True criticism
We have a dilemma that is so obvious as to be almost past the point of mentioning. This necessitates mention because that kind of obvious is a next door neighbor to "that's just the way things are". I worry lest the other ways that have made us who we are (free speech, open dialogue, etc.) fade mostly into the past and personal attacks, which once upon a time marked a public figure as a desperate lightweight and not worthy of attention, fall into the place of everything that once was reserved for public and foreign policy.
It is Wikipedia which notes that "A pundit is, in contemporary English, someone who offers mass-media opinion, analysis or commentary on a particular subject area, (most typically political analysis, the social sciences or sport), on which they are presumed to be knowledgeable. As the term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities lacking special expertise, however, it can be used in a derogative manner. Pundit is also a slang term for politically biased people pretending to be neutral."
According to Richard Page, when he was recording a massive gathering for peace in Berlin during the 1980s, Huston Smith was reported as being a Moonie because he had defended their right to practice their faith. He was invited to go on the air in East Germany to respond and said that their right to practice their faith is guaranteed in our Constitution (implying he was just being a faithful American) and to construe from his statements that he is a Moonie would be like saying the Dalai Lama is a Communist because he supports communist people's right to govern themselves as they wish, while objecting as strongly as possible to their attempts to govern his people in spite of their wishes. The next day's headlines read
"The Dalai Lama is a Communist!" - Huston Smith
I'll ask him about this next time we are together because I'd love to hear the story from his lips. I'll post a recording here if I remember to take my gear.Last night at the 3rd International Womens Peace Conference in Dallas, where we (Assoc. Building Community) are audio and video recording "progressives" in progress (thanks to continuing work with Conference Recording Service), Nobel Laureate Betty Williams allowed as how violence is a choice. She lamented every pointless and horrible death on 9/11 - all 3,000+ who perished so needlessly in the Twin Towers, and the 35, 615 children around the world who died that day without notice or remark. She then talked about the responsibilities of a Nobel Laureate to stand up and tell the truth and to live with other folks' expectations. She drinks, smokes, and swears a bit and so tends to shock people who hear "Laureate" and expect Mother Theresa. It seems to her that it is easy to talk about Peace when, if you mean what you say, you should rather be living it. She is so frustrated with President Bush she'd like to kill him but obviously hasn't and made quite clear she doesn't mean literally. "How do you kill somebody non-violently?", she asked, to clarify the dilemma of keeping the natural response toward violence in check.
For a clip from my original source of what Betty Williams actually said please click on the Gcast player to your right. If you can't see it right away click on POSTS.
For a complete CD of the original recordings - audio CD or video DVD - visit conferencerecording.com and search "betty williams"
So, most of our (Richard, Lisa, and myself) today was dominated by tense running around by the more conservative upper-middle class white women who were very put out that Betty might say such a thing. One, on an errand to get a copy of the recording from us to deliver to the media, decided her time was better spent elsewhere and demanded "just give me the damn tape" when it became clear we didn't agree with her. Her main error was moving to dominate us before she actually had the recording in her hand. Later we spent hours working with Chris Salcedo (http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_193220448.html) of Channel 11, the Dallas NBC affiliate, to dig out some footage from our raw video masters. The video of the newscast from our footage is here. http://cbs11tv.com/video If it is not immediately apparent search the (if it bleeds, it leads) headline "I could kill Bush"
The issue is both honesty and flexibility of thought. Instead of talking about any of the very newsworthy things Ms. Williams said, which continue to escape coverage in most corporate media outlets, those whose power and income flourish in the presence of fear literalize and thereby purposefully misquote an obviously metaphorical but nonetheless weighty comment. This condescends both to an international public and our domestic body, dulling the potential for further authentically critical thought in the future out of habitual exposure to obvious spin for its own sake. This has ever been one of the most egregious of crimes on the part of public figures from Greece to our contemporary Capitol. Flim-flam doesn't have to be the rule. It can be the exception. Only We the People can insist on it. Call and write your purveyors of media.
Again wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demagogy
Demagogy (Demagoguery) (from Greek δῆμος, "people", and ἄγειν, "to lead") refers to a political strategy for obtaining and gaining political power by appealing to the popular prejudices, fears and expectations of the public — typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist or populist themes.
Labels: audio, conference, conflict, daily, peace, polis, politics
| posted by Unknown @ 7/12/2007 09:35:00 PM
