Post #199,946
3/22/05 2:12:53 PM
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The will of the people
[link|http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/03/21/polls_on_schiavo/index_np.html|http://www.salon.com...avo/index_np.html]
With cable television's coverage of midnight congressional voting and the reports of President Bush's cutting short his Easter holiday to fly back to the White House, the saga over Terri Schiavo's feeding tube has consumed the media landscape. Since last Friday, cable news channels have covered little else other than this right-to-die case, while reporters and pundits have mostly ignored a crucial element of the story -- public opinion. Recent polling data, in outlets from Fox News to the Washington Post, shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans back the position of Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, that he, and not his wife's parents, should have the final say in the removal of her feeding tube. The polling data seriously undercuts the notion that Americans are deeply divided on the Schiavo case. Yet ever since March 18, when Republicans began their unprecedented push to intervene legislatively in a state court case that had already been heard by 19 judges, the press has all but disregarded the polls.
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I wasn't going to post any more on Schiavo - I've said my piece. This is only obliquely related - seems that the topic isn't really controviersial - most people think alike - if it were them, they'd want to be allowed to die, if it were a loved one, most of them (slightly fewer though) would want to let their loved one die.
Of course, that doesn't rev up the viewers or the base - so those numbers are suppressed while the media whips the public into a frenzy by fostering the idea that this is yet another "great divide". At the bottom of this story - the meta story if you like - is a text book example of how the right, with media assistance, is playing the public like a fiddle. If we could get real objective coverage here, we could see just how far out in right field or government has strayed.
This government is due for an overthrow - if they keep pushing it I don't believe they will last 4 more years.
"Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" --Mark Twain
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." --Albert Einstein
"This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses." --George W. Bush
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Post #199,955
3/22/05 2:28:09 PM
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Right, but where's the loyal opposition?
I would think that in a normal, functioning democracy the opposition party would use such polls to support their opposition to the Congressional action. Why aren't the Democrats up in arms over this? Does their spine disappear when Congress is in recess? Do they think that they can just sit back and watch the Republicans implode? I think that's a foolish bet.
The press always covers stories in ways that they think will increase readership. TV even moreso. It's the nature of the beast. I don't think it's necessarily a right-wing thing here - it's laziness. It's lack of sources on the other side that they can point to as giving the other side. Where's Harry Reid? Where's Nancy Pelosi? Where's Robert Byrd? Where's Jimmy Carter? Where's Howard Dean?
For the truth to come out, issues need strong advocates on both sides. The Democrats aren't doing their job yet and they need to get on the ball or they risk being dropped as irrelevant.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #199,970
3/22/05 3:35:21 PM
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This whole thing is sad.
Sadder still that it is public spectacle.
bcnu,
Mikem
Eine Leute. Eine Welt. Ein F\ufffdhrer.
God Bless America.
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Post #199,976
3/22/05 4:13:28 PM
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What have they got to say?
"Kill her"? Even if they feel the way you do, it's not an easy thing to say for a politician, much less for a democrat.
--
And what are we doing when the two most powerful nations on earth -- America and Israel -- stomp on the elementary rights of human beings?
-- letter to the editor from W. Ostermeier, Liechtenstein
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Post #199,977
3/22/05 4:19:56 PM
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How about - "This is not a Federal issue."?
It wasn't an easy thing to stand up against [link|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy|Joe McCarthy] either, but some people had the courage to do so. It seems very few people in Congress are willing to stand up for federalism and the Constitution at the moment.
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #199,981
3/22/05 4:26:31 PM
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Much easier to say
"this man is a paranoid liar". Did they fight McCarthy because it was "not a Federal issue"?
Here we have an abstract principle of law against something that _appears_ to be a living, breathing human being. About to be starved to death.
Even if the being is not human, and the principle of law is incredibly important, it's a hard thing for a politician to do.
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And what are we doing when the two most powerful nations on earth -- America and Israel -- stomp on the elementary rights of human beings?
-- letter to the editor from W. Ostermeier, Liechtenstein
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Post #199,984
3/22/05 4:39:23 PM
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Poor, poor politicians...
All they do is talk for a living. If they can't say the hard things, they shouldn't have the job. And if some can't even pronounce the easy ones, they REALLY shouldn't have the job.
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Post #199,986
3/22/05 4:40:42 PM
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:-)
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Post #199,987
3/22/05 4:40:48 PM
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Amen
--
And what are we doing when the two most powerful nations on earth -- America and Israel -- stomp on the elementary rights of human beings?
-- letter to the editor from W. Ostermeier, Liechtenstein
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Post #199,989
3/22/05 4:43:46 PM
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That reminds me
of Riverbend's [link|http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#111039210027335167|post] about Chalabi.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At some point there is silence. This is the point when both sides are convinced that the other one is completely inane and ridiculously intractable. It\ufffds sort of a huffy silence, with rolling eyes and lips drawn into thin slits of scorn.
....
The huffy silence at the end of the debate must be subtly taken advantage of and the following words murmured as if the thought just occurred that moment:
\ufffdYou know who\ufffds really bad? Ahmed Chalabi. He\ufffds such a lowlife and villain.\ufffd
Voila. Like magic the air clears, eyebrows are raised in agreement and all arguing parties suddenly unite to confirm this very valid opinion with nodding heads, somewhat strained laughter and charming anecdotes about his various press appearances and ridiculous sense of fasion. We\ufffdre all friends again, and family once more.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
--
And what are we doing when the two most powerful nations on earth -- America and Israel -- stomp on the elementary rights of human beings?
-- letter to the editor from W. Ostermeier, Liechtenstein
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Post #200,291
3/24/05 9:56:17 AM
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Richard Cohen OpEd in WashPost. (new thread)
Created as new thread #200290 titled [link|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=200290|Richard Cohen OpEd in WashPost.]
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Post #200,016
3/22/05 9:12:32 PM
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I think they say
"Not our business"?
"System is working - let it work"?
"I have polled my constituents and they believe the moral thing is to withdraw support"?
"Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" --Mark Twain
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." --Albert Einstein
"This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses." --George W. Bush
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