Razing Cain

. American public life is an embarrassment. This is not a relative judgment. The fact that it’s better than Nigeria’s should not be a comfort. Russia? Well, we’re not killing journalists yet, but that may begin with their not doing any work that would merit it by powers threatened by them. Why bother? Far from […]

Mainstreaming Bias

Among the most common complaints of those at the political edges – those on left or right who perceive themselves not to hold the reigns of institutional power – is that the mainstream media, along with other power centers, shapes our perceptions. It shapes and distorts our perception of reality in varied ways, including selection […]

The Conventional National Convention I

It convenes daily around the national water cooler. “Where’s that?” you ask. Why, one place is at what is fashioned, in the evenings during hard times, as the national hearth – the TV. Also, the newspapers, our more sober voice. And, of course, now, the blogosphere – the kids screaming and barking for attention. All […]