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• Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:36 AM

  Glenn

  Of course I recognize the open nature of GE's relationship with NBC as compared to the somewhat more covert nature of McCaffery's unethical associations and actions. I say "somewhat more" covert because in fact, as you point out, McCaffery's various shenanigans have been reported on in the past. Which demonstrates why GE bought NBC instead of The Nation or New Yorker: a huge slice of the populace -- especially those who remember Cronkite, Huntley, Brinkley et al. -- take network news at face value and are happy to be relieved by the networks' legendary claim to legitimacy of having to question, analyze, compare or in general use their brains. More thoughtful publications, again as you pointed out, don't have the readership; they're widely suspected of being subversive at worst and are at least certainly inimical to the American Barcalounger Comfort Zone.

  So no, I never doubted you were aware of the GE/NBC connection. I was only chiding gently at the outrage in your tone. GE bought NBC because it's a handy and effective mouthpiece -- and they will fail to disclose whatever they feel they can get away with failing to disclose in their goal of promoting war or whatever other enterprise they feel can be turned to a profit. Didn't we all already know that?

  —Jim Read Jim's other letters
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