Don Imus is a racist. Much as I love him, I can see it in him. And yes, we’re all racists; but Imus stepped in it bad, and it will be fascinating and good to see him reform. I wish him well.
At least he apologized and is doing time. What about all the journalists who were wrong on Iraq? The Rutgers women held a press conference saying Imus hurt their feelings. What about all the American and Iraqi families destroyed, torn apart, blown to the wind, etc., by one of the greatest mistakes in history? Hordes of journalists out of desire for influence and status peddled the administration’s lies and distorted reality to rationalize attacking Iraq. Tom Friedman saw the war as good because of suicide bombers in Israel. Ken Pollack didn’t see any real strife between Sunnis and Shi’as, and neither did Kristol and Kaplan, and none of them thought the Israeli occupation had any bearing on the case. I could go on and on.
At the very least they showed terrible judgment. Last year I watched Pollack rationalize one or two of his errors before the Council on Foreign Relations. George Packer sought to excuse his credulity, wishy-washily, in Assassin’s Gate. Don’t they owe us a lot more? Don’t the New York Times, Washington Post, and WSJ owe us investigations of their conduct and sourcing? The only reporter to suffer professionally for getting us into this horror is Judith Miller. Shouldn’t there be more?
Good point Philip throughout. One could also ask, what about the violently anti-muslim radio hosts like Neil Boortz who say "Islam is a virus. It is a deadly virus (…)"?
Isn't this a racist comment to make?
Source:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200610180005
To add something, I'm all for the first amendmendt and I'm not calling for throwing these guys in jail or firing them for that matter, but I find it disturbing to see this double standard in your mainstream media, they cover Imus like the future of your country depends on him, and are totally ignoring racism like Boortz' or the intentional or unintentional lies you mentioned.
Quit your whining jew boy.
"yes, we're all racists." How true. Race relations will never really improve until honesty compels us to acknowledge that basic reality. Once we do, perhaps we can order the world in a fashion that reduces conflict rather than creating more of it. Currently we seem to be stuck in a contest as to whom can promote themselves as being the biggest victims.
âShow me a person with no prejudices and Iâll show you a person with no taste,â The Boston Celtics great Bill Russell observed in âSecond Wind,â his magnificent memoir. âThe struggle is to keep the prejudice from turning into bigotry and hatred.â
We know who are most privileged and powerful and who are most vulnerable in this country. I don't have to worry about the prejudice of the disenfranchised as much as I do about the rich and the powerful.
I just can't believe how great this blog is. Are you the Philip Weiss who writes (wrote?) for the NY Observer?
I am an instant fan.