This morning Rachel Martin had an “interview” with T-Rump’s latest addition to his cabal of fascists: Peter Navarro. Tapped to lead the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy created by executive order on T-Rump’s 100th day in office he is everything you’d expect in a T-Rump appointee. I put the quotes around interview because it is painfully obvious the only preparation Martin did for the piece was memorize the script given to her by the White House. For example, when Navarro spews this gem
Navarro concedes that "demographics and automation are part of the puzzle." But he insists that "the biggest piece of the action is the unfair trade practices and bad trade deals. And if you don't believe that, just go to the booming factories in Germany, in Japan, in Korea, in China, in Malaysia, in Vietnam, in Indonesia, in Italy — every place that we're running deficits with."
She doesn’t ask the obvious question, “How many of those countries are making Trump branded products? Like Ivanka’s clothing or Donald’s ties? Isn’t he guilty of sending jobs oversees?” No, she just ignores the elephant droppings and moves on to the next pre-planned talking point. And soon we’re to the nadir.
The Trump administration has launched investigations into rising steel and aluminum imports, using a 1960’s-era law that's designed to protect domestic industries considered critical for national defense. Depending on what those investigations find, the administration could order new tariffs or import quotas.
Unlike former President Dwight Eisenhower, who famously cautioned against the rise of the "military-industrial complex," Navarro and Trump see the military and industry as natural partners.
This, boys and girls, is the gateway to fascism — industry and the military working hand in hand to maximize profits. And NPR didn’t blink, didn’t offer a single rebuttal to any of the ridiculous claims made by Navarro, they gave him a platform to spew the White House’s rhetoric and tacitly approved of it. All of it, the whole stinking, warmongering, isolationist, pile of crud. Congratulations, NPR, you’ve found a lower rung on the journalistic ladder of shame!