Letters to the Editor
Reilly
Published Letters: 250
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WT @ "...and whenever those out of kilter a bit are excluded from that aggregation, the consensus tends to be too narrow to defend itself against events, ..."
[Read the article: NYT circulates fear-mongering claims on FISA debate]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A while back, I heard Thom Hartmann referencing a study of the animal kingdom about that very point. I just tried to dig it up to no avail, but if I'm remembering right, it was a study of the survival rates of animal species that chased off or killed the members of their group that exhibited non-conformist behavior (little group interaction, staying on the fringe of the group, etc.) with species that allowed them to remain. The group survival rate was much higher in the latter group and the studies' conclusion was that the fringe individuals were the ones most likely to be the first to recognize and react to threats to the group.
I don't know whether you're familiar with this study but you just summed it up brilliantly.
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Here's another outrageous example
[Read the article: Longtime reporter: "Bloggers have taught me a lesson" about dependency on sources]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]From Bob Somerby at The Daily Howler, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2004:
TED AND COLIN, SITTIN’ IN A TREE: Ted Koppel had purchased his latest fast car. And he wanted to show this new “baby” off. And then he had it! He knew what he’d do! He’d show it off to one of the world’s most powerful men—one of the men he allegedly “covers.” Indeed, we’ll let Colin Powell take the story from there. Powell was speaking at a roast Thursday night. His remarks were transcribed and presented in Saturday’s Post. Every American should read them and ponder their meaning:
POWELL (10/14/04): Every couple of years, Ted will come by my house on the spur of the moment and we'll sit in the back yard and have a cup of coffee. And he's usually driving one of his hot cars. He always has a fast car of some kind. And so about, oh, four or five years ago, he came by the house and he had this real muscle car, and after we had a cup of coffee and chatted for a while, he says, “You've got to take it out and drive it, Colin. You've just got to drive this thing. I want you to feel that power.”
I said, “Okay, Ted. You want to go with me?”
“No, you go. I'll just wait right here in front of the house.”
And so I go out and up 123 in McLean. I will not tell anyone how fast I was going by the time I hit the CIA turnoff, but it didn't take me long to get there. And I came back around, pulled up in front of my driveway, and felt something go boom. And I got out of the car and the right rear tire was flat. There must have been about two inches of air left in it.
I said, “Oh, my gosh, Ted. I'm so sorry. I messed up your car.”
And he comes back, “Oh, it's okay, it's okay. I've got to go now.”
So I went to the back of the car and I looked at the tire. There was no tread on it. The wires were coming through. This guy had sent me out to speed up and down 123 with this car that had no tires on it. And I said, “Ted, how much are they paying you at ABC, man? Surely you can do better than this.”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Everyone laughed at the fatuous story, because the tale had been told by a powerful man. And by the way, in answer to Powell’s question, how much are they paying Koppel at ABC? They’re paying him millions of dollars—and he makes a joke of his responsibilities by driving around in his fast muscle cars, playing best buddy with the powerful people whom he allegedly “covers.”
Leave aside the embarrassing spectacle of Ted Koppel, alleged grown man, showing off his latest fast car. Some little people just never grow up, and Koppel may be one of their number. But couldn’t Koppel have had the decency—sorry, let’s say it; the personal integrity—to drive around and show off his car for someone who isn’t a Bush Admin honcho? Someone he doesn’t allegedly “cover?” For example, would it have killed poor Ted to show off his car for some other vacuous press corps member? To drive it over to Russert’s house and make him pretend to be interested?
http://dailyhowler.com/dh101904.shtml
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-- Denning
[Read the article: Longtime reporter: "Bloggers have taught me a lesson" about dependency on sources]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yeah don't forget that. In fact, if you ever recommend a book to a friend and they really like it, make sure every time you meet that person that you remind them that you're the one who recommended it to them, and say it in a way that they understand that the greatness you demonstrated by your recommendation far exceeds whatever actual value the book itself might have.
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Denning @ "no clue"
[Read the article: Longtime reporter: "Bloggers have taught me a lesson" about dependency on sources]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]That's the most pronounced symptom of their disease, and it's hard to wrap your mind around sometimes. I don't know how long you've been visiting this blog, but if you missed Glenn's audio interviews of Ana Marie Cox, Megan McArdle and Aaron Brown, you should dig through the archives and listen to them. They are case studies of a self-deception that is so profound it's almost painful.
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I'm glad Elephantman brought up Terri Shiavo
[Read the article: Supreme Court restores habeas corpus, strikes down key part of Military Commissions Act]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So we can all remember how much more engaged our media and political machinery were in whether Ms. Shiavo's eyes actually followed the ballon than they were when Bush wiped his dick on the Magna Carta and our Constitution simultaneously.