DISTORTED CONCLUSIONS

Today marked the demise of Air America, the predominently liberal radio system.  I have been searching to remember if I ever listened to it.  I don't believe I ever did.  No matter.  I do not like stilted political radio.

Most disturbing to me are the sweeping conclusions drawn about its demise.  Right-wing extremists see in its death the pending death knell for all of liberal thought and action.  They see it as proof that liberalism is a failure.  That's pretty drastic and over-reaching in opinion.  No similar conclusions were drawn by liberals about the bankruptcy of major American corporations that generously supported right-wing agendas.  Corporations that almost exclusively heralded conservative programs have died.  So?

While I find the broadcasts of Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh offensive and very low-level, I have never advocated for them to leave the air.  I suppose there is a place for such anti-intellectual, biased, and often bigoted radio programs.  What may disturb me is the fact that many Americans do not see those crude broadcasters for what they are.  They represent America at its worse.

This brings us to an interesting development.  Perhaps two of the most successful private corporations in the U.S. today are Halliburton and Blackwater.  Is this the America we want to be in front, leading the U.S. parade?  Are we to celebrate two corporations that see a marvelous bottom-line from killing other humans?  Not only has success almost exclusively been cascading on corporations in the military industrial marketplace in the U.S., we seem to blindly accept and celebrate it.  Is this really the America we want as our best example of private, corporate success?