I lived a great portion of my life in Colorado, where I watched TV coverage of the weather grow from few seconds (current temp, wind velocity, it will/won't rain tomorrow) to reporting fall and winter storms as the Eighth Sign of the Apocalypse, by "teams" of "New Watch 4 Triple-Doppler Commandos."
I have laughed near unto tears at a succession of journalistic dunderheads stand outside in light snow and tell me that "this could be worse by morning."
Given a normal or above average snow fall, the TV coverage would "go to 11" and alarm the public no less than the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast of 70 years ago next month.
For some time now the 24-7 news cycle has treated all news and all weather in similar, "The Sky Is Falling" fashion.
Doom and gloom attracts attention. Think not? Go to you local airport and start screaming "My plane's gonna be bombed!" Once you're out on bail, go back to the airport and calmly state in a reasonable voice, "My plane's gonna land safely."
After yesterday's dramatic rejection of The Bailout during which the market dropped farther than on 9/11, there has been the same kind of hysterical, blizzard, hurricane-type coverage.
Yet with a little over two and half hours to go before today's close on Wall Street, we're at 10,722.43, up 356.98 since yesterday's close.
I'm not saying the current economic mess is not a crisis; I'm taking issue with how the old MSM reports these days... either with great irresponsibility or worse, with great political purpose.
'If it bleeds, it leads" gains viewers; more viewers means higher add rates and thus, more money... we know that.
The politics are far more sinister; and that's what we are not giving enough attention.
Just this morning faithful reader and fellow arch cynic, Fire@Will, posited as follows:
What if this crisis is not the accidental result of various actions and inactions on their part – but, in fact, the real (Democratic Party) intention all along?
How would creating a perceived crisis of Biblical proportions help the Left? (Let me count the ways…)
Years ago, Bush, McCain, Greenspan and others warned about the dangers of the mortgage loan policies, including specifically the problems with Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac.
The same leading Democrats (Barney Frank, Pelosi, etc) who now are blaming it all on “Bush’s failed economic policies” made public assurances that there was nothing wrong with the way they (the FM’s) were passing out bad loans and keeping two sets of books. Had they not covered up the problem, and dealt with it in 2005, this crisis could have been averted.
What’s next? Once we’ve circumvented/ravaged the Constitution with our emergency economic package, maybe we should see what other crisis only we can “save” the people from.
Try to think like a socialista.
I'm with Will; I know what's going on... I need to know why. For example, why was a complete outline of he GOP congressional strategy for the bailout is given to Obama by Bush Administration Sec. of Treasury Henry Paulson? Why did he have it before McCain suspend his campaign and returned to Washington?
This headline might be telling.
Obama Might Keep Paulson During Transition
And two bits from Rush:
- "I have one answer to the mortgage crisis... rent: r..e..n..t."
- Civilian federal employees get a 3.9 percent pay raise in 2009 spending bill.
Yeah... some crisis.
Fire@Will has again a felon who contiues to steal my thoughts. Bravo Good Will...
Posted by: Carl | October 01, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Fire@Will has again a felon who contiues to steal my thoughts. Bravo Good Will...
Posted by: Carl | October 01, 2008 at 09:09 PM
Wow. I'm gonna need a bigger hat... when I get more cyber ink than Rush!
Semper Fi
"Fire at Will!"
"Which one's Will?"
Posted by: Will S | October 01, 2008 at 10:15 AM