WASHINGTON -- Look around you. We are achieving our strategic
ends in the Middle East faster than expected. Freedom and stability
that was unimaginable only a few years ago are now in sight. Never
in the history of the area has such a thing been thought possible.
At home the economy is sound and growing. The President is moving
towards tax simplification, Social Security reform, and tort
reform, because he believes in such things and is willing to fight
for them rather than spend his last years in office shaking hands
and smiling.
So what is the talk of the media, specifically cable television?
Aside from the botched discussion of the fate of Mrs. Terri Schiavo
it is the saga of Michael Jackson, a creep who appeals solely to
creeps and to the more sophisticated sorts who feast on stories of
money and notoriety -- which is to say celebrity. I say the botched
discussion of the Schiavo case because serious science and serious
ethics have been drowned out by sentiment and ignorance. Again
journalism has not been up to the challenge of history.
Yet to return to the appalling Jackson case -- he has suffered a
setback. The judge in his case has ruled that the jury can
hear allegations of sexual abuse in his past with at least five
other boys, one of whom received more than $20 million in an
out-of-court settlement. This is very good news if only because it
may hasten the day when the cable news sages move on to something
of greater importance, for instance, the implementation of
America's first shift in strategic policy since 1947 when President
Harry Truman adopted the policy of "Containment" to contain the
Soviet Union. Our new policy adopted to confront terrorism and
Islamofascism is the policy of Preemption. Surely it deserves equal
time with Michael Jackson's teddy bears, pornography, and
mannequins, which he collected at his idiot manse, Neverland. After
that, cable television might address the looming domestic battles
over the President's new policies at home constituting his
"ownership society."
The tone adopted by the sages on cable news for addressing the
Michael Jackson trial and nonsensical world Jackson inhabits is
hypocrisy at its best. First there is the omniscience. The sages
talk as though they know just everything about this case and this
creep. Second is a tone of moral and intellectual superiority,
about precisely what it is difficult to say; but the sages are
markedly superior. So why are they gabbling on about it? Well, they
are slumming. From their perches of superiority they are dipping
down to give their viewers an amusing glimpse of the creep and his
case.
As for the creep himself, he has finally settled on his defense.
He is the victim of prejudice and of a "conspiracy." In other
words, he will use the same tactics to defend himself as the
Clintons used. Do not be surprised if he begins talking about a
"Vast White-Thing Conspiracy." Interviewed the other day by the
Rev. Jesse Jackson, theologian and humanitarian, the creep claimed
he is being persecuted as other "black luminaries" have. He
mentioned Nelson Mandela and two former heavyweight champions. He
already has alluded to a conspiracy besetting him. To the Rev. he
said, "a lot of conspiracy is going on as we speak." Hillary and
Bill know just what he is talking about.
Michael Jackson is one of the pop culture phenomena of the era
of celebrity. Modestly talented in one area, he through clever
marketing managed to amass a vast amount of money. With it
legitimatizing him, he went on to claim an array of talents that he
manifestly lacks. He can dance. That is about it. He is also
repulsive and spectacularly stupid. In his interview with the Rev.
this life-long musician made this memorable statement: "I loved the
album that Tchaikovsky did, the 'Nutcracker' Suite. It's an album
where every song is a great song." I did not actually hear this
interview, but I wonder. Did the Rev. and the King of Pop then
commence to sing a few ditties from the "Nutcracker"? Did they
mention any other albums by this guy Tchaikovsky?
The level of intellect now maintained on cable news is, if
possible, even lower than the level of intellect maintained
throughout the rest of televisionland with the sane exception of
C-Span. After the Michael Jackson trial ends, one wonders, what
will come next? Perhaps this guy Tchaikovsky will be indicted for
some weird transgression. They say out there on his ranch he does
some strange things with those nutcrackers.
topics:
Television, Social Security, Islam, Fascism
