“There is something in the progressive mind-set that promotes, nay, requires compulsive lying. We see it in John Kerry and his fake stories of secret missions in Cambodia and his flying dog; Hillary Clinton, and her Bosnian snipers; Susan Rice and her video explanation for Benghazi; Eric Holder with Fast and Furious; and even FDR. . . . Your standard progressive activist has really done nothing very interesting, so he or she needs to get proper credentials, to show that he or she knows what’s what, and that progressivism is what the world needs to deal with “problems”–after all, isn’t life just a series of problems calling for progressive intervention? They want to see what they believe. We, hence, have progressives making up the sort of stuff that puts them, the elite, in the center of the battle, on the ramparts, in the muddy trenches and downed helicopters with the common schlubs–the sort of worldly experience that allows progressives to tell us how to live our lives. Telling lies is essential to progressivism.”
(H/T: The Diplomad via Instapundit)
It is rather true – and it isn’t just lying by commission, as with the latest scandal of NBC’s anchor Brian Williams of lying about his experience as “news” (yeah, this will help turn around the distrust of the MSM, won’t it?), but lying by omission as well. What isn’t said, what is covered up, is just as bad. Here in NH, the most sterling example was that of homosexual marriage: SURE, we would told, civil unions would be sufficient; it’s all we want. Then BAM! When the Dems took both the House and the Senate, AND had the Oval Office, PRESTO! – gay marriage. Campaigned on that? Honored what was said about civil unions? Not a freaking word or chance.
Yes, Republicans are also guilty of this as well – re: my favorite Republican whipping example of the NH State Senate Republicans that passed Obama’s Medicaid Expansion. Actually worse, as the official Party line was “NObama”. Period.
But then again, the post, while mostly excoriating “journalists” of the Progressive sort, is about just Progressives – which crosses all industries and all political bounds. This was a snippet I found to be interesting as well:
The fundamental problem progressives such as Williams face is that the world is not as they would have it. Not at all. Many if not most of them have limited experience in the real world, having spent lives of wealth and privilege, sheltered in progressive educational institutions. They have very superficial knowledge of the world outside these bubbles, and rely, therefore, to a great deal on Hollywood. They incorporate into their personae the largely leftist rubbish pumped out by Hollywood.
They talk a good game about diversity, but as the above shows, a cloistered life shows the illusion of their bubble. And the prick that bursts their bubble, well, is people like us on the Internet, that Disruptive Technology that is re-writing what journalism is:
We now have millions of little “anchors” who can fact-check, provide alternative explanations for events, and bring sunlight to otherwise forgotten happenings and issues. Dan Rather, let us not forget, got brought down by bloggers. The internet also has debunked Williams. Imagine, just imagine, if we had had the internet in the time of Duranty, or even when the Saintly Walter Cronkite declared that we were losing in Vietnam when, in fact, we were winning . . .
Journalism can be what you are and for decades was just that – only professionals. As we have now seen for over a decade, the old requirement of broadcasting equipment or mega-ink based presses is gone. No, not the intent of the journalism, but a real opening of journalism to “something you do” in addition to everything else one does. Like us. And that decentralization is driving these former “flappers” / gatekeepers nuts. We can’t be controlled, they fail when they try to shush up us, and generally, we’re quicker (and better take advantage of the newer stuff rolling out onto the scene. And with all that, what used to be hundreds of millions can be done for almost next to nothing, it opens it up to Joe Sixpack who generally knows their area of expertise FAR BETTER than the “pros” – and in a lot of cases, it shows.
