Generally I love NPR, but they have been irritating me this week. This whole Tea Party thing is just plain anti-thinking and even NPR has been giving them a platform without challenging them sufficiently. For example, Tea Party Leaders Go Over Election Wins, Losses, we get the excellent commentary from Matt Kibbe, CEO of FreedomWorks, whose motto is "Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom".
I really think that even before November 2nd, the Tea Party had defined this election by driving the issues that mattered in this debate. And virtually every Republican and most Democrats - certainly, the Democrats that won in battlegrounds like West Virginia - literally ran on the Tea Party agenda.
Ran on the Tea Party agenda? How about a question like, "Where can I find the Tea Party agenda?" Maybe www.freedomwork.org, where I can buy "Partner With Beck" and get my free copy of Rules for Patriots Handbook.
Another comment by Kibbe, this time in relation to Republicans willingness to "compromise".
If the question is government-run health care, I don't understand what the compromise would be between a bad idea and half a bad idea.
And the interviewer, Steve Inskeep, ignores the quip on "government-run health care" and just goes right to the next question.
Look, I got no problem with people like Kibbe being on NPR. In fact, let them on all the time, but please make them defend their moronic statements. Ask a follow on question. It's your job.
Sadly, also, is the fact the person most actively doing the job of the journalist is a comedian. It still is Jon Stewart who highlights the absurdity of our declining debate. Watch his interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News. Wallace doesn't even understand the point Stewart is making - that he too criticizes MSNBC, which he says is a pathetic attempt to fight Fox by being "double AA ball" partisan next to major league Fox when what is should do is get some "earned credibility" by becoming a "brand new journalistic organization".
Listen, Mr. Wallace, did you get it? Think...think...oh, no, right over your head and on to your talking points about the latest poll.
Where have all the good journalists gone?
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I think maybe Chris doesn't think that the argument is worth arguing over. Mr. Wallace gets his ratings because he can formulate his thoughts in a coherent manner, and makes a valid and true argument, and is funny. The Tea Parties agenda is essentially what you stated it was, less government, lower taxes, etc. It's a pretty trivial concept, lower taxes help encourage business' to start and allow them to expand to unlimited heights (which is a good thing), and eventually Regan's concept of trickle down economics begins to play out. Granted it will take a while, maybe even 2-3 years, but in the end the economy will rise back up, it must sink in order to rise. On the NPR thing, it would seem to me (and correct me if I'm wrong), that you are being what Democrats accuse Fox News of being, biased. They consider the Tea Party movement to be news worthy (as have every news group), and therefore report on it. There getting to the source of what many elects were running upon. Good journalists are those who report on both sides of the issue as unbiased as possible, and I would agree, where have all the good journalists gone? Every journalist knows it is important to keep your audience interested, thus be funny to the right extent.
Kibbe is a tool. (Privyet, Pasha!) Just finished Matt Taibbi's "Griftopia" -- a must-read. (What a clicje, but this guy has the chops, I promise you will love it. Ck out his blog at rollingstone.com and read the a sample chapter (PDF) for free.
Basically, we are screwed now. No climate change bill (and it's become too late for mitigation -- now we're just going to have to adapt and minimize suffering), and here in Ohio the new GOP governor is actually SENDING BACK federal $$ we were allocated for passenger rail. "The train is dead," he brags. He was a Fox News talking head before taking the governor job w/ lots of attack ads. And bc of census redistricting, GOP now gets to gerrymander when we lose two seats, making swing state Ohio forever red, most likely.
Michael Moore on Democracy Now has it all right as usual.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mmflint#p/u/0/IQt2gjXTkkM
well, that's some hope. Climate change bill?! You/we would be really screwed if there was a bill for that. I am all for taking care our world as I think we should, but spending billions of dollars on projects and things that have minimal effects on the environment, and massive effects on the economy. Which is worse, a country that has gone all green for the world, but is bankrupt and horrendously in debt and no longer is a powerful nation. Or a country that takes a few steps in the green direction mostly by making things run efficiently thus saving costs, and is not bankrupt and is still revered by all nations? Although I must say that were already have made a fool out of ourselves by apologizing for America's right actions. We soon will not be respected at all by other countries, which means our say in the useless UN will be that. Useless.
Dimitri, privyet, yeshyo raz. Do you speak any Russian? I see you were born there. St. Petersburg is my favorite city in the world.
I don't care about Wallace's ratings; there are plenty of popular things in life that are trash. He strikes me as a smart guy who is a bit embarrassed about working at Fox.
Less government and lower taxes isn't an agenda.
And I welcome Kibbe being on NPR, but felt he should have been challenged a lot more for some of his silly comments. When I finally looked at his website, I realize it is a part of the wider Fox/Beck empty agenda of "less government, lower taxes".
On climate change, you are clearly very curious, but you are not doing much reading about science on climate change. Science is a good thing so get your science information from those who study it (not Fox). And try reading some other things than Fox. Try www.economist.com. They would largely support the "less government, lower taxes" but with a bit more intelligent and thoughtful debate than Fox and friends.
Hi Vanya! Nice to see you. I will check out the Taibbi thing. I can't believe where he got his start.
ha. great last question! seriously, where have they gone???
Yes St. Petersburg is an amazing and beautiful city, not like I remember it, but just based on everything I've seen and heard from friends who vacation there. And I'm afraid my Russian is rather limited, one of my classes though. Thanks for the reference, I agree 100%, I don't take economics, science, or whatever from strictly second hand sources, and it did sound as though I was taking it all from Fox. I will definitely check out the website. I do not deny the fact that some of the worlds leading scientists liberal or conservative, Christian or Atheist, say that the world is heating up very minutely. My thing with it, is the massive deal we seem to be making about it, and that billions are spent (or rather trying to be or wanting to be), and yet the effects of that spending are thrown aside. I don't want to say too much as I am most definitely NOT an expert or even close, and I still need to be doing some reading.
I know what you mean and I sympathize with how you feel. This link may not be the central hub of hidden journalists, but it's a good nest anyway: www.whowhatwhy.com
Just another (intelligent) liberal feeling good about the politics of the left. Never mind the fact that the politics of the left never work. I'm not a Tea Party supporter, believe it or not I'm a proud Democrat but what ever happened to open debate and the freedom to express one's political parties views. ie: The Tea Party, Open debate is cool but not for people on the right. There much too stupid to express their views. I listen to NPR everyday and it seems to me that for whatever reason they are becoming more open minded. We all have good ideas. Anyone that believes straight down party lines is just not being honest with themselves. And is just plain stuuupid... but as long as it makes you feel good...
never mind...
This is a very nice post
As far as health care is concerned, as with all socialized programs the leading questions of thinking conservatives is "who and how are we gonna pay for this?" Better plans have been offered up and rejected. why? Ibm offered software that would all but end medicaid/medicare fraud, they met with the obama administration for two day and it was rejected, why? Why can't we eliminate medicaid and instead create free clinics like the one I went to as a child? require pro bono hours from doctors in these clinics the same way many states require pro bono hours from lawyers? Social programs sound great until you have to pay for them or Gov't corruption gets involved.
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