DEAD BROTHERS . . .

I agree. Fox was born because conservatives were sick of getting their news from the liberal slant. So, now both liberals and conservatives are getting political opinion with a little news mixed in. I wish they would all go back to journalism. These days, not only do we get spoonfed an agenda--but, accuracy and retractions are rampant, as well.

Journalism sucks.

I am no apologist for any of them.

Yellow journalism sucks -- I won't throw the blanket over the whole lot. After all, Nixon would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for some industrious and accurate reporting.

Not that I don't think those days are still with us. I believe the conservatives wanted FOX to slant the news even more obtusely than it was ever slanted on network TV. We've gone over this in other forums and I just don't buy their perception of newscasting over the last fifty years. If their had been a FOX when Nixon was in office, does anyone think it would have made a lick of difference in his being caught and resigning? I doubt it.

I think Woodward and Bernstein and Ben Bradlee produced excellent journalism. Bradlee demanded multiple sources and sat on the story until he had it.

I don't care who the ax falls on, if the news is accurate and evenly investigated.

I don't think many newspapers are run like Bradlee ran his paper. Hearst brought yellow journalism into the Twentieth Century, proclaiming he would invent the news if there were no news. I watched Bill Maher last night and as far as editorialized news, he's got his finger on the pulse of America. One of his "New Rules" was to stop showing us the pictures of the brothers. It has gotten out of hand and I'll let you watch the show which is repeated often on HBO or it's on VOD this next week.

LW-- You're on the money about Hearst. He wasn't interested in journalism--and he whored the whole concept.

I will give Maher a look. I think it is another symptom of the degradation of news AND the American public--that we show those pictures.

The 8/18 Nation says in Washington they're calling the latest mess "Wargate."

It should be Iraqgate except the "q" and "g" together do not come trippingly off the tongue like "Irangate." Everytime I see Dubya, he looks more shriviled like the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz." Only I don't think it's water that's been thrown on him.

(The Bird of Paradise has been hovering over the White House for months).

Tartarin
It is relevant to us being in Iraq. But it is not relevant to the theme of this post. Which if I am not mistaken deals with the manner in which the brothers Grim were killed?

Digression: Is anyone having problems posting or staying connected to a2k? I keep getting can not connect messages.

Au--
I couldn't get on (for more than a few minutes) for the past two days. Could get the Home page, but when I tried to get on a thread, it would get stuck on search...

I think I'll say I didn't understand why everyone took such exception to McG sharing he was glad the brothers were dead. I think that's a reasonable emotion.

That has been happening with this server, especially the last few weeks. Craven is likely working on it with them. I've been blocked out several times in the last few weeks with error messages and often have it freeze up when I'm posting a reply. Are you on high speed, au?

Of course, it's reasonable to be glad the brothers are dead. I think may of us are suggesting that if the execution of the Rosenthals was unfair (just as an example), that this "execution" of the brothers was carried out with questionable intentions and to cover up something that may have come out in a trial, i.e. some dealings with the American government and specifically it's secret service dealings in Iraq in the past. It's certainly finis now.

Pretty narrow path you'd like to keep here, I guess, Au, and I assume you're asking me to tread carefully?

Sophia
Even though he goes at times a little overboard IMO he is entitled to express himself in any way he sees fit. At least that is what he should be able to do. I guess that is only true if you follow the thundering herd.

Tartarin
No narrow thread. And it may only be the way I feel. However, the moment the subject of Iraq comes up such as the killing of the brothers. Someone, more than someone will go off on a tangent go through the entire litany of why we are there what Bush did and on and on. Is that necessary? As I said it may only be the way I feel.
I should add it was not directed at you or anyone in particular.

It's the originator of the thread who really as the priority to direct the discussion. If one suggests it's irrelevant commentary and guiding the thread off on a tangent, that's perfectly alright. If you expecting a stampede, run!

Come on, Sofia. You are not that naive.

If you think the disagreement with McG is about the fact that he is glad the brothers are dead -- you simply have not been reading the thread.

But I suspect you have read the thread -- understand what the disagreement is really about -- and decided to under state it so that you could say "I think that is a reasonable emotion" and in effect, trivialize what some of us took exception to.

Do you disagree with me?

Television has had an enormous impact on the quality of journalism in our nation. When only three major networks existed, newscasts were packaged in 15 -- then 30 minute -- broadcasts.

Today, however, the 24/7 news channels are so abundant, much of what we used to think of as commentary is passed off as journalism. It is our responsibility as citizens and voters to get our news from more than one source. Those people who holler the loudest about "bad" reporting have only visited one television network and didn't like what they heard. Had they taken time to surf the networks, the websites and the periodicals, they would have a more "fair and balanced" insight into the issues of the day.

Staying informed is not watching one newscast and maybe the vapid "Hannity and Colmes." The more news programs, websites, and periodicals one visits, the better informed they will be.

The purpose of "real journalism" is to guide and guard the public interest. Our news outlets are sometimes referred to as the fourth branch of government because they serve as the eyes and ears of the public. Thus, I would as soon have "bad" journalism than no journalism at all. Were we to have had no journalism at all, I would not know, among hundreds of other things, what a "Monica Lewinsky" is! Talk about yellow journalism.

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Getting back to the dead brothers Hussein, they have now reached their final resting place on this planet.

Should their murders be judged by an international tribunal with Dubya and Condi Rice as co-defendants? These two are just as ruthless and cunning as the Hussein brothers, though probably not as vicious.

The whole world is watching.