Reason over Message
Gandalf Grey
Reason over Message
By MAL Contends
Created Nov 23 2009 - 10:50am
With the rise of the public relations industry American politics-from the
municipal alderperson to the chief executive-has been reduced to the point
where a vacuous Sarah Palin can be talked about as a contender for the
president of the United States.
In politics as in marketing, the overriding concern is to deliver a message
to create and manage a brand, be it a product like a snow-blower or a
political candidate like George W. Bush.
Managing a brand is done through delivering through every utterance, every
visual image, every fleeting impression: A message; like strength or
family-friendly, some such positive attribute, or negative attribute if
you're referring to an opponent.
We have come to adapt this message imperative so unthinkingly that in
discussions of matters of public policy, facts, logic, rights and history
are of no concern for many in our dying democracy. We live in a make-believe
world of messages and visual impressions.
Think that possession of pot should be lowered to a $10 ticket or be
completely legalized, and the response from those most vested in
message-speak will be: We're sending the wrong message.
Withdraw from Afghanistan: Wrong message. And so on.
How about a trial for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM)? No, KSM
will deliver the wrong message at trial. And the trial itself is delivering
the wrong message to terrorists everywhere.
Leonard Pitts Jr eviscerates such nonsense [1] in his column this morning.
Pitts quotes Robert H. Jackson's eloquent opening statement at the Nuremberg
[2] trials of NAZIs on November 21, 1945, in serving as Chief of Counsel for
the United States.
That four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury stay
the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the
judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that Power has
ever paid to Reason.
Today, it is thought by the Glenn Becks, the Rudys and Republican Parties of
the world, that such phenomena as Reason and the Rule of Law apparently
deliver the wrong message, which is what is really important.
Attorney General Eric Holder [3] deserves respect for apparently not giving
a damn about message, in favor of Reason and the Rule of Law.
##
- via mal contends [4]
--
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"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike,
that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in
this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud
of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing
of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to
which we are committed today at home and around the world.
"
-John F. Kennedy, 1961
5292 Dead, 425 since 1/20/09
For fucks' sake, the BRITISH supported fair and open trials, and it was
for men who bombed the shit out of their country, night after night, for
months. Thousands died EACH NIGHT, and hundreds of buildings -- not just
two--fell. And they still had the courage to offer an open and fair
trial to the men who ordered the attacks.
What the fuck is WRONG with American right wingers?
Anlatt the Builder
wrote:
Her's what's wrong with them: they will get outraged over ANYTHING,
if, by doing so, they think they can make Obama look bad. Some big-
time terrorist subjects were tried (and convicted) in non-military
courts during the previous administration, and the Republicans didn't
raise any objections. Guiliani, in particular, spoke at length about
what a good idea it was - and now spits and hisses at Obama for doing
the same thing.
You're wasting your time if you expect logic, reason, or consistency
out of what's left of the Republican Party. They are motivated purely
by a desire to make Obama look bad and see him fail, whether that's
good or bad for the country on any specific issue, and regardless of
what these same people said about near-identical issues in the past.
Gandalf Grey
"5292 Dead, 425 since 1/20/09" <de...@dead.com> wrote in message
news:T7adnY02zZFuhZbW...@posted.carinet...
Three guess and the first two don't count.
5292 Dead, 425 since 1/20/09
No argument there. It's almost word for word what I've been saying.
Dave Heil
> Published on The Smirking Chimp (http://www.smirkingchimp.com)
>
> Reason over Message
>
> By MAL Contends
>
> Created Nov 23 2009 - 10:50am
>
>
> With the rise of the public relations industry American politics-from the
> municipal alderperson to the chief executive-has been reduced to the point
> where a vacuous Sarah Palin can be talked about as a contender for the
> president of the United States.
Recent history proves it. The current President was elected after a
hundred-some days as a Senator, a short period as an Illinois state
senator and never having successfully managed or run anything. Somehow,
on a mantra of hope and change, he was elected. Since then, he has done
relatively nothing.
Dave Heil
> For fucks' sake, the BRITISH supported fair and open trials, and it was
> for men who bombed the shit out of their country, night after night, for
> months. Thousands died EACH NIGHT, and hundreds of buildings -- not just
> two--fell. And they still had the courage to offer an open and fair
> trial to the men who ordered the attacks.
>
> What the fuck is WRONG with American right wingers?
That they don't support Nuremburg-like military tribunals? Beats me.
If they were good enough for the British, they're good enough for us.