December 18, 2006

Why Does the Left Wing Carry Water for Corporate Media?

In the past, it has generally been the left, rather than the right, which has been quickest to pounce on big multinational corporations "exploiting the people" and peddling shoddy products and services. The right has traditionally had more of a "caveat emptor" attitude--i.e., if you can't be bothered to pay attention to what you're buying, you deserve what you get.

Oddly, the often shoddy services being peddled by the world's corporate media conglomerates find most of their their toughest critics on the right wing and most of their defenders on the left.

As regards previous stories, the left has been more silent than anything, mostly ignoring the numerous examples of atrocious journalism. On the Jamil Hussein / Burning Six story, the left seems to be taking a more active role defending big media. Their hearts ache, apparently, for a huge multinational corporation under attack by some regular citizens.

Firedoglake, for example, has this to say about Michelle's upcoming trip:

Meanwhile, LG&M has a Christmas wish that I'd like to second. May all the warbloggers take Malkin's bravery as a challenge to demonstrate that the AP simply doesn't know what it's talking about and prove those of us suffering from BDS dead wrong.

Will she go? Does she actually believe the stuff she writes?

Some of the lefty blogs have been frolicking with glee at the thought that Jamil Hussein REALLY DOES exist, and that six sunnis REALLY DID get incinerated on Nov. 24th.

The jury is still out on the facts, but the Jamil Hussein / Burning Six story isn't about Jamil Hussein, or even whether or not six people got burned alive on Nov. 24th in Hurriyah. The issue is whether the AP acted with a reasonable level of concern for accuracy in its reporting of the story. Anyone who's been paying attention will probably come to the same conclusion I have: AP did not act with a reasonable level of concern for accuracy.

I don't know if Jamil Hussein exists--but neither does AP.

I don't know if TWELVE sunnis, or SIX sunnis, or NO sunnis were burned alive on Nov. 24th--but neither does the AP.

I don't know if FOUR sunni mosques were subjected to rocket attacks and set on fire, or ONE sunni mosque sustained minor fire damage from a molotov cocktail--but neither does the AP.

I don't know whether the attacks on the sunni mosques were stopped by intervention of a U.S. military unit in the area--but neither does the AP.

I don't know if multiple bodies of incinerated sunnis were taken to a local hospital or buried by the people who watched the attacks--but neither does the AP.

From what I can tell, the left is almost completely uninterested in whether or not the news stories coming out of the Middle East are true or false. This is true even where the stories are at least inaccurate if not complete fabrications. The left seems unwilling to accept that local stringers sometimes lie. I don't care what your politics are. How can you possibly think it's a GOOD thing for big media to be peddling FALSE STORIES, whatever their source? Is this what the LEFT stands for today, allowing multinational corporations to LIE to the people with impunity? If not, then shouldn't those on the LEFT be every bit as critical of shoddy journalism as those of us on the RIGHT are? Whatever our agendas may be, shouldn't we start with the ACCURATE FACTS and go forward from there?

Oh, and before one of you long-haried knee-jerk commie hippies trots it out again in the comments, I'll deal with it right here up front. Whether or not Bill O'Reilly neglected to mention some fact in his OPINION commentary one night on his OPINION show has NOTHING TO DO with whether or not the Associated Press is doing a decent job of reporting the news from the Middle East. Whether or not George W. Bush was accurate about WMDs in Iraq has NOTHING TO DO with whether the AP accurately reported the events in Hurriyah on November 24th. It has NOTHING to do with it. Every discussion is not just another opportunity to pontificate on Bill O'Reilly, WMDs, 9-11 truth, or whatever freak-ass kool-aid you folks are drinking this week. Get it through your thick damn skull. If you're going to comment, please try to stay on topic for a change.