Bill Moyers is one of those Americans who remind us about what has been good about America. His voice has been one of the important remnants of decency and integrity for our times.
Believing that, I have had hopes over the past three years that Mr. Moyers would take on still more than he has of the mantle of prophetic truth-telling. Few Americans can compare with his stature, prominence and moral standing, so I believed Bill Moyers might really be able to help awaken America and change the political dynamic of our endangered nation. And I still do.
Mr. Moyers has indicated, however, that he considers himself to be a journalist, not an activist. And as a journalist he has indeed made an important contribution.
But the state of the nation remains extremely perilous, and --as I expressed in my "Lament of a True Patriot" (at click here the American body politic has not responded to this threat in the way that our Founders intended for us to. And in view of the continuing need for more boldness in defense of our American democracy to confront and counter the utter brazenness of the Bushite assault on our democratic heritage, I have not relinquished my hopes for Mr. Moyers to come forward still more boldly to confront the present assault on our democratic heritage. And to do so as a journalist.
THE STORY OF A LIFETIME FOR ANY JOURNALIST TO INVESTIGATE
The public needs a full report on how the American free press failed to sound the alarm as the lawlessness and the dishonesty of this regime became evident.
The lawlessness of this presidency is, I would assert, one of the most significant and consequential stories in American history. And one that, as a journalist, Mr. Moyers has helped to cover. But that’s not the story I’m asking him to cover now.
Instead, I am suggesting that Mr. Moyers investigate the story of how the free press in America has failed to fulfill the vital function our Founders intended. It was precisely for this kind of situation, after all –the emergence of a presidency claiming to be above the law, usurping virtually dictatorial powers-- that these great men enshrined “freedom of the press” in our Constitution. In the face of a lawless presidency, the press was to represent the interests of the people, sounding the alarm even though that required standing up to the regime.
But our corporate media have, by and large, done the very opposite.
I'll not spend time here documenting that assertion. It's been done elaborately in many places by many people.
THE DOG THAT DIDN’T BARK
Suffice it to say that Mr. Moyers could do the nation a great service if he put his considerable journalistic skills, and his priceless reputation for integrity and basic human decency, to work in investigating our malfunctioning alarm system and ask such questions as these:
· Why is it that the corporate media spent vastly more investigative energy reporting to the American people about a sexual indiscretion by an American president than in investigating abundant signs that a sitting president has been conducting a coordinated and comprehensive assault on the rule of law?
· What accounts for the fact that the press treated Nixon’s crimes which, in comparison with today’s, were relatively limited and minor, as a matter of great national importance, but has refused to give to today’s altogether unprecedented presidential assault on the Constitution any such front-and-center attention?
· Did the mainstream American system of journalism fail to grasp the importance of the story or did they choose to ignore or minimize it? And how, and why?
· President Bush just set a record in the history of American polling: fully 50 percent of the American people now “strongly disapprove” of this president, even more than was the case with Nixon during Watergate. In earlier times, the mainstream media would make much more of such a historic development, and would flesh out the story by going out, for example and actually asking people just what it is generates their strong disapproval. But of course there’s been no such coverage. Why is that?
· Just this past week, the number of Americans who think the nation to be on the right track got down to just one in five. One would think that such a plunge in a vital sign of our democracy would be an important piece of news. Shouldn’t the mainstream media be asking the American people just what track they think the nation is on and what there is about it they regard as wrong? Where are they?
“The Dog That Didn’t Bark” is a famous phrase from a Sherlock Holmes tale, where the silence of a guard dog proved the essential clue, for it showed that the dog was on friendly terms with the culprit. Someone with great credibility is needed to find out if the American media have been quiet for the same reason.
So I conclude by saying that by uncovering and presenting this story Bill Moyers would be performing a profound service to the nation!
Andrew Bard Schmookler's website www.nonesoblind.org is devoted to understanding the roots of America's present moral crisis and the means by which the urgent challenge of this dangerous moment can be met. Dr. Schmookler is also the author of such books as The Parable of the Tribes: The Problem of Power in Social Evolution (SUNY Press) and Debating the Good Society: A Quest to Bridge America's Moral Divide (M.I.T. Press). He also conducts regular talk-radio conversations in both red and blue states.
Andy, no dogs bark at their owners. The media here does not depend on the subscription anymore. It depends on the corporate donorship. As such it DOES NOT CARE for the reaction to the readers. It just says what it is told to say. Watergate and other things were used against Clinton as a bargaining chip and it worked. It worked very well. Now there is no bargaining chips because the DEAL IS STRUCK. Andy, if Bill Moyers seriously goes for your suggestion I am afraid for his life.
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Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 12:08:22 PM
I thoroughly enjoy Bill Moyers and would encourage him to explore the questions you have posed here -so that the controversy might stir the souls of the 'asleep' or 'dead' as Mark implied!!!
If I may employ another 'dog' adage: Don't bite the hand that feeds you!
Most of us here are aware of the application of such sayings in our present situation... but soooo many more could be brought to the light!!!
Of course, Moyers has already been slimed by the Right.
Sooner or later (probably later -it's ALWAYS later isn't it?) the cattle will wake up -hopefully! If they don't, well, we'll all be in the same luncheon loaf as we ride down in the handbasket!
Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Bid
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C.Bid (0 articles, 7 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 732 comments)
on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 4:31:11 PM
But Bill Moyers is a member of the CFR. As such he immediately raises a flag for me. Should membership in the CFR mean anything? For me it does. And I wonder. Anybody who still supports the most pervasive psyop-sorta meme of all time, that is, r vs l, elections and the illusion of citizen control....- or, at least, participatory democracy, well, anybody who participates in a body that actually exerts control of the 'citizenry' , aka "Serfs" per Nick Rockefeller...and has connections with the Trilateral Group, the Bilderbergs, Carlyles et. al. ..... well, I have to wonder what he 'doesn't' talk about.
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richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 871 comments)
on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 8:25:06 PM
3 comments
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