[lbo-talk] Moyers: Take Public Broadcasting Back

[Carl Remick]

>From: Chuck Grimes <cgrimes at rawbw.com>
>
>I went looking for some link Pugliese posted on Carl Davidson and
>found this speech by Moyers. It was given in St. Louis on May 16th.
>I thought it was good enough to post instead of the link which is:
>http://freepress.net/news/8120
>
>CG
>--------------
>
>Take Public Broadcasting Back - Bill Moyers
>
>...Strange things began to happen. Friends in Washington called to say
>that they had heard of muttered threats that the PBS reauthorization
>would be held off "unless Moyers is dealt with." The chairman of the
>Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Kenneth Tomlinson, was said to be
>quite agitated. Apparently there was apoplexy in the right-wing aerie
>when I closed the broadcast one Friday night by putting an American
>flag in my lapel and said - well, here's exactly what I said:
>
>"I wore my flag tonight. First time. Until now I haven't thought it
>necessary to display a little metallic icon of patriotism for everyone
>to see. It was enough to vote, pay my taxes, perform my civic duties,
>speak my mind, and do my best to raise our kids to be good Americans.
>
>"Sometimes I would offer a small prayer of gratitude that I had been
>born in a country whose institutions sustained me, whose armed forces
>protected me, and whose ideals inspired me; I offered my heart's
>affections in return. It no more occurred to me to flaunt the flag on
>my chest than it did to pin my mother's picture on my lapel to prove
>her son's love.  Mother knew where I stood; so does my country. I even
>tuck a valentine in my tax returns on April 15. ...

Nice guy, Bill Moyers -- but what an insufferable dweeb.

Moyers' basic problem is summed up by this section of his speech:  "I’ve 
always thought the American eagle needed a left wing and a right wing. The 
right wing would see to it that economic interests had their legitimate 
concerns addressed. The left wing would see to it that ordinary people were 
included in the bargain. Both would keep the great bird on course. But with 
two right wings or two left wings, it’s no longer an eagle and it’s going to 
crash."

What, exactly, are the self-contained "legitimate concerns" that "economic 
interests" have?  Why are "ordinary people" relegated to such a passive role 
in economic affairs?

Let's face it:  Bill Moyers is a pleasant but addle-brained ex-Baptist 
preacher with no real grasp of how institutionally vicious this capitalist 
society is.  He's like all the other liberals of PBS -- a victim of terminal 
cluelessness.

Carl