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An independent journalist, Jonathan M. Katz, wanted more information about the story of the migrant who representative Katie Britt said had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at age 12. "She told me not just that she was raped every day, but how many times a day she was raped."

BRITT: "We wouldn’t be OK with this happening in a third-world country. This is the United States of America, and it’s past time we start acting like it. President Biden’s border crisis is a disgrace. It’s despicable. And it’s almost entirely preventable."

There's no way to interpret this other than that this young girl was raped on American soil. Clearly, Britt was connecting president Biden to these crimes, blaming him.

Katz investigated and found that Britt, on a visit to the Del Rio Sector last January with Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, spoke with the girl, Karla Jacinto Romero.

These crimes didn't take place in the United States or even near the border. They took place in Mexico between 2004 and 2008 during the Bush administration. And Jacinto Romero testified before Congress in 2015 about her ordeal.

Now, there's your big lie.

And here's a follow-up question: why did it take an independent journalist to investigate this lie rather then the deep-pocketed NY Times, Washington Post or WSJ?

https://www.rawstory.com/katie-britt-out-and-out-l...

In the very same vein of not just bad journalism about rape and sexual violence but demonstrably FALSE journalism about rape and sexual violence as weapons of war, there was important news about reporting in Gaza since the October attacks by Hamas on Israel.

The New York Times published a story on 12/28/2023 with results of its investigation into allegations of systemic rape in the course of the Hamas attack on Israel in October.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/world/middleeas...

Prior reports from October and November from the NYT and other outlets had cited extensive evidence provided by the Israeli army of the allegations. This 12/28 report eliminated any reference to that evidence but nonetheless stated that the charges were supported by multiple eyewitness accounts.

A story published by The Intercept shredded the integrity of the entire NYT piece.

https://theintercept.com/2024/02/28/new-york-times...

A partial list of items documented by the piece in The Intercept:

* the eyewitness to the rape of the girl at the outdoor concert explicitly said the men involved were CIVILIANS attending the concert, not Hamas actors who swept in during the attack
* the family of one girl cited as being raped in an October 7 story explicitly DENIED she could have been raped between the four minutes of hearing the initial attack and receiving a tweet she had been killed
* the NYT story was viewed with such suspicion internally that its own internal team that recycles NYT stories into podcast content refused to use the story
* while the lead writer of the original story, Jeffrey Gettleman, is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, co-author Anat Schwartz had no background in reporting whatsoever
* Anat Schwartz was hardly unbiased, she had recently commented on social media that the Gaza strip should be turned into a slaughterhouse
* Anat Schwartz herself confirmed in an interview in January she had been unable to find a SINGLE report of any rape at any hospital, women's clinics, rape crisis centers, etc. - she then reverted to eyewitness accounts
* none of the eyewitness accounts she subsequently used could be independently verified
* the third "journalist" assisting with the piece, Adam Sella, primarily writes free lance stories on food - he's also the nephew of Anat Schwartz's partner
* as the NYT article was being crafted, its editor was jousting with its standards department to relax prior guidance that Hamas be referred to as the governing body in Gaza rather than a terrorist organization - this was viewed as an effort by the NYT to avoid being viewed as wishy washy on Israel

Rebecca Watson posted a good overview of this story of journalism as propaganda on YouTube that I highly recommend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dM7uzyYMuE

It's worth it just for how she closes her commentary. If you have lost faith in the New York Times, fear not. They have launched a full investigation... to find out which staffers leaked the newsroom debates to the Intercept...


WTH

Me: Britt, on a visit to the Del Rio Sector last January...

A few clarifications and a link.

First, for those who are unaware, Katie Britt gave the republican State of the Union rebuttal (and has been panned by republicans and democrats for her theatrical performance).

Second, Britt is a senator, not a representative.

Third, the Del Rio Sector is in Texas.

Fourth, here's the complete explanation by Katz detailing the lie: https://twitter.com/NickKnudsenUS/status/176630857...

Fifth, Britt's spokesperson issued a statement that did not dispute any of Katz's facts.

That analysis by Jonathan Katz is worth watching for everyone. It shows how little fact-checking the media is doing before repeating BLATENTLY false or completely out-of-context information that is being shared to intentionally mislead people.

As he illustrates, a lie this dumb can be untangled with just a couple of SECONDS of thought.

You say you spoke to a WOMAN...? (okay, we presume she's over 18)

...who said she was raped systemically since the age of 12...? (okay, that's at least 6 years so what you are talking about pre-dates the current Administration)

And just that quickly, the lie begins to unfold.


WTH

It shows how little fact-checking the media is doing before repeating BLATENTLY false or completely out-of-context information that is being shared to intentionally mislead people.

Katie Britt’s false linkage of a sex-trafficking case to Joe Biden

 

[long elucidation of speech, history, language, logic]

The Pinocchio Test  

In a high-profile speech like this, a politician should not mislead voters with
 emotionally charged language. Romero’s story is tragic and may be evocative 
of other Mexican girls trapped in the sex trade in that country. But she was
 not trafficked across the border — and her story has nothing to do with
 Biden. Britt’s failure to make that clear earns her Four Pinocchios.
 
Four Pinocchios    

In a high-profile speech like this, a politician should not mislead voters with
emotionally charged language. Romero’s story is tragic and may be evocative
of other Mexican girls trapped in the sex trade in that country. But she was
not trafficked across the border — and her story has nothing to do with
Biden. Britt’s failure to make that clear earns her Four Pinocchios.

But here's the problem...how many Trumpers will ever hear the facts? Liars like Britt know they'll probably never have to worry about their base figuring it out. It will remain in their minds something that is Biden's fault.

But here's the problem...how many Trumpers will ever hear the facts? Liars like Britt know they'll probably never have to worry about their base figuring it out.

I see the problem somewhat differently, given my consistent experiences with the Trumpers on this board when the facts are presented that clearly identify the blatant lies of Trump and his allies. Most of them sneer at the facts and sneer at those of us who believe the facts. And continue to cling to the lies-as-truth that bind the cult.

cling to the lies-as-truth that bind the cult

MAGA: "The Lies That Bind"

MAGA: "The Lies That Bind"

Great tagline!

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