I do find it interesting how far DU and DUers are ahead of the curve when it comes to events

[NewHendoLib]

and politics. Today the NYT has a series of Op Eds on "What I got Wrong" - Krugman in inflation, Goldberg on Al Franken, Brooks on capitalism, Stephens on Trump voters, Manjoo on Facebook, etc.

The laughable - and sad - part is that they STILL get it wrong. They still can't escape a trace - or pile - of bothsiderism. Some - like Brooks and Stephens - can't escape from their personal right wing ideology, and they still look for traces that they have things right (and of course, we have things wrong).

After reading a few of these, I am amazed - no, not really - DUers are smart - at how correct we were, and are - and it is just depressing how today's media has to be conflicted by needing to make money from both sides. They are not serving the world well, that's for sure.

And by the way, all the things those folks said they got wrong - DU for the most part got it right.

[mopinko]

1. not infrequent for people to ask me- how do you know all this stuff?

always tell them du.

[Doc Sportello]

2. Paywall so a question

I figure Goldberg is Michelle and Stephens is Bret, but not sure who Brooks is. Could you fill in please? Thanks.

[NewHendoLib]

3. David Brooks - long time Op Ed contributor to the times, and

on PBS Newshour with Shields (formerly) or Capehart on Fridays

[Doc Sportello]

6. I should have known that

He has been horrible and I think Stephens can't help himself sometimes. But I'm still glad they have somewhat seen the error of their ways - in some areas. I've always respected Goldberg and of course Krugman.

[FSogol]

4. None are capable of admitting that they are just bad at their jobs. n/t

[FakeNoose]

5. Their problem (the one we don't have) is their bosses are telling them what to write

Their employers - the big publishers - want to see Repuke slant on everything. If you can't slant it to the Repuke side, then do "both sides" because "we aren't socialists and we don't support the Democrats."

That's the long and the short of it.

Now these big thinkers are trying to save a little bit of face, and they're walking back whatever they can. But it's still not enough. They'll never admit that "my boss made me write that garbage."

[uponit7771]

7. +1, Obama had 4% UE rate, no inflation, high LFPR, Low gas and relative peace and the M$M ...

... were consummate caveats of Obama economy mostly interviewing "real" (aka white male) Americans.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

8. MSM may not be purely fascist but certainly have pro-fascist sympathies...that much is painfully

obvious and more and more in your face anti-voter.

Insurrectionists? Sure, but can’t we just move on…seems to be the general refrain.

Any government wanting to help the people more than the corporations and super rich are seen as obstacles.

[uponit7771]

13. +1,

[Moostache]

12. I reject that the bosses are the sole source of blame...

These writers - and truth be told almost everyone in general - don't do things because they're told to or have to - they do them because they want the rewards offered.

Salary, benefits, security.
Opportunity, advancement, acceptance.

Whatever the "reward" / excuse, the action is justified in the mind of the common person or offender.

Abortion rights is a classic example. Non-action on the left (failure to codify Roe in 2008 or any time prior to repeal) was a leading reason that the right got away with it and repealed the ruling despite massive support across the country for keeping it the law of the land.

Guns is the same. So is education and a myriad of other issues.

Yes, the "rich"/"bosses"/"elites" are contributors and play their roles with aplomb...but it is the collective apathy of the population (many of whom can't be bothered to vote consistently or within their own interest let alone the collective interest that allows the status quo of grid-locked inaction to persist.

Change may be demanded, but not in the way it must be to be achieved. Change, real change, requires a total rejection of the status quo as intolerable before it can affect real movement. We are all that little bit too comfortable to coalesce around the truth of how to really change things.

We seek a gentle solution to savage problems. This disconnect is why many people root for Trump despite his obvious limits and lack of real leadership or talent. Rage begets imprudence and sloth begets loss of autonomy.

In the end, all of us 18 or older bear some responsibility for the current state of affairs. And its because we collectively accept it, whether the "bosses" or "rich" or anyone else is dictating it.

[NewHendoLib]

18. This is a great addition to the thread. Yes, indeed.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. We have spies everywhere. It's several thousand

people reading stuff every day.

[Botany]

10. "DUers are smart" yes we are because we eat Black Krim Tomatoes and we know that Joe Biden is the...

.... best President we could have now and he is doing a great job* but the GOP/the rich own the much of the
media and he has been hammered non stop ever since our withdrawal from Afghanistan and that he is not
responsible for gas prices.



* And he has worked to save these prairie wetlands and that is worth trillions because they recharge the ground water
such as the ogallala aquifer which helps farmers and ranchers across the great plains, the wetlands help to sequester
CO2, provide homes to native plants, pollinators, birds, waterfowl, and insects too.

[MontanaMama]

20. Off topic...

I am growing Black Krims for the first time this year. I am anxiously waiting for them to ripen. Can't wait.

[Moostache]

11. DU - and to be fair other groups as well - have he advantage of the collective wisdom...

On balance, I get a far better feel for the "truth" of the world's situations by reading and incorporating multiple views and takes on issues than I get from myself alone or from any single authority or expert working alone.

It is easy to do retrospective analyses and pinpoint deficiencies in thoughts, beliefs or actions. Its a lot harder to be correct in real time without regulating opinions and opposing views. Its one of the major reasons that we as a nation are struggling so hard to communicate with each other now. The radicalization and balkanization of the media landscape into "Team Red" and "Team Blue" with a perceived chasm between them (real or imagined or ginned up makes no difference) has exacerbated this as well.

Those articles were a good read and good step to getting people to shut up, stop lobbing applause lines at each other and maybe, just maybe think about ways we can all improve in these same dogmatic beliefs or positions. HOWEVER...there is a limit to the potential for positives when one side monopolizes "teh cray-cray" and the other attempts to ignore that or reason with it. Communication is hard work, especially compromise-seeking communication.

If I had the answers, I would have written them into a book and have more money than the upcoming Mega-Millions drawing winner...but anyone should be able to see and appreciate that the current glide path is not going to hit the runway...we are heading for disaster and fighting for the wheel instead of course correcting to safety.

[elleng]

14. Major part of 'collective wisdom' is due to lots of fingers doing the walking,

sorting and classifying!

[kairos12]

15. John Cleese said

the end of the world will be caused by no one ever admitting they are wrong.

[Warpy]

16. Lefties in general tend to get a lot of things right

and that's what makes us to terrifying to the assholes who make up the establishment.

**NSFW** Too much truth for employers.

[LittleGirl]

17. Been my home page for years.

I wouldn’t know anything without DU!

[Pepsidog]

19. I haven't found a site yet that can equal the level of sophistication and insight regarding politics

and other areas that DU offers.

[MontanaMama]

21. I am often asked by friends or family

about something they've heard swirling in the media or elsewhere if I'm seeing anything on DU. It is an incredible resource.

[Hekate]

22. It's why I keep hanging out here