I saw the movie tonight and thought it was well-done. You can certainly see the genesis of "60 Minutes" in Edward Murrow's style of hard-hitting investigative reporting. It also seems that this was one of the press' great victories in standing up to a corrupt politician (Joseph McCarthy).

Maybe I'm just reading between the lines, but it seemed that George Clooney (director and one of the actors) took a few cheap shots at Bill O'Reilly, whom Clooney supposeldy loathes. There's a journalist named O'Brien who writes for a conservative newspaper, and his columns are harshly critical of Murrow and CBS News. One of Murrow's colleagues is most upset by O'Brien's columns, so Murrow counsels: "just don't read him" (the colleague eventually committed suicide). The New York Times is fully supportive of Murrow, who appreciates them in turn. Murrow is also glowing in his support of the ACLU, which was under attack and condemnation by McCarthy.

One of the best lines is Murrow's contention that the U.S. could more than hold its own in the war of ideas with communism. He personally didn't even approve of socialism and thought democracy and capitalism were superior. I completely agree with his point, and even wonder why the great fear of people being communist sympathizers. Different times, for sure, but, still, much ado about nothing for the 50s.

Taking this point on the "war of ideas" in another direction, however, it would seem that Clooney, CBS, etc. ought not be afraid of the ideas of the "O'Briens" of the world, either. In that respect, Murrow and his CBS colleagues were much like McCarthy, whose response to Murrow was to fire back with a series of unfounded accusations and ad hominem judgments. McCarthy ended up being reprimanded by his Senate colleages and discredited in the eyes of the American people This hasn't happened to Fox News and Talk Radio, however, so there the parallel ends.

Still . . . good movie. It's set in black-and-white, which seems to accentuate the drama while capturing the way things were back then -- not just on the screen, but in the thinking of many. Murrow's smoking is somewhat annoying -- he's never really without his cigarette. That, too, is the way things were for many during that period of history.

"Taking this point on the "war of ideas" in another direction, however, it would seem that Clooney, CBS, etc. ought not be afraid of the ideas of the "O'Briens" of the world . . . "


Watching a bit of late night television these days Phil?

Here's a good summary of reviews.
(Excellent web site, btw: check out the trailers tab to get a flavor of the movie.)

I've heard it said that WWMD stickers and posters can be found all over the place at CBS News.

But the real question, here, is whether there should be a comma after Good Night?

A new book on McCarthy featured in my Sunday Post:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi.../0151010625?v=glance

A view from Harvard comparing the War on Terror to McCarthyism and concluding that while there is cause for concern, abuses have been worse in the past.

http://www.law.harvard.edu/stu...rcl/vol38_1/cole.php

American Conservative Magazine: "Hunger for Dictatorship."

http://www.amconmag.com/2005_02_14/article.html

I predict many books in 2006 about McCarthy, Hitler, Fascism, etc. One of these will rise to the top of the list, but not Haynes Johnson's. He is the author of Sleepwalking Through History, the Reagan Years, which was just too biased and I could not get through it, although Reagan's deaf ear toward the poor came through loud and clear.

Democracy is hard work, and I'm glad everyone is so angry, since this could lead to more citizen participation, which is a requirement for democratic societies.

How about a book on the McCarthyism of the left?

My mom said that if I can't say antthing nice...

George Bush has signed the first anti-trust legislation since fascist dictator Gerald Ford.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/info...orateresponsibility/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news...2/03/20020307-3.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news...2/07/20020709-4.html

These are very positive and underreported developments. Pressure is growing and investigative
reporters, boycotts and regulation will all have their tasks. If the "economic fascism" of corporatism and
globalization does not change quickly enough, then
Hillary comes in with a bullwhip and we'll get to see some real fascism.

If everyone works together on this, stockholders and consumers, politicians and voters, we can clean up Dodge City and Tombstone in the next generation.

"The blacksmith and the artist reflect it in their
art, they forge their creativity closer to the heart.

Philosophers and plowmen each must do their part,
to mold a new reality, closer to the heart." -Rush

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Churchill

A little Ward Churchill update fer y'all. He's taking a little comp-time this semester, so I guess
he gets paid 94,000 clams for half a year. He is also biting the hand that feeds him, and taking legal action against the university. I could learn alot about vampirism and parasitism from this guy.
He has it down to an art form. It's a local story here, and resurrects more often than Freddy Kreuger.

He's a very bad boy, but what else can I learn from him? Left-wingers must take it if they dish it out, and since I live in a glass house, I ought
not throw stones at anyone, but my evil twin can't help it sometimes. Is America sometimes the Great Satan? Yes, and so am I, and so is Ward Cleaver.

democratas, mm <*))))><

It's typical of Spiral Dynamics Green (liberals) to be focused on human rights as the basis of their ethical judgments, so much so that they can lose the larger perspective -- e.g., the WOT. So, for the NYT, the abuses at Abu Graib were much more newsworthy than the successes of the troops in routing out Al Qaeda terrorists in Fallujah or the election in Iraq.

I'm not opposed to bringing human rights issues to the public's eye, only -- good heavens! -- comparing Bush's actions to McCarthy? There was no war with communists going on then as there is with terrorism now. The N. Koreans hadn't attacked the U.S. and they weren't threatening to bring us down. We've seen the dangers of allowing terrorist cells to abide in this country, and how do you find out who/where they are without sound intelligence?

So Bush sometimes doesn't play by the rules in doing so. Tsk tsk. Bad boy! But does anyone really doubt his intent to protect the country? And does anyone really believe that the prisoners at G'tmo are comparable to the liberal airheads that McCarthy chose to denigrate?

Still, for liberals, human rights are human rights, and wars can't be fought without keeping these concerns at the forefront . . . which is ridiculous when dealing with Red/Blue crusading fanatics.

So, WWMD?

As I've come to expect, Dr. Phil, U R a very sharp cookie, and I enjoy trying to be integral enough to keep up witcha. I need the whole political spectrum
on board to do this.

Here is a real treat 4 U. This book, surprisingly,
has never been discussed at this site. Maybe Brad will run out and get it and review it for us. Newt is also a very sharp cookie, and perhaps our next president.

http://www.booktv.org/feature/...gid=5357&schedID=328

This is just the thing to lift sagging neocon spirits. Contract with America, 70% achieved. Reduction of welfare roles of 60%.Culture War, still in progress, another ten or twenty years. Military and intelligence budgets will be increased. Preparations must be made for chemical, biological, electromagnetic pulse and nuclear events. We can do it now or after the next attack. More investment in mathematics and science education to remain competitive with India and China. America has a great work ethic, many resources and a bright future. Optimistic.
Worth an hour of your time. I promise.

Still, the mean orange meme does not appear on Newt's radar screen. Corporations will adopt ethics
in keeping with those of the electorate or face ever increasing regulation and boycott, not to mention protests in cities all around the world and Star Bucks/McDonald's windows being kicked in by Germans, who have some firsthand experience with
fascism.

The former House Speaker observed that the majority party typically demands getting it's way
about 20 or 30 times per year. "That's just the way it is, and everyone accepts that, but to demand your way 200 times..."
That's what smacks of McCarthyism, and Democrats will not soon forget the way they were treated by the majority in 2004. They are getting their revenge. Then there are Coulter and Savage. Savage is #61 on 100 people who are screwing up America and David Hawkins mentioned this narcissistic woman running around parading her ego on TV. Who was he talking about? GOP overplays it's hand and suffers consequences. Simple.

I like Bush. I like Bush. I like Bush. The new McCarthyism comes from some of his supporters,IMO.
I'm a Buddeo Christian and a combination of Dubbya
and the Dalai Lama. Why can't we undo the excesses of globalization and some of the militaristic knee jerk reflexes and be kind to women, children and the environment while we are busy Winning the Future. Gimme Dubbya and Lao Tsu. I want it all.

McCarthy couldn't adapt to changing conditions. Newt says that the GOP cannot stay on top with what got them to the top. Focus on immigration and
preserving Christianity. Amen

integral_neocon.com

What looks to the world, the green meme world in particular like McCarthyism is the long list of corporate scandals and the inability of what Noam Chomsky refers to as the One Party System, demicans and republicrats to self regulate.

http://www.fortune.com/fortune...5114,1135697,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_scandal

The anti-globalization movement will continue in cities around the world, and the World Trade Center might be rebuilt and blown up several more times over it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-globalization

Some people are wondering whether the CEO of Disney is really worth $78,000 per hour, and is he worth one thousand therapists at $78 per hour or
ten thousand fast food managers at $7.80 per hour.

Another problem is wealth condensation, an inevitable byproduct of interest rates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_condensation

There is a biblical concept to deal with the accumulation of such grievances, but it is long forgotten.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08531c.htm

The American Revolution was fought over less than this, and hopefully we will avert a situation like 1789 France or 1918 Russia, which anyone could see coming years in advance. The more things change, the more they remain the same.