Talk Radio is a cesspool of hatred, fake patriotism, mysogony and stupidity. It caters to the base intelligence of the lowest denominator of humanity as we know it. I think that it is a good thing keeping these people tuned in to their nasty house organs for as long as possible. Maybe keep them occupied for a while.
While I see the danger in letting a few companies like Clear Channel and Fox that tend to be very conservative dominate the aural landscape, I have a libertarian problem in the government dictating what people can listen to. The real problem is that a few companies can own so many stations in a geographic region and have no real commitment to be fair and objective.
I personally like to get my news from the print media. I think that writers do a more thorough, considered and less sensational job.
Talk radio, on the other hand and in my opinion, caters to intellectually lazy people who can easily be goaded by emotionally manipulative issues. Flag Wavers. Those that still cannot accept a separation of church and state or evolution or woman's suffrage or unions. Etc., etc.
***
Although I disagree with Lindsey Graham on a majority of issues, I applaud him for his recent stance on nationalizing the banks. He made the point that if Bank of America is valued at 27 billion and we give them 45 billion, the american citizen deserves an ownership share. What is so difficult about this? Bank of America allowed it's new baby Merrill to give 696 people million dollar bonuses out of bailout money. Our money. Why do americans thing it's okay to bail out banks who won't lend but shriek when you actually want to help homeowners or healthcare?
I admire Graham. I liked him during the Guantanamo brouhaha and don't think he got enough credit for his courageous anti Bush Administration stances. Some people have said some nasty personal things about him that are not germane. I think he is a very intelligent man. But I disagree with him on most issues. Allan Greenspan sounded much like Graham today. He said that once every hundred years or so you need to press the reset button.
***
One of the problems that gets minimized in all the lending talk is how few people can qualify now. Most people's hands have been scorched. You can't really blame the banks. Will the regulators ease up? I met a client in San Francisco last week who owns a mortgage company who can't qualify.
***
I took a big fall once and had a Chapter 11 reorganization approved and executed - everyone got paid and in seven years I had my credit back. It was grueling. I don't really trust people who have never fell on their ass in their life. The humility index is way up.
***
Travel buddies Senator John Cornyn and Ponzi pal Allan Stanford are two more reasons to love Texas.
3 comments:
You like Lindsay Graham of South Carolina???? Are you friggin nuts?????
What next Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich???????
Call me a wack job, I think the guy has integrity and probably represents his constituency well. For a Carolinian to talk about bank nationalization, with so many banks headquartered in the region, well if I can search for hyperbole, it's like me walking into a klan meeting.
I watched Graham, a former JAG, grill Steven Bradbury during the Guantanamo hearings and heard him take a stand for Habeus Corpus, a tenet I am quite fond of.
I appreciate smart people, I think that Krauthammer and Gerson, although I rarely agree with them, can string together a nuanced intellectual argument, in a different and less sensational way then let's say Jonah Goldberg or Michele Malkin can.
Got to call balls and strikes from both sides of the plate.
took a moment out of studying to read your blog Mr. Blue Heron. I love what you do here. I agree with you on Graham. He represents his state well and is reasonable as can be expected when you know he is on the other end of political spectrum. His cajoling with McCain in Iraq all these years was embarrasing though.
Post a Comment