Carl Bernstein: Today's media; more gossip & trash than news

I agree, BBB. It pains me to see how media companies gloss over a president/prime minister's shortcomings in favour of idiotic reality TV shows, (like 'I'm a Celebrity, get me out of here,') and breasts. A friend of mine from Provence and I were going to set up an Internet radio station that deals with the facts; but that doesn't get through to people like television does. Besides, even if we did have enough money to set up a TV station, people have been acclimed into wanting the stupid and the inane; and don't you Hate how people love to bask in others' misfortunes, misfortunes that they could not stand themselves?

It all annoys me; yet, the powerlessness of someone who wants to read the real issues, and the equal powerlessness of people who want to broadcast them are overwhelmingly saddening.

Re: Georgeob 1


True enough! Instead you started the anti-business, anti-Administration attack. You just don't like to see the same standards applied to those you favor that you so eagerly apply to those you don't like.

Worse, when someone suggests the same ideas can be applied to others ("Why stop with CEOs?") you responded with a foolish and rather childish attempt to intimidate ("I don't want to embarass you for your obvious lack of knowledge..."). In this case you overreached yourself by a good bit.

Your rather shrill defense about imagined attacks on working people are a common enough bit of demagogery - I made no attacks on working people, - only unions - and even there only on some aspects of union behavior. Unions represent a relatively small and rapidly shrinking fraction of American working people. They are a relic of the past.

I'll leave you to your little sandbox. You guys can go on stroking each other and indulging yourselves with common fantasies about big bad companies and the evil administration. However it may be useful to consider briefly how you would go about running the world if they were not on the scene.

dròm_et_rêve
dròm_et_rêve, at least we have the Internet to try to get the true facts out to those who care.

BBB

Um

As you know, I quite enjoy your posts, and you and I normally stand together on most social/political issues, and on most, we'd find ourselves opposed to geroge, often passionately.

But the description above does not at all match my two or so years of debating with george. That experience has been rich and rewarding (though surely moreso for george). Never, even on a single occasion, have I seen him approach any behavior that might be described with the adjective you've used. Opinionated, sure. But also very bright and with a broad and enviable knowledge base. And on three occasions, he's been funny.

Re: Georgeob 1


This is interesting, and as far as I know, rather new in American thinking. The idea, that there is an elite, they only who are capable of running things, while the rest of us, incompetent by temperament and training in such realms are along only for the ride, is a very old and aristocratic assumption. This was this kind of thinking the Enlightenment and events such as the American Revolution attempted to disabuse us of.

Presumably we are being addressed by Sir George Ob, or what other title this august individual has acquired by virtue of his superior capabilities (and birth?). I further assume that lack of such titles in his screen name is a mark of his good humor and amiable character, condescending to mingle with we lesser folk to instruct and guide us in our inadequacies.

The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence and chicanery when convenient. Them that owns-keeps.

At least four!

Yes it is an ad hominem. And for the record trying to get around that by claiming it's the "truth" is absurd.

Perceived truth and ad hominem are not mutually exclusive.

You've been doing this a lot. It's important to remember that it's against the TOS. Your ability to use this site at all is contingient on you ceasing this brand of discussion.

And please spare me the long argument, I've reported it to the mods for them to decide on and don't plan to be involved.

dipthong

gluttial

BBB
Eh?

BBB

How about a vowel? Anybody want to buy a vowel?

Re: dròm_et_rêve


A foreseeable problem with this is that many governments are pushing for increased Internet censorship: when the ball starts rolling, who knows when it will stop?