Life With….

I don’t normally watch Kieth Olbermann or the punditry shows as I find the yelling annoying, the one sided reporting self-serving, and that these shows in general exist in an echo chamber devoid of most reality.  A reality where talking points are facts, and what actually is going on matters less then sound bites and spin (and one where, in general, long term consequences and repercussions don’t matter at all).  [1]

My news programing tends to be the POTUS channel on SIRRUS/XM the NY Times, the Washington Post, NPR, the BBC, PBS, The Daily Beast, legal and education blogs, food blogs, book/art/theater reviews, and of course, Morning Joe on MSNBC.  That said on Sundays over tea and eggs, I like to have Sunday talk on while reading the NY Times Sunday paper (a routine  which would be changed if I had a church in Durham I felt right in regularly).  Thus I do not miss the echo chamber completely or to the extent it is not only on MSNBC and Fox prime time.

I see the rise of talking points as a form of catering to the extremes -- of both sides.  It causes anger and blood pressure to rise by  discussing issues through code words and buzz moments rather than facts and honest debate.  I know none of what I am saying is novel but we need to remember it.  Particularly when so many hold irrational beliefs (the president is Muslim -- no, bu if so who cares?).

I blame the threats of violence on democratically elected representatives on this, and find illusions to guns and loading immoral at this time of outrage.

All of that being a long introduction to a Olbermann special comment from last night, April 7.  This comment focuses on the Republican candidate for Congress in my parents and brothers district, a seat held by Democrat Ron Klein, who is running for reelection.  This man, Allen West should be taken with much salt. after having  been court martialed and then admitting to torturing and threatening violence on an Iraqi policeman.  He was fined, but allowed to resign with benefits.  In any case his actions were wrong, he was punished, and why  anyone would vote for him is beyond me.  His pamphlets cater to the tea partiers without saying much in terms of what he would offer, as opposed to what he would reject, and are long odes to militant patriotism, a virulent form that I cannot understand even though I believe deeply in all that this country stands for and has to offer.  All of that though I could live with as part of this year of anger and voter rebellion.  What happened two days ago I cannot.

Two days ago, West, like others before him used language that alluded to violence when speaking of his political opponent.  That caused Olbermann to do this “special comment” on the situation.

For the MSNBC version click here.

(While having Olbermann  condemn him and Palin support him may aide West with some no rational person should vote for a man who  claims to want to make his opponents to scared to go outside -- that is not part of our traditions peaceful transitions of power dating to Jefferson or nonviolent protesting against the majority).  See also the Washington Post blog and this from the Sun-Sentinel on the back and forth between West and the Democratic Party Head for Broward County.

People have a right to be angry -- to question all decisions and to honest debate.  But language like this harms more then just this race, it harms the institutions of government themselves and prevents that honest debate from occuring.  I have a masters in history and have been long interested in how some successful political groups achieved change though nonviolent actions which forced their opposition to either change or be brutal.  In this case, people are scared, angry, and acting brutish.  Yet they seem to be just rebelling without solutions -- egged on in this behavior by people like West, Palin, Fox News, Olbermann and many at MSNBC.  Until the news and our leaders act like Senator Coburn, and admit you can disagree without being disagreeable we are in for a period of time where the minority of crazies, from both sides continue to stir things up, terrorizing us all and causing odd headlines like this and some great TV like this and this.

A great example of how handling extremists with decorum can cause extremists to look idiotic can be seen here.  Two pundits I don’t usually enjoy watching were on Morning Joe yesterday (April 7, 2010) discussing the behavior of Afghan President Karzai.  Arriana Huffington who never seems to contribute except though bluster, talking points and attack, went after Rudy Giuliani, whom I disagree with a lot politically, and who is often needlessly confrontational.  In this case he called her  attack as personal and irrelevant, and was able to get the hosts and others at the table to agree.  They may or may not have agreed with his stance on Karazi , but they did believe she crossed a line and needed to combat her position, which appeared  to rely on more then talking points with facts not attacks and sound bites.  She was unable to do so and sounded, at least to me, like she was lost in  a shrill, liberal echo chamber of one.

In this spirit, those of us who aren’t for violence, but want honest discussions must speak up.  Read about what is actually going on and have real debates.  I may not agree with you, just as I am not sure how I feel about the health bill, but if you have an explanation for your position, based on facts, I will respect it. Hell you may then even persuade me -- shouting and threatening people definitely will not cause me to join your stance.  Decorum, like honey, often has greater rewards.

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[1] For more on my thoughts on the lack of decorum in our society see -- http://www.peebesalgy.com/blog/2009/10/30/does-yelling-lead-to-boredom-and-stupidity/ and http://www.peebesalgy.com/blog/2010/01/27/omg-the-prez-is-speaking-now/.

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Create Your Badge  All text and copyrights preserved by the author for words and original pictures and may not be used without author's permission. For more information visit http://www.peebesalgy.com Follow me on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/peebesalgy or contact me directly through http://www.peebesalgy.com/blog/contact-me/ Courtney Brown | Create Your Badge

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