Seventy three years ago this month, C.S. Lewis wrote, in The Screwtape Letters, “ It is always the novice who exaggerates.”
Well, Mr. Lewis, a lot has changed since then. We have some exceptional exaggerators and professional pathological perjurers to contend with in today’s world.
They range from minor to felonious. Subway “footlongs” are, in fact, 11 inches long.
In the year 1999, Al Gore claimed he “took the initiative in creating the Internet.”
In January of 1998, President Clinton forcefully denied that he had “sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”
Colin Powell had weapons of mass deception.
PolitiFact named ebola the great exaggeration of 2014.
We opened 2015 with deflated foorballs.
And now, in the past week, Brian Williams has stepped down as NBC’s Nightly News anchor over an exaggerated story. He’s taking a few days of quiet contemplation, but my money says he won’t be back. Ratings are down 37% after his apology; that’s a sinking of Titanic proportion.
William’s claimed his helicopter took on RPG fire, over a decade ago, in Iraq. It’s a story he’s told and retold in venues ranging from public speaking events to the Late Show with David Letterman. I watched a video from 2007 in which Williams claims an RPG was fired at his helicopter, downed the helicopter in front of him, and that he was, “close enough to stare down the barrel of the weapon.”
The story had some truthiness to it, unfortunately it happened to the choppers two hours ahead of him, not his. Plus you’d have to be flying pretty low to “stare down the barrel,” but at this point, that’s neither here nor there.
So at his lowest common denominator, who is Brian Williams?
He’s not a journalist, just don’t bother trying to hang that moniker on him.
Evening news journalism ended with Uncle Walter and that’s the way it is. Williams is a GQ pretty boy who looks great in an Armani suit and “reads” the news to you each evening. Let me clarify, he’s a pretty reader. Period.
I’m not a FOX NEWS fan, but can we have a little “fair and balanced,” please?
The 2016 elections are coming and the heir apparent is Hillary Clinton. Like Williams, back in 2008, she and her staff barely dodged sniper fire on an airport landing strip in Bosnia. The incoming fire was so intense they had to perform a defensive corkscrew landing maneuver and drop immediately to the strip.
Like Williams, that story was not exactly true. It wasn’t even “truthy.”
Video of the event revealed it never happened, clearly showing there was no apparent danger on the runway or on their approach as she claimed.
Even worse, when questioned about the video, did Hillary come clean? No, she doubled down and said, “Well, I stopped and you saw pictures of me greeting the young girl, because how could I walk past her and break her little heart? But after that I ran to the car.”
We all exaggerate from time to time.
Some of us have even told lies we aren’t proud of. I once told a friend I caught a trout at Roaring River that was so big the picture weighed three pounds, so I get it.
Question?
Why is there such a double standard when it comes to politicians? One person prone to exaggeration reads to you at night. And now it appears his head is on a silver plated platter and his career is toast.
One wants to run your country and sits high upon the pedestal, the darling of the party.
Which matters more?
Dubya claimed he served in the Air National guard to get out of Vietnam.
Dude, I wasn’t pointing at any party, just whats more relevant right now in today’s world. I WANT my foot long a FOOT LONG! I even pointed out Powell for some fair and balanced, but you are correct, its everywhere.
But Williams needs to give up his post for it. And the others……..get $100K per speaking event and run for our highest office, immune from any causal effects.
No party pointing here either. Who told the bigger lies is what you have to ask. Now what was that reason we slaughtered scores of thousands of Iraqis for again?
Another big lie? Shucks, been fooled again.
After having to consistently shovel through the “unbalanced” rhetoric excreted by the Brownback apologist here ( no offense Rich, your postings continue to motivate me) this was great.
It’s good to see you back here, Paul. Great piece !! This was an appropriate trashing across the board. My girl Hillary deserved it at least as much as Brian did.
Thank you, kind sir…..
none of these liars compares to the one line you gave about the Iraq war.
5000 kids dead….250,000 injured many with serious injuries….trillions
of dollars….from powell/bush and cheney we saw 500,000 lives changed
forever…not including the iraqui people caught in the war that some say
could be 1,000,000 deaths.
I don’t care if Williams was hit by an rpg…or whether Hillary had an
incident with a plane….no one died or was hurt.
THE BUSH GANG LIED AND CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE/DEATH N
DESTRCUTION TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE…ALL FOR A LIE!
Wilson…you’ve been caught…glaze’s been caught…but you never
caused the damage that the bush criminals inflicted on the world.
god bless our servicemen everywhere~
“I don’t care if Williams was hit by an rpg…or whether Hillary had an
incident with a plane….no one died or was hurt.”
Good to know lies are OK…. as long as no one dies or gets hurt….. Thanks for clearing that up.
90% of what is on fox news is lies….yougoing to fire all
those clowns? what about the exagerrations taken in
movies about events…you fire them too….
get off the soap box Wilson…lets just fire everyone
and move on from there.
and does itmatter if the lie cost peoples lives….hell yes!!!!!!!!!!
hahahaharley, I am no defender of the protracted wars in the Middle East, I also think it was a stretch to try and connect Iraq to the attacks without addressing the hijackers country of origin, Saudi Arabia. I even believe our domestic policy reaction to the attacks is the single greatest attack to our freedoms in the history of the United States.
BUT…. we can’t let the years dilute our memories. Conspiracies notwithstanding, here are some facts we “knew“.
1. The United States had just suffered the worst attack since Pearl Harbor 18 months prior. Even with all of our might we could not find the one man we said was responsible for the attacks.
2.There wasn’t but one person in Congress, and not many more than that in the whole country, that weren’t demanding IMMEDIATE action. You may call this mob mentality at its finest, but most all Americans were favoring a shoot first, ask later response. And most couldn’t believe we didn’t have someone to hold accountable. Remember for many Americans this was their first taste of radical Islam. Today we recognize the fluid nature of radical Islam, that when you kill one group another springs up. But in 2001 & 2003 that wasn’t the case, by and large the American population didn’t yet understand this, many thought kill the leader, kill the movement.
3. We wanted a poster boy, preferrably Osama Bin Laden. And we wanted them impaled on the front lawn of the White House for all to come see. Taking out no name Al-quaeda soldiers, or even eliminating Al-quaeda all together was great, but didn’t satisfy the American publics desire to see the head of the snake fall. But, alas, we couldn’t find Osama Bin Laden. And remember American exceptionalism was at stake here. 18 months and still the man responsible was a free man. One goat herder man with a dialysis machine was hiding from the might of the US Armed Forces.
4. Sadamm Hussein was a paranoid dictator, always fearful of losing his grip on the country. After his embarassing defeat at the hands of Bush 1, Hussein believed that folks no longer saw him as impenetrable.
5. Because of his fear, Sadamm Hussein deceived and lied to everyone in his country, even those in the highest offices, and his inner circle about a variety of issues. This included WMD’s. He used this lie to keep his Generals from attempting a coup, and to keep his people from uprising. Its not like he was the most loved and adored man in Iraq. He was an authoritarian dictator of a country that was oil rich, but was otherwise poor and divided.
6. Bush 2 trusted Cheney to a fault. And this is important. Two roads diverged in a wood, and Bush took Cheney over Powell. This is the mistake Bush is most guilty of. The “Yellow Cake” was not a lie, but it was an exaggeration. ***Partisan Alert*** Two points here. One, don’t lay this blame on Colin Powell. Powell urged against the declaration to the UN. Colin Powell is a damned good American and a decorated war hero, who, despite his own reservations answered the call of his country and President. Two, its worth noting that George W. Bush didn’t hide his disdain for his VP after this breach of trust. Bush kept decorum like a President should, but you need only read into the Scooter Libby affair to see that Cheney was no longer on George W. Bush’s friend list. ***end Partisan Alert***
It is not uncommon for paranoia to go part and parcel with authoritarian dictatorships. Look at Assad. Assad cannot ride off into the night like so many dictators did during the Arab Spring, like Tunisian President Ben Ali who fled to exile in Saudi Arabia under cover of darkness. You see dictators like Assad and Hussein, are so hated by strong, radical, minority populations of their countries that if they were to give up power, those that replace them would certainly be forced by the people to exact revenge, or risk their own demise. Even if Assad or Hussein were able to leave, any and all associated with their reigns would be executed. So like Assad today, Hussein’s life depended on him convincing even his most senior officials that he had the WMD’s.
We know this from declassified files detailing what we were told by Hussein’s most senior generals and government officials after the taking of Baghdad. There are alot of flaws with our response to 9/11, the Patriot Act being the most egregious in my opinion, but the WMD argument is a hard one. Sadamm Hussein had every incentive to perpetuate that lie, and he had every incentive to make sure NO ONE found out he was lying. After all, his life and power depended in large part to the people believing it.
One of the most fact based, well reasoned rebuttals I’ve seen on KCC in ages.
Thanks, since this is one of the few venues I am aware of, where the writers are accessible, I’d like to ask you to help me. I’m a fairly recent visitor to KCC, and I am a little confused. I have picked up on the regular commenters, and most of the writers. But I thought paulwilsonkc was a commenter not a writer. Can you tell me the difference between Hearne Christopher, paulwilsonkc, and admin? I thought this was Mr. Christopher’s site so I assumed he was admin, but I see on here the author is admin, but everyone is addressing their comments to paulwilsonkc. Maybe just a quick rundown of who’s who to bring new readers up to speed? A bio page would be great for future visitors, but a quick comment would suffice for me.
ILoveAmerica, let me try to answer you. This blog belongs to Hearne. When he comments it usually appears as “Admin.”
I used to write 3-4 stories a week, but for the past few weeks I’ve been too busy.
I write for a handful of newspapers and have a day job so I burn it at both ends.
You can find me at paulwilsonkc@gmail.com if you need more info.
Thanks!
letsget this right….
Hearne owns this site. He’s got a resume of
such jobs as head gossip columnist for the
local paper…the editor of an alternative
newspaper that was given away free yet ended
up in garbage cans…and also a broker and now
this.
Glaze: short for Glazer. He’s the head guy
and writer. He doesn’t have much to say
and is usually wrong about his sports
predictions but he’s still the wheel on this
blog. He is a very smart businessman…an
entrepreneur and a good guy who getsmore
crap than anyone on any site in this town.
He loves the ladies and they love him…
and with he’s also a daily fixture on the top
radio stations. He IS KCC!!!!!!
Harley: Harley is the commentator that
keeps the rest of this senior crew straight.
Harley knows how to shake things up and
how to push the buttons to make this site
somewhat interesting even though many
of the stories written by the amateur staff
are booooorrrrrring . Harley has a
lot of fans who love his quick/witty style of
getting under the collars of other writers.
It’s all about fun…and facts..of which sossme
of the people on here just don’t understand.
Overall…its a fun group of guys who want to
break up their day with their opinions.
And some get to be famous…like Harley who’s
mentioned in many many comments in
blogs across the city.
Sir…its fun and games…nothing else…everyone
has a good laugh and moves on.
THE WRITERS: some have some good points..some are always wrong…some have
immense talent (like lefty) who should find
other outlets for their writings.
Its all one big joke….but fun to pull people’s
chains who think they are something great
when in fact they are just like the rest of us.
If you need further advice on other matters
you can contact me at law4life1000@yahoo.com and I’ll give you
the truth…not some opinionated b.s. that
has no facts or figures to back it up.
Also…since you’re new…Harley was the ONLY
political pundit to pick the exact electoral
vote range in 2012 when everyone else on
kcc predicted a Romney win.
as I said….welcome to the zooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
as in MIZ ZOU
if only it were true…..but are you sure you’re
real nameisn’t cheney and the lies you spew are worse
than anything brian Williams could say.
You are full of sh&t….just like the original writer
who claims fair and balance but doesn’t even
name the perpetrator of gthe war that cost us
millions of lives…along with 5000 young men
and women.
You don’t love America sir….you love the lies and
the scoundrels who took a great nation and destroyed
it.
You know nothing about this actual sugject…the
releases that showed 90% of what you said was
wrong.
AND WILSON …..YOU’RE EVEN WORST….THOSE
ARE NOT FACTS…NO ACTUAL REFERENCES…
NO QOUTES…NO ACTUAL NUMBERS OR
REAL LIFE ACTIVITIES TO PROVE HIS POINT.
FOR A GUY WHOCHASED A SUPPOSED JEWEL
THEIF BY HIDING UNDER A DASHBOARD WHILE
A VEHICLEWITH LARGE ANTENNAS WAS
NEARBY AND NOW CLAIMSTO BE A JOURNALIST
OR EVEN A HACK WRITER IS NOTHING BUT
WORTHLESS…….
YOU’VE BEEN WRONG BEFORE…THIS IS THE
WORST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bY THE WAY BIG MOUTH…BRING YOUR 10k
OR STFU .
It’s cute. That’s always your response to being wrong Harley. You admonished me that he wasn’t gone. As of last night, he’s got six months off w no pay. He’s gone, you’re wrong again, so you try to go ballistic and divert attention from the topic. Just be wrong and go back to making turd roll ups at the home…..
PS; you were wrong.
PPS; for the last time, the Jewel Thief story was Hearne’s. Not mine. You know that. He asked me to go look at the guys suite, I did. You’re wrong on that one too.
I don’t need $10 grand to prove you’re a liar. That gets done for free. The only thing $10 grand would prove is you’d stay hidden in your comfy world of anonymity, which, by the way, is crumbling on you as we speak.
Hahaharley, this is a comment to a blog, not a message board or Univeristy. I could ensure each of my comments adheres to the MLA or APA formats, but I probably won’t. Given that you have taken to attacking paulwilsonkc for my lack of citations, I will provide some primary source material for you.
I do want you to bear in mind, however, the disclaimer I made at the begining of my original post. I am making the assumption that there is no conspiracy. This is important because when dealing with foreign policy and geopolitical issues I find it even more difficult to get to the truth than with domestic issues.
I am further assuming you are seeking sources for points 4 & 5 from my original posting, about Saddam’s deception and the true question of whether Iraq possesed WMD’s.
Here are some relevant excerpts from the released interviews by SSA George L Pirro of the FBI after Saddamm was captured. These interviews were conducted in Arabic between Saddam Hussein and SSA George L Pirro from February 7, 2004 to March 21, 2004. These were released in 2009 after a FOIA request by the National Security Archives at George Washington University. Also included is a Guardian article dated 10/09/2004 citing US officials with knowledge of the interrogations.
“It is demonstrated by an exchange between Saddam and his generals recounted to the LA Times by a senior US intelligence officer on the brink of last year’s war – a story that goes to the heart of Saddam’s final deception: that of his own generals.
Shortly before the war last year, Saddam gathered his top generals together to share what came to them as astonishing news: the weapons that the US was launching a war to remove did not exist.
‘There was plenty of surprise when Saddam said, “Sorry guys, we don’t have any” to use against the invading forces,’ the official said”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/10/iraq1 10/09/2004
This speaks to Saddam Hussein’s deception.
Speaking to Saddam Hussein’s fear of division within his country is the following from the FBI interviews with Saddam Hussein himself.
“Hussein stated Iran was Iraq’s major threat due to their common border and believed Iran intended to annex Southern Iraq into Iran. The possibility of Iran trying to annex a portion of Southern Iraq was viewed by Hussein and Iraq as the most significant threat facing Iraq.”
“SSA Piro commented that under those circumstances, it would appear that Iraq would have needed to reconstitutes its own weapons program in response. Hussein replied that Iraq would have done what was necessary and agreed that Iraq’s technical and scientific abilities exceeded others in the region.”
Whats important here is how convoluted the whole situation was. In a nutshell….
During the Iraq – Iran war of the 1980’s Iraq had superior capabilities compared to those of Iran. Iraq had missiles capable of striking some 2-300 km into Iran from within Iraq. Iran didn’t have these capabilities. But Iran was rapidly progressing in their military programs. After the Iraq – Iran war, came the conflict with the US in 1991. After this Iraq was bound by UN resolution 687. Iraq was to publicly destroy all of their WMD’s, let inspectors in, etc, etc, etc. But Saddam destroyed some of the weapons himself before the inspectors arrived, but no one really believed him. As it turns out he was telling the truth, and by 1998 he didn’t have a serious supply of WMD’s. However, at this same time Iran was increasingly becoming a greater regional threat to Iraq. Now Saddamm has significant incentive to perpetuate the belief that he does have WMD. After all, no one believes he got rid of them, and Iran is becoming a greater threat. This all culminates in a June 2000 speech Saddam gave.
SSA Pirro addressed the June 2000 speech in the interview giving a glimpse of how America perceived Saddamm’s comments.
“Hussein was reminded of a speech he gave in June, 2000, where he stated that he would not disarm until the region disarmed; and his own words could be taken as an admission that Iraq possessed WMD.”
Now I will retire from this topic. We have successfully hijacked Admin’s article. I do want to be clear, I am not a foreign policy expert. If I were, I would be writing my own columns, not commenting on KCC. Really, no one on this site knows whats, what. Myself included. Thats the nature of foreign policy and posturing. But I felt compelled to provide some citations, after you called out paulwilsonkc.
Lastly, I am sure my name is not Cheney. I believe Cheney to be the single greatest threat to American freedom of the 21st century, if not of my lifetime.
wrong…American intelligence knew for years thr truth about saddam and his wmd’s.
so why bring it up….there were none…so bush/cheney/powell/and the rest of the liars made it up.
even powell and cheny admitted it…while little bushie made
jokes about losing 5000 kids in a useless war.
answer that I LOVE America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is some advice Iloveamerica, don’t respond to Harley unless you wanna jump down the illogical fallacy rabbit hole that is home to the splenetic, pathologically driven drivel which this monkey tosses from his tire swing at any and everything he reads.
I am going to jail. Harley told us all again and again that the IRS Scandal would be over in a week (Along with many, many other erroneous and ridiculous proclamations ranging from politics to sports, which he is right about 15% of the time.).
He rarely if ever, ascends to the level of background noise.
come on Wilson…you beat this horse too much.
the irs story has lingered for years and now
with repubs in charge they bring it up again.
Too late…by the time the repubs put out another
losing report (like Benghazi)…you’ll be
under and Hilary will be riding a wave to
the white house.
the repubs screwed up their own Benghazi
report…and really who cares about the irs
hassling some rich guys who are NOT
following the law…probably both sides…
they’ll bring in att. general and he’ll explain to
the dudes in d.c….that if this continues he’ll
send his boys in and investigate everyone involved and then the report goes away.
You’ve watched fox news too much and I hope
you’ve followed the ads on there about
flowmax and Cialis and found out the
side effects to both.
How come all the republican papers…newsletters…etc. always got some
phony dr. on there pushing some phony
cures for old men ailments. I guess their
readers are not too bright to realize its
a medical scam.
I was right all the time…and in the important
areas…such as Benghazi…the 2012 election…
the jewel theif that a writer got stuck under
the dashboard waiting for the “big story” that
never came.
Now tell us what papers your articles are
appearing in….would love to read some
fun articles online from those papers.
take care…
smile…its Thursday.
also…good tosee Wilson back…now we have a new “punching bag” besides
glaze and hearne.
Those 2 were getting old and stale.. Now we gonna have some real fireworks (lol)!!!!!!
BUT THE QUESTION EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW…WHERE’S WINERY??
You can find Whinery and I sharing a table, having black margaritas, at the only place in town that serves black margaritas. Solve that one and you have the answer.
Not being a hockey fan I drink mine at Hickok’s.
BINGO, its NICK for the win. Nicely played, Sir…. I’m not a hockey guy either. Love the girl who owns it and its a favorite spot of both myself and DSW. (Whinery)
You know of course this is just mean?
Nick, its not mean at all. You have my email address, I’ll buy.
I thought that was a gay bar. Black martinis….don’t
tell chuck…he’ll picket the joint. hahahahaha.
NOW WISLON….OBVIOUSLY YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR COBBLERS
TOO LONG.
Brian Williams is one of the finest interviewers on tv today. With fox and
msnbc and cnn their talent couldn’t run the Shawnee mission tv channel.
Williams has done some excellent work…some incredible interviews including
the one with powell….and others that answered questions no one would
consider.
And his writings were equally strong…and his analysis was usually pretty
on target.
He’s not gone yet…..the networks need guys with style/grace and the
ability to let the subject being interviewed finish their answers without being
insulted!!!!!!! (see fox/msnbc/cnn etc).
and remember…he was the only journalist to tell us to stay out of Iraq!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, Harley, you’re wro… wro…. wron….. WRONG!
They just announced he’s suspended for 6 months. He’s toast, just as I said.
6 months is not toast….its the least the nbc people had to
do…..
but as alwaysyou’re wrong….you’re the only person in the
world who didn’t think he’d get some kind of punishment…
and some punishment….basically a slap on the wrist.
Now tell us what you’d do with the liars at fox news???????????????
you can’t because you believe that crap.
I love America had no points taken from the reports…
had no actual quotes from the liars who brought us the
war..
and as usual you gleaned over the facts and true
information 0f who really are the liars.
In other words….your story was truly one sided….
a guy who tells a whopper (and it was not right for him to do)
or the three liars who cost us 5000 young lives and millions
of unneeded deaths.
You’re about as fair and balanced as fox news and the
sheep who follow that group of liars.
“you’re the only person in the
world who didn’t think he’d get some kind of punishment…
and some punishment….basically a slap on the wrist.”
Harley, go find where I said this. It doesnt exist, outside of the voices in your head when your mom forgets to get you your meds on time…
What is generally the least valuable evidence in a crime? Eyewitnesses.
False memories are organic.
The timely hit you had in the softball game becomes the game winner over time. The fish you caught, the girl you dated. Hindsight is not only 20/20 but imaginative.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/uc/2013/10/_.html
Should Brian loose his job? Not if you compare his misdeed to those of his employer or to others in the media. Had he not told such a feeble, little lie and instead went for a whopper he might be eligible for even bigger money.
“All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced on them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.”
H. L. Mencken
I was dismayed he said he was with Ronald Reagan and his troops when they liberated the concentration camps at the end of WWII.
Orphan, you must keep a coffee table sized H. L. Mencken within your reach at all times!!
If you are going to discuss journalism you must start with him and Ambrose Bierce.
If you have even a drop of Conservatism in your blood it is Mencken and Bierce and not the neocons and Fox News who form your foundation.
Orphan, I’m still too fond of Uncle Walter….. And, I can’t tell you the last time I watched FOX. I did find a good deal of interest in a piece one of my attorney friends posted this past week. MSNBC now has less viewers than the population of Liberal, KS.
The news is like sausage. If you like it you don’t want to see how it is produced.
The dichotomy of extremely conservative businesses running extremely liberal news organizations is something most people never think about when they criticize the media.
remember your buddy bill obully on fox
called walter a “socialist” which is about
as bad as a fox news anchor can call someone.
reilly hated walter…..
and he’s your hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://redalertpolitics.com/2015/02/04/msnbc-viewership-lower-number-residents-liberal-kansas/?PMI&utm_source=newsletter+PMI&utm_medium=email&utm_content=RAP+Roundup+PMI&utm_campaign=RAP+Roundup+Newsletter+PMI+02%2F06%2F15
MSNBC is the Left’s Fox News.
what b.s…..you and hearne are on the same
page whenit comes to media ratings.
go look at what the real numbers are.
Hearne wont…..
the real numbers come from prime time
and your little right wing link to
some yayhooo is so wrong about viewership.
Of course you see this fool who wrote the
article used 25-54 while hearne uses
12 plus numbers…see the problem.
But without big stories and the overall
falling of cable news (fox news viewers are
dying off every day)….and with numbers
that Rachel and the real prime time shows
which the stations are built on have good
numbers.
not as good as the sheep who follow the
fox news agenda..like “I’ve been in combat”
O really.
Go check the viewership nmbers of the
5pm to 10pm shows….fox wins handily because
those old white men don’t know howto
work computers and need their daily dose
of b.s. and wrong statements and most importantly “HATE”…..and on fox they
get it.
MSNBC AND CNN FIGHT FOR THE MODERATE AND LEFT LEANING VIEWERS…WHILE FOX USES THEIR
TRICKS AND TREATS TO ATTRACT EVERY
ANGRY OLD WHITE MAN IN AMERICA….
Besdies ……there’s better stuff to watch
like the old guys on kcc loving to watch
wheel of fortune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check the numbers…because again mr.
Wilson…in the important dayparts that
matter liberal Kansas would need to be
as big as kc.
You’re using daytime shows asan example
proves you have the same knowledge of
this area as a blind dog.
Get your facts straight…look at the real
world…see what’s important…thenget
back with me at law4life1000@yahoo.com
for a complete rundown on how to really
look at the economicsand financial side
of the media world.
Now…go back and watch your Cialis and
flowmax ads on foxso you can get it up
without pissing in your depends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Orphan, in this evolved America, I can’t help but wonder if both MSNBC and FoxNews serve an important purpose. Bear in mind, I don’t use evolved with a positive or negative connotation, it is simply the best fitting adjective. America, our views on government and freedoms and culture have evolved since our founding. We now live in an America with a strong, centralized federal government, as opposed to a collection of decentralized, unique states.
I tend conservative, though by at least one commonly accepted political metric I am dead center. (www.politicalcompass.org) However, I find great value in MSNBC. Contrary to how I believe many Americans feel, I prefer not to have my beliefs affirmed, but rather to watch and listen to the points of those across the aisle.
You see, I cannot remember a time in America where the policies, tactics, and maneuvers of the two parties were so blatantly broadcast, and freely available. Wish to see an issue as the establishment republicans want you to see it? Watch FoxNews. Wish to see an issue as the establishment liberals want you to see it? Watch MSNBC.
Alot of people apparently see this as bad. I suppose we could bring back the ol’Fairness Doctrine. Then we could hide agendas behind the deception of “fairness” and “parity”. But I see benefits in how the system is now. I take all news with a grain of salt. You see, in the internet age, the age of digital whistleblowers and FOIA data dumps, I no longer have a need for someone to explain the current “crisis” or “issue” to me. I can usually find primary source information on issues and make decisions for myself. I can tap into vast academic research on geopolitical events, I can read the opinions of individual congressmen or person’s of influence on their webpages or in one of their editorials, I can tap any number of sources of publicly available big data troves.
But when I need to know what those in power are trying to get at. When I need to know how they are trying to connect A to C. When I need to know if the democrats or republicans are in the right. Well I turn on MSNBC and FoxNews after an hour of each I can reasonably understand what the Republicans want, and what the Democrats want.
I can form my own opinions and come to my own conclusions. I no longer need my local paper or the nightly Network News Anchor to do this for me. But what I can’t do, the nuances of FoxNews and MSNBC help show me. FoxNews and MSNBC are Bill Belichicks wet dream. Forget “Spygate” these outlets regularly provide enough information to reasonably guess what any particular side’s long game is.
+1
You nailed it ILA !! The problem is that this involves work and commitment to actually research a topic from all perspectives and uncover hidden agendas. While I tend liberal and you tend conservative, I’ve found your comments to be well reasoned for the most part and hope you continue to share your thoughts here.
I read a wide swath of newspapers online. I find The Christian Science Monitor to be the most neutral.
I try and watch a bit of electronic media but the information is small. Kind of thumbnails.
I suppose the groupies of MSNBC & FOX tend to numb my brain with them. I guess they represent whatever core the parties have in a nutshell.
Usually the media leaves things in a quandary.
no writers exaggerate on kcc….they never are
wrong…they’re always right with their
stats….(although they never use sstats or
backup information_)
so when yousee Harleys name at the top of
the comments segment you know its the
real thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not some dude mak
heres facts…
when Harley comes out with facts/numbers
and stats such as on the comment made that
liberal Kansas has more residents than ,snbc
has viewers they use only the numbers they
want. They know nothing about media or
rating or other important factual data that
pertains to the subject so they use their little
wacko sites to prove their incorrect points.
Then Harley comes on with the real world
story and they disappear like dust.
They don’t respond…they don’t go do research
and make some rational points …they go
in hiding because Harley made the big truth
with numbers and stats instead of someone
trying to hide behind some miniscule stats
that mean nothing.
You’re now voted in ILA….maybe you can
figure it out.
Kinda like you ran from iloveamerica?
but lets remember he was the first journalist in new Orleans during Katrina
to ask why all the planes and helicopters flying overhead weren’t dropping water…
supplies…medicines….food….etc.
He wasthe first guy who pulled at America that something was wrongandnothing
was being done.
as he stood in the sewage and filth in the 6th ward.
was cbs there? ws abc there….no …the 40 million americans were watching
Williams pleadingfor help in new Orleans. He stood in the water with
power lines down….bodies (maybe not floating by him but floating throughout the
city)….the super dome in chaos mode….and gues who pushed the story…
as per later interviews…BRIAN WILLIAMS.
+1….Just for mentioning C.S. Lewis and The Screwtape Letters.
Glad to see you back, Mr. Wilson.
Thanks, Lance. I’ve had my hands a little full going national, like Alonozo!
Big CS Lewis fan, but not across ALL his writings. My wife, on the other hand, can quote chapter/verse from anything he ever wrote.
the difference between Williams (probably) losing his job and politicians earning bigger speaker fees (and staying out of jail, above impeachment, getting re-elected etc., etc.) is that Brian Williams, like Dan Rather before him, is a member of the news media. Their credentials, integrity and ethics are to be unimpeachable, impeccable, beyond reproach. When any of those become the news themselves, that person is done in that business. They’re not viewed as trustworthy anymore. And for a journalist, even a pretty-boy reader (which Williams is more than that), that’s the end of the line.
Politicians, on the other hand, get a pass because we don’t place the same value on them and they’ve proven over and over not to expect the highest levels of integrity, ethical behavior, and moral fortitude. In other words, we expect them to lie.
Black margherita’s? ewww….
Mr. T, don’t knock it till you try it. There’s nothing quite like it. Super rare black tequila.
For reasons obvious to all, this would have been a way better comments section if CG had written the piece on exaggeration.
You never fail, Balbo; love that comment. Thanks as always.
Nice article Paul!
Thank you, Chuck.
I enjoyed this piece Paul. And the comments as well.
Thank you, Sir Jeff.
Congressman Wilson was right, when, in the middle of the State of the Union, he yelled out, “You lie”, to President Obama. He paid a pretty steep price for it, even though, as it turns out, it was the truth. Brian Williams, for all intents and purposes will be retiring from NBC, because, despite the talk at the water cooler that NBC had too much invested in Brian Williams for anyone to fire him, Comcast got the message, remembering the first rule of business school, that in order to survive, a company, no matter how big or small, has to maximize profits. It didn’t help that MSNBC had just turned in the lowest rating in history, posting only 55,000 viewers nationwide for a one hour program or that an MSNBC interviewer asked Attorney General Holder to quack like a duck. NBC has had its share of problems. What do we get out of it? We will likely get an action thriller, Brian Mitty, Man of Action, in which Brian pens how he has done everything from saving Washington in the Revolutionary War to winning the Cold War by writing Reagan’s speech.
The problem is that if Brian Williams was given a six month sentence with a five million dollar fine for being untrustworthy, what do we say to our politicians who make Brian Williams appear to be Honest Abe. Our present President, (you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan, Benghazi was just a protest, not a smidgeon of corruption at the IRS, ISIL is the JV, if you earn less that 250,000 your taxes won’t increase one thin dime, the War is over in Iraq, etc.) perhaps deserves a little of our attention, perhaps two years worth of suspension without pay. Lest you think it’s a Republican or Democrat thing, give that thought a rethink. Maybe there is a reason to keep Gitmo open for our politicians, after they term out. Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, and New York have all considered license plate work for their governors. Why not? Perhaps, with President Obama, we should tell him to go to the Oval Office and sit in the corner until he finds a corner or until “We the People” have considered his punishment over, say in two years. We just hope that it is a wake up call for a little honesty. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to find public figures that accept responsibility for their mistakes and work to correct them?
We say with Harley says, hes a full on supporter of situational ethics. He see’s it as, “Yes, Hillary may have lied… but NO ONE DIED when she lied like when BUSH LIED.”
See, situational ethics. You stated it in your comment better than I and you are correct.
I hate Brian Williams lie. I hate Hillary’s lie. But if MY GUY lies, and I like him…. then its OK. And the rebuttal, when you lack intellectual integrity is, “Well, YEAH, my guy lied, but our Embassy was ATTACKED and our Ambassador DIED when Hillary lied.”
See? Every one wants to protect their lie and liar, but crucify the other one. Hence, the title of my piece….
If a subordinate of Williams had done the same thing Williams has done, I’m sure that Williams would have fired him. Shame on NBC for not doing the right thing.
“I tell you what, I’ve been in combat. I’ve seen it. I’ve been close to it. And if my unit is in danger and I got a captured guy and the guy knows where the enemy is and I’m looking him in the eye, the guy better tell me. That’s all I’m gonna tell you. If it’s life or death, he’s going first.”
QUESTION TO MR. WILSON…WHO MADE THIS COMMENT?????
your buddy Bill OReilly….and guess what ….he never saw combat!!!!!!!
NOW I’LL SAY IT AGAIN..FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME…YOU’RE
WRONG. BILLY BOY LIED…JUST LIKE THE OTHER HUNDREDS OF
LIES MADE AT FOX.
DO YOU SUGGEST FOX GET THE OLD TAPES OF EACH CORRESPONDENT/
ANCHOR AND FIND THEIR LIES….
plus oreilly said this statement on his show…not a comedy nite time show!\
WRONG AGAIN…….
oh and then there’s your hero GERALDO….and his fog of memory…
fox and friends with more lies than anyone in tv history!!!!!!!
and now pretty megan joins the group of liars.
HOW MANY LIES SHOULD I LIST FOR YOU WILSON…THERE’S
PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES OF LIES MADE BY
ANCHORS AT FOX NEWS. hearne would need another site just to
print all their lies….and not small one…huge ones that could have
affected policy.
WHAT DO YOU SAY NOW WILSON…OR IS YOUR BACK STILL HURTING
FROM CHASING JEWEL THIEFS and lets just say “accentuating” a
story yourself.
good luck….
your friend
Harley
Why I even respond to your same old baseless taunts are beyond me. For the final time, Hearne told you himself, DROP the f#cking jewel story. It was HEARNE’s.
Do you get that, special needs boy?
I was in that part of town, he asked me to take a picture for him.
For the LOVE of G-D, please get some new material. You’re more tired, old and outdated than you accuse CG of being.
Second, Im not a FOX fan by any stretch. I don’t care who gets fired, who gets suspended, my only comment was, don’t be pimping your hose beast HillBill when shes the queen of lies.
My only message, a lie is a lie. Don’t give a pass to someone on YOUR team, but vilify everyone else. Don’t bring up people DIED so the lies worse. A lie is a lie.
If Williams is gone, and he is, like it or not, then sure, on the same basis, so should Bill O’. But its just not ethical to worship one, fire the other.
Now, sit back and watch John Stewart replace Williams in 6 months.
oh another “racist” comment: “on that side of town”….
great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How can I drop the jewel theif story when hearne
knew I hadthe inside scoop but would not it out…
and you were part of 3 or 4 articles with comments.
Please don’t respond 5to any of my comments…we
don’t want to hear your opinion.
but hows the back doing and have you seen any
big vehicles with those ya know big u.f.o. antennas..
and men in black hats and black ninja suits and those
big antennas while you were under the dash board thinking
alien newscasters were reporting lies about the big story
of the day….any papparzi photos of the “bad guys” with their
big antennas….and what kind of car were youdriving.
I could never fit under my dashboard to hide from aliens
Next time I see them dudes in the jeep with dem big
antennas (maybe they were martians)…..I’ll tell them you
saidhello.
hahahahaha…smile…its a nice day.
What Brian Williams and Hillary Clinton did was terribly, terribly wrong. But, in human terms, it is perfectly understandable: There is no trait more highly revered all over the world that courage in the fact of physical danger–so in addition to the real heros (who tend to be few) there are an enormous number of “hero wannabes.” So, our boy Brian and our girl Hillary have a lot of company. I say we follow the advice of my boss, the Jewish carpenter from Galilee, and forgive both of them for their terrible mistake. Sincerely, Respectfully and In Christ, Ernest Evans
Amen
paul… just a bit off topic, but jon stewart, I’m quite sure, will not be replacing brian williams. obviously, for now, lester holt will anchor the broadcast with someone filling in for him on the weekends. I don’t watch enough network or cable news anymore to know who’s out there that might rise up above holt, but I’d say it’s even money he keeps the job.
speaking of reporters and anchors… RIP Bob Simon.
Mike, the evening, network news is on life support. Few watch real time and if something doesn’t change…it will be an open time slot in five years. I think a Stewart style revamp is what it needs. Lester is a bandaid, don’t look for him to take up residence.
Agree on Bob. What a loss.
ironically enough, Dana & Parks (on 98.1FM) were talking about that very thing yesterday afternoon about 4 p.m. Parks proffered the idea that Jon Stewart SHOULD take Williams’ place and bring some of the Daily Show style to it. And, he further suggested that Williams would be a great replacement for Jon Stewart on the Daily Show.
Both of them agreed that the evening network news could be gone in a few years.
seriously doubt it will be gone. Networks love
that half hour because its very very profitable.
And numbersare still strong when a major event
hits.
CBS/ABC/NBC love it…they own almost all the
inventory and can push prime shows.
And for many who don’t have time to watch
the ratings of cable news go down its a half
hour roundup for people. Why do youthink
local stations have somuch news…its profitable
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But it depends on if big stories occurred during
the day…if a big story hits…ratings go up………
and cable can’t reach the numbersof viewers
that networks can…
as always…its about the money.
Dear KC Confidential: And now Bill O’Reilly has been accused of faking war stories!! Seems he was in mainland Argentina during the Falklands/Malvinas war–not dodging bullets during the actual fighting on the islands that ended up killing 900 British and Argentine military personnel. Look, I know that I have said this before, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but why don’t we all cut Brian, Hillary and Joe some “slack” on their false war stories. We live in a world that positively worships physical courage–I remember when I got back from several weeks in Northern Ireland in 1976 all of my fellow graduate students at MIT were in awe of me because I had actually been in a war zone. (When I asked I did tell them that, yes, I had seen several bombs go off at close range in crowds of people, and that it was not a “macho” experience to see dead, wounded and shell-shocked people–it was a nightmare and it scared me to death.) So, you really can’t be too hard on people who make up such stories–in high school we all wanted to be the captain of the football team who dated the head cheerleader, some people never outgrow their wish that they really had lived out all of their fantasies.