America’s new Voice of Deception by Barry Rosenbaum

Another pillar of America’s leadership in the world has crumbled. As reported on May 7th in The Guardian: “A hard-right, Trump-supporting US news network that perpetuated conspiracy theories about the 2020 election will provide news coverage for Voice of America (VoA).” That hard-right “news” network is One America News (OAN). Known for its pro-Trump content, OAN employed the alt-right theorist Jack Posobiec as a political correspondent from 2018 to 2021. OAN has been the spreader of such stories as the readily debunked claim that Michael Cohen had an affair with adult film star Stormey Daniels; that Dominion Voting Systems had software glitches that caused the 2020 vote to change in Biden’s favor in Georgia and Michigan; and that Russia does not pose a serious risk to the United States. VoA will now become a purveyor of propaganda that will rival that of Russia and China. We are in a race to the bottom. Rather than being a light of truth to the world, we have become a harbinger of darkness.

What makes this officially sanctioned manipulation of the truth all the more distressing is VoA’s ground-breaking history. It is the oldest U.S. international broadcaster, established in 1942 during World War II to serve as an anti-propaganda tool against Nazi disinformation. Before its current dismantling, as the largest such broadcaster, it produced digital, TV, and radio content in 48 languages around the world. This March, in a style typical of authoritarian takeovers, Trump placed almost all of VoA’s employees on administrative leave.  Many broadcasts were left with no choice but to replace news and regular programming with music.

This is only supposed to happen in faraway nations characterized as banana republics. Now, most nations think that the United States has gone bananas! For good reason. These firings were just one of Trump’s actions that flagrantly disregard established law. They reflect an unprecedented expansion of executive power, under the theory that if the president wants to do something, it’s ipso facto lawful. This simplistic theory has frightening ramifications. In normal times, such an abusive exercise of presidential power would have been immediately countermanded by Congress. However, this Congress has abdicated its role.

VoA’s functional demise is emblematic of the swift dismantling of this country’s bedrock principles. In place of our quintessential American rights and freedoms, this administration has already eliminated due process for non-citizens, weakened sexual and reproductive rights, undermined press freedom, attacked freedom of expression, and disregarded court orders while instead threatening impeachment and arrest of judges. There is no logical stopping point to this tsunami of utter debauchery.

All is not yet lost, but we must continue to push back through whatever lawful and nonviolent means we have at our disposal and within our capability. Each of us needs to take responsibility for doing our part to help slow down and ultimately defeat this metastasizing authoritarianism.

Defiance of Trump’s insanity continues to grow. Indivisible and a coalition of pro-democracy partner organizations announced that NO KINGS Nationwide Day of Defiance will take place on Flag Day, June 14 — the same day as Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C.

Let this day mark another defining moment in the triumph of American democracy over the forces of repression and the seemingly insatiable hunger of the ultra-wealthy for ever-increasing wealth and power.