Re: a response to George S from Jay Mathews

["drdanj@earthlink.net" <drdanj@EARTHLINK.NET>]

George S wrote:

>I'm glad that we are discussing whether reporters (and columnists) for
the
major "liberal" newspapers are really the kinds of independent voices
our
illusions wish for.

Liberal no longer means anything, at least no longer means liberal. We
have allowed ourselves to let the right wing take over the word, and
drag it right along behind them as they move even further to the right.
The notion of a conservative liberal dichotomy, with liberal predicting
something very different from conservative is now a myth. ANyone who
thinks otherwise is deluded by history or the desire to hold onto
something that died more than a decade ago. The new DNC leadership even
makes this overt by referring to itself as "neo-liberal." Just consider
Joe Lieberman's positions on what shrub is doing. This alleged liberal
is one of the far right's biggest cheerleaders. And then the even
farther right folks like Fallwell and ilk are demanding a pull even
further to the right, and it is quite likely the drift will continue,
with the so-called liberals brining up the rear guard action.

Now, some conservatives may applaud this, but I think they do so at
their own long-term risk. We need a "Loyal Opposition" for democracy as
it was intended to have any sort of meaning. Without a loyal oppostion,
we quite effectively have a one party system, ultra-conservative, with
two branches, Democrats and Republicans. The whoile idea of a political
spectrum where two sides bang up against each other and produce some new
sparks is gone (if it ever really existed) and the new reality drifts
farther and farther into a hardened one world view. I think this is
quite dangerous, and signals at the very least the need to form or
invigorate a new party from what would now be considered the "radical"
left, or at worst, this all signals the end of what we have known as
democracy, a two party system with good people on both sides battling
for some convergent reality.

As for NPR: I Stopped listening long ago. Face it folks, any "liberal"
ouitlet supported by organizations like Cargill or ADM is just a front
for the right.

Peace

Dan

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