Thank goodness for blogger fact checking...

Mainstream media is going to have to get cleaned up..

Published on December 27, 2004 By Draginol In Politics

If we learned anything last year with regards to the media and bloggers, it is that the days of ideologically driven "mainstream" reporting are numbered. When CBS tried to smear Bush with blatantly phoney National guard documents it blew up back in CBS's face as Internet users posted on-line how the documents were obviously forged.

Conservatives have had to grin and bear it for years as the mainstream media, led by the New York Times and followed by the network news stations, had a virtual monopoly on news distribution. NBC anchors could casually say "If we could get the NRA out of the way we could have a decent civilized discussion on the 2nd amendment" as if this were an established fact.

Books like Biased have warned for years that there was a serious slanting in the news - something most conservatives were painfully aware of. Unfortunately there was nothing they could do about it. If ABC's Nightline wants to run a full show smearing Pat Buchanan as being anti-semetic without any real evidence, what could he really do? What could anyone do?

And conservative statistic freaks could notice that stories on homelessness and the AIDS epidemic seem to greatly increase when Republicans are in office but die down if a Democrat is in office (apparently AIDS and homelessness went away during the Clinton administration but boom, now it's back with a vengeance and it's undoubtedly the fault of the "smirking chimp").

I am sure the folks in news rooms across America wish for the days when the only opposition to their ideological positions came from a fat man on AM radio. Now they not only have to deal with AM radio (gasp) but also cable news such as FOX and now the Internet.

Funny thing about the blog sites, the most popular blog sites are conservative. Not even a close call. There are a limited number of viable theories for that and none of them favorable towards liberals (a: Conservatives are more interested in discussing real world issues on-line or b: Conservatives don't find enough conservative info through traditional outlets are the two Occam's razor answers).

And so as we head towards 2005, I am very thankful that, at time goes on, the mainstream media won't be able to pass on poorly researched ideological bombs as facts and history as they did in the past. What happened with CBS this Fall wasn't unique, it was just that critical moment when the Internet had reached critical mass to be able to get the truth distributed out to counter the lies.

Comments (Page 4)

drmiler

on Dec 30, 2004

Reply #42 By: Lee1776 - 12/30/2004 12:45:22 AM
Sorry Draginol for going off subject. (But this maybe an example about your internet subject come true)

I'm going to say this once more! You can NOT blame Bush for outsourcing! The jobs that left do NOT belong to the government and hence are NOT under Bushs jurisdiction! They belong to the employer and they can do what they please with the jobs! It ain't cool but those are the facts!

Just remember who signed the NAFTA acts into law, give you one guess and one hint. His name does not end with Bush.

Sorry but you can't blame Slick Willie either. NAFTA ain't got nothing to do with it. I'll say it again. The JOB belongs to the EMPLOYER NOT the government!

ParaTed2k

on Dec 30, 2004

You can NOT blame Bush for outsourcing!

It's kind of interesting how so many people want Prs. Bush to take on enough authority to control military unit supply, job creation, the stock market, oil production, oil prices, K-12 education; radio and television programming, standards, and transmission requirements; terrorist actions, medical ethics, pharmaceutical safety and effectiveness, use of natural resources on private property, and renewable resource research.

I mean, I like the guy, but there's no way I'd want to see any president given the authority to take on that much responsibility. ;~D

drmiler

on Dec 30, 2004

Just remember who signed the NAFTA acts into law, give you one guess and one hint. His name does not end with Bush.

If an employer can get the job done cheaper (which directly affects the bottom line) then it's their priviledge and *right* to take the job offshore. After all it's their money paying for the job, not yours.

whoman69

on Dec 31, 2004

I'm going to say this once more! You can NOT blame Bush for outsourcing! The jobs that left do NOT belong to the government and hence are NOT under Bushs jurisdiction! They belong to the employer and they can do what they please with the jobs! It ain't cool but those are the facts!

You don't give a tax credit to someone who sends jobs overseas. You don't make it easier for them and pat them on the back when it happens. Its like inviting the wolf to dinner after they eat the chickens.

whoman69

on Dec 31, 2004

If he sees the problem and does nothing to help, then he is part of the problem. What is his answer to environmental problems? Give money to the polluters. What is his answer to rising health costs? Give money to those raising prices on drugs and making billions. I just talked about his solution for loss of jobs overseas. His answer to everything is to reward the wrong doers thinking if he gives them a cookie they will have a change of heart. What is the difference between corporate welfare and welfare to the poor. Short answer, the wealthy get wealthier.

COL Gene

on Dec 31, 2004

Daiwa and ParatedsK

How would the daughter know what took place. The first hand source is the Speaker. In addition, How did Bush get into the guard ahead of 100 other applicants with NO skills to justify placing his ahead of others. How did he get away with not attending drills or taking a required physical if not because of outside help. I was assured by the professor Tsurumi that Bush did tell him his family did get him into the Guard and secured an early release. The subject of Vietnam was common at that time at Harvard and at Penn where I was an administrator in the early 70's. The issue came up because of how young Bush was to have completed his military service. It is always that a source is in error when anything that can be considered negative toward Bush comes up. Sec O'neil, Army CoS, Texas Speaker, Sec to Bush's commander, Bush's Harvard Professor, Amb to Iraq (Need for more troops) and the list goes on. I guess all the military being killed in Iraq are just a made up story.

As to my promotion to Colonel- it was becaure of my Officer Efficiency Reports that were written by many officers who were my superiors. That was also the basis for my selection to attend the Army War College and recomendation for promotion to General Officer. The problem with Bush is that he got things done that were not justified by his performance, skills etc. In addition, he did not have to accept the punsihments for failing to obey military regulations. I had three commands during my 30 years and if I had had an officer that failted to obey regilations or attend required drils the way Lt Bush did, they would have been subjected to the same punishment as any other officer or NCO that failed to obey regulations. Bush was granted an early release from the guard (WHY) and given an honorable discharge eventhough he did not obey military regulatuions. There is NOTHING MORE BASIC than a military member to obey requlations and orders. This is especially true for NCO's and Officers!

ParaTed2k

on Dec 31, 2004

As to my promotion to Colonel- it was becaure of my Officer Efficiency Reports that were written by many officers who were my superiors. That was also the basis for my selection to attend the Army War College and recomendation for promotion to General Officer.

It was your efficiency and reports that got your name on the list to be considered for promotion to Col (and now General Officer). Once your name got on the list, nothing you had done up to that point mattered much. As you well know, promotions to O6 and E7 are every bit as political as they are meritorious. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, merely stating a fact. I've personally known a few LTCs whose days were numbered. They have all the right commands and all the right schools, but their wives pissed off the wrong officer's wives, so you know as well as I (probably better) about their chances of ever wearing birds.

George Bush may or may not have used contacts to get into the guard. Guess what, if that is the worst you can say about a person (especially 30 years after the fact), I'd say it's pretty weak. Where I live right now the economy of the area is based on 3 major factories. No one is going to get any kind of job at either of them if someone working there doesn't "put in a good word" for an applicant. Again, not saying its good or bad, just stating a fact.

I'm not defending him, and I'm not saying that you have no right to base you vote on whatever criteria you wish. That is your right. I'm just saying that (IMHO) it's a pretty weak argument against him.

The issue came up because of how young Bush was to have completed his military service

The issue came up because Sen. Kerry wanted to make his Vietnam Service the centerpiece of his campaign. In doing so, he also wanted to downplay any claims Prs. Bush may have made about his service at the same time. The ironic part was, Prs. Bush made no claims about his service (other than he was a fighter pilot in the Texas Air Guard), and openly stated that Sen. Kerry's service was more heroic than his own.

ParaTed2k

on Dec 31, 2004

If he sees the problem and does nothing to help, then he is part of the problem.

Thank you for the voice of micromanagement. The office of President is that of an administrator, a delagator.. not a micromanager. If you really want the president to have that much authority over ever part of government, then just cut to the chase and admit that you'd rather have a dictator. That would be the only type of leader who could actually control all the things that Prs. Bush's detractors want him to control.

COL Gene

on Dec 31, 2004

The issue is not only that Bush used his contacts but that he DID NOT OBEY REGULATIONS and got away it. He claims he meet his obligations which is not true. He did the same thing in getting into Harvard Grad School. Students with a "C" average in under grad school do not get into grad school mush less Harvard! Professor Tsurumi told me in a E-Mail that George W. was a poor student with some of the most" off the wall" ideas he ever heard! How did George W. get investors, who were connected to his family to invest millions of dollars into his two failed companies. How did he becone the manager of the Texas Rangers. With all these great things, how did he becone Gov. of Texas? If George W. Bush had been George Smith, given his military, academic and business experience, he would have been an asst manger at a 7/11!

ParaTed2k

on Dec 31, 2004

and yet, today, he's President. Only in America!!!! ;~D

Daiwa

on Dec 31, 2004

It is always that a source is in error when anything that can be considered negative toward Bush comes up.

Not so - when a single source is the only source, the veracity of the claim remains open to question, whether positive or negative. That aside, you seem to apply the same standard (How would the daughter know...?) to criticism of sources you cite. You want to believe - no, your mind is fully made up it appears - so there's little point in demonstrating that there is evidence which casts that belief in doubt. And it's all irrelevant now, anyway.

Precisely. And many people considered Bush's approach to the subject the more honest and decent one. (You have to leave out the 527's on both sides in this discussion).

Cheers,
Daiwa

Daiwa

on Dec 31, 2004

ParaTed2k -

Would make a great human interest story, one the NYT would ordinarily love to run:

"Former Assistant 7/11 Manager Elected President!"

Cheers,
Daiwa

whoman69

on Dec 31, 2004

I am not talking about micromanagement. In each instance I sited steps that George Bush took in reaction to problems out there. In each case he decided to reward the wrong doers and ignore the causes of the problems.

drmiler

on Dec 31, 2004

Reply #50 By: whoman69 - 12/31/2004 1:15:01 PM
I'm going to say this once more! You can NOT blame Bush for outsourcing! The jobs that left do NOT belong to the government and hence are NOT under Bushs jurisdiction! They belong to the employer and they can do what they please with the jobs! It ain't cool but those are the facts!

You don't give a tax credit to someone who sends jobs overseas. You don't make it easier for them and pat them on the back when it happens. Its like inviting the wolf to dinner after they eat the chickens.

Okay you made the statement now show me where he gives a tax credit for outsourcing.

COL Gene

on Dec 31, 2004

Yes, Only in America can a son ride so far on the coat tails of his father. Without being the son of a powerful congressman and CIA Director, George W. would hold a job today he could handle! Look at the results he has achieved during the past four years:

A war that was poorly planned that is killing our brave military with no benefit to America. We have spent $200 Billion and he will be asking for another $100 Billion. We have 25,000 injured military so far in the Iraq War

Turned a $125 Billion surplus into a $400 plus Billion dollar deficit

Turned most other nations aginst him

Failed to create jobs for 5 million new workers

Granted tax cuts to people who do not need anything more and is borriowing the money to pay them the tax cuts

Cut helath care for children and home heating help for the poor

Failed to provide an energy policy and we now have $2 gal gasoline

No workable plan for Social Security or Medicare. His plan is to borrow trillions more to set up individual accounts to make the stock brokers wealthy.

Established (with the help of Congress) a prescription drug plan that will add $550 billion to our costs with no way to pay for it

The president is responsible to set policies and propose laws that improve the issues that require action. Bush has totally failed to make any of our most pressing problems better!

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!