MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
There are many well documented divides between the left and the right wings. Roe v. Wade, death penalty, more government v. less government, more religion in government v. less religion in government, to name just a few. One of the most obvious divides in the two prevailing cultures is in online news sources. This difference was exquisitely demonstrated today in the differing coverage of the now infamous “You lie!” outburst by Rep. Joe Wilson.
Huffington Post predictably skewers him while the Drudge Report predictably underlines his point. Here are the headlines from these respective news outlets:
Huffington Post
Headline: Muzzle for Old Yeller
Sub-headlines: Watch: "You Lie!"... Rep. Joe Wilson Widely Denounced... Joe Biden: I Was Embarrassed For Congress... Rep. James Clyburn: Wilson's Apology "Cowardly"... Sen. Arlen Specter: He Needs To Do More... Wilson's Congressional Opponent Raises $100,000 From Outburst
Drudge Report
Picture:
Headline: “You lie!”
Sub-headlines: Obama: Time for 'bickering' over on health care... WHIP COUNT: DEMS LACK THE VOTES... POLL HELL: Obama disapproval on health care up to 52%... WIll Plan Lead to Forced Unionization of Health Workers?... FLASHBACK: Dems booed Bush during State of Union Speech... FLASHBACK: Obama Accused Bill Clinton of Telling 'Bald-Faced Lies'...
So there you have it. An objective event covered as subjective as possible. If you leftist and think this guy is a jackass, you will read Huffington Post and have your opinion confirmed. If you are rightist and think this guy is a hero you will read Drudge Report and have your opinion confirmed.
To this I ask the following questions:
Is the public really being served by this type of partisan reporting?
Is it the job of the media to confirm one’s own uninformed opinions?
Are either of these fair and balanced?
The left decries Fox News and the right decries everybody else ("The whole media is bias, wah!"), yet everybody eats up the partisan crap that's put out there by the partisan media.
Personally, I love to read the Drudge Report and other rightly stinted publications. While I am generally left in my views I think it is important to challenge my own views on issues. I would argue that anyone who is truly resolute in their views should do the same. You should challenge your opinions to the scrutiny of the other side. Otherwise you are just clicking on articles that tell you what you already know or want to know – and what’s the fun in that?
Comments
If you're truly resolute in your views, why bother? ;) But seriously, I agree completely. If you get all your news filtered by people who think like you, you're less likely to have your opinions challenged, which means you're more likely to be basing your views on flawed logic. Even if they're valid views, if you base them on flawed logic, then I hope you don't spend too much time defending them if they're the same views as mine. :)
by Nebton on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 3:06pm
hahahahaha! What was the internet like before photoshop was ubiquitous? Not nearly as hilarious.
by Larry Jankens on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 4:30pm
Typical ignorant bs from the left (and by the way the right is f'ed up too), if you would actually read the bill you would realize that it is, in fact, a lie.
Yes, the bill does not excplicitly state that illegals will be covered. However it does prevent care givers from asking or making any attempt to determin legal status, thus no one will be turned away.
Also, in section 242.a.2 the bill states that if one family memeber is considered to be eligable for coverage then all familiy members will be covered as well.
So when illegals come to this country and have a baby, which they all do, that baby is automatically an american citizen and will be covered, thus, so will the members of its family. This contradicts an earlier definition in hr 3200 of family as dependants. This bill like all others was written by lobbyists, the same groups this bill is suppose to "compete" with. Sadly for you "Obama can do no wrong" people, you will actually have to think for yourselves and infer a little (I know its been a while). I mean serously, the democrats and the far left have spent decades bending over backwards for illegals, you somehow think now they will be left out, come on, you people are smarter than that.
The sooner you realize they are all crooks and that black, white, straight, gay, left, right the one thing we have in common is money; this is all about inflating the money supply and destroying our wealth. They have us so busy fighting with each other that we do not focus on the real issues. And I agree the healthcare industry needs to be fixed but the government is the abosulte wrong organization to take up that challenge, if you all really understood the way things work you would realize govt is why we are where we are. And yes Bush was an idiot, but obama is the worst thing that has ever happened to this country.
I dont know about you but if the PRESIDENT SPEAKS FALSELY TO THE NATION LIVE then I am glad someone called him out on his bullshit.
And I know many of you are just out there salivating thinking of how to reply. Here is a tip, dont just regergitate what you hear in the media (ironically some of the largest bailout recepients from this administration, try to come up with something intelligent, I have read the bill, have you?) And you better be able to explain how our monetary system works.
by Bobby (not verified) on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 6:31pm
How about posting some links to back up what you're saying? Here is a link to HR 3200. Check out section 246:
By the way, here's section 242.a.2:
Now, I'm no expert in legalese (see A-man for that one), but given section 246, I don't see how 242.a.2 does what you say it does. Want to explain it to me?
by Nebton on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 7:13pm
Speaking on behalf of your soon-to-be-alien-masters, I'd just like to say, "We (really) don't need your steenking healthcare." Venutian anatomy basically breaks down to 1/3 forebrain, 1/3 forearm and 1/3 foreskin anyway, which means we outmatch you in all 3 critical categories.
Now go away.
P.S. Huffington works for us.
by quinn esq on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 10:00pm
And my axe!
by Larry Jankens on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 1:07pm
I read DrudgeReport every day for the same reason Larry. I also watch Bill O'Reilly because the guy is entertaining as fuck. Hell, it's the same reason I watch The Daily Show or Colbert.
I can't bring myself to watch or listen to Glenn Beck though, that guy is fucking poison.
by EL DOME (not verified) on Tue, 10/06/2009 - 1:35pm