“May God defend me from my friends. I can defend myself from my enemies.”

(Variously attributed to Voltaire, Duc de Villars, or maybe even Napoleon Bonaparte)

The problem in short: It’s far too easy to justify omitting, bending, folding, spindling, and mutilating just a few of the more inconvenient facts once you’ve convinced yourself that you’re a superior being on a saintly mission to ‘keep power in check and improve people’s lives’. After all, what are a few silly facts when you’re saving the world?

It’s better, I think, for journalists to stick to the facts; we have more than enough self-appointed social engineers, thanks.

Thx, kat

The point I’ve been trying to make is that the forms into which you channel a discussion are set by the software you choose, and the rules and norms that go with that software. In this case, you’ve successfully used WordPress to recreate Usenet, it could do so much more.

As far as the personal crap, well, when i see someone spewing toxic deceptive bile in a public forum, I call them on it, Just as I would someone spewing anti-semitic trash.

ps. Gender Genie says that “Eileen” is a male

It’s a classic, shark. [And they don't even see their hypocrisy.] As is the nonreporting of the European “riots”/intifada, which of course has nothing to do with Islam.

Regarding your simple rule, Jeff? I guess another basic rule regarding the ability to defend oneself here only exists when *you* are the one who is being lied about in your public forum, or defamed, maligned and abused. Bravo for YOUR free speech. That’s fair and balanced, eh? Do not expect me to suffer your fools without so much as a defense, Jeff. I would grant you the same.

And I’m quite sure that that cryptic message to me from Some Guy wasn’t any form of threat, aren’t you/cue CentCom? I did get the part about “now go fuck off”.

Thanks for watching my back, Jeff. Mighty obliged.

Look at the tiny amount of coverage of the Paris riots. Also note how far down they buried the info that the rioters are Islamic.

And precious zero about the Muslim riots in Denmark.

The media has taken a dive about Joe Wilson the liar.

And funny enough, when Rove and Libby “leak” something to a reporter, it’s a terrible breach of national security, but now that a leak informed the Post about possible CIA detention centers holding some vile scum…..well, I guess I wonder where the NYT editorial demanding an investigation into THIS leak is.

Traditional media is dying? Good. Let me be the first to the piss on the grave. Kos has more credibility than Pinch Sulzberger, because at least Kos never makes any bones about his agenda.

And that’s why journalism is dying. Because the ONLY goal is to inform society. After that, you’re back into the same old agenda-driven bullshit that you have now.

“Keep power in check” - Keep who’s power in check, and why? “Improve people’s lives”- again, how?

Tell me exactly how you can accomplish this without delving back into the partisian games we’re seeing every minute now?

We already know that you have precious little use for actual factual journalism (remember, anyone can get facts, as you stated.) You’re saying that agenda journalism needs to be saved by turning into…..agenda journalism.

*SIGH*

Do you ever learn?

“Eileen, if you are reading this:
YHBT YFFI HAND, NGFOSWE”

Are you serious??? I thought not.

Ahaaaa……….wrong again, bucko. LOL. Guess you don’t like my ‘disclosures’ re news of Islam, eh buckaroo?

Wrong! That would have been Derek. Followed by YOU.

Anyone can read here.

Jeff, anonymity leads to this type of discussion, especially when you have a blog of relatively high visibility. If you required a functioning email address, and required commenters to register, perhaps even to pass a reasoning test (your basic fallacies, etc.)you might be able to assemble and hold together a diverse and opinionated set of voices, who if they knew they were building in a stable reputation economy wouldn’t be tempted to burn it down for a cheap shot. (if you want to discuss this offline, I used my rl @ in setting this comment)

Despite Eileen’s posturing above, I think you will note that
a. her 1st post basically accused the left 2/3rds of your readership of being traitorous fools.
b. she was the first to insult someone by name.

Eileen, if you are reading this:
YHBT YFFI HAND, NGFOSWE

As for Eileen;

You know what, Jeff? Why should the over 50% of the country, the disaffected/disenfranchised/FORMER customers/DISSED in every way by our enemy, the MSM, in terms of unreported news, malignant propaganda, fake but accurate bias and contrived BS….why should we NOW act as a ‘free focus group’ to HELP our proven enemies? Jorge’s question bears repeating…and considering and reconsidering: “What good is news if it is hijacked by propagandist traitors of our sacred soil?” Are they going to pay us to make them honest? I SINCERELY DOUBT IT!

Why should we waste any more of our time? Clearly, the MSM is myopic, blind, deaf and dumb. Worse, they are SO entrenched in trying to win the next Congressional elections and then the Presidency through defamation, framing and lies…that they could give a rat’s ASS about what the opposition thinks. And it is WE, the opposition, who are going to bring them down where it ultimately counts - economically. They can just bet on it. And they can pretend it’s every other ‘lil ‘ole thing in the world other than the reality THEY’VE brought to bear: oh we’re too dull, oh we haven’t “LET” them engage in a political debate in our paper… Bravo, Ravo, for your discernment re my backhanded comment re the capitalistic ‘lesson’ they will NEVER recognize.

‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.’ That’s kind of a basic in business parlance. MSM doesn’t get it, big time.

And the MSM is too entrenched in it’s own ideological goo and slime/tarpit mentality to see it. They aren’t listening; moreover, they can’t hear anything that doesn’t fit their propaganda machine.

I’ve got news for the MSM. You’re goin’ down.

Now. How about reporting upon the fact that cities throughout France (not just Paris at this point) are being torched for the 9th straight day, that a disabled women was doused with gasoline and set on fire by Muslim scum intifada rioters? HINT to the MSM as to how to report upon this: they are *NOT* to be described as “poor, disaffected youths”. They are OUR enemy in the WOT. You want to bring Bush down? Then exactly how are YOU, BIG, BAD MSM gonna protect me? And how are your incompetent, impotent “leaders” like Kerry, Kennedy, Boxer, Reid, Pelosi et al. going to protect me? It’s way too late to swing hands in a circle singin’ Kumbaya, MY LORD!

Get with the program, MSM, or just go down.

And Jeff. It would be great if *for once* you came in to chide the group for insults after the liberals’ INITIAL, personal assaults. I know you’re a busy guy, but by now you must realize it is ALWAYS the lefties who hurl personal molotovs. And then you expect the conservatives to play nicey nice and take it in their asses? YOU don’t do so when people flame you personally! So why should your conservative commenters?! About the next time you choose to chide us at the direct ‘expense’ of your conservative crew - for that is when you do the chiding - I suspect your own comment sections will be relegated to a reverberating echo chamber/tarpit as well. Sorry, Jeff, YOU’VE dissed a few of your regulars too many times as well. Just like your brethren.

You wanted ideas? There you go.

And thanks, penny, kat, Ravo, Captious…for your support. Sorry you took a direct flak attack on my account, penny. I owe you, here or elsewhere…

By invitation only.

Just because you post a few lines of tripe along with millions of other bloggers makes you hardly unique.

We aren’t talking any barriers to entry in blogging as you’ve proven. Millions of people have blogs now. It’s not an endeavor requiring much skill set technically. So, your point was?

And, Derek, your only counter to Eileen was the factless personal retort “you are pathetic”. That’s pathetic.

While those of us on the outside looking in observe capitalism truly does work.

The marketplace emerges a winner; as it seeks the qualities of truth and integrity as big media’s replacement.

Hear them roar. Do you really think you can shut people up in this fashion? Objectively speaking, what does your need to attack say about you, your maturity level, your ability to consider others’ viewpoints, your comfort level with playing the bully, your ability to engage in civilized debate? But I know you’re grieving.. Your boys in the MSM are commiting suicide right before your very eyes! It must be very, very difficult for you. What will you do when your one dimensional mouthpiece/propaganda machine is Completely DEAD? I guess that’s the most scary prospect regarding your huddling dinosaurs’ of all.

Well, they never did seem to embrace capitalism to begin with. Now they’re *really* proving to themselves how it doesn’t work at all! We always knew they were the ’smarter’ bunch, so no surprise there, either.

Derek, you and some guy out there just try and have a great day now, ok? This too shall pass…we are never given more than we can bear, etc. ;]