Comment Re:A jihad (Score 1) 1078
----------Response to Katz' Digital Village interview-------
The interview was on Saturday, Sept 15, on radio station KPFK (Pacifica), in Los Angeles.
They were talking about the influence of the media on our perception of events, when the topic finally came around to Bush, and to America's role in world problems.
Katz got off the first volley, claiming that "Bush headed for the bunkers". That's an interesting use of the "loaded word", which Katz, being a journalist, knows only too well. First, it would be a pretty foolish country that would send its leader out into the open at the beginning of a battle where no-one knew what would happen next. The White House was considered a credible target. Next, does anyone doubt what Clinton, or his would-be successor, Gore, would have done. True, Clinton is a master of the Photo Opp, but I doubt he'd have stuck around - and I doubt that the Secret Service would have let him do any different. It would be more accurate to say that the President got out of harm's way.
Next, he told of Bush's meeting with the "hard hats" - another loaded word. He knows that it implies that great unwashed working class, sometimes known as "Joe 6-pack". In fact, as we all know by now, it was the New York firemen he was talking to. Their hats may be hard, but their hearts are not. We got a chance to see a real President in action that day.
Then there was the focus on the term "cowards", applied to the terrorists, and how this was a misuse. The individual terrorists, in the usual definition of the word, probably weren't cowards. But those who sent them are most certainly cowards, and their movement is cowardly. Only cowards attack innocent, defenseless civilians.
Then there was mention of the President's approval ratings, which Katz said were "down the toilet" (I may be remembering his term incorrectly). In fact, if you go back to recent polls, the ratings were rather high. (I too have my doubts about "instant polls", but the last administration was practically run by polls and "focus groups". OK for movies; not for government.)
Katz said that Bush "found the thing" that would help him in the ratings. It would be more accurate to say that it found him.
Just about the only thing that he and I seem to agree on is that the media (mostly mainstream TV) is a tool for influencing public opinion. However, he thinks it does the bidding of Coporate America, I think it does the bidding of the Liberal Left.
Callers to the program brought up what we've been doing in the world as explanation for the attack. At least one mentioned Iraq. Personally, I think economic sanctions are a bad way to deal with problems (does anybody really think that either Castro or Saddam Hussein have ever gone hungry?). But a recent article from the BBC tells us that Iraq has been selling as much oil as ever, and that Hussein is responsible for using the money for his military, and letting his own people starve.
