THE ENTERPRISE
THE MIDDLE EAST--A MYSTERY TO WESTERNERS
We don't understand why Iraqis don't grasp the benefits and workings of Democracy so well. Perhaps it is because we don't understand them and their history very well. Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times journalist, wrote a book in 1989-1990. The title is "From Beirut to Jerusalem." In it he chronicles his beginnings as a young Jewish foreign correspondent assigned to Middle Eastern cities like Beirut and others. I am only about 1/4 of the way through the book, and the part I have read already has given me a much better understanding of the conflicts, religious and political history and why current events are unfolding as they are.
Just three examples will help you understand a couple of things better. He writes:
---"Middle Eastern societies were primarily merchant societies, which dreaded chaos and feared what might happen if control from above was eliminated and all their tribes and sects went at each other. Therefore, Islamic political thinkers gradually began to argue that obedience to even the cruelest, most illegitimate, non-Islamic despot, who at least kept some order, was preferable to internal warfare. Or, as the ancient Arabic proverb puts it: Better sixty years of tyranny than one day of anarchy."
I often disagree with Friedman's political position, but I have a growing respect for his knowledge in many areas, and for his ability to synthesize clear conclusion from unclear sets of information. He explains how different forms of Middle Eastern authoritarian traditions have evolved, from the Ottoman approach, which was less brutal and more inclusive, to the more brutal, un-Islamic variety, exhibited by many of the ruthless leaders of today's generation.
Friedman relates a joke that is revealing, and then cites the central problem of today's brutal Islamic leaders:
---"The only joke I ever head about a Syrian President was told by a Lebanese. It went like this: After a national "election" in Syria, an aide comes to President Assad and says, "Mr. President, you won the election with a 99.7 percent majority. That means only three-tenths of 1 percent of the people did not vote for you. What more could you ask for?" Assad replies, "Their names."
---"What makes the more brutal form of authoritarianism so dangerous today is that these insecure, nervous autocrats are not responding to threats against them with simple swords...but with chemical weapons, modern armies, and devastating means of destruction that can reach beyond the royal court to far-flung regions."
Perhaps now you see why I become frustrated when Americans form opinions (myself included) upon a faulty understanding of the facts and background. Modern media, with all of its technical competencies and pervasive reporting, only makes matters worse by distorting the facts or misleading the public. A few journalists, like Friedman, are worth reading and listening to closely.
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? HOW DO WE KNOW?
Gas prices are down, for now at least. Housing is plummeting. Inflation is up and a concern. Savings is still in negative territory, as credit card debt soars. The Dow-Jones Index on Wall Street is near an all time record. Is the economy doing well or not? How in the hell is the average American to know. The US Government statistics that report on our economic position are so flawed that they are often revised by a huge amount just a month or two after they are issued--and after everyone has reacted to them.
Mid-term elections promise to be vicious, placing personalities and politics ahead of plans and policies. I am unhappy and disappointed with the performance of the Bush administration. Who isn't? (Except maybe W himself.) That doesn't mean I am ready to become a Howard Dean fan and vote Democratic. He (and they) are worse, because they criticize and second-guess endlessly but offer neither better solutions nor better leadership.
Brutal dictators and radical leaders continue to gain stature thanks to their outrageous behaviors and the huge coverage of the US mainstream media. Now several of them have nukes either in place or coming on stream. Or they control too much of our (wastefully consumed) oil needs.
I watched 30 seconds of Katie Couric do the lead-in on CBS News, went outside and threw up. Not only is she the wrong purveyor of "true news" but she and her network add so much spin to the news, that any semblance to the objective truth is rare or coincidental. I don't need to watch CNN any more (except maybe Glenn Beck, who actually makes sense a lot of the time--I wonder how long he can last). I know what it will say about anything--it's Bush's fault and the US is a screwed up mess.
CNBC/MSNBC is a little more interesting, although almost as liberal. Joe Scarborough makes sense more often than most of their commentators. I dislike Chris Matthews almost as much as liberals dislike Rush Limbaugh, but they are both entertaining in their own weird way. The problem is that most Americans get their news in 7 second sound bites from the (mostly) radically liberal TV media. Fox gives what seems to me a "balanced" story, which means it is probably slanted as I am--to the right.
WHERE CAN WE GET A STRAIGHT STORY?
How do we get "clean information?" That's a problem which requires more effort than most Americans are willing to exert. It requires using multiple sources and cross-checking over and over. The Internet makes it possible. People just won't spend the time. Some of the more objective sources are those like The Economist, a foreign owned magazine/newspaper weekly.
All the major broadcast and cable news networks except Fox spin the news hard left--supporting the Democratic party line and philosophy. So does the NY Times, the LA Times and most other big city papers in the US. Fox and the Wall Street Journal spin it to the right--more correct in my opinion--but then it is also more in line with my political philosophy and leanings, as I noted in the prior paragraph.
It's enough to make a person want to take a break--and I have. I actually sat quietly thinking for a while the other day. I concluded that nothing complicated is ever easy to understand and the world is certainly more complex than it has ever been before. But that is no excuse to condemn policies that are right based on the politics or the personalities of those who propose them.
THE BEST PRESCRIPTION FOR GOOD NEWS--AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
Read and consult conflicting sources. Consider their leanings as you consume their content. Cross check what you can, and openly discuss the issues--but not only with those who agree with your perspective. Listen to those who make cogent arguments from a different viewpoint. Then resort to the real hard work--THINK ABOUT IT, and form your best opinion and act on it.
We will be voting again in less than 2 months. Carefully consider how you will exercise this great privilege and carry out this daunting responsibility to cast your one, small, seemingly insignificant vote for the right candidates, with the best chance of improving things in this complex world of ours. There are millions like you out there, and those little one votes add up. It is our right and out duty. Treasure it.
Best, John
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