open letter to Rachel Maddow

Rachel,
When responding to the new GOP Chair's distinction between making 'work' vs. making 'jobs' on the 2/9/09 show it felt like you intentionally misunderstood or refused to understand his point as a way to poke fun at his argument. While I understand the pull to maneuver and spin these soundbites, and while I agree that his proposition was preposterous, I think that in order for the nation to follow President Obama down the path toward more honest government where he is attempting to lead us, the press will need to cooperate by taking a more substantively engaged position on these issues.
In this particular case, the issue with the work/jobs distinction is based on the fallacious assumption that private sector jobs are more stable or last longer than government jobs. Or that infrastructure projects are somehow ephermeral in their impact. I think that these points can (and need to be) refuted, both with argument and with data. But to simply make de facto statements that his proposition is ridiculous only serves to preach to the choir and to further alienate those who are on the fence or on the other side of the fence.
I believe that we (liberals) have the truth on our side in these debates, but this is not cause for us to ridicule the opposition, it is a call to clarify and communicate that truth to the nation so that we can come together and move forward. We have an amazing opporunity. We have a sitting president with leadership skills and an acutal progressive agenda for the country (and perhaps the world). In order to capitalize on this opportunity we must all find a way to let go of the animosity and illusions that have characterized American politics since (at least) Reagan, and to move forward together.
I believe that you have a strong voice and have established yourself as a leading figure in political analysis for the coming years, we need your voice to help move the progressive agenda forward and it can't happen unless we are willing to take the arguments of the opposition seriously and to treat them with respect. This willingness is what seperates true liberalism from dogmatic liberalism, and it is only true liberalism that can move this nation forward.
Thanks for your time,
Eric Hepburn

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

google plus, bing, new cloud apps and the achievement of balance

I think that this is my first blog post that has any significant intersection with my professional life, but after listening to a couple of Podcasts on Google Plus and hearing the incessant plugging for Bing on the Slate Gabfests (it is, IMHO, a little over the top... just let them run their ads, don't become their mouthpiece) I felt compelled to throw in my two cents about balance in the cloud-o-sphere out there... As a human being out there in the technosphere, it is in your best interest to preclude the emergence of a Goliath from the fields of competitors.  In no market since the discovery of fossil fuel has this been easier than it is with the internet in this age.  In the evolution of modern computing, anti-trust regulation against Microsoft and ongoing similar actions (mostly in and by the EU) works to thwart some of the most abusive practices that are trending toward monopoly.  But, the most important thing is user behavior, where you click and for what is the main determ
Read more

the experiment in naturalism ends

Image
A ten month experiment in naturalism - specifically in exploring my genetic hair growth patterns unimpeded by social convention or personal intervention - ended today... before the end of the experiment: after the end of the experiment: I have opted for reasons of time and resource consumption to return to my practice of periodic self-intervention with a pair of clippers.  The experiment was interesting and resulted in a practical appreciation for the potential value (never tested) of mustache wax for keeping one's mustache out of one's food and mouth...  The use of baking soda solution and apple cider vinegar for hair care worked very well, but with my natural oil levels and the daily run-commute the treatments needed to become more frequent as the mass of hair continued to increase.  The experiment did not culminate in the 'growth plateau' that I had aspired to when I began the experiment, but I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what I would like if
Read more