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June 13, 2007
Newton's 3rd Law: Why Progressives Should Thank Bush & Rove
Aaah, good 'ole Isaac Newton... Now there was a guy who understood politics.
Of course we already know that his "3rd law" is a foundational piece of science: "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Anyone who's ever studied high school science is familiar with those words and knows what they mean -- if we push on something, that thing will push back. Simple.
But Newton's 3rd law is worth repeating because it transcends science to become a political and spiritual principal as well: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Politically, this means that when one side pushes, another side pushes back. It's the same concept that's perpetuated the Arab/Israeli conflict for generations and it's the same concept for which progressives should give thanks to the Bush/Rove administration.
Shocked? Don't be. After all, we progressives don't exist in a vacuum; we're out there in the real world, in the trenches and working to educate and inform the public (since the mainstream media gave up on that task years ago). And it is - I would argue - precisely because of George W. Bush that progressives finally found our stride: we needed something around which to unify, organize and rally. Yes, yes... progressives have been around for a while, I know. We've seen a nice evolution over the years from abolitionists to reformers to unionizers to new deal supporters to hippies to bloggers and environmentalists.
But the rise and momentum of our current progressive movement mirrors the rise of the Bush administration. We've never been so present, so organized, so visible. That's because this administration's policies on the environment, national security, human rights, international treaties, and the economy have given progressives the focus we needed to band together and give us a focus.
Thank you, Mister President for all of your bumbling, fudging, manipulating, and illegal wire-tapping. You've accidentally given us the greatest gift of all: a cause against which to rally.
Labels: philosophy, politics, science
June 08, 2007
Frank Zappa, Part One: How to Debate Conservatives
The late Frank Zappa was a prolific musician, a shocking lyricist, a comedy genius and certainly no stranger to politics. He was an articulate, well-educated chap and sometimes went on to talk shows to defend his positions on art, freedom of speech, and the politics of hatred.
Additionally, Frank Zappa was a Conservative. Only he wasn't like today's breed of neo-cons or religious fanatics or right-wing extremists. Rather, he was a traditionalist who believed in a small government that wasn't involved in the matters of the home.
Seen below is Zappa in a 1986 appearance of the show "Crossfire". The show is co-hosted even then by the man who'd later go on to expose Valerie Plame as an undercover CIA operative: Robert Novak. But what makes this episode of "Crossfire" isn't Novak, it's Zappa and the way he deals so simply with the narrow-minded conservative with whom he's debating:
#1) Zappa answers yes/no questions directly, without being afraid to state what he thinks simply.
#2) He never apologizes for his rationale nor acts like he's wrong in principal.
#3) He answers questions with other questions, putting his questioners on the defensive and forceing them to account for their own position first.
#4) He stays on point. Throughout the debate with the foaming-at-the-mouth conservative, Zappa continues to press the notion that the debate is about words and that no word is pornographic.
#5) He shifts his body language such that - at some point - he actually stops making eye contact with his detractor. This gives him the advantage of rising above the fight and making his opponent not even seem worthy of being looked upon.
June 04, 2007
A Rulebook: How to Gather News
We are bombarded with information in our current lives: radio, TV, magazines, newspapers, billboards, cellphone text messages and, of course, the Internet. Due to the proliferation of information, we now have more power than ever over how we choose our news. In today's world, we don't simply receive our news, we actively get to CHOOSE how and what we receive.
In order to help ensure that my news is properly "vetted", I've developed my own rules:
Rule #1: Seeing is not believing.
Stories reported on TV or in the written news aren't always reported accurately or fully. Often, important details or opposing viewpoints are withheld from a story. Therefore, cultivate a healthy sense of skepticism and use what you see or read only as a starting point. Then, investigate the facts for yourself. This requires a slight time investment on your part, but don't be overwhelmed: you don't need to devote all day to learning about the Arab/Israeli conflict. Take just fifteen minutes a day to do some research on one story. Over time, this will make a huge difference.
Rule #2: Prove your news.
If you can't find at least two other reputable news outlets that corroborate a news story, don't trust it. While someone is always first to break a big story, once the word's out, other media outlets work feverishly to report that same news as well. Make sure you've got a few nationally recognized sources for your big stories or multiple local sources for those things happening in your community. It's not worth your time to believe in news that can't be proven.
Rule #3: Cast a wide net.
Cultivate a news "menu" by assembling a diverse group of sources during the week. Choose news from liberal, moderate and conservative viewpoints as well as from domestic and international perspectives. If you're going to educate yourself, there's no sense in limiting yourself: the more diverse your source materials are, the more understanding you will become of the actual news story, the context of how it is reported and what it means to different people on the other side of the city...or the world.
Rule #4: Everything biased in some way.
This rule applies to all of us, conservative or liberal, Jew or Catholic, Black or White, newspapers or blogs or TV. Everything you read is biased by those who created the content... even this blog posting. I have a liberal bias but I also am biased towards educating others and motivating folks to be proactive about how they choose and determine what is their news.
Rule #5: Turn off the TV.
TV news is a dead medium: there's no interactivity for the individual and the medium relies on sensationalism to generate ratings. As such, there's no need to watch TV to get your news. Literally: no need. You can listen to the radio, you can read a newspaper or magazine and you can surf the web to learn the very same stories with a much less sensational delivery. Stop watching TV news for just one month: you'll discover how little you're missing and how easily you forget what Katie Couric, Charles Gibson, Brian Williams and Wolf Blitzer all look like.
Lastly, here's a bonus rule, only slightly off-topic, which I love.
Rule #6: Start talking.
Now that you've got some education under your belt, don't be afraid to talk to your friends, neighbors and family about the news. When you do, you will quickly discover that many people are only getting only part of the story, either by ignorance or by willful intention. By educating yourself and talking not just about the news but the sources you use, you will help to broaden the discussion and place yourself in a position to help educate others.
Go get 'em, Tiger....
In order to help ensure that my news is properly "vetted", I've developed my own rules:
Rule #1: Seeing is not believing.
Stories reported on TV or in the written news aren't always reported accurately or fully. Often, important details or opposing viewpoints are withheld from a story. Therefore, cultivate a healthy sense of skepticism and use what you see or read only as a starting point. Then, investigate the facts for yourself. This requires a slight time investment on your part, but don't be overwhelmed: you don't need to devote all day to learning about the Arab/Israeli conflict. Take just fifteen minutes a day to do some research on one story. Over time, this will make a huge difference.
Rule #2: Prove your news.
If you can't find at least two other reputable news outlets that corroborate a news story, don't trust it. While someone is always first to break a big story, once the word's out, other media outlets work feverishly to report that same news as well. Make sure you've got a few nationally recognized sources for your big stories or multiple local sources for those things happening in your community. It's not worth your time to believe in news that can't be proven.
Rule #3: Cast a wide net.
Cultivate a news "menu" by assembling a diverse group of sources during the week. Choose news from liberal, moderate and conservative viewpoints as well as from domestic and international perspectives. If you're going to educate yourself, there's no sense in limiting yourself: the more diverse your source materials are, the more understanding you will become of the actual news story, the context of how it is reported and what it means to different people on the other side of the city...or the world.
Rule #4: Everything biased in some way.
This rule applies to all of us, conservative or liberal, Jew or Catholic, Black or White, newspapers or blogs or TV. Everything you read is biased by those who created the content... even this blog posting. I have a liberal bias but I also am biased towards educating others and motivating folks to be proactive about how they choose and determine what is their news.
Rule #5: Turn off the TV.
TV news is a dead medium: there's no interactivity for the individual and the medium relies on sensationalism to generate ratings. As such, there's no need to watch TV to get your news. Literally: no need. You can listen to the radio, you can read a newspaper or magazine and you can surf the web to learn the very same stories with a much less sensational delivery. Stop watching TV news for just one month: you'll discover how little you're missing and how easily you forget what Katie Couric, Charles Gibson, Brian Williams and Wolf Blitzer all look like.
Lastly, here's a bonus rule, only slightly off-topic, which I love.
Rule #6: Start talking.
Now that you've got some education under your belt, don't be afraid to talk to your friends, neighbors and family about the news. When you do, you will quickly discover that many people are only getting only part of the story, either by ignorance or by willful intention. By educating yourself and talking not just about the news but the sources you use, you will help to broaden the discussion and place yourself in a position to help educate others.
Go get 'em, Tiger....
Labels: news
