The Nudge-Wink Soceity

[Drunken Master]

I've noticed a pattern in the Schiavo case that I think has a parallel with the Iraqi War - increasingly, for those in power, the facts can be bent to achieve a desired end, and even if the public is not necessarily convinced of these facts, they will assent so long as they agree with the end.

We've all heard from a variety of sources that there's been some kind of massive conspiracy to misrepresent Schiavo's true condition - that "consciousness" lurks somewhere within her, just as WMDs lurked within Iraq.

I, for one, find this baffling. Putting aside Schiavo's husband - and the character assassination that has been perpetrated on him has been a sorry thing to watch - What possible motivation could Schiavo's doctors or a federal court judge have for wanting her dead?

Is Truth steadily on the decline? Are we becoming a "nudge-wink" society - where it's acceptable to obscure the facts in order to get what we want? Am I just being naive?

(Oh, and, I don't want to this necessarily to turn this into a right-left issue - JFK, Lyndon Johnson (I'm thinking of the Rand Corporation here) and of course Silly Billy pretty effectively took away that particular moral high ground from the left.)

[slowandeasy]

I've noticed a pattern in the Schiavo case that I think has a parallel with the Iraqi War - increasingly, for those in power, the facts can be bent to achieve a desired end, and even if the public is not necessarily convinced of these facts, they will assent so long as they agree with the end.

We've all heard from a variety of sources that there's been some kind of massive conspiracy to misrepresent Schiavo's true condition - that "consciousness" lurks somewhere within her, just as WMDs lurked within Iraq.

I, for one, find this baffling. Putting aside Schiavo's husband - and the character assassination that has been perpetrated on him has been a sorry thing to watch - What possible motivation could Schiavo's doctors or a federal court judge have for wanting her dead?

Is Truth steadily on the decline? Are we becoming a "nudge-wink" society - where it's acceptable to obscure the facts in order to get what we want? Am I just being naive?

(Oh, and, I don't want to this necessarily to turn this into a right-left issue - JFK, Lyndon Johnson (I'm thinking of the Rand Corporation here) and of course Silly Billy pretty effectively took away that particular moral high ground from the left.)

This has been freaking me out for a long time now. It's like the many debates about the Iraq invasion, that turn into left wing vs. right wing arguments.

At a younger age, I liked to listen to Rush Limbaugh because he seemed to tackle the issues head on...... after you listen a bit more, and you start to learn more, it was scary to see how he twisted the facts to support his position....

Our media is exceptionally powerful yet what passes for journalism these days is pretty low. And almost any media outlet has some sort of political agenda or affiliation.

Take a look at the article in this thread:
http://www.terb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=79994&page=3&pp=9

Regardless of you think happened at this road block, this guy's story has some serious holes.

[oldjones]

The first mistake is imagining anything broadcast on the nightly TV news is actual journalism at all. It's all determined by the pictures, facts and information be damned.

[WoodPeckr]

This has been freaking me out for a long time now. It's like the many debates about the Iraq invasion, that turn into left wing vs. right wing arguments.

At a younger age, I liked to listen to Rush Limbaugh because he seemed to tackle the issues head on...... after you listen a bit more, and you start to learn more, it was scary to see how he twisted the facts to support his position....


I saw 'right' through Rush Limbaugh the first time I heard him and had him pegged as nothing more than a very slick packaged RW hatemonger, an update or reincarnation of Joseph Goebbels chief propaganda in Hitler's Nazi Germany. Have always felt the Right Wing (the "fucking crazies" of the GOP as Colin Powell so eloquently put it awhile back) are just not happy unless they have an enemy real or perceived to hate or create a fear of. With the fall of Communism the RW was befuddled and lost without someone the hate so they fell upon the 'liberal' as their new interim enemy to hate until a better one, 'Arab terrorists' came along. Creating fear and paronia is how the RW get people scared enough to follow their folly.

Yes truth is in decline. Believe it was Pontius Pilate who asked Christ sarcastically about 2000 yrs ago "What is truth?" before washing his hands of Him and sending Him to His death. Truth like history is written by the victor and changes with time and political winds.

[Keebler Elf]

All you need to know is that every judge the parents have gone to has shot them down, including the Supreme Court. What the masses of nutwing religious zealots think is irrelevant.

[Peeping Tom]

So I suppose the RW flew four planes on 9.11? At least that statement would logically close your rant.




With the fall of Communism the RW was befuddled and lost without someone the hate so they fell upon the 'liberal' as their new interim enemy to hate until a better one, 'Arab terrorists' came along. Creating fear and paronia is how the RW get people scared enough to follow their folly.

[Don]

WP says some wacky things.

[feminista]

I concur that Schiavo's brain waves are located with the WMD's. Ask Saddam.



Schiavo's husband - and the character assassination that has been perpetrated on him has been a sorry thing to watch

I was stunned to see CNN interview a nutcase nurse who had been fired for her inappropriate treatment of Schiavo. She claimed that the husband would walk into Terry's room and say "I wish that bitch would die because she is costing me too much money" AS IF!!!!!!! :eek:

This former nurse also said that Terry could walk and talk with proper therapy. I think this nurse stopped taking her meds. And CNN is presenting this as NEWS!

Right now they are claiming that Terry is trying to "say" that she wants to live.

To top it off rabid prolifer and bomb enthusiast Randall (neglect my own kids) Terry is the families new spokesperson. Is this a prolonged episode of Saturday Night Live?

makes ya proud to be canadian.

[slowandeasy]

I have not heard this mentioned, but the tragedy of 9-11 must have been a ratings bonanza. OJ's trial was probably a huge hit, but 9-11 must have been the motherlode!!!! I think that CNN must have had 24/7 coverage for almost 3 months. I know that I tuned everyday to find out what was going on, and out of morbid curiosity....

There have been sporadic events over the years that have probably spiked CNN's ratings. I can picture CNN's executives looking over the ratings charts for the past 10 years.... investigating the spikes in ratings...and putting it all together.... Disaster/tragedy/death etc...really sells... but Americans are not interested if it's outside US borders....

So what's the answer??? If it's not a disaster, then me make it one, by covering the shit out of it. It's a simple formula... if there is controversy... you can always find people who will fuel that controversy to put on TV... As we have seen on this board, there are endless amounts of conspiracy theorists who can find conspiracy in Condeleeza Rice passing gas...

Can someone please put poor Terry out of her misery... I was undecided about what should happen to this poor soul... At one point, I even thought that if the parents wanted to keep her alive, then it should be their right...

I know that this debate goes deeper than just a decision of whether she lives or dies..... but as a parent, I would not put my child through this... I would not expose her to this circus just so that I don't have to deal with her loss or so that I can lessen my misguided feelings of guilt or responsibility.

Perhaps the Schiavos can put the money they would spend on Terry to good use by helping abused children, or some other good cause...

Starving or abused children just does not make for good TV...

[Don]

Can someone please put poor Terry out of her misery... I was undecided about what should happen to this poor soul... At one point, I even thought that if the parents wanted to keep her alive, then it should be their right...

I know that this debate goes deeper than just a decision of whether she lives or dies..... but as a parent, I would not put my child through this... I would not expose her to this circus just so that I don't have to deal with her loss or so that I can lessen my misguided feelings of guilt or responsibility.

Perhaps the Schiavos can put the money they would spend on Terry to good use by helping abused children, or some other good cause...

Starving or abused children just does not make for good TV...

It's the Schindlers not Schiavos. Schiavo is Terry and her husband's last name.

It's easy to sit back and say you wouldn't put your child through this. When confronted with the decision in real life it is much tougher. I learned that the hard way.

Just because people are can sacrifice (monitarily) for their kids doesn't mean that they will then go around and give it to something else. It is totally different and an unfair comment.

[slowandeasy]

It's the Schindlers not Schiavos. Schiavo is Terry and her husband's last name.

It's easy to sit back and say you wouldn't put your child through this. When confronted with the decision in real life it is much tougher. I learned that the hard way.

Just because people are can sacrifice (monitarily) for their kids doesn't mean that they will then go around and give it to something else. It is totally different and an unfair comment.

Thanks, did not even care to know their names....

Not easy to sit back... have had to make some very very difficult decisions about grandparents and parents.

Agree with you that it's different, but don't agree that its an unfair comment from my perspective... but I do recognize that my perspective is much different than most people...

[y2kmark]

WP says some wacky things.

I have seen it for a long time. It used to be a communist behind every tree, now it's a terrorist (who could still be a communist, I suppose) I live in the US, work, travel around - as far as I'm concerned my chances of personnally encountering an actual terrorist are about as great as hitting the lottery. On the other hand, I'm up against some newly empowered, stupid, arrogant bully with a badge on a pretty routine basis. Osama doesn't necessarily want our freedom, but Bush and his crowd sure as hell do!!