Letters to the Editor
Reilly
Published Letters: 93
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Klein's "precints"
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I never read Klein's blog so I'm not familiar enough with his phrasing and choice of words to make any definitive connection, but besides the other more overt points, I thought Klein's use of the word "precint" was an obvious tell, as I believe Glenn had used that word just the other day refering to various right-wing sites. It may be that Klein and others often use that particular word in that particular way, but it did catch my attention.
As far as this not being "overwhelmingly important", well no in the great scheme of things, it's not. But let me offer this: I have heard it speculated many times over the last few years that the reason the Bush administration gets away with so much deceit is because people have become desensitized by the sheer volume of their lies. For me and I'm sure many others, this torrent has had the opposite effect - we have become hypersensitized. If you're walking down the street and someone brushes you with their coat or purse, it is hardly even conciously noted, but if you have just been bumped into five times in two blocks, the brush of a coat becomes quite an affront.
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Self-infatuation - the disease of the Serious must be contagious
[Read the article: Mike McConnell's clear explanation of FISA]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Glenn writes:
"Instead, we have self-proclaimed "experts" like the Brookings Institutions' Benjamin Wittes trying to show how smart and thoughtful and knowledgeable he is (and explicitly describing himself this way) by writing in The New Republic articles claiming that these matters are far too complicated for even the most thoughtful experts (like him) to understand, let alone the hordes of simpletons acting as though they know Bush did anything wrong here by breaking the law."
Joe Klein in Jan. 2006 in an interview with Rory O'Connor
(http://www.roryoconnor.org/blog/index.php?p=155:
Asked for an example, Klein says, “The notion of calling it wiretapping is questionable, I think, although I’m still not entirely sure.
“People like me who favor this program don’t yet know enough about it yet,” he says, “Those opposed to it know even less – and certainly less than I do.”
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Re:Corporate Media Control
[Read the article: Gloria Borger & the media's reverence for Karl Rove]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Glenn,
I've run across the 'corporate masters' argument many times in personal discussions and the most troubling thing about it is the self-assured nature of the delivery, as if to say; "That's just the way it is", and as if it should be followed with a resounding 'DUH!' to emphasize its' obvious and incontrovertible rightness. Unfortunately, it signals the end of thoughtful investigation. Any time analysis is stopped with those kinds of bold, generalized pronouncements the subleties and nuances that are much more likely to drive individual behavior go unexamined.
On Wednesday, in a rare moment of honesty, Chris Matthews, in discussing Bush's failure during Katrina said this:
MATTHEWS: "I always say the fish rots from the top, and I mean that. I mean... I watch people dress like the boss, behave like the boss, end up talking like the boss."
If you've ever been exposed to the upper hierarchy of any corporation, you have seen this dynamic in action. They drink the same wines, watch the same television programs, use the same phrases. That isn't coercion from above - it's individual weakness and groupthink. And Matthews, without knowing it, was describing the exact dynamic that is on display practically every time he assembles a panel.
There are of course other factors, but I think the sociological factors may be the most important - and damning. After all, if the shots were actually being called by some manipulative, totalitarian, puppet-master, these 'journalists' would in essence be victims. That's not the case. Their decisions and ability to rise above sociological pressures is their responsibility and to the extent that they don't do that they should be held to account. It may not matter a damn if the Director of an credit card corporation plays that fit-in-at-all-costs game, but it does matter in the media because it ends up polluting and skewing our discourse.
As far as the MSNBC memo, yes that is direct corporate interference and clearly someone was troubled enough to leak it. Amy Goodman, to her credit, brought up that memo on an appearance (sometime this past year) at which time Matthews denied having any knowledge of it - an all but certain impossibility. Should we believe that a producer was demanding Matthews play dumb and issuing threats into his earpiece, or was it simply Matthews showcasing, once again, his appalling lack of character and honesty?
One note regarding Mr. Harold's remark about 'monopoly capaitalism'. He is absolutely right, we are practicing monopoly capitalism in this country and the difference between that and 'free market' capitalism is vast. There are several reasons the distinction won't be discussed anytime soon by our media: a)many of them aren't bright enough to understand it, b)many of them are too lazy to care, c)of those who could get past the first two obstacles, few could move beyond their conditioning to treat it as anything but heresay, and d)any competent spokesperson, say Ravi Batra, if he were invited to discuss it, would probably be belittled and mocked and his arguments, rather than being explored, would be made to seem 'fringe' and 'extreme' and the whole process would simply be used to further cement the conventional wisdom. And none of this would need the slightest bit of urging from anyone in the corporate suites.
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This: "Instead, we got a lot of sophistry about "Islamofascism" and other Aquinas-like attempts to make 99 virgins dance on the head of a Baathist."
[Read the article: The real lessons of 9/11]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Should read "Instead, we got a lot of sophistry about "Islamofascism" and other Aquinas-like attempts to make 99 virgins dance on the head of a Baathist and wipe their menstrual blood on him."