Greenwald, Rosen and Moyers

Moyers is a National Treasure.

Thank you for linking to this. It was great to see a non-condescending and intelligent political discussion for once. It’s so refreshing seeing something like this and understanding that politics doesn’t have to mean two partisan political hacks screaming slogans at each other.Or a panel made up of three conservatives and a journalistic fluffer.

Thanks, Bob. Top notch discourse.

I also wish to thank you,Bob! This was a fine example of how I would like the media to be(thoughtful, reflective, informative), AND I liked that they highlighted the point that change is possible IF the populace involves itself more (internet works both ways). I wonder who on Pres Obama staff keeps their finger on the media, and do they only keep it on the awful talking heads or on everything?

Thanks for renewing my faith in the power of civility in the media. I thought it had gone the way of the dinosaurs. Glad I was wrong…

Saw this on the TV last night. Liked the idea that the media is not right or left, rather it is invested in being “in the know” and resists change as then they might not be “the conduit” of Very important information. Although one of them ?Rosen? also made the point that the corporate media had been aligned with the right since the 90′s so I don’t know how those two views can square. Guess I’ll watch again and see if it makes sense this time.

I never miss Moyers. His show is excellent, and last night was no exception. I saw that interview with Greenwald and Rosen last night and thought it explained a lot…not so much about the Rushes and Hannitys of the world…we already get them. Rather, about the other “mainstream” media, what their focus is, and how they view their role. I also liked the fact that both Greenwald and Rosen stressed how we can all make a difference through technology..the internet…getting involved..pushing the new administration and our Congress to do the right thing…and that Obama has the potential to make real change, if he will be a “radical” and not become a “compromiser” with the mainstream political game in DC…and if WE keep pushing him.

“BILL MOYERS: Is it your sense that the situation in the country, with half a million people losing their jobs in a month, is it your sense that the reality in the country is far more calamitous than Washington seems to be perceiving it?GLENN GREENWALD: I think yes and no. I think that clearly, the opinion-making elites and the political elites are generally insulated from the level of anxiety and economic threat that millions and millions of Americans are facing in the most extreme fashion since the Great Depression, as the cliché goes.At the same time, I think the problem is, is that the citizenry has really been trained to believe that they’re impotent when it comes to demanding action from the political class.It’s already extraordinary that nine out of ten Americans, prior to the election – nine out of ten – believe that the country was radically off course. They lost complete faith in our political institutions, our media institutions. Virtually everything is held in such low esteem, and that’s the reason why there was such hope vested in Barack Obama, that he would be something different and new that the country is hungering for.But I think what needs to happen is there needs to be a sense, as you said, whether it’s street demonstrations or other forms of true social disruption that can threaten the people who have an interest in preserving how things are, that until that happens, and whatever form that takes. It’s hard to predict. It can be spontaneous. It can grow out of real dissatisfaction and anger. That more or less, lip service will be paid to the idea that these are significant problems that our political leaders care about, that change is coming.But no real change will occur. Their interests will continue to be to ignore all of that, to treat it as condescendingly as possible and just to placate it when they can.BILL MOYERS: Both of you have a keen sense of the power of the internet. You’ve used it for your own work. What if all those people out there who supported Obama through the internet, actually used that technology to send him a message? You know, wait a minute. This is going the wrong way. We expect more of you than this. What would happen?GLENN GREENWALD: I think that’s one of the things that’s going to have to happen if Obama’s going to do anything other than essentially blend into the permanent political class in Washington. You actually saw a little bit of that when he first secured the nomination, and then suddenly violated, betrayed his commitment to filibuster any bill that contained Telecom immunity. It created a real backlash among his supporters.There was a website that was the sort of center of his campaign. And it was a conduit of lots of anger. And the campaign heard that. I think that’s what’s going to have to happen, is his supporters on whom he relies for his political power, are going to have to be the ones holding him accountable, by being angry and dissatisfied when he seems to be off the course that he promised he would stay on.JAY ROSEN: During the age of mass media, the idea of one way, one to many communication, sunk very deeply into the political elites’ sense of self. Broadcast the message. Send the message. What’s the message? The great thing about the internet it that it runs two ways. It’s just as good at enabling us to send messages to them as it is for them to tell us. And I think what people have to do is remember the internet runs two ways, and to use it to tell Washington what to do.”Bob….I have emailed my senators and my congressman, what else can I do? I agree we are the ones who elected President Obama and he needs our help in reminding him why he is there. I know I voted for him for 2 reasons, 1) I want the constitution back in my hands, not the “radicals” described in this interview by Jay Rosen and 2) to change the way govt works…so I ask, what more can I do?

sorry for the length of the post, but I thought that exchange was the most important part of the interview. I hope I posted correctly. I don’t want to be banned, I love this site.