No sense of humor

[NV1962]

As blogged here:


It might seem as if I'm obsessed with the Campaign Desk lately, but that's beside the point. Let's change the subject instead. So how about Brian Montopoli's entry for today's Hidden Angle section. The title poses an ominous question: A Shot Across the Bow or a Sign of the Times? Oh, the joy of casting rhetoric questions for the opening act.

The topic of the 638-word article is, according to Mr. Montopoli, a "little-commented-upon" remark made last week during the acceptance speech of the of the GOP's nominee. Yes, him. In that speech, the candidate took an oblique shot at editorial criticism of the current situation in Iraq and the U.S. presence there. This is how the Selectable chose to skewer said critics:

America has done this kind of work before, and there have always been doubters. In 1946, 18 months after the fall of Berlin to allied forces, a journalist wrote in the New York Times wrote this: "Germany is a land in an acute stage of economic, political and moral crisis. European capitals are frightened. In every military headquarters, one meets alarmed officials doing their utmost to deal with the consequences of the occupation policy that they admit has failed," end quote. 

BUSH: Maybe that same person is still around, writing editorials.

(APPLAUSE)

Fortunately, we had a resolute president named Truman who, with the American people, persevered, knowing that a new democracy at the center of Europe would lead to stability and peace. And because that generation of Americans held firm in the cause of liberty, we live in a better and safer world today.

(APPLAUSE)

That is the bone of contention for Brian Montopoli. The Hidden Angle here is that it's a quote from a 1946 edition of The New York Times, used to deride contemporary naysayers, doom and gloom prophets, and somesuch similar pests in media. That is where the title of the piece fits in: is it a sign of the times that mainstream media have fallen so deep to become easy fodder for wannabe-presidents trying to score a cheap laugh? Or is it a shot across the bow, warning of the demise of media in an ocean of irrelevance, if not perhaps even a media witch hunt that will seek to destroy each and every journalist that displeases the occupant of Goverment? As that mysteriously popular social commentator-cum-funnyman said: yada yada. I'll save you the rest of the sandwich, here's the end of it:

The major institutions of the mainstream press have been nothing if not inventive in their unflagging, and largely unsuccessful, efforts to reignite consumer loyalty. But, in the end, if they can't reverse the gradual mortgaging of their own credibility, they will eventually die, buried under the detritus of their own failed gimmicks.

Yes, weighty stuff that boggles the mind. Oh media muse, sing me in praise of the Cronkites, the Murrows, the lost trusting masses!

Pity that Mr. Montopoli missed two other angles hidden in that same little-commented-upon snippet. That's three if you include that oddball "a journalist wrote in the New York Times wrote" fragment that somehow slipped through the misnominee's teleprompter. And four if you consider that the Elephant Man seemingly models himself after a Democrat, but who's counting here. Especially when Major Missed Media Opportunities are at stake:

1. The Plainspoken and Folksy One is comparing his war for peace in Iraq (yes indeed) with World War II, and with it, he mirrors the defeat of Hitler's evil Third Reich with the capture of Saddam Hussein. Somniferous nitpicking on the lopsided equations there aside, I'd think that this auto-erection (that is the substantive form of "erecting," no?) as the Liberator of the World offers some room for and even deserves some thoughtful comment from our Hidden Angle hero. Alas: nuts, as that general said during the Battle of the Bulge.
   
2. All the more doubleplus good is the circumstance that 1946 came before 1948. That's when the Marshall Plan came into effect (no relation with Josh Micah I fear.) So, aside from the gadzillion dollars that already have been pumped into Halliburton via its Baghdad annex, and in spite of (!) the currently projected federal $422bn deficit just for this year, the Annointed Wordinator surreptitiously proposes to expend a cool few trillions extra or so, all in the name of spreading peace, democracy and general warm fuzziness in the Middle East.

Sounds like two sufficiently salient points to explore. But then again, who am I to meddle so brutishly -- mere mortal that I am -- when a divine Hidden Angler shreds his clothes, tears his hairs out, pours ashes over his head, and bitterly weeps the untimely demise of Public Trust in the media?

How dare I crudely refer to "an honest day's work." Off with my head!

[punpirate]

1. About the Marshall Plan...

... interestingly, it was based on loans for reconstruction to Germany and Japan. Bush threatened to veto any bill that involved loans to Iraq.

Bush's partial object was to spend as many tax dollars as possible in as short a space of time.

The other interesting thing about the Marshall Plan was that the loans were predicated on the premise that Germany and Japan were the agressors and the initiators of the conflict. It's not so likely that Bush could make that claim with regard to Iraq. In a weird, backhanded way, Bush's forcing the American public to pay for Iraq's reconstruction was an admission that America was the agressor in the Iraq invasion.

[Miss Authoritiva]

2. Hey, Bush was brilliant here. His speechwriters were brilliant here.

Just look at the meme compression: the New York Times--rumor has it a liberal East Coast newspaper; an editorial writer--elitist egghead, of course; quote wrenched out of context and the time-space continuum
--BWTF, the public likes fuzziness not accuracy; and WWII--the greatest American military triumph and pinnacle of "American good guy-ness."

The media whores were brilliant here (hey, they still get their paychecks). They blink twice if something seems suspect; otherwise they don't blink at all.

And Mediaprima (paid or pro bono) is brilliant here.