The Discreditors
If there is one thing that the right wing IS good at, it's the art of completely discrediting those that dare oppose them. It doesn't matter who or what you are, you are not safe if you disagree. You could be a veteran and/or war hero (Murtha, Cleland, Kerry, even McCain wasn't safe from it in 2000), grieving mother or widow (Sheehan, 9/11 widows), the judicial system (those dang activist judges upholding the rule of law), liberal bloggers (we're all just blogging in our pajamas from our parent's basements anyway), a congressional panel (investigate 9/11? the nerve), and really...just God help you if you're in anyway affiliated with and/or support the ACLU or are an actor, director, producer, and live or work anywhere near Hollywood. Smear, smear, and smear.
The newspapers and television media have been a target for quite sometime now. Freedom of the press has been under seige since around September 2001. It's been somewhat relentless in its tenacity. You know what I'm talking about because we've all heard it nearly everyday for years now..."The liberal media", "The disturbing images you see on your t.v.", "reporting only bad news from Iraq", "where are the positive stories?", "Hard to imagine the positive because of what you read in the papers", "I think we know who the media want to win this election--and I don't think it's George Bush.", "printing classified information". <-----THAT. That one right there is the biggest one. Oh, that and that they threw Judith Miller in jail for not revealing her source (which we all know turned out to be Scooter Libby...any guess on his chances of a presidential pardon before Bush leaves office?). And when Geraldo Rivera drew a map of troop locations in the sand in Iraq, on the air for Fox News, and was asked to leave (either by Fox News itself or the military) he went on to smear, who? MSNBC for reporting that.
Bush went on a finger wagging tirade the other day in the Rose Garden about the recent NY Times article regarding SWIFT money tracking. VP Cheney had his back. New York Republican representative, Peter King is calling for a criminal investigation into the Times disclosure (nevermind that there's a mole in this administration that is doing the leaking). Bill O'Reilly (and really, Fox News in general) had to have gotten down on his knees and thanked the Lord for the fodder he can milk off of this for weeks to come. And Tony Snow had this to say:
Google me this, Tony. Two words, sounds like...Pentagon Papers.
No government ought to be without censors & where the press is free, no one ever will.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Washington, September 9, 1792
The newspapers and television media have been a target for quite sometime now. Freedom of the press has been under seige since around September 2001. It's been somewhat relentless in its tenacity. You know what I'm talking about because we've all heard it nearly everyday for years now..."The liberal media", "The disturbing images you see on your t.v.", "reporting only bad news from Iraq", "where are the positive stories?", "Hard to imagine the positive because of what you read in the papers", "I think we know who the media want to win this election--and I don't think it's George Bush.", "printing classified information". <-----THAT. That one right there is the biggest one. Oh, that and that they threw Judith Miller in jail for not revealing her source (which we all know turned out to be Scooter Libby...any guess on his chances of a presidential pardon before Bush leaves office?). And when Geraldo Rivera drew a map of troop locations in the sand in Iraq, on the air for Fox News, and was asked to leave (either by Fox News itself or the military) he went on to smear, who? MSNBC for reporting that.
Bush went on a finger wagging tirade the other day in the Rose Garden about the recent NY Times article regarding SWIFT money tracking. VP Cheney had his back. New York Republican representative, Peter King is calling for a criminal investigation into the Times disclosure (nevermind that there's a mole in this administration that is doing the leaking). Bill O'Reilly (and really, Fox News in general) had to have gotten down on his knees and thanked the Lord for the fodder he can milk off of this for weeks to come. And Tony Snow had this to say:
"Traditionally in this country in a time of war, members of the press have acknowledged that the commander in chief, in the exercise of his powers, sometimes has to do things secretly in order to protect the public," Mr. Snow said. "This is a highly unusual departure."
Google me this, Tony. Two words, sounds like...Pentagon Papers.
No government ought to be without censors & where the press is free, no one ever will.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Washington, September 9, 1792
posted by Tootsie Farklepants at 8:14 AM
3 Comments:
Wasnt Thomas Jefferson also the one who used the press as an extension of his political muscle. And is it also true that press in which he spoke of not necessarily a press per se as it was the National Enquirer of its day? Or better yet Pravda of its day?
Not to split hairs, but I firmly believe the quote is out of context greatly when applied to your essay. Obviously, thats my opinion as I know and have gleaned from works such as Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis, John Adams by David Mcullough and the great book, The first American, the life and times of benjamin Franklin, by H. W. Brands.
My opinion only.
Jack
I keep reading your statment over and over and try to apply that quote and maybe it does fit. I have been thinking about this for a few days now. It just seems that what you are saying is not what he meant. does that even make sense?
But, you think he is tough to understand, try Thomas Paine. I got no clue what that dudes wrote in all those pamphlets of his. Was he pro-revolution or anti-revolution or was he just looking for a good dry cleaner?
I think what he meant was that the government should have somebody keeping an eye on them. And also that so long as what the press prints is true, then they shouldn't fear an attack. It probably would have been helpful if I included the whole quote...
"No government ought to be without censors, and where the press is free, no one ever will. If virtuous, it need not fear the fair operation of attack and defence. Nature has given to man no other means of sifting out the truth whether in religion, law or politics. I think it as honorable to the government neither to know nor notice its sycophants or censors, as it would be undignified and criminal to pamper the former and persecute the latter." --Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1792. ME 8:406
And Thomas Paine was just lookin' for a decent Chinese food restaurant.
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