Bla, Bla, Bla

I've given up on almost all of TV news and public affairs shows. The people there are blinded by the internal political jockeying of Washington DC insiders. They huff and puff and smile with smug certainty without adding much at all to what we know and understand. Uggg!

I watched Meet the Press yesterday. Richard Perle and Tom DeLay were on. Why these two aren't too discredited to make it onto the national stage is a mystery to me. Richard Perle was a primary architect of the war against Iraq. Every one of his predictions about this war was wrong. Why is he being taken seriously now? Tom DeLay's opinions are not even rational. He is a radical right wing extremist. Can't Meet the Press find credible people whose thoughts are reasonable and rational?

The two people representing the left side of the spectrum held their own more than I've seen in years. At last they standing up for what they believe.

I wish TV would offer more than just the "debate" model. I'd be interested in seeing experts without an ax to grind. That kind of dispassionate analysis is available on public television, but there is only a tiny amount.

The model of dueling extremists isn't helpful. Fox news is guilty of this a lot. It produces a lot of heat without much light. One nut on the left and another nut on the right does not add up to any meaningful discussion of issues. Of course, they are not there to shed light on national issues. They are there to sell advertising. We know that and we should not take them seriously.

On the Meet the Press I saw, participants were largely allowed to get away with ridiculous statements without being challenged. That's not journalism; its more like stenography.