The Press Drives Me Nuts, Edition 324

I just happened to be watching CSPAN this afternoon, as they rebroadcast a Donald Rumsfeld and General Myers Press Conference from the Pentagon.

My impression of Rumsfeld and Myers? Professional, mature, serious.

My impression of the questioners? Ugh! Pathetic!

These boobs are such shallow blow-hards. They live to ask a question that will get "play" on the network news. They are not asking serious questions or asking about serious issues, but rather are looking for the "gotcha" moment and the potential faux pas by Rummy or Myers.

The part I watched included the end of the opening statement by Rumsfeld. In it, he spend a few minutes describing the care that the Pantagon has taken to show respect for Muslim detainees. Respect for tradition/culture/religion guided the rules and policies on meals, prayer, and handling of items like a Koran. And, after mentioning this, he mentioned how the detailed document showing this policy has been released for a couple of years and that it's been available for publication, but that he's never seen it published in it's entirety, or mentioned in a way that shows what it says and purports to do.

Is this an accident? Of course not. What do our soldiers think when they are tarred and feathered by incredible tales from suspected terrorist detainees who make outrageous claims, while they know the truth?

Have any of our troops acted unprofessionally and harmed detainees? Probably. Is that not a commonly told tale from every era, nation, government, organization? I'm not suggesting that this is acceptable, just that a serious analysis or criticism must offer a valid historical perspective and balanced report. A single sliver from a historic pie is relatively worthless. We once entrusted the press to provide this.

After witnessing another example of our modern press at work, I entrust them with little. They have made themselves irrelevant sideshows in the story of our times.

Give me CSPAN, a webcam, the internet, and the many voices of those who know what they're talking about, and I think I'll be able to understand the world a little bit better.