November 2, 2012
Running Against the Grain (Part I)
Former New York Times Washington Bureau Chief, two time Pulitzer and Emmy winning reporter Hedrick Smith has written a wonderful book, Who Stole the American Dream?
(Random House, 2012). I must say, if a seventy nine year old pillar of the journalistic establishment can find his way to a nearly 100% correct policy assessment of many of our biggest problems then others in the mainstream media may yet also see the light. There's more. Hedrick believes, passionately, that our solution is not elections but mass action: millions of people resisting, demanding solutions. We have some different views about what tools are needed for successful mass action but that's immaterial. Hedrick's gotten to the heart of the problem and he's right. Total runtime forty three minutes. (Part II of our conversation, a further twenty five minutes, will be broadcast next Monday morning.) Decet patriam nobis cariorem esse quam nosmetipsos.
Comments
What great guy! That generation had a hell of a lot more backbone and starch than the current one. I fault today's Americans with lack of nerve. Look at the way the Spaniards and the Greeks react. The Occupy movement shows that the potential is there. The media addiction is a big — perhaps the biggest — problem, since it is now so concentrated in a way it wasn't a few decades ago. US media is now propaganda and that is a tremendous problem.
Posted by: John | November 2, 2012 3:04 PM
Following up on Gardner's quote:
Ill Fares the Land--Tony Judt
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/apr/29/ill-fares-the-land/?pagination=false
Speeches
November 16, 2011
‘The Pivotal Role of Public Television’--Bill Moyers
http://billmoyers.com/category/speeches-essays/
Posted by: John | November 2, 2012 3:57 PM
Should be a good listen but it does beg the question: is the "American dream" even a good idea? Suggest you have Morris Berman on (when he returns from from Japan) to discuss his (great) book "Why America Failed."
[I've been in contact with Berman but — to my great surprise — he puts conditions on interviews, ones that I had no interest in accepting. g.]
Posted by: Kevin | November 2, 2012 4:40 PM
On topic quote by Moyers:
"An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda, is less inclined to put up a fight, ask questions and be skeptical. That kind of orthodoxy can kill a democracy - or worse." - Bill Moyers
A very pertinent interview with Nader:
Ralph Nader: Both Parties, Two Heads of Same Corporate Beast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NO4UMbUNXbk
[If Ralph Nader really believed what he's saying he would have turned his former campaign organization into something more permanent. But he didn't... I'm sorry but I don't trust the guy no matter how right he may be on the issues. g.]
Posted by: John | November 3, 2012 8:22 PM