Strange culÂture we live in these days. It’s the comeÂdiÂans that ask the hard quesÂtions. See John StewÂart below and the refÂerÂenced Dick Cheney video below that.
America’s Philosopher President
What’s gone wrong with AmerÂiÂca’s democÂraÂcy? It’s a quesÂtion that Al Gore takes a hard look at in his recent (and well-reviewed) book, The Assault on ReaÂson. Below, Gore gives you the gist of his arguÂment in a half-hour video. It’s a bit heady. He’s invokÂing the Ancient Greeks, the EnlightÂenÂment, Edward GibÂbon, Adam Smith and John StuÂart Mill. What’s more, his thinkÂing is heavÂiÂly informed by JurÂgen HaberÂmas and his writÂings on ratioÂnal politÂiÂcal disÂcourse. And it all loops into an explaÂnaÂtion of how we’ve takÂen a wrong turn on the Iraq war, the enviÂronÂment, civÂil libÂerÂties and beyond. Yes, it’s heady stuff. But if Open CulÂture readÂers can’t hanÂdle it, who can?
The link to the origÂiÂnal video is here.
Filling the Idea Void in Iraq
We have hit botÂtom in Iraq. And you know it because the debates over Iraq (whether the war was just, whether we planned it adeÂquateÂly, whether we have a meanÂingÂful exist stratÂeÂgy, etc.) have ground to a halt. The big defendÂers of the war effort have mostÂly gone silent, or they’re no longer takÂen seriÂousÂly, and what we’re left with is a deficit of ideas all around. There are those who talk about stayÂing in Iraq, but can’t articÂuÂlate a credÂiÂble stratÂeÂgy for movÂing forÂward. And those who talk about leavÂing, but can’t outÂline how we’ll leave Iraq in a moralÂly defenÂsiÂble posiÂtion. We hear a lot in the way of platÂiÂtudes, litÂtle in the way of subÂstance.
This Fresh Air interÂview (stream it here) with Thomas Ricks, author of the bestÂseller FiasÂco: The AmerÂiÂcan MilÂiÂtary AdvenÂture in Iraq, helps fill the idea void a bit. (His book, by the way, comes out in paperÂback latÂer this week.) HavÂing recentÂly returned from Iraq, Ricks talks about the real options now availÂable to the US, and what steps the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion will likeÂly take durÂing its last 18 months. Also, he disÂcussÂes how the AmerÂiÂcan milÂiÂtary has changed its m.o. in Iraq. Gone are the days when polÂiÂtics dicÂtatÂed a sunÂny outÂlook and no real plans. Now, adults are runÂning the show, and they’re getÂting a good deal more realÂisÂtic and pragÂmatÂic. But even they recÂogÂnize that this newÂfound wisÂdom is comÂing perÂhaps too late.
RelatÂed Note: George PackÂer, the main jourÂnalÂist who covÂered the war effort for The New YorkÂer, has recentÂly rolled out a blog for the magÂaÂzine. It’s called “InterÂestÂing Times” and it’s sure to help fill the idea void as well. Give it a look here.
Want to downÂload free coursÂes from top uniÂverÂsiÂties? Check out this new podÂcast colÂlecÂtion.
A Whole Lotta Chomsky
We recentÂly stumÂbled upon a big trove of politÂiÂcal disÂsent. This colÂlecÂtion feaÂtures over 200 talks — some in audio, some in video — givÂen by MIT’s Noam ChomÂsky. The talks, which focus on polÂiÂtics (and not his work on linÂguisÂtics) range from the 1970s to today. For an archive of his politÂiÂcal writÂings, which includes many comÂplete online texts, click here.
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Who Didn’t See This One Coming?
AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
YouTube’s Impact on the 2008 Election: The Hype and the Fact
YouTube is a litÂtle more than two years old. It’s a mere todÂdler. But, it’s now owned by an overÂgrown, fulÂly-beardÂed nine year old. Yes, that would be Google, and that means that YouTube is ready to storm its way into the media mainÂstream, pamÂpers and all. You can be sure that GooTube has already cooked up sevÂerÂal strateÂgies that will lead the video unit to media domÂiÂnaÂtion. But, even to the untrained media observÂer, it’s fairÂly clear that Google’s video unit has choÂsen the 2008 elecÂtion as an areÂna in which it intends to comÂpete with othÂer major media outÂfits for eyeÂballs. In April, YouTube launched its politÂiÂcal chanÂnel CitÂiÂzenÂTube (get more info here) and, along with it, its first major line of video proÂgramÂming called You Choose ’08. The conÂcept here is simÂple and promisÂing: CitÂiÂzens ask quesÂtions to the ’08 canÂdiÂdates, and the canÂdiÂdates respond. The results, howÂevÂer, have been largeÂly disÂapÂpointÂing. When you strip everyÂthing away, what you get are politiÂcians speakÂing the same platÂiÂtudes that we’ve seen for decades on TV. (See a samÂple reply here.) The only difÂferÂence is that the video qualÂiÂty is worse, and they’re manÂagÂing to get their platÂiÂtudes in front of a young demoÂgraphÂic, which is no small feat. For betÂter or for worse, YouTube is to the ’08 elecÂtion what MTV (rememÂber Bill playÂing the sax?) was to the ’92 elecÂtion. While neiÂther CitÂiÂzenÂTube nor the politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns are using the video platÂform in revÂoÂluÂtionÂary ways, the milÂlions of averÂage users who make YouTube what it is are doing a betÂter job of it. Of parÂticÂuÂlar interÂest is the way in which videos are emergÂing on YouTube that counter images being careÂfulÂly proÂjectÂed by canÂdiÂdates and their camÂpaigns. Here are two quick examÂples. GOP canÂdiÂdate Mitt RomÂney has been preÂdictably workÂing to cast himÂself as a social conÂserÂvÂaÂtive. Twice in recent months, he has shown up at Pat RobertÂson’s Regent UniÂverÂsiÂty to delivÂer lines like this:
But then, howÂevÂer inconÂveÂnientÂly, videos from Mitt RomÂney’s past politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns show up on YouTube, ones which should make evanÂgelÂiÂcals think twice, and there is not much RomÂney can do about it. The past hurts, but it doesÂn’t lie: Then there is Hillary ClinÂton. She’s got the monÂey, the parÂty machine is backÂing her, tryÂing to wrap up the nomÂiÂnaÂtion with a bow. But then a damnÂing attack ad crops up on YouTube. This pitch for Barack ObaÂma remixÂes the “1984” TV ad that famousÂly introÂduced Apple comÂputÂers to AmerÂiÂca, and it casts Hillary as a politÂiÂcal automaÂton, an image that rings true for many. (The ObaÂma camÂpaign denies havÂing anyÂthing do with the video, and its creÂator remains unknown.) It is with videos like these that YouTube gets politÂiÂcalÂly interÂestÂing. Just as quickÂly as a politÂiÂcal camÂpaign projects an image for RomÂney or ClinÂton, your averÂage web user can scrounge up footage that calls that image into quesÂtion. A retort is always posÂsiÂble, which was nevÂer the case on TV. And the cost of delivering/countering a mesÂsage runs next to nothÂing. Again a first. YouTube equalÂizes, and it isn’t a terÂrain on which the rich can instantÂly claim vicÂtoÂry. Just ask RomÂney and his over $200 milÂlion in perÂsonÂal wealth. What good has it done him in YouTube land? |
Who Killed JFK? Two New Studies
Whether you think John F. Kennedy was a great presÂiÂdent or just a guy
who enjoyed sulÂtry birthÂday
serÂeÂnades (see clip below), you have to admit
his hold on America’s culÂturÂal imagÂiÂnaÂtion is still powÂerÂful four
decades after his assasÂsiÂnaÂtion. Two major new works of hisÂtoÂry tackÂle
the quesÂtion and, preÂdictably, come down on oppoÂsite sides of it. David
Talbot’s BrothÂers: The HidÂden HisÂtoÂry of the Kennedy Years offers new eviÂdence furÂtherÂing the great conÂspirÂaÂcy theÂoÂry, while VinÂcent Bugliosi’s ReclaimÂing HisÂtoÂry: The AssasÂsiÂnaÂtion of PresÂiÂdent John F. Kennedy agrees with offiÂcial hisÂtoÂry and the WarÂren ComÂmisÂsion.
PerÂhaps the most interÂestÂing thing about these latÂest prodÂucts of the
Kennedy indusÂtry is the fact that both books are takÂing advanÂtage of
new media forÂmats to comÂbat the traÂdiÂtionÂal probÂlem with Big HisÂtoÂry
texts–weight. Bugliosi’s tome comes in at a back-wrenchÂing 1,612
pages, so be thankÂful that his pubÂlishÂers includÂed the many endÂnotes on
an accomÂpaÂnyÂing CD. (You would be well-advised to save a few months and
read the New York Times review here.) Talbot’s BrothÂers is only a third as long, but that’s still almost 500 pages–so why not enjoy it as an eBook instead, or just check out the excerpt on Salon? Or take in its New York Times review here. If your eyes are tired already, rest assured that both authors also appeared on the Leonard Lopate show (Bugliosi mp3; TalÂbot mp3 ). And if you hapÂpen to live in the Bay area, you can go see TalÂbot will be in San FranÂcisÂco proÂmotÂing the book tomorÂrow, May 22.
David Halberstam’s Last Speech and Supper
 As many know by now, David HalÂberÂstam, the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning jourÂnalÂist, was killed in a car acciÂdenÂton MonÂday just a few short miles from the StanÂford camÂpus. As the obits were all quick to point out, HalÂberÂstam made his name durÂing an era that parÂalÂleled our own, durÂing the VietÂnam War. And he did it by reportÂing facts and truths about the war that inconÂveÂnientÂly conÂtraÂdictÂed the rosy, disinÂgenÂuÂous claims that were offiÂcialÂly comÂing out of WashÂingÂton. As The New York Times said about its forÂmer corÂreÂsponÂdent, “His disÂpatchÂes infuÂriÂatÂed AmerÂiÂcan milÂiÂtary comÂmanÂders and polÂiÂcyÂmakÂers in WashÂingÂton, but they accuÂrateÂly reflectÂed the realÂiÂties on the ground.” HalÂberÂstam’s account of how AmerÂiÂca got it wrong in VietÂnam were all famousÂly recountÂed in 1972 bestÂseller The Best and the BrightÂest.
HalÂberÂstam spent this past SatÂurÂday night dinÂning in the comÂpaÂny of felÂlow jourÂnalÂists from UC BerkeÂley, just after givÂing a speech (mp3 — tranÂscript) at the uniÂverÂsiÂty (see origÂiÂnal event page here). On WednesÂday, Radio Open Source (mp3) talked with HalÂberÂstam’s supÂper guests — Orville Schell, dean of the BerkeÂley gradÂuÂate proÂgram in jourÂnalÂism; Mark DanÂner of The New York Review of Books; and Sandy Tolan of NPR — and they reconÂstructÂed their dinÂner conÂverÂsaÂtions, which touched on the Iraq war, the comÂparÂaÂtive state of jourÂnalÂism durÂing VietÂnam and Iraq, and HalÂberÂstam’s sense of morÂtalÂiÂty folÂlowÂing his heart attack last year. They also recalled HalÂberÂstam’s dogged approach to jourÂnalÂism and how he resistÂed the tempÂtaÂtion to line up behind the govÂernÂment posiÂtion durÂing times of war, even when faced with the threat of being called unpaÂtriÂotÂic. Of course, if you watched Bill MoyÂer’s PBS expose on WednesÂday, you’ll know that we’re not seeÂing enough of this these days. Give this segÂment a lisÂten (get mp3 here), and also spend some time watchÂing the video clip below. Here, you get HalÂberÂstam reflectÂing on his days as a 28-year old reporter in VietÂnam and the sigÂnifÂiÂcant presÂsures that the AmerÂiÂcan govÂernÂment brought to bear against him, all of which leaves you thinkÂing — plus ça change, plus c’est la mĂŞme chose. |
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