I agree it is still premature and he may not give any amnesty. But don't be so sure it's not coming down the line. Trump has been uncharacteristically weak here.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299274)

That being said, seeing politics harm the NFL fucking blows. I know libs picked this fight, and I don't hate Trump for calling this cancer out for what it is, but I hate to see what it is doing to the NFL. People are fucking MAF about these flag protests - core fan supporters lifelong season ticket holder people. It sucks, it's like doing battle on your own soil - while victories are nice, razing our lands really sucks. it seems to me that this is going to be an issue for the NFL for a long time.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299105)

If the media loses money that they spent on rights fees, they deserve it even more

but this sucks for our country, it especially sucks that this has largely broken along racial lines

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299173)

is someone going somewhere?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299196)

It started during the 2016 election, when Trump's slogan was Make America Great Again! You'll notice that he intentionally made no reference to race.

But the liberal reaction was to label him a white supremacist. I saw countless liberal articles characterizing his slogan as "Make (White) America Great Again!"

This tactic worked, and many minorities now believe it. With this barrier crossed, it's very easy for everything to break down among racial lines. Standing for the national anthem is no more American than Making America Great Again is. Instead, it's a tool of white supremacy.

I don't like it, but this is the world that liberals have created for us. As I told you, better get used to it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299230)

The protest is a sham, they are protesting against nobody for the purpose of agitating.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299328)

i totally agree with you, but again, that's a fault of the left.

the left has decided to politicize the NFL with this issue.

the left has decided to choose the national anthem of all things as their vehicle for protest.

the left, instead of addressing police brutality as an issue, which many people agree with, has decided to make that issue racial, even though stats show that killings by police are consistent across # of interactions with police and aren't really motivated by race.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299209)

Thus, to fold to the whims of whatever lefty cause is being protested and compromise on such a fundamental ideological level is totally unacceptable to people who have bought this brand and what they previously stood for.

To state the obvious: the US National Anthem is played at the beginning of a football game as a salute to the US military, past and present. At the games, they announce over the PA "please stand to salute our men and women in uniform" - there are almost always soldiers present for the national anthem and often a military flyover. These assholes can say whatever they want, it's not complicated, the entire point of their protest is to disrespect US military personnel to bring attention to fucking God knows what. The very act of it being so distasteful is the point: this is a way to garner attention (for some sort of unintelligible cause - it was something about inequality, not it appears to be against Trump?).

It is unbelievable that the NFL has not put an end to this, or that it was even allowed to get to this point.

The fact that arguing with your girlfriend (and breaking no laws in the process) carries a 6 game suspension but conduct taken, in uniform, at a game, that is this distasteful and disrespectful is condoned by the league is ludicrous.

I hope Godell and everyone else in the league offices who had a hand in allowing this top happen gets canned foe this.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34299463)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34302688)

meanwhile trump continues 2 send chads 2 die in afghanistan while boomers raep fisc at home

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34302950)

*burns Baltimore to the ground"

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#34303000)

he's wrong that the military-industrial complex isn't still the biggest threat. he doesn't want to focus on that because israel

so it's really GC/trump/(((shapiro))) who are all distracting xo tards

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3744365&forum_id=2#38312136)