Psssst...

[WilliamPitt]

Last edited Fri Dec 21, 2012, 08:46 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm about to unplug from this fucked week of unending bullshit, but before I do, a parting thought.

The problem isn't that there are so many demonstrably deranged opinions being bandied about. This is America; deranged opinions are our birthright, and are absolutely due to any and all who wish to espouse them.

The problem is that our so-called "news" media bends over backwards to treat deranged opinions as legitimate and worthy of consideration at the highest levels of national discourse, all in the name of "balance," which ultimately scrambles the entire process and bogs everything down.

Deranged opinions are part of the American experience...but once upon a time, having rational people in media like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite breaking deranged opinions over their knee was also part of the American experience.

"Balance" ain't balanced, as currently constituted. "Balance" as currently constituted is the massive aggrandizement of outrageous, violent, dangerous, greedy, power-mad fascist bullshit so as to avoid having your complaints department flooded with calls from people demanding that giant laser space frisbees be installed in elementary schools to vaporize anyone who thinks there might be too many guns in the neighborhood.

Probably we should do better and stuff.

Happy Apocalypse Not Friday. Fuck these people, and anyone who empowers them. Res ipsa loquitor.

[RomneyLies]

1. K&R n/t

[reflection]

2. Excellent rant!

Have a great weekend!

[spanone]

3. the media must really go out of their way to find the crazies....

i hope these people weren't at the mall today.

[AndyA]

4. I'd truly love to see commentary marked as COMMENTARY on the screen

That way, those who really aren't paying attention won't mistake it for news.

(Guess Faux News could just leave the "Commentary" up all the time...)

[Gregorian]

5. The press is there to make the powerful think twice before trying to bs the people.

Darn it, there's a great line in a movie that was so perfect. I just can't remember it.

So a person who just cares about money happens to own 51% controlling interest in a gun manufacturing company, AND 51% controlling interest in a broadcasting company. The rest is history.

This is what we look like without our 4th Estate. Pathetic. Weak.

[WilliamPitt]

6. You are thinking of 'Inherit the Wind.'

"The role of the press is to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable." - Gene Kelly, in his finest role.

Just a guess.

[11 Bravo]

8. And Spencer Tracy was absolutely brilliant! God, I love that movie.

Happy Holidays, Will.

[WilliamPitt]

9. Same to you, old friend.

[Gregorian]

16. Yes! Thank yoo.

I've been wanting to hear that line for quite a while now. I loved it then, and I love it now.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. When Murrow and his 'boys' ran the news, the news dept was separated from the rest of the network.

Maybe I'm romanticizing the degree of how hands-off the relationship was but the lack of such at least philosophical separation over the last 2-3 decades seems to coincide with this whole 'balance' bullshit.

[annabanana]

10. Thanks, and have a nice weekend. . . .n/t

[Harriety]

11. Yeah. I'm with you.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. Probably we should do better, indeed.

But how?

So far my idealistic approach of writing letters/emails has had less than zero effect. I've been at this for almost a decade. It's not as if I'm asking for so much either. Just honest fact based reporting. That's all I want.

I'm getting battle weary and ragged around the edges of my soul at this point.

What will work, does any one have a better idea of how to actually motivate some change.

[frylock]

13. happy holidays, dood

[nolabear]

14. Righteous. Happy Festivus, WP.

[Skittles]

15. BINGO

I am tired of the paranoid and deranged and fearful and ignorant being treated as mainstream; *ENOUGH!*

[malaise]

17. Enjoy the Holidays WilliamPitt

[AntiFascist]

18. But... haven't we been saved by jello pudding?? n/t

[ReRe]

19. If I didn't know any better...

K&R

... I'd think you was my twin brother that my Mum didn't tell me about.
You have a great Christmas, Will. We'll be here right when you get back.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Yeah. James Dobson comes out with his typical RW fundy flatulence, blaming school shootings

On Gays and Church State separation- a time-honored tradition since well before Jerry Falwell wagged his finger (and Pat Robertson nodded sagely in agreement) at the tv camera about 9-11, and "you pagans, feminists, gays and lesbians- you helped this happen"

...so why the fuck does the media treat this like its a "serious" opinion worthy of coverage and airtime? Yes, I'd like to blame the Connecticut shooting on frozen waffles and the commercialization of Arbor Day. Sure, why not?