September 21, 2004
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The Lynching of Dan Rather(update - if you want to email Dan Rather for support here’s the address: evening@cbsnews.com)
Just what we need at this moment 6 weeks out from the election is a big stupid media mistake. I swear I am bordering on becoming a conspiracy theorist, stomping around my house muttering about how the Republicans somehow set this all up to bolster their run to keep the White House. I’m getting the picture that Rather was one of the very few guys in the news business who had any liberal clout, which I actually didn’t know about him before. Read this article for more information from a hopefully nonbiased news source:
The ‘lynching’ of Dan Rather
On British TV, Rather admitted fearing the price of ‘asking questions’
“It’s that fear that keeps journalists from asking the toughest of the tough questions,” the aging American journalist told the British television audience.In June 2002, Dan Rather looked old, defeated, making a confession he dare not speak on American TV about the deadly censorship — and self-censorship — which had seized US newsrooms. After September 11, news on the US tube was bound and gagged. Any reporter who stepped out of line, he said, would be professionally lynched as un-American.
“It’s an obscene comparison,” he said, “but there was a time in South Africa when people would put flaming tires around people’s necks if they dissented. In some ways, the fear is that you will be necklaced here. You will have a flaming tire of lack of patriotism put around your neck.” No US reporter who values his neck or career will “bore in on the tough questions.” Read rest of article here
Deep Thought: I remember one day I was at Grandpa’s farm and I asked him about sex. He sort of smiled and said, “Maybe instead of telling you what sex is, why don’t we go out to the horse pasture and I’ll show you.” So we did, and there on the ground were my parents having sex.
Today I am grateful for: Counting to ten
Guess the Movie: “Bonjour, Papa.” Answer: Breaking Awayy, 1979
Now for the Good News: Polls Today: Kerry/239, Bush/256 From EVP: Of the 16 battleground states, Zogby has Kerry ahead in 11 and Bush ahead in 5. Since I round the numbers to integers, my result is 9 states for Kerry, 5 states for Bush, with Florida, and Arkansas tied, even though Kerry is fractionally ahead in both. The net effect is that Kerry has closed the gap in the electoral college from a Bush lead of 116 yesterday to only 17 today, a net gain of 99 votes in the electoral college. Kerry picked up Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. AND my beloved Oregon has returned to being Strong Kerry.
End of Day – 8:13 pm
+ = The perfect fall day and it’s solstice time.
- = More beheading thanks to Bush today.
Comments (6)
Thanks for the subscription! I like the looks of your blog, and will follow with interest.
Jeff
It makes me ill that Dan Rather is the only one who will stand up to this new american brainwashing. It seems to me that so many people have become brainwashed by W and his power mongers, I hardly expect an original thought from a Bush supporter these days. It astounds me to hear moderately intelligent people repeat the week Bush quotes and propaganda that is freely supported by todays media. The worst part is that when you point out the lack of value in these lines they respond with more of the same drivel.
It really doesn’t surprise me that people are so good at responding to fear, it worked great for the Nazis in Germany and over countless centuries it has been a simple process of convening the people that some unknown someone is the enemy and we should fear them. Sadly the solution to this fear is more fear and less solutions and why not? Solutions are hard work and require creative effort, but fear.. so much more effective, and don’t forget that if you resolve the fear, you are eliminating your primary tool for manipulation!
It has occurred to me that manipulating the public of a democracy/Republic is just as easy as any other form of government, the up side is that you only have to trick 50.001% of the population for a couple of months and you get your way!
Maybe we should all send Dan Rather emails to encourage him to fight on!
What a good idea. I’ll see if I can figure out how to do that.
I see that the informal CNN poll last night had Bush 22% and Kerry 78% on who would handle Iraq better. The news on Libya yesterday reveals that this Administration will, indeed, give into Terrorists when it suits them.
This CBS thing reeks of a “crush ‘em and leave no fingerprints” method of corruption. I must confess I am amazed by Dan Rather’s unusual lack of foresight with this whole matter from the beginning, although it must be noted that no one is questioning the actual content of the documents.
My fear is if the Bush Machine fails this round in an otherwise successful election coup begun in 2000, that it will, like a viper, lash out in an attempt to regain power in the most crucial places. But I have to believe that as a nation we, no matter our political persuasion, are beginning to wipe the sand from our eyes.
Something smell fishy about this whole deal. Maybe someday the truth will come out.
I like the flaming tire comparison, it’s where we’re headed. Why could Republicans run during WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Iran Hostage Situation, etc without Democrats calling them unpatriotic?