liberal media?
Alterman on the mischaracterization of the left:
Report on dissension about Iraq between Republicans and military men, and you’re treated as the vanguard of the antiwar movement. Do the math on a tax cut geared to multimillionaires, and you’ve declared “class warfare.” Mention that Bush is neglecting “homeland security” while bin Laden remains at large, and you’re giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
I’m not even going to get started on this. We’ll argue all day and night on what color the media really is, we being the three or so readers of MUS and whoever occasionally wanders over from shiftyeye, and never come to a proper conclusion, save sundry trivial examples of either bias in this or that article, report, etc.
How can some think the media leans left and others think it leans right? By starting with different definitions of what left and right are maybe, but that won’t change as long as stupid humans stereotype to make life more digestible. Alterman is right about the mischaracterization of the left at the very least; say one thing about diplomacy, and you’re branded a hippie pacifist. Ask for an inquiry into the administration’s handling of pre-war intelligence and you’re playing partisan games. As if demanding that our government be held accountable is a crime.
July 2nd, 2003 at 2:50 pm
we are all lucky to have eric alterman and the nation tell us the absolute truth. THEY should not be questioned.
July 2nd, 2003 at 10:49 pm
No, THEY should be questioned. THEY should be read, listened to, and stacked up against their competition. Just like the unabashed righties at FoxNews and the Weekly Standard should be read and questioned. This shouldn’t be a left-right game, we’re not playing football, we’re grappling with ideas trying to get as close to the truth as we can, media providing, and I hate to burst your or anyone’s bubble, but neither political leaning has an a priori hold on the truth the last time I checked. Granted, Alterman and the Nation are left of center. That doesn’t automatically disqualify them. It may be somewhat a matter of perspective but you can certainly see where Alterman is coming from in this case.
July 3rd, 2003 at 9:48 am
your descriptions of the right and left say it all: “unabashed righties” vs. “left of center.” the nation — merely left of center? giving me a break. i guess this is what the liberal media has done to you.
July 3rd, 2003 at 12:50 pm
Yes, that is exactly what the myth of the “liberal media” has done to me (and you). Completely skewed polarity. The extreme right considers anything left of center (for that matter leanings that are extremely moderate and couldn’t even be rationally considered left) “extreme left”, or as Ann Coulter would have it, treasonously left. The same far right consider themselves “compassionate conservatives” or some such pathetic euphemism. Not that there aren’t incorrigible lefties that do the same thing, but really, neither persuasion has a monopoly on rhetoric and bad argument…that be a human thing.
But again, regardless of what you want to consider “left” or
“right”, ideas hold their own. Gimme good stuff I say, I don’t care if your rag is considered left or right, just gimme good stuff.