Just finishing Eric Alterman's "What Liberal Media"

[Sweetpea]

This book is great. Towards the end, Eric has several pages of questions, like
"Speaking of Ground Zero, does anyone know if it's safe to breathe the air down there? Anbody know how all those contaminansts--mercury, asbestos, benezene, and so on, combing in unprecedented chemical cocktails -- affect the long term health of children, pregnant women, old people?"

"How did Bush decide on war with Iraq without consulting the uniformed military, the intelligence agencies, the united nations, NATO, the republican national security adviser--the republican party in Congress, the democratic majority, or just about anyone who did not already want to go to war with Iraq?"

"What's up with those loose and missing Soviet era nukes in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere? Why is the White House cutting funding fo rthe Nunn-Lugar program, designed to protect them?"

I found this book quite informative and scary. I saw him lecture in NY a couple of months ago and he was quite depressed about the state of our country.

Any other Eric Alterman fans here?

[Friar]

1. ain't we all?

Conason, Lyons, Franken, Moore, Mark C. Miller, and some strange southern guy, among many. Love em all. God bless 'em!

[Syrinx]

8. some strange southern guy

Do you speak of Jim Hightower? He's great, though he's Texan, not Southern. :)

[Sweetpea]

9. LOL!!!!!

[Friar]

10. hehe

I was refering to Mr. Pitt but Hightower rocks too.

[Syrinx]

13. I HAD NO IDEA!

:)

[ameriphile]

2. I found it to be a real eye-opener.

This book is a MUST for anyone who wishes to be well-informed. And, after you finish What Liberal Media, read David Brock's Blinded by the Right.

[Sweetpea]

3. I read David Brocks book a while ago.

For me it was informative, but I don't think it was well written. I love Eric Alterman because he is able to do both.

[Syrinx]

4. I don't have alot to add

But I loved Alterman's book. I read it a few weeks ago. I read it, Will Pitt's sedition book, and "Blinded By The Right" all in one weekend, and it was time well spent. But, of course, in my case, the authors were preaching to the choir!

If we could get some ditto-heads to read thoses books.... would it do any good?

[Sweetpea]

5. The way Eric's book is written, I trust his research in the same

way I trust Greg Palast. I think the title will turn off those who need to read it.

[Syrinx]

7. yeah, maybe he should have called it...

Maybe he should've called the book "That Evil Goddamned Liberal Media," and then gone ahead and destroyed his own thesis! That would be cool. Trick those bastards into reading it. :)

[saganaki]

6. Yes!!! Have you read "Sound and Fury"? (sorry, new at this postinstuff)

Have had so much trouble trying to post (my fault!), this will probably appear in another time warp... Anyway, as you probably know, "Sound and Fury" presaged the insanity of the current pundit class.

Will someone give me tips on how to respond here in a "timely fashion?"

I'm on an unfamiliar Mac laptop (hubby's); don't know what to do with it!

(For no one's particular edification, someone is relieveing himself just outside my window. Ow, nice! (Onslow, "Keeping Up Appearances"))

[Friar]

11. welcome

:toast:

And I guess you've revealed yourself as a southerner, what with the window relieving and all. :silly:

[newyawker99]

16. Hi saganaki!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[madaboutharry]

12. Alterman seems like an o.k. guy

After I read "What Liberal Media" I sent him an e-mail telling him that I was now completely depressed and hopeless. He e-mailed back that he was sorry 'bout that! Now I am reading "Big Lies" by Joe Conason. I am in the middle of reading about John Ashcroft's certifiable lunacy. One thing is clear from all of this and that is the news industry has failed the American people. I would venture to say that only a small percentage, even among die-hard democrats, really know the level of corruption and danger existing in the current administration.

[Eloriel]

15. Well, I've got good news and bad news

The bad news is that you're right about the media. AND about only a small percentage of people know the truth.

The GOOD news is that here at DU, a good many of us do, in spades, baby. Some of the newer folks coming on board don't seem to (and that's okay until they try to argue with us about some things), but among those of us who've been here for a while.... well, most of us are fairly seasoned, very proud Tin Foil Hatters. And we call the rest of America (and some DUers) "Coincidence Theorists."

:evilgrin:

Welcome to DU! We can't promise to cheer you up, but we can promise you're not alone.

Eloriel

[AP]

17. In Kevin Phillips's Wealth and Democracy, there's a passage

about how some big issues (which eventually became central to the rising political success of populist Democrats) were NEVER discussed in the newspapers and magazines. However, they were discussed in books which sold well.

There's a total parallel today. Some of thte most important issues are being ignored by newspapers and magazines. However, just like in the late 19th century, the fact that well-selling books are discussing these ideas should bode well for the future. I think it's like Gramsci thought -- you get these pockets in society which have a grip on the issues and you can't help but have a rippling effect whereby more and more people learn the truth.

So keep buying and reading those books, and keep talking about them here so that more and more people read and talk about them.

I think one of the biggest services DU could provide and doesn't really is to be a forum for discussing these liberal books and for getting more and more people to read them. If you read Wealth and Democracy, you'd have a more acute sense of how important it is for all of us to buy and read these boos.

[UCLA02]

14. AND he's a Springsteen scholar...

this guy is just too good to be true!! I also read him regularly in The Nation. He's as good as it gets.

BTW-Seeing The Boss again Sunday at Dodger Stadium! "Broooooooooooooooooce!!!"