Comments on: Nota Bene #98: A More Glorious Dawn Awaits

By: Russ Wellen

Russ Wellen — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:08:46 +0000

“The star has agreed to promote Sobieski Vodka”

I thought you meant young movie and TV star, Lee Lee Sobieski, not Bruce Willis.

“This is arguably the best solar land in the world”

This one’s tough to figure. It’s like environmentalism versus environmentalism.

By: Lex

Lex — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:35:21 +0000

Unfortunately, too many Americans subscribe to the idea that ignorance is bliss, and that the more ignorant one can be the more blissful he can become. (note: i use the word “ignorance” with an emphasis on its root, which does not suggest passively not-knowing but actively ignoring)

By: shadou

shadou — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:59:55 +0000

But worse still is a populace the majority of whom accept the swill without a nagging doubt! Just imagine the legions of swallowers of the garbage of Rush, Glen, Hannity and their ilk. If any of them, the swallowers that is, paid a scintilla of attention to the quest for truth we might have many nice things, i. e., proper universal health care, a better education system and so forth. (Sigh!) We might even have legislatures that work, if you can imagine that!

By: Dr. Slammy

Dr. Slammy — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:46:39 +0000

The Jefferson quote is tragic in more ways than we might realize. During his time journalism had no real professional standards and no concept of “objectivity” (a flawed idea in many ways, but when it comes to reporting not an unworthy ideal). In the aftermath of the Yellow Journalism wars the industry evolved standards and ethical codes aimed at driving professional, ethical reportage, and it was this mode of journalism that dominated the 20th Century. That is, up until Reagan came along and dismantled the public interest standard. That was when it was decreed that “the public interest is what the public is interested in,” and while it only applied to the world of broadcasting, it set in motion a rush to the lowest common denominator that couldn’t help but impact print, as well. When the same principles (if I might so abuse the word) were allowed to govern Internet development, we quickly found ourselves back in the world that Jefferson was lamenting – only a brazilian times worse.

There is literally no hope for the soul of our republic so long as our press/media are built on such an outrageous interpretation of the “free market.”