I spent a recent Sunday morning watching a Bill Moyers presentation of the selling of the Iraq War. I should, by now, know better than to allow myself to get interested in this type of information but it’s like a bad auto accident, I just can’t look away.
What amazed me about this program was how it demonstrated the lack of testicles in the media to question ambiguous facts and the acceptance of propaganda disseminated by so called experts.
It also painted a picture of television “journalists” who have been used by the government to spread their ideology and control the dim witted American public. The most prevalent example is how the vast majority of people still believe that Iraq and Saddam Hussein were behind the terrorist attacks on 9/11. And if you are reading this and think I’m an idiot for not believing this, please contact me and I can show where the administration has admitted that they were wrong on this. Of course it’s too late and the damage has been done. And somehow these stories are buried in the newspapers and not on the front page of the NY Times or Washington Post.
The program pointed out that hundreds of front page stories appeared on these pillars of journalism spreading the propaganda of WMD’s and nuclear proliferation. However, once these claims were proven false the stories were buried in the back pages. Even the pundits on FOX News have admitted that there were “problems with intelligence.” The largest lack of intelligence has been with the American public.
The most aggravating story told of how the government leaked a story to the NY Times extolling the belief that Iraq possessed WMDs and were on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. They then sent Condoleeza Rice, VP Dick Cheney and others to the Sunday news programs where they could point to the NY Times story as validation that plans to invade Iraq were warranted. I think this needs explained once again. A government source leaks a story to the NY Times regarding WMDs and Iraq’s nuclear program, which since has proven to be a fallacy. This same day they send their front people out to Meet The Press and Face The Nation, etc. so they can point to the fabricated story as evidence that an invasion of Iraq is necessary. If you changed the names and geography this would sound eerily like the Soviet Union.
These and other instances were aggravating in themselves, yet, more aggravating is that the American public and our media are basically allowing them to get away with it. There is no clamor for accountability; no sense of outrage; and most horrifying no lack of trust in the information being dispersed by this administration now.
Somewhere, presumably on some level of hell, Richard Nixon is wondering how he failed to control the media with such aplomb. Perhaps our current administration learned some valuable lessons from the ineptitude of the Nixon scandal.
It would appear that Nixon’s biggest folly was in his choices of staff members and is cabinet. In recent weeks we have heard a litany of “executive privilege” thrown at our Congress by Bush staffers who refused to answer simple questions such as, “what is your role within the administration,” “what do you actually do in your service to the American people?”
If our president has been skilled at anything it has been his ability to instill an unquestionable loyalty from his appointees. I believe that is the result of hiring those that have professed their allegiance to Jesus Christ and using that as justification for his actions. To question George Bush and his motives is to question Jesus Christ and his motives. for certainly, GW Bush is a messenger from Christ and is being instructed by him to destroy countries, kill innocent people and deceive the American public.
Apathy is a cancer for a democracy. The American people are either blindly following our Bible waving president or have become so disillusioned that apathy is rampant. But what choice do we have?
To question our leaders is to be labeled a traitor. Those journalists daring enough to ask the tough questions have had their careers destroyed or labeled extremists and terrorist sympathizers. Does the name Joe McCarthy ring a bell? Somewhere I was led to believe that it was the duty of members of a democracy to ask questions, that our government was set up with a system of check and balances so that no particular branch gained too much power. I was also taught that the Fourth Estate, our journalists, is there to oversee our government and inform the populace in a balanced and unbiased manner.
Now if our news program doesn’t have some sort of slant it can’t be successful. You have to appeal to the partisan population and choose which color you want to be, red or blue. I’m no expert but a long time ago I had a political science class and learned the term, “divide and conquer.”
We have been divided, by our government and by our media. Maybe some of you remember the phrase, “united we stand, divided we fall.” We should all take a look at history, the history of those “super powers” that failed. Rome, France, the Soviet Union, all fell as a result of internal strife.
So what do we do? How do we reverse this trend? Certainly we have become a country of the Red, the Blue and the apathetic. Is there anything we can agree upon? I think we can all agree that enough young Americans have died. I think we can agree that no matter how long we stay in Iraq that their centuries old conflicts will continue. How large of an ego does it take to think we can overcome that kind of history?
My dilemma? How do I continue on with my life and focus on what is vital to me when so much around me is so depressing, so frustrating? Oh, I know, I think I’ll sleep in on Sunday mornings, watch mindless reality TV shows, only visit silly websites and say prayers for the real victims of this power play…. Our American soldiers… GOD BLESS THEM.
I have just recently returned from a trip home to Pittsburgh and Curtisville. Each time I visit I have to take in as much of the local “culture” as is possible. Now, when you consider that much, or perhaps most of the “culture” of Western Pa. revolves around alcohol, one has to be careful with how much is too much.
My visit began as a night with the boys watching Penguin’s hockey. My first taste of change came with the reality that Mike Lange is no longer the TV voice of the Pens. What’s up with that? John Steigerwald?
But it was good to see the city excited about hockey again… ahhh remember the 90’s? Crosby and Malkin should provide years of great hockey for Pittsburgh, unless of course the Russian mafia gets to Malkin first.
Thursday I was able to experience the local cuisine and get a feel for the mood of this fair city. Lunch at Primanti’s in the South Side was followed by a walking tour of some historical and significant landmarks.
My first observation, and it was one I had begun to formulate at the airport, was that the home base of the Steeler Nation is not only healthy, but vibrant. Every other person, (sure I exaggerate, but not by much), displayed some form of Steeler’s gear: A wide variety of hats and caps, hoodies, sweatshirts and sweaters, jackets from leather to corduroy, pajamas, sweat pants and underwear.
Even at 2-6, the home base was wearin’ their colors. No real talk of a Roethlisberger replacement, but it does seem clear to some that Bill Cowher is done. More is said about who will replace the coach not the quarterback.
And I suppose that’s a good thing. Cowher doesn’t appear to have the same intensity. I didn’t get to see much of the early games but the few I’ve seen recently have shown a subdued, restrained coach.
The second morning of my northern tour led me up the Allegheny River Valley, to where many of my ancestors originated. Once again it was important to experience as much of the local culture as possible.
Most of the day was spent touring old homesteads and landmark hotels and inns. Though I had traveled nearly 30 miles north of the city, most of the attitudes and opinions were consistent with what I was hearing earlier in the trip.
Many were excited about the upcoming election and deep into the heavily pro-union, very democratic territory most were optimistic of a big victory in the congressional elections. Some of the Steeler Nation struggled with the need to vote for Gov. Ed Rendell but regretted not voting for Republican Lynn Swann.
Saturday, I was able to dabble into the local cultural arts scene. A musical exhibition took place at a quaint venue where locals sang and danced as I played some folk tunes on the guitar. It was very nostalgic for me as several of my former classmates were in attendance, some I hadn’t seen for nearly a decade.
Sunday a combination of weather and lowered resistance caused me a severe sinus attack. That, combined with a miserable showing by the Steelers led to a fairly uneventful day. As the sinus attack worsened on Monday, I was limited to my quarters the entire day.
I was impressed with the range of the local news channels which covered such stories as a deer in a residential San Antonio swimming pool, a pregnant bear at a zoo in Colorado, and of course the elections.
Tuesday I felt much better, perhaps a sampling of a family distilled brandy helped. The weather had moderated somewhat and the frigid sub-freezing temperatures were replaced by a much more bearable 40 degrees plus.
My host and I were pleased to entertain a local philosopher and had very deep and protracted discussion as we watched the election returns that evening. As the night wore on we were very near solving every social, economic and political problem on the planet. But, as the night came to an end we decided it just wasn’t worth it.
The next day I was able to get back out and enjoy some local touring and was fortunate enough to take in a local sporting event. The women of the local village gathered at a spacious facility and competed in a sport that is their own local versioin of bowling. They combined the sport with a variety of other activities including card games, dancing and drinking competitions.
The next three days were filled with music. I attended an exhibition at another establishment on Thursday, participated in a tribute to the Beatles on Friday and was back at Jude’s Towne Tavern on Saturday. Needless to say by Sunday I was very hoarse while enjoying a great feast while viewing the Steelers game.
Now, back in Florida, the Steelers sit at 3-6. 7 wins puts them at 10-6 and potentially a playoff spot. This would demand 8 consecutive wins which would double the 4 needed to close last season. And there were doubters last year, they can’t win 4 in a row, they can’t beat the Colts in Indy.
Of course, after that, there were no doubters and we all know what happened. But who will be the first on the train this year? Who will be the first to believe? And who will try to distract us with their doubt?
I certainly feel for the family of Natalee Holloway. If anything happened to my own teenage daughter I would be devastated. Most that know me will tell you that I have become a survivor, that I’m fairly resilient. But, if any harm came to my daughter that might just put me over the edge.
Yet, with all the grandstanding by everyone from Greta Van Sustren to Bill O’Reilly, and all the attention to the bumbling Aruban police, it’s been very easy to forget Jon Benet Ramsey.
Here, in America, we had a dead little girl who was found in her own home. Yet with all the forensic evidence a body can provide we are no closer to solving her murder today than we were during the days after Christmas, 1996. Yet, this case in Aruba, sad as it may be, has been difficult to solve due in part to the fact that there is no body.
Will the media still be flashing majorette photos of Natalee ten years after her death, still wondering who murdered this young woman? The murder of Jon Benet Ramsay has nearly been forgotten. I’m sure the residents of Boulder, CO still talk and wonder about it, but, largely the case has been forgotten by the majority and in large part due to media ambivalence.
We in America find it so easy to criticize all that has nothing to do with us, whoever us might be at the time. Just look at the easy way blame shows itself in racism. “If it’s wrong it must be their fault, it can’t be ours.”
Blame has become perhaps the Americans most prevalent trait. I read a book by Tom Brokaw a few years ago, “The Greatest Generation.” It detailed the lives of those men and women who grew up in the depression, served in World War II and took America into the 21st Century. I don’t think those Americans had time for blame. It was more about accountability, responsibility, duty.
Today we want to blame everyone for 9/11. We want to blame the Arabs for our gasoline prices. Of course there is a large segment of our population who want to blame President Bush. But what is lacking are those people who are willing to do something about any of it.
The Mexicans have decided to do something about it. They are not blaming anyone. They chose to come here. They just want to be treated as human beings, part of which is the right to belong. Belong. Somewhere, anywhere.
But they have been misled. They have done what was asked of them, performed a service and shown a glimpse of the American dream. The same American dream that Italians, Poles, Slovaks, Germans, Jews, Japanese, Vietnamese, (the list goes on), enjoyed; basically, the same American dream that the rest of the planet has been shown.
So until we are taking care of things in our own backyard, let’s stop playing the blame game. Let’s not criticize others when we haven’t done our own homework.
The Aruban police have recently made an arrest. They will keep this young man in custody for eight days. It would appear to me that while they are investigating and interrogating not much has been happening in Boulder, CO. I wonder how the general public of Boulder feels about the Natalee Holloway case. They have much in common with those folks in Birmingham, Alabama. The biggest difference in Boulder is that they only have themselves to blame.
