Cal Thomas: Bias runs deep at PBS

Does this statement by Moyers on his Nov. 8, 2002, “NOW” program sound like it comes down on the side of the public? “The entire federal government — the Congress, the Executive, the Judiciary — is united behind a right-wing agenda for which George W. Bush believes he now has a mandate. That mandate includes the power of the state to force pregnant women to give up control over their own lives. It includes using the taxing power to transfer wealth from working people to the rich. It includes giving corporations a free hand to eviscerate the environment and control the regulatory agencies meant to hold them accountable. And it includes secrecy on a scale you cannot imagine. … And if you like God in government, get ready for the Rapture.”

Moyers is entitled to his views. What he is not entitled to is taxpayer money to promote them. …

Tomlinson is addressing the bias that inhabits the minds of those who believe liberalism is truth.

“[T]he bias that inhabits the minds of those who believe liberalism is truth.” Notice this very slick phrase. It implies that those who believe sham-conservatism is the truth have no biases. It more strongly suggests that it isn’t possible for any liberal thought to actually be true (or any bogus-conservative thought to be false). It hints that liberalism is a mental illness. Nice guys we’re playing with, don’t you think?

Here are a few things Calcified Cal studiously ignores — his is an assiduously cultivated ignorance.

I’m a taxpayer and I can name more taxpayers who disagree with Cal than agree with him. So, if they can use my tax money to make bunker-busting nuclear bombs that violate international treaties and up the arms race, then they can spend 1/1000th as much of Cal’s on PBS.

Most of PBS is educational, informational, and, lastly, entertainment. Very little is really news, though, of course, to Cal’s ilk, everything is propaganda, for or against his views.

Bill Moyers left PBS more than 6 months ago. NOW was reduced to 30 minutes a week. A couple of weeks ago, I saw an interview of 15 minutes with a journalist on the rise of the dominionists (the most self-righteous of the neo-non-con-artists) and then, gasp, 10 minutes or more of the infamous Roy Moore, who says if you ain’t Christian, you ain’t an American. Pretty close to balanced; two minutes more of Moore and I would have shot my TV. He’s nuts. But that impression comes from nobody but himself.

I have only seen Calcified Cal Thomas once (though I flagellate myself with his columns quite often). Where? On NOW, in an interview with Bill Moyers. Why do you suppose Cal chooses not to mention his opportunity to stand up to Bill and the rest of us? Could it be that he realized THE TRUTH undermined his screed? This was not just a 30 second sound byte used to distort his views, it was a real interview where he steadfastly represented himself as would anyone who hasn’t the slightest doubt he is speaking for god and talking to a child. I would gladly watch Cal again in some environment where he wasn’t free to bloviate without any balance — the very thing he claims he wants — that would not be on FOX. He is articulate and courtly, like an unlovable grandfather ready to hit you with his cane.

The Radical Wrong believes there is only one truth: someone’s ‘literal’ interpretation of the Bible. Everything else is subject to opinion: worthwhile opinions coming from those they agree with and seditious/blasphemous (no difference anymore) opinions used by awful people they disagree with to fuck up a world that would be wonderful if only we were all shipped off to Gitmo.

The Radical Wrong works relentlessly at discrediting all sources of information not in their steely grasp. Therefore, all of PBS is untrustworthy because of one former employee and all of FOX is god’s word because of Cal. Sweet con they’ve got; all they had to do was delude themselves first, then move on to the rest of us. mjh

Cal Thomas

KNME-TV, Channel 5, is Albuquerque’s public television station (PBS). The station is to be praised for many things and thumped for a few.

In particular, I hope people make time to watch NOW, with David Brancaccio, each week (Friday night 7pm and sometime Sunday morning). One small example of NOW’s value is that months ago they reported the details of the odious Jack Abrahmoff, Tom Delay’s buddy and bagman.

I feared the departure of Bill Moyers and the shortening to a half hour would ruin NOW. Instead, it is still a great show. This week, immediately following the Supreme Court decision on eminent domain, there was a very moving piece on the real people — decent, middle-class, ordinary folks — whose homes can be taken simply to improve the tax base. Out with the poor(er) in with the rich(er).

In the two weeks prior, NOW has dealt with the rising Christian Theocracy in America and its full assault on the independence of the judiciary. Heavy stuff.

NOW has an OK website which tends to lag the shows. To date, they don’t have video, but claim it is coming.

Recently, in the 8:30pm Friday slot, KNME has aired Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria, subtitled appropriately as “Where America Meets the World.” It is novel enough to see a host of Zakaria’s ethnicity, which I wish were unremarkable. He is not only quite a capable journalist but you may not see subjects or guests like his anywhere else. Recently, he interviewed a Palestinian and an Israeli journalist on the never-ending conflict. He dedicated an entire show to interviewing young entrepreneurs in China.

The website for Foreign Exchange is perfect with video and transcripts up to the minute. Excellent.

Now to give KNME the finger: what happened to In Focus with Kate Nelson, editor of the Albuquerque Tribune? In Focus is a show that concentrates on New Mexico and some of the people involved. Nelson has a knack for choosing guests and getting exactly what she wants out of them.

Moreover, the big question is why do we see this single half hour shared by Foreign Exchange, In Focus and Colores! (the latter two very much about New Mexico). Is that the “Minorities and Women half hour”? Would anyone really hate to see McLaughlin bumped? I would briefly miss the aptly named, preening snot, Tony Blankley, model for our new Republican Lords. I would briefly miss the genuinely unique, strange and frightening Patrick Buchannan. I would not miss the shrill liberal caricature of Eleanor Cliff or the tension of ‘who will fill the 5th chair?’ McLaughlin and Buchannan are veterans of the Nixon White House, as are most of Duhbya’s inner circle. Fresh, they ain’t. Bye-bye.

KNME: dump “the yelling people” (as MR calls them) and give us a whole hour of color, OK? Even white people get tired of what white people think — especially the bellicose ones.

Or, get rid of the tedious Charlie Rose and free up hours for more fresh views. mjh

Happy Solstice, Everyone! And with a full moon. The perfect time to reflect upon the cycles and rhythms all around us throughout our lives. mjh

This Must Be The Place
by The Talking Heads (David Byrne)

Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me round
I feel numb – burn with a weak heart
(so I) guess I must be having fun
The less we say about it the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground
Head in the sky
It’s ok I know nothing’s wrong . . nothing

Hi yo I got plenty of time
Hi yo you got light in your eyes
And you’re standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money
Always for love
Cover up + say goodnight . . . say goodnight

Home – is where I want to be
But I guess I’m already there …
—–

Just back from a twelve day trip that took us into Wyoming. I’ll be blogging some of my journal and some of the 700 pictures when I can. Saw lots of snow — standing and falling — plus thousands of acres of wild irises. And a moose. mjh

photo by MRudd

Around Christmas time 2004, my neighborhood Smith’s grocery put out displays of large Hershey’s candy bars. A table appeared by the entrance, the first thing one saw, covered with stacks of various bars, including my favorite bar with almonds. The price was 10 for $10. Why not just $1 each? They probably sell more the way they were priced — I know I bought more than I should (and loved every one).

I would call the marketing of these bars a little aggressive, with the front door placement and also because they appeared in several places around the store for weeks. Soon there were no more almond bars — hey, it wasn’t all my doing — and, after what seemed a long time, the big bars disappeared. I remember thinking Hershey must be dumping the bars and discontinuing them.

Yesterday, to my delight, they were back. Same prominent table by the door, same great price. It wasn’t until I got one home that I realized the nasty truth. The old bars were 6 ounces; these bars are only 5 ounces. Funny, they don’t say “now much smaller!” on the package. This is, in effect, a hidden 20% price increase. A sweet deal has become a sour rip-off. Nice going, Smith’s and Hershey. mjh

PS- As one would expect, the serving size has shrunk with the bar and, so too, the calories per serving (it costs more to eat healthier). Mysteriously, the calories from fat per serving have not declined. Are these even the same treat I’m now paying more for less? What next? “Now with fewer almonds!”

For the weekend, a dozen of us trekked to a sweet little spot I’d visited the week before. The place is called Resumidero and we all loved it on first sight. It is a long, flat meadow between two rushing streams, surrounded by dense woods on the edge of the San Pedro Parks Wilderness. It was perfect — up until it was ruined. But I get ahead of myself. …

Ah, Wilderness!: San Pedro Parks Wilderness Birthday Trip