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| Thread: Why I admire Michael Hastings | |
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bixie
Promising
Legendary Hero
my common sense is tingling!
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posted June 29, 2010 10:02 PM |
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Why I admire Michael Hastings
Michael Hastings is a journalist. not a coporate, flashy "Oh look at me, I'm have no oppinion" (alledgedly) journalist. Anyone whose across the pond would have heard about his breaking the story about General Mcchrystal.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236
I admire the guy, because he's doing what alot of journalists are failing to do, and that is Doing their f**king job! Especially how most of the mainstream press are being so hard of the man(particularly Geraldo Rivera, calling Hastings "a rat amongst eagles"), for, you know, telling the truth!! because of what, the fact taht Hastings didn't praise everyone invovled in the story enough? correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the press was to monitor those with power, not cowtow to them.
I also admire him as his actions are very similar to another journalist I'm a fan of. Spider Jerusalem from the series "Transmetropolitian", the angry, drug abusing, foul-mouthed, anti-theist, chain smoking, gun totting, grenade weilding, poison masturbating, cretin murdering, decrepted and hatefueled journalist who is a thousand times more noble than any of the politicians in the series. in fact there's a particular interesting exchange between Spider and the man who is meant to represent all the corporatised journalists (fox news, CBS, NSMBC etc), Bruce Cuhnt (yes, I've spelt that right), who decides to flounce his high-ranking interviewee list in Spider's face and call him "A bit of a fake". Spider's response is excellent.
one of the problems with the world is that too many journalists are in the control of corporations. We need far more independent journalists who are fiery bloodhounds of the public chomping on the floppy testicles of those in power. at the moment, we have far too many tame and boring puppy dogs who are more like mentally stumped chat-show hosts than real journalists, all too willing to bend over backwards for their corporate masters. Whatever happened to the days of Watergate, the days of the great journalistic ambitions whose wit made any politician soil themselves. So far the closest America has is Keith olberman, whose bite only has one fang left in it, whilst everyone else is utterly de-toothed.
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Love, Laugh, Learn, Live.
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mvassilev
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
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posted June 29, 2010 10:03 PM |
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bixie
Promising
Legendary Hero
my common sense is tingling!
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posted June 29, 2010 10:10 PM |
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but would any other reporter actually report what was said? that a leading general would say how the whole system is s**t on a stick? of course not, it would be off the record completely.
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mvassilev
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
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posted June 29, 2010 10:18 PM |
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Quote:
a leading general would say how the whole system is s**t on a stick?
Where does it say he said that?
To me, this article sounds less like "courageous journalism exposing an insubordinate general" and more like "casual complaining from a general's subordinates".
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Eccentric Opinion
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bixie
Promising
Legendary Hero
my common sense is tingling!
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posted June 29, 2010 10:30 PM |
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and I'm not saying that the general was insubordinate...
but what I find interesting is the media backlash to this. the fact that quite alot of "News" outlets have condemned Hastings for doing his job. similarly, Mcchrystal has said that he supports the statements of his aides, as well as agrees with them. what's also quite interesting is that McChrystal has resigned, entirely by his own choice, because of this.
I am willing to admit that he might have decided to end his service with a bang, so to speak, but still, the way the media have reacted to journalism is quite astounding.
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Love, Laugh, Learn, Live.
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mvassilev
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posted June 30, 2010 12:30 AM |
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Quote:
but what I find interesting is the media backlash to this. the fact that quite alot of "News" outlets have condemned Hastings for doing his job
Where?
Quote:
similarly, Mcchrystal has said that he supports the statements of his aides
Where?
Quote:
entirely by his own choice
That's about as likely as Richard Nixon not masterminding Watergate.
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Eccentric Opinion
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bixie
Promising
Legendary Hero
my common sense is tingling!
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posted June 30, 2010 08:56 AM |
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Fox news is one of the big ones, with Geraldo rivera comparing Hastings to Al-queda, as well as O'Reillys usual ramblings about the liberal media. I think there were a few reporters on Msnbc and CNN were not all that positive about it. Even the Daily mail and The Sun, over here, were furious at it "Bloody reporter's, doing their jobs, making us look bad!"
also, link to statement.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7850427/Gen-Stanley-McChrystal-resignation-statement.html
Rolling stone and Hastings both asked Mcchystral twice was it ok to report on there stuff, and he agreed that would be fine.
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Love, Laugh, Learn, Live.
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mvassilev
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Undefeatable Hero
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posted June 30, 2010 09:01 AM |
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I don't see anywhere where it says he supports the statements of his aides.
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Eccentric Opinion
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