I learned the truth in 2003

That politics was meant for professionals only

And Op-Ed authors with resumes

Who had an agenda to essay.

The Pulitzer Prizes I never knew

The FAUX News charades that they spewed

Were spent on faces more beautiful

After 8 long years I've learned the truth.

And those of us with ugly ID's

Lacking Teh Credibility

Desperately remain alone

Repenting good links left unknown

That echo through our memories

And call to say "Come dance with me."

And murmur vague obscenities

The Net isn't all it seems

To hopeful teens.

A blogger beset by fancy clowns

Whose links I never could put down

Said prosecute the ones who've served

They oughta get what they deserve.

The rich relationed fat VP

Who found his way to what he needed

With a guarantee of immunity

And no accountability

Is elderly.

Remember those who fought the evil

Battling ideas they thought primaeval

Shrouded in integrity, dubious to you and me

Their financiers will gape at you

In dumb surprise now that payments due

Exceed Accounts Received

In treasury.

To those of us who knew the pain

Of accountability moments that never came

And those whose comments were never seen

Bouncing on the media trampoline.

It was long ago and far away

The world was younger than today

And dreams were all they gave for free

To ugly duckling commenters like you and me.

We all watch the news and when we dare

We imagine futures bereft of despair

Inventing presidents on their own

Who address war crimes very well known

They call to say come vote for me

Forget those sad obscenities

Noted by commenters like you and me

At 00:17.

Respect.

You are perhaps the only high-profile US blogger who regularly wades into the comments. Most others reserve a guarded distance.

That's why I am still here.

GC, email me gazo@dodo.com.au if you wanna chat.

Now back on topic...

Congrats to Glenn and others.

The truth is that "progressive" US bloggers like GG deserve medals of honour, if not high-level official advisory positions, for all the excellent work they have done over the last 8 years.

The real story here is not about McCaffrey or NBC, but how a man like Glenn Greenwald, who obviously hates America, can get hold of private emails from top executives and geniune war heroes.

Let's not be distracted by Greenwald's ridiculous claims - this is a guy who has been clamouring on for years about protecting people's privacy, and now he publicly reveals private emails, which relate to our national security! What a hypocrite!

Clearly, the man has no honour or shame. Therefore we should not stoop to his level by responding to such twisted megalomania.

(/END SARCASM)

All hands are summoned to an urgent meeting.

"Listen up! Someone in this room is a snitch," explains the CEO. "Now, we senior executives here at NBC take our commitments to ethical practices very seriously..."

(snickers in the background)

"Who did that? Who laughed?! Are you the snitch?"

"No, sir, I just had an, um... reflux."

"Hmmnn... OK. As I was saying, a news organization like ours cannot function without some degree of confidentially being assured to the sources we rely on. General Barry McCaffrey, a highly respected expert whose ..."

(more snickers)

"You again?!?"

"Sorry sir. Can I just ask, is it true what Glenn Greenwald wrote? We've all read it by now, you know."

"Listen, that's not the point..."

"But surely it is, sir? I mean, either we take our commitment to ethics seriously or we don't. Which is it?"

How many bad apples does that make on Bush's watch so far???

And as ever, the proof is in the pudding: how many of these "bad apples" have ever been held accountable?

If NBC does not support this sleaze, then they should come out and slap it down fast.

The fact that they do not come out and slap it down PROVES that they support it.

QED.

Same with Bush and his "bad intelligence" on WMDs, or his "bad apples" at Abu Ghraib, etc etc. Nobody has ever been held accountable because it was all sanctioned at the top level.

The proof is in the pudding, and the rotting, stinking, 8-years-old putrid pile of pudding is totally inedible because of all the bad apples in the mix.

Glenn, you are a smart boy. You have documented time and time again how the US media and government agencies play this game. And more power to you, sir. You deserve a medal, you and many other fine bloggers like Atrios and Juan Cole.

But when does it come time to draw some hard and fast conclusions about the real state of Us media and government? Are you going to keep documenting one case (like this) after another, until...? I fear that your work may never end!

But if you draw some hard and fast conclusions - if you say, for instance, that both the corporate media and the government itself have become tools of the wealthy elite - then your credibility is forever damaged.

The knives will be out, and you will spend the rest of your days defending yourself against countless attacks for stating just such a simple truth. Critics will repeat your words ad infinitum, in or out of context, and their readers will write you off without a second thought.

Crazy! Un-American! Unhinged!

...

When do WE get a turn? When do those of us who cling to truth and justice get our own think tanks, our own newspapers, our own benevolent billionaire patrons?

Never.