--- Jim Devine <jdevine03 at gmail.com> wrote:
> As usual, it's best to put this in context. Part of
> the problem here
> is that the "left" (which is a small, scattered, and
> fragmented
> grouping) in the US and to some extent elsewhere
> spends a lot of its
> energy and time trying to counteract the view put
> forth by the
> official media, i.e., that the US is the center of
> all that's good and
> noble -- pushing democracy and freedom -- and that
> those who disagree
> are insane, terroristic, nihilistic, etc. [*]
> Because of this, people
> often end up sounding like a mirror-image of the
> official media.
In other words, it's based on domestic US politics, not on the actual state of affairs in the world.
Related to this is the Talking Head Syndrome. Once you're a Known Figure and Commentator, it seems you are expected to comment on every event that happens in the world, regardless of whether you actually know anything about it or not. There was a particularly eggregious example of this after Beslan by Naomi Klein, in which she seemed to view events in the North Caucasus entirely insofar as they possessed a loose family resemblance to Israel-Palestine. It was pretty obvious she didn't know what she was talking about, judging by the factual errors, but, since she was a Known Personality, she was obligated to make a Comment.
I personally try to make no strong assertions about things that happen in most parts of the world, because I wouldn't know what the hell I was talking about in most instances.
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
__________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com