As most of my readers know, Ed Murrow is one my heroes in the world of journalism. As we approach Christmas 2010, I thought I would use Mr. Murrow's words to send a Christmas greeting to a few folks.
To Democrats and Republicans:
"We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late."
To Glenn Beck:
"Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar."
To Rush Limbaugh:
"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices."
To the Rest of Us:
"Our history will be what we make it. And if there are any historians about fifty or a hundred years from now, and there should be preserved the kinescopes for one week of all three networks, they will there find recorded in black and white, or color, evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live."
Merry Christmas to all and to all, "Good night and good luck."
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
American Exceptionalism Indeed
My good friend Joe Fab sent me his thoughts on the idea of "American Exceptionalism" that is being used as a foundational principle for Republican presidential candidates in 2012. The Wash Post did a piece on this unfortunate development yesterday and it prompted these thoughts from Mr. Fab:
I'm proud and feel very fortunate to be an American. But I know that I'm here by good luck, not because I myself am exceptional in an earned sense of any consequence. What I have done and am doing with my own life is the measure of my worth, and I feel a heightened responsibility to make that worth register positively in part because of the chance combination of time and geography that led to my birth in this country.
That's a far cry from the sense of entitlement that these new American exceptionalists (may we call them AEs?) often seem to feel. You'd think they'd fought the American Revolution themselves the way they wrap themselves in the Declaration of Independence. If one were to appropriately employ the hyperbole so popular in recent years -- the comparison to Nazi Germany -- this might be just the occasion for it. No matter what the AEs think, America is unique as in "one of a kind" and exceptional as in "set apart by certain unusual qualities." But we are not the kind of 'exceptional' that automatically gives Americans a seat above and before all others on the planet.
None of us living today created that unique aspect of this country. We are the beneficiaries of what some amazingly thoughtful people cooked up many generations ago. We are the trustees of their wise design. The design is what is exceptional; we are not. And the only way for us to strive toward being exceptional is to treasure, respect and responsibly carry on the values and principles contained in both the Declaration and Constitution.
A clear and precise distinction must be made between that mission and the shallow flag-waving, placard-carrying tantrums in evidence in AE America. To me, today's use of the idea of American exceptionalism is frightening and smacks of desperation and immaturity.
Mel Brooks' Two Thousand Year Old Man captured the AEs perfectly when he reminisced about the Stone Age and how neanderthals began to group together into tribes. He remembered with relish how everybody thought his own gang was the absolute greatest, just because, well, it was the gang to which he belonged. His group lived in Cave #7. Their rallying cry may sound primitive, but is it really any different from what the AEs are saying?
"Everyone can go to hell except Cave 7!"
Well said, Joe, well said -- and thanks for sharing.
I'm proud and feel very fortunate to be an American. But I know that I'm here by good luck, not because I myself am exceptional in an earned sense of any consequence. What I have done and am doing with my own life is the measure of my worth, and I feel a heightened responsibility to make that worth register positively in part because of the chance combination of time and geography that led to my birth in this country.
That's a far cry from the sense of entitlement that these new American exceptionalists (may we call them AEs?) often seem to feel. You'd think they'd fought the American Revolution themselves the way they wrap themselves in the Declaration of Independence. If one were to appropriately employ the hyperbole so popular in recent years -- the comparison to Nazi Germany -- this might be just the occasion for it. No matter what the AEs think, America is unique as in "one of a kind" and exceptional as in "set apart by certain unusual qualities." But we are not the kind of 'exceptional' that automatically gives Americans a seat above and before all others on the planet.
None of us living today created that unique aspect of this country. We are the beneficiaries of what some amazingly thoughtful people cooked up many generations ago. We are the trustees of their wise design. The design is what is exceptional; we are not. And the only way for us to strive toward being exceptional is to treasure, respect and responsibly carry on the values and principles contained in both the Declaration and Constitution.
A clear and precise distinction must be made between that mission and the shallow flag-waving, placard-carrying tantrums in evidence in AE America. To me, today's use of the idea of American exceptionalism is frightening and smacks of desperation and immaturity.
Mel Brooks' Two Thousand Year Old Man captured the AEs perfectly when he reminisced about the Stone Age and how neanderthals began to group together into tribes. He remembered with relish how everybody thought his own gang was the absolute greatest, just because, well, it was the gang to which he belonged. His group lived in Cave #7. Their rallying cry may sound primitive, but is it really any different from what the AEs are saying?
"Everyone can go to hell except Cave 7!"
Well said, Joe, well said -- and thanks for sharing.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Confidential Memo to Republican Voters
Alert! Alert!
I have just intercepted a confidential memo to Republican voters from their Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Here it is in its entirety:
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO TO REPUBLICAN VOTERS
FROM: US SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL
DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2010
SUBJECT: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
Yes, what the hell are you doing???
Why are you out there spending for Christmas? Retails sales were great on Black Friday. They continue through the weekend to be up. Online shopping is soaring off the charts.
I'm trying to limit Obama to one term and you are not helping.
The stock market is up and may go up another 300 to 400 points in 2011. If you keep up this pace of helping him recover the economy we may see a 30-40% growth in the stock market next year.
You small businessmen: why are you hiring? My thanks to large businesses who continue to sit on their trillions in cash but you small businesses are not doing your part. I see that private sector hiring has been growing steadily upward for the past four quarters.
And while I'm at it, many of you are decrying spending via earmarks while writing me urging that I slip in an earmark or two for your special projects. Don't you think the hypocrisy of your position is a bit obvious? I can't cover your hypocrisy forever, you know. The Democrats like earmarks, too, I know, and you have been great to point that out, but they usually insert about 4,000 per year when they are in charge. Republicans, on the other hand, have been trying to keep quiet the fact that we insert about 14,000 each year, We do it for you. What are you doing to help us cloud this fact?
So, yes, what the hell are you doing to help us defeat this Obama character besides calling him names?
Stop spending, stop hiring, stop investing. What kind of patriot are you anyway?
Some of you have even joined the socialists on the other side of the aisle demanding that we not "repeal and replace" the recently passed health care reform law, but that we "keep and expand" it. Fully 51% of you have abandoned our cause. How do you expect me to get paid this year by my friends in the drug and health insurance industry?
Consider this a wake up call! Do your part.
Next: Coming soon, a confidential memo to discuss your demands for increased spending for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and unneeded, unrequested military hardware the DoD doesn't want without finding a source to pay for them. You know that is an untenable position, don't you. Your grandchildren will question your IQ if you keep this up. I'm serious, do you want that?
Your obedient servant,
Mitch McConnell
I have just intercepted a confidential memo to Republican voters from their Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Here it is in its entirety:
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO TO REPUBLICAN VOTERS
FROM: US SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL
DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2010
SUBJECT: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
Yes, what the hell are you doing???
Why are you out there spending for Christmas? Retails sales were great on Black Friday. They continue through the weekend to be up. Online shopping is soaring off the charts.
I'm trying to limit Obama to one term and you are not helping.
The stock market is up and may go up another 300 to 400 points in 2011. If you keep up this pace of helping him recover the economy we may see a 30-40% growth in the stock market next year.
You small businessmen: why are you hiring? My thanks to large businesses who continue to sit on their trillions in cash but you small businesses are not doing your part. I see that private sector hiring has been growing steadily upward for the past four quarters.
And while I'm at it, many of you are decrying spending via earmarks while writing me urging that I slip in an earmark or two for your special projects. Don't you think the hypocrisy of your position is a bit obvious? I can't cover your hypocrisy forever, you know. The Democrats like earmarks, too, I know, and you have been great to point that out, but they usually insert about 4,000 per year when they are in charge. Republicans, on the other hand, have been trying to keep quiet the fact that we insert about 14,000 each year, We do it for you. What are you doing to help us cloud this fact?
So, yes, what the hell are you doing to help us defeat this Obama character besides calling him names?
Stop spending, stop hiring, stop investing. What kind of patriot are you anyway?
Some of you have even joined the socialists on the other side of the aisle demanding that we not "repeal and replace" the recently passed health care reform law, but that we "keep and expand" it. Fully 51% of you have abandoned our cause. How do you expect me to get paid this year by my friends in the drug and health insurance industry?
Consider this a wake up call! Do your part.
Next: Coming soon, a confidential memo to discuss your demands for increased spending for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and unneeded, unrequested military hardware the DoD doesn't want without finding a source to pay for them. You know that is an untenable position, don't you. Your grandchildren will question your IQ if you keep this up. I'm serious, do you want that?
Your obedient servant,
Mitch McConnell
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Read the Constitution?
During the recent orientation session, new members of Congress were handed a manual that instructed them how to handle the media, how to avoid ethics violations, how to organize their offices, etc. but I was delighted to learn that the number one thing they were encouraged to do was "Re-read the US Constitution."
Isn't that special.
Why would that be necessary? Because many (not all) of the incoming class have never read it from beginning to end, and even more have no knowledge of its meaning, or regrettably, fewer still have no knowledge or understanding of the legal precedents established by it, e.g., separation of church and state doctrine. This is obvious from their recent campaign rhetoric.
Re-read the Constitution?? I would be happy if they just read it.
Isn't that special.
Why would that be necessary? Because many (not all) of the incoming class have never read it from beginning to end, and even more have no knowledge of its meaning, or regrettably, fewer still have no knowledge or understanding of the legal precedents established by it, e.g., separation of church and state doctrine. This is obvious from their recent campaign rhetoric.
Re-read the Constitution?? I would be happy if they just read it.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tea Party Madness Started Years Ago
As the campaign of 2010 reached its zenith on election day (or its deepest pit, depending on how you view these rituals), I kept asking myself "why are these tea party people so angry?"
When President Obama was elected, he did what he said he would do and what the American people voted for. His Democrats passed the financial reform bill that kept the economy from falling into a well carved and deeply cut Republican ditch. His Democrats passed a health care reform bill that has only begun to pay dividends for the American people. No, it couldn't be all of those things that made them so angry because those Obama initiatives were actually good for the American people. It must be something else.
I am only an amateur psychologist, but I venture to say that their anger is pent up from watching their favorite son, Bush 43, spend and borrow, and borrow and spend for his entire 8 years in office. The tea party conservatives in America kept quiet. To criticize Bush 43 would be out of step with their brothers in the Republican cult. No, the answer goes back much farther. The anger starts with Bush 43, and to some extent, Reagan 40. Bush 43 saved the banks with the $700 billion TARP money.But he did not tell his voters he would favor such an expansion of government. And Reagan nearly tripled the national debt. Not a good thing in the eyes of the tea party folks.
So, under the surface, the tea party simmered. Their subconscious mind told them their favorites had broken from the conservative movement, or horrors, were never really with them. They also knew they had been lied to for decades. Every Republican President in their memory had always said he was for lower taxes and smaller government, but they never delivered. That made the tea party Americans very mad. Heck, that would make me furious. And this year their madness exploded and hit both mainstream political parties, Democrats the hardest, but they were not and still aren't happy with the Republicans.
If you tea party people want to feel better about your participation in the political process, start by telling your candidates to "put up or shut up." If they can't give you a program they would cut to make a difference in the federal budget, tell them not to bring it up anymore. If they can't tell you a major federal agency they would eliminate to make government smaller, tell them not to bring it up anymore. You will find that these people have very little else to talk about. You may then have an opportunity to recruit candidates to your cause who actually know something about governing, starting with an understanding of the US Constitution.
When President Obama was elected, he did what he said he would do and what the American people voted for. His Democrats passed the financial reform bill that kept the economy from falling into a well carved and deeply cut Republican ditch. His Democrats passed a health care reform bill that has only begun to pay dividends for the American people. No, it couldn't be all of those things that made them so angry because those Obama initiatives were actually good for the American people. It must be something else.
I am only an amateur psychologist, but I venture to say that their anger is pent up from watching their favorite son, Bush 43, spend and borrow, and borrow and spend for his entire 8 years in office. The tea party conservatives in America kept quiet. To criticize Bush 43 would be out of step with their brothers in the Republican cult. No, the answer goes back much farther. The anger starts with Bush 43, and to some extent, Reagan 40. Bush 43 saved the banks with the $700 billion TARP money.But he did not tell his voters he would favor such an expansion of government. And Reagan nearly tripled the national debt. Not a good thing in the eyes of the tea party folks.
So, under the surface, the tea party simmered. Their subconscious mind told them their favorites had broken from the conservative movement, or horrors, were never really with them. They also knew they had been lied to for decades. Every Republican President in their memory had always said he was for lower taxes and smaller government, but they never delivered. That made the tea party Americans very mad. Heck, that would make me furious. And this year their madness exploded and hit both mainstream political parties, Democrats the hardest, but they were not and still aren't happy with the Republicans.
If you tea party people want to feel better about your participation in the political process, start by telling your candidates to "put up or shut up." If they can't give you a program they would cut to make a difference in the federal budget, tell them not to bring it up anymore. If they can't tell you a major federal agency they would eliminate to make government smaller, tell them not to bring it up anymore. You will find that these people have very little else to talk about. You may then have an opportunity to recruit candidates to your cause who actually know something about governing, starting with an understanding of the US Constitution.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thomas Jefferson! Where are you?
Somebody needs to consider what it is going to be like in America when Republican Carl Palidino, who sends pornographic e-mail to business associates, gets elected governor of NY; when Republican Governor Jan Brewer, who refuses to debate her opponent and cannot recall her administration’s major accomplishments since she took office, and who thinks beheaded corpses are lying around the desert of Arizona, gets re-elected governor; when Republican Christine O’Donnell, who dabbled in witchcraft, gets elected to the US Senate from Delaware; when Republican Joe Miller, who believes Social Security should be repealed, gets elected to the US Senate from Alaska; when Republican Sharron Angle, who refuses to answer questions on any substantive issue, is elected to the US Senate from Nevada; when Rand Paul, who believes the Civil Rights Act should be repealed, gets elected to the US Senate from Kentucky – to name a few of the nutcases looking forward to running your government next year.
Somebody needs to consider what America will be like once they get their hands of the levers of power. (Can you spell “ditch?”)
According to a new poll, “nearly 20% of U.S. citizens now believe Barack Obama is a cactus, the most Americans to identify the president as a water-retaining desert plant since he took office."
The poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, found a sharp rise in the number of Americans who say they firmly believe Obama was either born a cactus, became a cactus during his youth, or has questionable links to the Cactaceae family."
Thomas Jefferson! Where are you? We need your help – now – and bring Ben Franklin with you.
Somebody needs to consider what America will be like once they get their hands of the levers of power. (Can you spell “ditch?”)
According to a new poll, “nearly 20% of U.S. citizens now believe Barack Obama is a cactus, the most Americans to identify the president as a water-retaining desert plant since he took office."
The poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, found a sharp rise in the number of Americans who say they firmly believe Obama was either born a cactus, became a cactus during his youth, or has questionable links to the Cactaceae family."
Thomas Jefferson! Where are you? We need your help – now – and bring Ben Franklin with you.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
How long, America, how long?
I remember when Richard Nixon campaigned on the twin GOP promises of "smaller government and lower taxes." Nixon was elected but did not deliver. Government got larger and taxes went up.
I remember when Ronald Reagan pledged smaller government and lower taxes if he was elected. By the time he finished his 8 years, government was much larger, taxes were higher and the national debt had been increased by three times.
I remember when Georgia Bush said "Read my lips" for the first time. Video tape was ubiquitous by that time and so politically he could not live by the lie of "No new taxes" and he lost his re-election bid. Taxes did, indeed, go up, and yes, government got bigger.
If you are going to lie to the American people, be sure not to let anyone videotape you at a political convention promising smaller government and lower taxes.
Bush 43 and Cheney promised the same thing. Taxes went down for the very rich during their two terms but that's all. Government got bigger, taxes went up, and the national debt was quadrupled.
For 50 years, the GOP has run on the same pledge (lie): "Elect us; we will lower your taxes and reduce the size of government." Members of the loyal GOP: THEY NEVER DO WHAT THEY PROMISE. Why? Because the government of the US is already large and must be so in order to meet America's responsibilities at home and abroad. And taxes must be paid in order to pay for those responsibilities. We cannot go back to the time of our forefathers when we had a country of 4 million citizens. Today we have 322 million and counting. We are large and getting larger. You and I better pray that someone is planning on a government that can meet the demands of a citizenry of that size. Who else are you going to turn to when there is a hurricane in your backyard, an oil spill on your beach, an unsafe car in your driveway, unsafe meat in your refrigerator, a pandemic sweeping the nation, terrorist beating down your door. You better hope the government is large enough to meet the challenge and has a full team of pros at the ready.
Stop expecting something for nothing. Accept the fact that these people will continue to manipulate you as long as you let them. But may I ask you: please stop letting them get away with manipulating you with simple Simon solutions to complex questions. Please stop.
In Virginia, the current GOP governor said we can save $500 million and apply it to our budget if we sell the state owned liquor stores. Now, he realizes that was a short term fix and he still needs to raise that money on an annual basis to balance Virginia's budget so he is proposing a fee (he can't say the word "tax") on liquor sold at wholesale and in restaurants. He is not a full year into his term and already he is proposing a new tax. Where is the outrage from his fellow Republicans? Oh, I see, you supported him not because he may actually try to do what he says, but because it puts the GOP in charge.
Our government can't survive this approach to preserving the Republic at the state or federal level.
How long, America, how long?
I remember when Ronald Reagan pledged smaller government and lower taxes if he was elected. By the time he finished his 8 years, government was much larger, taxes were higher and the national debt had been increased by three times.
I remember when Georgia Bush said "Read my lips" for the first time. Video tape was ubiquitous by that time and so politically he could not live by the lie of "No new taxes" and he lost his re-election bid. Taxes did, indeed, go up, and yes, government got bigger.
If you are going to lie to the American people, be sure not to let anyone videotape you at a political convention promising smaller government and lower taxes.
Bush 43 and Cheney promised the same thing. Taxes went down for the very rich during their two terms but that's all. Government got bigger, taxes went up, and the national debt was quadrupled.
For 50 years, the GOP has run on the same pledge (lie): "Elect us; we will lower your taxes and reduce the size of government." Members of the loyal GOP: THEY NEVER DO WHAT THEY PROMISE. Why? Because the government of the US is already large and must be so in order to meet America's responsibilities at home and abroad. And taxes must be paid in order to pay for those responsibilities. We cannot go back to the time of our forefathers when we had a country of 4 million citizens. Today we have 322 million and counting. We are large and getting larger. You and I better pray that someone is planning on a government that can meet the demands of a citizenry of that size. Who else are you going to turn to when there is a hurricane in your backyard, an oil spill on your beach, an unsafe car in your driveway, unsafe meat in your refrigerator, a pandemic sweeping the nation, terrorist beating down your door. You better hope the government is large enough to meet the challenge and has a full team of pros at the ready.
Stop expecting something for nothing. Accept the fact that these people will continue to manipulate you as long as you let them. But may I ask you: please stop letting them get away with manipulating you with simple Simon solutions to complex questions. Please stop.
In Virginia, the current GOP governor said we can save $500 million and apply it to our budget if we sell the state owned liquor stores. Now, he realizes that was a short term fix and he still needs to raise that money on an annual basis to balance Virginia's budget so he is proposing a fee (he can't say the word "tax") on liquor sold at wholesale and in restaurants. He is not a full year into his term and already he is proposing a new tax. Where is the outrage from his fellow Republicans? Oh, I see, you supported him not because he may actually try to do what he says, but because it puts the GOP in charge.
Our government can't survive this approach to preserving the Republic at the state or federal level.
How long, America, how long?
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