Friday, July 21, 2006
Turnaround?
I'm noticing something new in just the last two days: Parts of the main media are starting to take our side. Shep Smith at Fox, who has previously done the 'neutral journalist' routine, is clearly and openly rooting for Israel.
Just now on NBC someone is interviewing Tony Snow, asking the Democracy Question which the blogworld has been asking for six months: Is it really democracy that produces civilization, or is it vice versa? Snow's answer is highly unsatisfying and meaningless. Must be frustrating to defend the idiotic Bush / Wilson Theory, because I know he understands the reality.
Up till now, NBC, like the rest of the leftover media, asked only questions that amount to "Why haven't you surrendered yet?"
The democracy question has the opposite goal. It asks in essence "Why can't you define the enemy and the war accurately, so we can stand a chance of winning?"
If this trend continues, we may finally stand a chance of winning it; especially if the question penetrates to the decision-making part of the Second Ford Administration (assuming for the sake of argument that such a part exists.)
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Also, I wonder why the war in Israel is such a powerful wake-up alarm for the sense that we are actually in a war? I've noticed it in myself as well, and can't quite figure it out. On 9/11 I knew we were in a war, but I didn't have this sense of imminent apocalypse.
The sense began in May, and led to this piece, which is as near to actual art and actual prose as I'll ever get.
It may be a matter of experience. On 9/11 I was convinced we would respond in a firm and belligerent way (like poor optimistic Annie below!) but after several years of witnessing the Second Ford Administration fumbling and bumbling along, making a few right moves seemingly by accident and then undoing the right moves by poor followup, totally failing to understand or communicate the purpose and goal of the war, etc, etc, etc, .... And especially after Katrina exposed the total incompetence of this bunch, I no longer have any confidence in our ability to respond. Israel is finally doing it right: good purpose, good intelligence, excellent fighting, excellent communication and morale-building .... which only serves to highlight and contrast our own absolute mess. ¶ 7:24 AM
Just now on NBC someone is interviewing Tony Snow, asking the Democracy Question which the blogworld has been asking for six months: Is it really democracy that produces civilization, or is it vice versa? Snow's answer is highly unsatisfying and meaningless. Must be frustrating to defend the idiotic Bush / Wilson Theory, because I know he understands the reality.
Up till now, NBC, like the rest of the leftover media, asked only questions that amount to "Why haven't you surrendered yet?"
The democracy question has the opposite goal. It asks in essence "Why can't you define the enemy and the war accurately, so we can stand a chance of winning?"
If this trend continues, we may finally stand a chance of winning it; especially if the question penetrates to the decision-making part of the Second Ford Administration (assuming for the sake of argument that such a part exists.)
-----
Also, I wonder why the war in Israel is such a powerful wake-up alarm for the sense that we are actually in a war? I've noticed it in myself as well, and can't quite figure it out. On 9/11 I knew we were in a war, but I didn't have this sense of imminent apocalypse.
The sense began in May, and led to this piece, which is as near to actual art and actual prose as I'll ever get.
It may be a matter of experience. On 9/11 I was convinced we would respond in a firm and belligerent way (like poor optimistic Annie below!) but after several years of witnessing the Second Ford Administration fumbling and bumbling along, making a few right moves seemingly by accident and then undoing the right moves by poor followup, totally failing to understand or communicate the purpose and goal of the war, etc, etc, etc, .... And especially after Katrina exposed the total incompetence of this bunch, I no longer have any confidence in our ability to respond. Israel is finally doing it right: good purpose, good intelligence, excellent fighting, excellent communication and morale-building .... which only serves to highlight and contrast our own absolute mess. ¶ 7:24 AM
