Mar 02 2009
Hall of Mirrors
Today, Christopher Hayes, speaking on Keith Olbermann’s Countdown, suggested that conservatives consume media in a “hall of mirrors.” The analogy is wonderful – but Chris Hayes mistakenly assumes that the “hall of mirrors” is only a conservative phenomenon.
With the decline of the daily newspaper, the continued corporatization of media (television, radio, print) and the explosion of partisan, mutually-exclusive blogospheres point to an increasingly dangerous trend for our nation.
I don’t have any wise insights or solutions – I only have an increasingly troubled spirit – our news is tainted and gathering information enough to make informed decisions is becoming MORE difficult, even in the information age – because our information is tainted with partisanship.
The Fast of ‘Ala has begun – and in keeping with the fast and the spirit of my faith, I’m going to look to abstain from politics for these Holy Days. 19 days, including today, and I will have no partisan opinions to share…. my observations will be non-partisan, and as much as possible, apolitical. I hope at the end of the Fast the fog of competing information clouds begin to lift.
3 Responses to “Hall of Mirrors”
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QT,
Abstinence, a worthy challenge you’ve laid down for yourself. We’ll see. I happen to believe you can do it, though others may read a pol based taint in just about any post on any blog.
Everyone, and I do mean everyone, is going to work from the place that supports them when they thrust their information into the info-spheres. We all want our opinion or factoid to land in a forum where it is accepted or refuted. Feedback is needed to fuel the blogs or for that matter printed media. If you need your views supported you will drift toward supporting sites or friends. If you need controversy to feel supported you’ll stir that up as well.
Gathering information for informed decisions is a matter of being open to a variety of sources and even unexpected ones. We gather from the universe that which we have sown into it. Expect to find the guides for your life from so many sources that you will see congruence in your receiving of information as a way to begin to know that this is information you will act on in good faith and in support of your life.
And you are one of the people out there that will be okay, as well as quite informed. I find your thinking actually formative for me. I’m sure that opinion is shared by more than a few.
Have a great fast, then I’ll look forward to having ‘breakfast’ with you in about 17 days!
bjritz
BJ: Thank you for your comments; as always, you are kind.
I certainly agree with you – but I don’t think the need for sympathetic voices is an excuse – it’s a symptom of the poison.
I am an independent, both by faith and inclination. And yet, once I decided that I would be an Obama supporter I found myself almost herded into the “liberal” camp – the amount of anti-Obama vitriol on the opposing side was just too burdensome to bear. Even in a community I’ve been a member of since since before 9/11, has become uncomfortable for me (at least in the political sphere) because of the tone of the anti-Obama sentiment… and while the tone of the anti-republican sentiment doesn’t bother me too much (it feels better to be on the attacking rather than defending side), I still recognize some of it for the poison that it is. I even notice my inclination to post some items in defense against a long remembered attack – which only serves to re-invite the argument.
I’ve said this in other places – I’ve become increasingly appreciative of The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com) because of its commitment to honest dialogue. Andrew Sullivan is an Obamacon. Ross Douthat is a conservative. Mark Ambinder is (I think) democrat. Ta-Nehisi Coates is liberal. But – they are all colleagues – their discourse is honest, and thoughtful – the critiques of Obama from this piece of the internet is not the bellowing hateful kind, but rather an honest difference of opinion.
More than ever – I want to see that kind of commitment to dialogue flourish. I appreciate Bob Cesca’s site – it is intended to be a humorous polemic, and a safe haven for liberals who just want to hang out. That’s fine – everyone needs a “home base.” But it’s equally important to have safe meeting spaces – places where you go out into the world and share ideas. And that safe space is shrinking at an incredible pace.
What’s worse – the space is shrinking because of us. We ourselves are spoiling our public discourse, and ratings hogs like Limbaugh and O’Reilly are feeding the frenzy.
This is what I’m concerned about.
QT
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