It’s no secret that people who rely on Fox news are, on average, more likely to know less about the issues than someone who relies on other sources. This morning, while I was doing my running at the gym, I was forced to watch Fox news for a little while because there was nothing else to listen to. You see, I’m not hip enough to have an iPod or anything cool like that.
Well, they were discussing Hugo Chavez and his recent remarks at the UN. Now, I think the reaction to his remarks is a little too much. I think it amounts to him making a very apt joke to warm over the crowd. And really, a lot of us have called George Bush a lot of things a lot worse than El Diablo. So, I still respect what Chavez has been standing for.
And if any of you have read this blog for a while, you’ve seen my posts about Chavez. (here, here, here)
But these people on Fox, an entire battery of shouting pundits were arguing about Chavez. False statement and half-truth after false statement and half-truth, these guys were the most bombastic, ill informed bunch I had ever seen. They had my jaw on the floor.
Want to know what they had to say?
First off, they were calling anyone who had any respect for Chavez an “idiot.”
On a news station, they were calling people of differing opinions “idiots.” That’s just to illustrate the maturity of discourse on Fox.
One mistakenly called him a leftist dictator. For those of you who didn’t know, Chavez is the democratically elected leader of Venezuela. He’s not a dictator. And, as opposed to Bush, he actually does have a mandate from the people and political capital to spend.
Another called him an economic terrorist. Why would he be an economic terrorist? That doesn’t even make any sense. But this was the “experts” argument: “Venezuela is the fourth largest oil supplier in America. He can sell it to China. If he does, it’ll cripple our economy. If he does, he’s an economic terrorist.”
Don’t forget that these are the same people who are into Free Market Capitalism and selling to the highest bidder and things like that. And don’t forget these are the same guys who support the actual economic terrorism of the WTO. (The WTO is notorious for going into country’s and forcing them to gut their infrastructures and sell off their national resources to Multi-national conglomerates to the detriment of their well being and their people.) So, if anyone is an economic terrorist, it would be countries who support the WTO. (read Greg Palast for more about that)
The host of the show kept asking if Chavez’ comments at the UN were enough to wake the people of America up enough to kick Venezuelan oil interests out of the country, or were they too stupid to see it?
Another pundit also said that Iran wanted to put missiles aimed at America in Venezuela.
The last thing about the segment, however, was certainly the most shocking. A pundit said the following words that have absolutely no basis in fact: “If you buy gas at Citgo station, you’re directly funding Al Quaida.”
What in the fuck?
And this went on the air, completely unchallenged.
It’s no wonder people like Bush are still in office when people are getting their news from a station so willing to allow fiction be broadcast over their airwaves. How can thinking people compete against such blatant disregard for reality?
No really. Answer me. I want to know.
6 comments:
Long time no see.
I don't really see what your problem is. If you watch MSNBC for five minutes you can hear someone call Bush an "idiot" too. There's a lot of opinion that passes for news these days. It seems as though you're angry just because it's coming from the other side.
There are facts that form the basis for all the pundits' remarks that you cite here, but somehow I don't think you care.
I don't watch MSNBC either. If the same thing would have happened there I would have freaked out about it to. To be honest, the majority of my news is from NPR or newspapers. And NPR pundits very polittely correct themselves or others.
And there are facts to back up statements like "Buying gas at citgo directly funds Al Quaida" then I want to know it.
Show it to. I really do want to see it.
If it's there, I'll take back everything I said about Chavez.
The statement is a bit extreme; I cannot even know if you are quoting it correctly. Probably "indirectly" would be a better word.
Citgo is actually owned by the Venezuelan government, which is why they are in on the deals for the discount heating oil, etc. Chavez has been known to fund terrorists, even Al-Qaeda, and is becoming more friendly with the Iranian nutjob president Ahmudeijababa or whatever, who openly funds and supplies terrorists. Hence, you give money to Citgo, Chavez gives it to terrorists.
1) I'm not misquoting it. In fact, I was listening to it with my brother and we were both shocked by the statement that we asked each other to repeat it.
2) I understand the relationship between Citgo and Venezuela, but I want to see your connection to terrorism. I would like to see the paper trail, or even a credible news agenct, that has traced Venezuelan cash to Venezuela.
And I think Bush should be a little more friendly with Ahmedinajad (sp?) himself. Although Ahmedinajad might be crazy, he is the leader of a country with which we have strained relations. Those are the people Bush should be finessing the most.
And Iran's big foreign policy (nuclear power) is a whole hell of a lot more reasonable, sane and christian than Bush's foreign policy (immoral, pre-emptive strikes on soverign nations).
I don't know. I mean, give me the links to news sources, other than fox, that assert Venezuela funds Al Quiada. That's what I want to see.
god, I want to apologize for the poor formatting of my last comment.
You got what I meant though.
Yeah. You knock Fox News by using a word that doesn't even exist - "stupider." Hmmm...that's telling.
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