On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 09:34:15 -0600, Tim Atherton <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>I'm surprised that you seem to regard the opinion of bloggers so highly.
>Robert Fisk is widely regarded in Europe (and I dare say much of the US) as
>one of the most experienced, honest and widely respected reporters
First, here’s an opinion piece on MSNBC about the looting, with links to
various Fisk writings. Note how, no matter what happens, according to Mr.
Fisk the US is somehow ALWAYS wrong:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/856672.asp
Second, I can honestly say that I have never heard anyone praise Mr. Fisk
before. It's not that a few people think he's occasionally off the mark;
rather, it's that many people consider him a joke. Hence the verb "to
fisk:" to refute, point-for-point, an argument one finds erroneous,
illogial, and/or biased. (Usually some degree of sarcastic condesencion
also comes into play.) You may disagree, of course, but we should all be
aware that citing Fisk will immediately makes one's arguments suspect in
many readers' eyes, much as citing Limbaugh of Buchanan will have a similar
effect on others.
Third, Tim has explained to me (in private correspondence) that British PM
Tony Blair reads and heeds Robert Fisk. This is no doubt true. In the
polarized political environment of the United States, it is easy to forget
that Tony Blair represents the liberal party in Britain, even though he is
allied with George Bush who, of course, comes from our conservative party.
So I apologize for my over-statement that no one takes Fisk seriously; I
was wrong. On the other hand, this came up in the context of the war in
general and the looting in particular, and on those issues, both the
bloggers and Blair find Fisk unconvincing, to say the least.
Finally, I regard the opinions of bloggers highly because they are honest
about them, and do not pretend to objectivity, as our major media have
tried (and failed) to do. Bloggers -- the good ones, anyway – also post
links to their sources and offer updates, two things which are admittedly
difficult to do in the print media. Bloggers -- again, the good ones --
also admit when they are wrong, something I've yet to see Mr. Fisk (or the
BBC, or NPR, or the New York Times, etc. etc. etc.) do, despite numerous
opportunities.
(Other writers would, I am sure, list Fox News, the Washington Post, and
the Drudge Report. That’s not the point. News from all sides of the
political spectrum is skewed, my side as badly as anyone’s. Is it more
skewed than it used to be? Or are we just savvier at noticing? I don’t
know; maybe a bit of both.)
Great debate, though!
-- Eugene Dillenburg
Exhibit Developer
Science Museum of Minnesota
[log in to unmask]
651-221-4706
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