TWO FLIES AND A CELL

As global politics took the stage this week nothing could compare to the shtick produced in the presidential Primary campaigns already by inanimate objects.

There was the thunderous punctuation of an electrical storm, then a fly (or flies) admiringly explored the hair of Senators Biden and Dodd -- probably not the same fly but it was hard to tell.

Trust Rudy to try to top the flies by staging a lovey-dovey cell phone call from his wife to interrupt his talk to the gun folks. It seems he has turned this trick before. Maybe it will start a trend.

In the present lull between debates, retired army brass and brassy journalists got together on C-Span to discuss why the media failed to respond to the Iraq war they observed instead of what the Bush administration told them to report.

They all agreed that it was "distrust of each other" engendered during the Viet Nam war that was the cause. Although some mentioned that their editors gave some instruction about what they wanted covered, no one on the panel even eluded to the corporate influence on the editors or that there was such a thing.

Wouldn't it just be great if these journalists were put up on a stage and we all got to ask them specific questions and that their answers would be published by honest journalist -- if any could be found in this country?

True, they might lose their jobs or land in Gitmo if they told the truth, but just for once we would be spared the soul-sickening spectacle of reporters critiquing themselves, endlessly portraying themselves as blameless instead of gutless.

Who does not still see in their mind's eye these reporters kissing-up to and laughing at jokes from Rummy, the guy who used jokes as non-answers? Or even now, how the Washington Press Corps lionizes Bush and giggle like school boys at his attempts at humor?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, doubtless a bad person, still served as a huge contrast to Bush by showing some guts at Columbia U. Certainly he took a lot of gaff from Columbia's President, coming out still ticking and smiling.

It's a sure bet that if anyone spoke truth to power in that manner to Bush, he would just leave after the first paragraph and have the speaker beheaded. He does not even allow confrontation with Americans that disagree with him.

What a week it was. At least the flies and cell phone were real -- or were they?

gapperserve-at-peoplepc.com  
http://gendergappers.blogspot.com

2007-040

Copyright 2007 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: gapperserve@peoplepc.com.

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