David Brooks, Op Ed columnist for the NY Times has been writing recently about the polarization of America. I agree with him on many points [imagine that, me agreeing with a conservative], especially with his statement that “To a large degree, polarization in America is a cultural consequence of the information age.”
David Brooks, Op Ed columnist for the NY Times has been writing recently about the polarization of America. I agree with him on many points [imagine that, me agreeing with a conservative], especially with his statement that “To a large degree, polarization in America is a cultural consequence of the information age.”
In my experience, in its relentless pursuit of the perfect soundbite, the media has failed its citizens greatly in it’s job as the political educators and truth seekers our founding fathers hoped they would be. Case in point is the recent coverage surrounding the Moore “documentary.” Five news outlets in NYC (WNBC-TV, WABC-TV, WFOX-TV) have confronted Moore on his use of the label “documentary” for his film, and have pointed out his gross mis-statements of fact [read lies] that he's made in his recent film. The number of factual errors these stations found were 67.
Update 7-11-04: Definition for Documentary
doc·u·men·ta·ry - adj.
1. Consisting of, concerning, or based on documented facts.
2. Presenting facts objectively without editorializing or inserting fictional matter, as in a book or film.
Had the media been watching and listening since 9-ll they would have found plenty of material to prove Moore’s hatred for his fellow Americans, especially those in power. Indeed, after reading these excerpts I find that Moore is more dangerous than Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden.
Below you will find, in his own words some of Moore’s most egregious statements:
“I don’t know why we are making so much of an act of terror. It is three times more likely that you will be struck by lightening than die from an act of terror.” I was aghast and responded, “I think what you have said is outrageous, particularly when we are today commemorating the deaths of 3,000 people resulting from an act of terror.” I mention this exchange because it was not televised, occurring as it did before [a BBC television studio audience before the] show went live.” -Ed Koch [former NYC mayor], WorldTribume.com 6/29/04
In his NYT Op-ed piece of 6/26, Brooks shares these additional tidbits with us:
Before a delighted Cambridge crowd, Moore reflected on the tragedy of human existence: “You're stuck with being connected to this country of mine, which is known for bringing sadness and misery to places around the globe.” In Liverpool, he paused to contemplate the epicenters of evil in the modern world: “It's all part of the same ball of wax, right? The oil companies, Israel, Halliburton.”
In the days after Sept. 11, while others were disoriented, Moore was able to see clearly: "We, the United States of America, are culpable in committing so many acts of terror and bloodshed that we had better get a clue about the culture of violence in which we have been active participants."
This leads to Michael Moore's global plan of action. "Don't be like us," he told a crowd in Berlin. "You've got to stand up, right? You've got to be brave."
In an open letter to the German people in Die Zeit, Moore asked, "Should such an ignorant people lead the world?" Then he began to reflect on things economic. His central insight here is that the American economy, like its people, is pretty crappy, too: "Don't go the American way when it comes to economics, jobs and services for the poor and immigrants. It is the wrong way."
In an interview with a Japanese newspaper, Moore helped citizens of that country understand why the United States went to war in Iraq: "The motivation for war is simple. The U.S. government started the war with Iraq in order to make it easy for U.S. corporations to do business in other countries. They intend to use cheap labor in those countries, which will make Americans rich."
But venality doesn't come up when he writes about those who are killing Americans in Iraq: "The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not `insurgents' or `terrorists' or `The Enemy.' They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow — and they will win."
I don’t need to go to Farenheit 9/11 to know that my mind is being assaulted and the truth sacrificed from our own home front. That seems to be the trend in the last 2 years. I think that's the reason there's been such an exponential increase of blogs in our digital lifetime. We, as bloggers, are now the seekers of truth fighting against the harbingers of deceit on this digital front. The question now is: what is the average American going to do about this situation? Any thoughts on their role?
Update 7-11-04: An Anonymous poster asked some very good questions which I would love to answer, but that would jeopardize my current carpel tunnel to worsen, so please send me links that will show the news reports about the found WMD and the one about the WMD used against soldier which injured 2 and I'll be indebted to it. You know how liberals are, they take anything anyone says at face value without checking for facts.