One major reason why the main-stream-media has been sub par for the past 6 years

The title of this post refers to this NYTimes article discussing how “independent” military analysts for the big news stations (NBC, CBS, ABC, etc.) are all in cahoots with the administration.  Even though the article spans a massive 11 pages,  it hammers home the point that these analysts have propagated the administration’s message across TV stations.  For free?  No, hardly.  These analysts also serve as CEO’s and lead consultants for defense contracting and lobbying firms, and by aiding in the dissemination of information for the executive branch, they are able to reel in the profits.

To me, this is outrageous and appalling if a branch of the American government is allowed to blatantly manipulate information in the aid of their oh-so-unpopular war.  But more telling is how the news channels didn’t bother to run rigorous background checks on their military analysts to check for conflicts of interest.

I don’t have cable, but I’m willing to bet that this story wasn’t covered on any news channel….

John McCain is breaking the law

The short of it: In August of 2007 John McCain applied for matching funds from the Federal Election Campaign Commission, which means that he must follow specific guidelines in the way that he raises and spends money. The spending limit for the 2008 general election is $56,757,500 and McCain’s campaign has spent is $56,916,682. Oops! Only $200,000+ over! Considering that he didn’t formally withdraw from the binding FEC agreement, he is technically in violation of the law. The big problem with this situation stems from the fact that if he’s over his spending budget already - how will he attack Obama in the coming general election?!?!

George Saunders: The case for washboarding

Really liked George Saunders’ piece in this week’s The New Yorker, making the case for washboarding:

People have been washboarded for centuries. It’s almost as if the urge to washboard is intrinsically human. Is it pretty? No. Does it work? It appears to. So what’s the big deal? If we’re going to be in this thing, let’s win this thing. I myself have been washboarded. It’s true. I used to live downstairs from an oldtime jug band. And, believe me, it was not torture. It was torturous, yes—especially at three in the morning, what with the banjo and the jug and the high, whiny singing and (horror of horrors) the occasional harmonica—but torture?

Read the full piece here. I recommend his story collection Pastoralia.

How many lies are needed for an impeachment?

-mikefro

Thanks to the Center for Public Integrity & Fund for Independence in Journalism we now know how many lies we were told leading up to coalition forces striking Baghdad in March 2003: 935. In a tour de force of research spent combing speeches, emails, and reports, the publication War Card: Orchestrated Deception on the Path to War details every piece of propaganda advanced by top administration officials in a 350,000 word document. This is a graph showing Time vs. Number of Lies Told:

Pretty ridiculous isn’t it? This only scratches the surface - the fine people at CPI have deposited all of the lies into a database giving you the ability to find your favorite lie! I think the true strength of this report lies within its juxtaposition of the lies proclaimed by the administration with the truth that was later uncovered: