There's blame going round about yesterday's debacle in Congress and rightfully so. Right wing commentators have gone quiet along with some politicians. Hopefully populism has been seen for what it is, a hollow sham masquerading as patriotism. Whipping up a mob to commit violence is nothing new in politics. Rome, London, Paris, all had their mobs at one time or other. What is new is the scale and the way the mob is fed information. Social media amplifies the twin monsters of misinformation and rumor and bears few consequences. In the name of ratings to attract advertising, some news outlets crank up the volume of hysteria and wild conspiracy. Under the banner of freedom of speech, they cultivate the ignorance and emotions of those who have abandoned any critical thinking. Lawsuits are the only fear. The front men sitting in the studio in front of camera or microphone care primarily about their bank accounts. Their feigned concern for individual freedoms and the constitution are just that. One of the worst participants is Rupert Murdoch. Fox News is his baby. It's a cash cow which is all that matters to him. America gave him citizenship, he gave us the American mob.