I read the news and think backwards.
Iraq — Vietnam, Vietnam — Iraq. Lord someone get his ignominious arse out of there.
This president is incorrigible. Our malediction for fatuousness.
Now that the illusion of what we are is fading, the reality of what we have become is hitting home. We watch and wait as John Edwards becomes desperate, Obama does some repairs, and Hilary consults with her wardrobe specialist over her blouse choice for the next debate. She fired the incompetent who suggested that pink thing.
The blogs won’t make much difference if we do not get out there and find out what those candidates really do, what they have voted for and against, which lobby’s support them and what they own. This time we need to know not only what is under the covers, we need to know what is under the bed in the fireproof safe.
The discussion at Dave’s only verified what I have always felt. Blogs of any given political slant are there to promote their political leaning — their viewpoint. They have that right, and the right to remove your comments, just as I have the right to delete your comment when you call me a “slut”, a “hot babe”, or a ” quasi fascist, almost lesbian piece of crap”. All may be true, but I can delete your comment anyway. Blogs have their own free speech and it has nothing to do with The Constitution. It has to do with my blog being my house. Blogs are good for some things. They are not always good for debate on opinions or ideals which the owner of the blog has set in stone.
The media (loathe as they are to cover anything not blond, large breasted, wealthy, and famous) are slow to pick up on real news, real travesty, and in some cases the real facts. This is where the blogging industry — which is what I have decided to call it a — might come in handy.
When enough bloggers point to something, talk about it, discuss it, and decide it is news, it will become news. Bloggers may not really be the be all or end all of the world, but bloggers should be able to provoke coverage of issues which should be famous and of individuals who should be better known.
In the case of the Jena Six blogging is still where we see the major coverage. We hope to change that. Yobachi has a post up and I encourage you all to read it and commit yourself to a day of blogging for this cause. If you have not read about the Jena Six please follow the multiple links at Black Perspective, the link at the bottom of my page or over at Slant Truth. Pick up the banner here. Jena Six Banners The site can sometimes be busy so have patience.
As bloggers we do have a chance to make things/people that should be well known into a famous entity. That’s an idea we should all get behind. Let’s get rid of the Spears, Lohan coverage. Let’s start with the Jena Six.
I have one of the banners at idego. If posting on it means just making note of it again I’ll do it. I’m not much of a blogger per say. I can do another banner post and point people in the right direction.
I found it unbelievable that the first place I heard about it was from this blog. I was watching some different You Tube video’s of people who had just heard of this situation in the past month. The people are incredulous.
You wouldn’t believe how many people have not read the Constitution.
Good to know I can all you anything I want to and you can erase it.
It makes my heart hurt to hear stuff like that still goes on, especially having a friend in the South. It also makes it difficult sometimes to come to your site, Miss Cooper, if only because I learn so much of a world I’d rather pretend didn’t exist.
Sometimes seeing the truth is a rather scary proposition.
Amen.
(Nice layout also).
Cooper you keep me honest. Yesterday there was an article in the Times about Sacco and Vinzeti (sic, probably) which made me think about the Scottsboro boys – as my grandmother taught this all to me when I was very young
Almost a hundred years later.…
I liked the tone of this post. Calling bloggers names isn’t much of a debate. Delete the comments by people who call you “slut” promiscuously.
Most bloggers are pretty much ideologues. I accepted that early on. At most they’ll get their base to get out and vote. But, as you said, what are they voting for?
It is refreshing when you see some one articulate an opposing political view in a manner that affirms the dignity of the opposition. It takes a lot of effort to do that, whereas most people are pretty happy foisting ad hominem attacks on those with whom they disagree in an effort to avoid any real discussion of why they are opposed to their ideas (just read 1 minute of The DailyKos for instance).
These two reasons are why most blogs, as philosophical channels, are useless, and therefore largely irrelevant. They will appeal to their base of already decided true believers, but that’s it. There’s no desire to broaden their horizons, no sense of justice or change because I’m not sure that many people really know *why* they want change. It has become apparent that more and more people simply go along with the tide; they’re usually preaching to the choir in intellectual ghettos. Challenge them and they call you names.
I look forward to reading more of your blog.
Nice post cooper.It has always been the case. You’re right, if bloggers can’t agree and if political bloggers tend to be ideologues, ( which i believe to be the case as suggested above ) then at least they can make some noise and get coverage where coverage is due.
I wanted to point that out. What MoJo said because I learn so much of a world I’d rather pretend didn’t exist is true for most bloggers/people and I don’t blame them. The blogs so seem to help in these cases. I hope it helps in the case of the Jena Six. That should shock everyone and make them start thinking again.
Your Blog / Your House, good explanation for why there is no free speech issue on blogs, or websites, when comments are deleted.
I’ll be back from vacation this weekend. It’s winding down.
Cooper,
Ok let me see here, (you always give us so much).
Did she really fire the fashion consultant who suggested pink? What the hell? If she can’t make a last minute veto on a shirt, how will she do it as president?
Tried to think of something funny to say about comment deletion, but everything I came up with… seemed it might be deleted.
I’ve found the Daily Show and the Colbert Report almost tolerable, as far as “news” outlets go.
I will definitely run an update on the Jena 6 on the agreed upon day.
Jon,
’they’re usually preaching to the choir in intellectual ghettos. Prepare to have that swiped, sans the ghetto bit, thats funny!
Do they make dunce caps big enough for Presidents?
There has to be more people can do to make the news actually cover newsworthy events.
So I’m trying to figure out how,why it took Dubyah as long as it has to come up with the newest reason for not getting the US out of Iraq. Now he’s worried about the troops? Huh? A 10-year-old could have figured out that dilemma. So what…we leave them there indefinitely? And as far as the news is concerned, at least where I live, they’re more concerned about nailing city hall on every single thing they can come up with since they’ve gotten attention for their reporting on the Cunningham sham. Oh, and whistle blowing takes up a decent portion of the local page on hot topics such as warped sidewalks and pot holes. This has been and will most likely always be a huge military town. It’s challenging to tell by what’s reported around here.
Being outside of the USA, this is the first I’ve heard of the Jena 6 (the Australian media is too busy covering big-titted blondes to run such a story). The story reads like something from the history books of America — I am shocked to hear that such events still take place.
Cooper, you nailed it. The mass-media is one commercial-break from becoming redundant when it comes to being an information source for important matters of the world. Problem is, until people (including those who blog) realise that celebrities and gadgets are nothing but distractions and become interested in matters greater than their own lives, the important matters will continued to get buried.
Robotman: I think I saw some of those vids when I was over there looking around. It is amazing this is getting no coverage.
You’d be amazed at how many people get the Constitution confused with the Declaration of Independence.
MoJo: I know I have lost more than one reader due to that. I’m glad you’re still here.
Purple Zoe: Amen is right, and thanks I am rather fond of this theme right now.
Pia: The cycle will never end. I keep you honest? Good to know …I think.
Doug: I can always count on you. Your evaluative skills are immense and your advice is always the best.
Jon: It’s the ad hominem attacks which annoy me most, like the “Stepford Blogs” or something similar. I rarely read the most common political blogs out there, the redundancy and lack of critical thinking and reason is too annoying.
John: I hope the vacation was a nice one, and yes you see clearly and with me on many points.
Dave: No, she didn’t fire that person at least not that I know of. I sometimes forget that not everyone has been reading me for a long time. That was all tongue in cheek conjecture.
It seems I never get time to watch those shows at least not routinely. I do like Colbert.
Jason: I’m going to check right now.
Coyote: Stop watching the events which are not newsworthy.…that would be a start.
Kelleypea: It’s called “I’m outta here soon and I just want to make it look like I did something spectacular even though all the crooks and liars who have been working with me for years are dropping like flies”.
Flametree: We are the country of pretense. Pretending it is all ancient history, done, over, racism gone. All cured we are. To acknowledge the horrible we would have to admit to learning nothing admit that the progress is slow and we are still full of evil individuals with no morality. it is painful for some — easier to ignore. Some just do not care because the second gen iPhone is on it’s way.
This president is incorrigible. Our malediction for fatuousness.
Alrighty then. True though it is.
You’re right the power of the blog is not in the larger partisan sites. One of us will post something again.
I have watched little news all summer. I have not been on the internet very often this summer, except to check my FB ( my only vice ). I am no less informed about the daily goings on than anyone else. My thoughts are mine.
Later cooper.
Flametreee, I’m inside the united states and the only time I’ve ever heard of the Jena Six is through blogs. I’ve seen some major media print articles on it, but that’s because I went to the news searches of yahoo and google and searched for them. Even when I search Jena Six in the regular websearch, mostly only blogs come up
Cooper, thanks for this great post and for spreading the word, you’re always on it.
And I agree with people not understanding freedom of speech at all. I posted awhile about that about 90% of the time that people bring up freedom of speech it doesn’t apply to the situation because free speech rights have to do with the government not prohibiting or punishing you for your speech; and you don’t have the right to say shit in someones private space.
The fucked up thing is that this is actually progress for him. It’s the first time he’s acknowledged the accusation that he didn’t learn his lesson from Vietnam.
But Cooper, don’t you remember? American Idol proves that racism isn’t real!
I can’t believe this shit
G: You and that FB. I know you check that at least fifteen times a day. Cheers to your last semester G.
Yobachi: As for the Jena Six I first heard about it from a friend who sent me to a website and that same day I saw Kevin at Slant Truth had a post on it. Prior to that I had heard nothing.
People rambling on about free speech all over the place without knowing what it really is is just another indication of the pervasive ignorance all over the place.
EW: It also acknowledges that he really doesn’t get Vietnam and more that he understands what he really did by invading Iraq.
I forgot you’re right American .….DAMN I got a lot of hits from that woman’s site too — her people were not happy with me.
[…] Kudos to Cooper who first brought this to my attention in Should be Famous […]