WELL THAT'S CERTAINLY AN APPROPRIATE WORD FOR IT
The much-ballyhoo'd, yet sure to be ignored Iraq Study Group apparently reports that the situation in Iraq is "grave." "Grave and deteriorating," as well as "grave and dangerous."
No shit.
So what do they suggest? Well, according to the article from AP:
Meanwhile, according to the article, "the report was obtained by The Associated Press." So A.P. has it, yet no one can tell the American people what it says? And my question is "why not?" This report is the worst-kept secret since Kruschev's "Secret Speech," yet the charade, this leaking and hinting of snippets of information continues. As if the report contains some classified strategy directives.
Please. Members of the mainstream press get exclusive access to the White House, ask softball questions, and then claim they can't share with us the rare doses of actual information they learn. They're complicit in this disaster.
When we look back from the perch of history to understand how this nightmare happened, we'll need to remember to include the press along with Congress and, of course, the Administration.
No shit.
So what do they suggest? Well, according to the article from AP:
"There is no magic formula," the Iraq Study Group's report said, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the study had not yet been released.Not yet released? What is this, a goddamn movie? Are they waiting to see what the preview audiences say? Maybe have to trim a few minutes from the final scene?
Meanwhile, according to the article, "the report was obtained by The Associated Press." So A.P. has it, yet no one can tell the American people what it says? And my question is "why not?" This report is the worst-kept secret since Kruschev's "Secret Speech," yet the charade, this leaking and hinting of snippets of information continues. As if the report contains some classified strategy directives.
Please. Members of the mainstream press get exclusive access to the White House, ask softball questions, and then claim they can't share with us the rare doses of actual information they learn. They're complicit in this disaster.
When we look back from the perch of history to understand how this nightmare happened, we'll need to remember to include the press along with Congress and, of course, the Administration.
posted by Mike at 8:39 AM
8 Comments:
The only way to stop the insanity is to shut off the flow of luchre.
We are powerless to that.
This thing has to burn itself out, unfortunately, its fueled by Iraqi lives and the US economy.
I can't even joke about it anymore. Seriously. The whole thing gets me too upset.
I didn't intend to make a joke.
Our government is awash in bribe money that starts as war funding, gets funneled through wartime contracts, and makes its way back to K-Street lobbyists.
And its mostly legal.
If it were a "Real Crime" to lobby as its done today, then our representatives might have an additional reason to turn the money down and ignore it. Most lobbyists would be forced out of business.
But Congress over the years have passed brbery friendly lobbying laws, that make accepting money from lobbyists legal in many forms. So they are left with greed fighting against their ethics. When the numbers get big, I can understand that this fight will be lost in small stages until the ethics are lost.
Its the death of a thousand cuts.
And after a short while, the compromisize is complete.
And so K-Street keeps paying, to keep the war going.
Until our representatives feel a compulsion to the end the war, that exceeds their temptation to accept a few hundred thousand more dollars in lobbying funds, this war will continue.
I didn't intend to make a joke.
I know. I was talking about my inability to come back with smething witty (as if anyone but me expects that!)
we'll need to remember to include the press
They're more than passively complicit. They seem to take joy in toting water for the perceived Alpha Dogs in the GOP and in heaping scorn on serious-minded critics who are acting in good faith. It's Chris Matthews Syndrome. He's the poster child for the behavior that has corrupted our discourse. Yes, you can point to FOX, but the thing about FOX is we know they're hacks and they know they're hacks. Guys like Matthews who pose as being "independent" are the ones who really skew the discourse sour.
Its the death of a thousand cuts.
True.
you can point to FOX, but the thing about FOX is we know they're hacks and they know they're hacks. Guys like Matthews who pose as being "independent" are the ones who really skew the discourse sour.
That's a good point. I've long felt that Americans weird insistence that the press be "objective" is both weird and wrong: there's nothing wrong with partisanship in the press, and in a way it's expectable and it's fine.
The problems arrive when the press -- partisan, as always -- pretends to be playing a neutral, "objective" middle ground, leading the audience to think it's getting the straight scoop.
A straight scoop that doesn't exist, and probably shouldn't.
Much as I hate the NY Post, I "like it more" than the Times. At least it admits that it's an organ of a political party. The Times pretends it's not the official voice of the mainstream Democratic Party, even though it is.
If it is, what's wrong with that? Why pretend otherwise?
We used to have two major newspapers in Dallas.
'The Dallas Morning News' and 'The Dallas Times Herald'.
They competed and tried to show a side of the story that the other didn't they tried to scoop each other on fact finding. They competed.
Then the former bought the latter.
Now The Dallas Morning News reprints whatever is mass produced and prints 'feelings'. They made a fundamental change in direction as soon as they lost their competition.
I was in Dallas about 3 years ago for work. I remember reading the local paper on the way from the airport. Thought it was decent. Semed like a fairly liberal voice.
Was that pre-merger?
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