Thursday, January 28, 2010

The World According to He/She Who Cannot be Convinced

There are a lot of things that these partisan cable hosts do that irritate me. Numero uno, though, would have to be the way that they constantly interject THEIR opinions as fact. "Bush-league" Sean Hannity is clearly, CLEARLY, the most egregious of them (in this and in a lot of other regards) - obviously. But, please, believe me, he is far from the only perpetrator out there..........................................................................................Even Rachel Maddow (who I've stated on several occasions is the least obnoxious of the group) engages in such prestidigitation. Just last night, for example, she stated AS FACT the reason for the 1937 depression (i.e., the depression within the depression) as "Roosevelt's attempt to balance the budget." That, my friends, isn't a fact. It's a theory. Granted, it's a plausible one and all but, yes, that's all it really is, a theory. Well, that and a not so subtle attempt to stifle debate. But THAT you already knew, right?...........................................................................................P.S. Just for the record, competing theories for explaining the 1937 depression include a) the Federal Reserve's increased reserve requirement shrinking the money supply and b) the unionizing drives of 1937 rapidly raising wage rates and labor costs (less money available for capital investment). If in fact you were wondering.

10 comments:

Oso said...

Will,
IMO Maddow is right in her statement,when viewed in concert with the factors which you expanded upon.I think FDR also raised taxes at the time?

Got a hypothetical for you.You know in wrestling sometimes a character changes;bad guy becomes a good guy and vice versa.

I like Maddow, think she's honest and believable. I despise Beck and think he's an opportunistic asshole.

I'm a far-left liberal so possibly (or likely) that colors my impression.You're pretty objective.So, the hypothetical:

Could Maddow/Beck switch positions and do well in the others venue,other things like audience acceptance being equal? Or are they creatures of their convictions who would never do that?

I recall Ariana Huffington being a rabid right winger years ago so it's not unprecedented.

Teeluck said...

It would not surprise me, stranger things have happened in American politics.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Oso, I'm trying to think of some other people who've made such radical switches. Wasn't there a black panther guy who ultimately became a conservative Republican? And Matthews! That frigging guy changes more than the damn weather (part of the reason I kind of like him, I guess LOL). As for the 2 individuals you mention, I can't really see it. ALTHOUGH, with Beck, there is a kind of stability factor, is there not? He actually could reincarnate some day. Plus, as Teebuck has so adroitly stated, this is America we're talking about.

Kentucky Rain said...

A switch? What a challenge that would be for both. As to Arianna, I had no clue that she used to be a Rightie!

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Yeah, Mike, she was married to that empty suit right-winger who ran for governor in California. I think that his name was Michael (sorry) Huffington. She was definitely the brains behind the operation.

Teeluck said...

What's that phrase?...Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

That is correct! And we've never heard from him again, have we? LOL

Tom Harper said...

Sorry to nitpick -- tiny correction. Michael Huffington (Mr. Arianna) was running for the U.S. Senate in 1994, trying to unseat Dianne Feinstein. And he came damn close. He came from out of nowhere, nobody had ever heard of him, and suddenly he was almost tied with Feinstein. Arianna was very outspoken about her conservative views, the "liberal" media and all that.

After Michael Huffington lost, he came out as being either gay or bisexual, fell off the edge of the Earth, and shortly after that Arianna became liberal (after doing a series of TV comedy skits with Al Franken).

Oso said...

I wonder if Anne Coulter were to marry a bi man, would the same principle would apply?

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Thanks for the correction, Tom. I guess it was the Senate he was after......As far as Ms. Coulter's preferences/exploits go, Oso, the farther away from that I can get my brain, the better. Just can't go there, bro.