I'm ambivalent about this court decision. But comparing it to a decision that denied an entire group of people their human rights because of the color of their skin is offensive on every level.
I rank Olbermann right up there with Rush Limbaugh as far as credibility.
It is a stretch. But in the sense that it was a decision that made sense to the people who made it at the time, only to discover, in time, that it was horribly wrong, the analogy holds water.
His question at the end makes sense-maybe corporations won't completely buy out the government. But how are we going to stop them.
I always hear the "Olbermann is just as bad as Limbaugh" argument. I don't buy it. Olbermann doesn't make things up out of whole cloth.
Kieth Olbermann's labelling of rival pundits as "the worst person in the world" is divisiveness at its worst. The extreme of the "Crossfiring" of American political debate.
Well, after all, I guess people like the dictator of the Sudan or leader of North Korea only killed hundreds of thousands of people. That's nothing compared to the great crimes against humanity (such as getting better ratings) committed by the hosts of talk shows on rival cable networks.
To be fair, it's not always rival pundits-sometimes it's people in the news, or political figures. And I think the hyperbole is obvious-one can't have a "Worst Person in the World" every single day. It's like when an angry five year old calls you the worst parent in the world-they mean it, for that five minute period, anyway.
Or was that just me?
http://bit.ly/a435v6
Rush Limbaugh said, on January 29, that the FDA banned Zicam nasal swabs because he is seeking to do damage to Limbaugh's advertisers. This is a categorically false statement. Zicam nasal swabs were banned because they were linked to anosmia, a sometimes permanent lack of smell.
http://bit.ly/62QjIg
On January 15, Limbaugh stated that President Obama has proposed eliminating the tax deduction for charitable giving. This is a categorical untruth.
That's what I mean when I say Limbaugh lies-he says things that aren't true.
It's pretty easy to come up with examples of Olbermann making tapestries without even a thread.
Here is one example of Olbermann lying, this one a slander about the "tea party' protesters against bad government and overtaxation. The "weaving tapestry out of whole cloth" part is driven home when you realize that the violent incidents were perperated by people on Kieth's own side.
Here he is again bashing Brit Hume for saying something.... and it turns out Hume never said it. The article, by the way, has a picture of one of Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" entries. I don't know who it is, but I doubt the woman is among the list of terrorists leaders or genocidal tyrants. Given Olbermann's track record on this 'series', she probably hasn't harmed a soul.
"On January 15, Limbaugh stated that President Obama has proposed eliminating the tax deduction for charitable giving. This is a categorical untruth."
This page details Obama's plans to curtail charitable deductions. Eliminate? No. But Rush's statement isn't that far off now, when you look at the facts. And certainly not cut of whole cloth.
------
I've not been convinced either way on the Zicam one. Searching, I find lots of opinion either way. Nothing proving Limbaugh as a liar. If you have something to this effect other than opinion from Democractic Party web sites, let me know. The issue is beneath the dignity of Factcheck.org and Polifact.
Hyperbole much?
ReplyDeleteI'm ambivalent about this court decision. But comparing it to a decision that denied an entire group of people their human rights because of the color of their skin is offensive on every level.
I rank Olbermann right up there with Rush Limbaugh as far as credibility.
It is a stretch. But in the sense that it was a decision that made sense to the people who made it at the time, only to discover, in time, that it was horribly wrong, the analogy holds water.
ReplyDeleteHis question at the end makes sense-maybe corporations won't completely buy out the government. But how are we going to stop them.
I always hear the "Olbermann is just as bad as Limbaugh" argument. I don't buy it. Olbermann doesn't make things up out of whole cloth.
"His question at the end makes sense-maybe corporations won't completely buy out the government. But how are we going to stop them."
ReplyDeleteWell, if a lot of censorship is the way to stop them, then we should get an amendment passed to get rid of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
"I always hear the "Olbermann is just as bad as Limbaugh" argument. I don't buy it. Olbermann doesn't make things up out of whole cloth."
Nor does Limbaugh. Both men make up vast tapestries out of tiny scraps of cloth.
"Both men make up vast tapestries out of tiny scraps of cloth."
ReplyDeleteWell said.
Thanks, Jean.
ReplyDeleteKieth Olbermann's labelling of rival pundits as "the worst person in the world" is divisiveness at its worst. The extreme of the "Crossfiring" of American political debate.
Well, after all, I guess people like the dictator of the Sudan or leader of North Korea only killed hundreds of thousands of people. That's nothing compared to the great crimes against humanity (such as getting better ratings) committed by the hosts of talk shows on rival cable networks.
To be fair, it's not always rival pundits-sometimes it's people in the news, or political figures. And I think the hyperbole is obvious-one can't have a "Worst Person in the World" every single day. It's like when an angry five year old calls you the worst parent in the world-they mean it, for that five minute period, anyway.
ReplyDeleteOr was that just me?
http://bit.ly/a435v6
Rush Limbaugh said, on January 29, that the FDA banned Zicam nasal swabs because he is seeking to do damage to Limbaugh's advertisers. This is a categorically false statement. Zicam nasal swabs were banned because they were linked to anosmia, a sometimes permanent lack of smell.
http://bit.ly/62QjIg
On January 15, Limbaugh stated that President Obama has proposed eliminating the tax deduction for charitable giving. This is a categorical untruth.
That's what I mean when I say Limbaugh lies-he says things that aren't true.
Does Olbermann do this?
I could watch him for an hour tonight and probably catch a few.
ReplyDeleteUsually when I caught Olbermann on "worst person in the world", it was Bill O'Reilly.
It's pretty easy to come up with examples of Olbermann making tapestries without even a thread.
ReplyDeleteHere is one example of Olbermann lying, this one a slander about the "tea party' protesters against bad government and overtaxation. The "weaving tapestry out of whole cloth" part is driven home when you realize that the violent incidents were perperated by people on Kieth's own side.
Here he is again bashing Brit Hume for saying something.... and it turns out Hume never said it. The article, by the way, has a picture of one of Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" entries. I don't know who it is, but I doubt the woman is among the list of terrorists leaders or genocidal tyrants. Given Olbermann's track record on this 'series', she probably hasn't harmed a soul.
Now, let's check the Limbaugh examples: First,
ReplyDelete"On January 15, Limbaugh stated that President Obama has proposed eliminating the tax deduction for charitable giving. This is a categorical untruth."
This page details Obama's plans to curtail charitable deductions. Eliminate? No. But Rush's statement isn't that far off now, when you look at the facts. And certainly not cut of whole cloth.
------
I've not been convinced either way on the Zicam one. Searching, I find lots of opinion either way. Nothing proving Limbaugh as a liar. If you have something to this effect other than opinion from Democractic Party web sites, let me know. The issue is beneath the dignity of Factcheck.org and Polifact.
DM-Your first example doesn't contain any lies. The things Olbermann described as happening happened.
ReplyDeleteNote that Limbaugh said Obama favored eliminating the deduction. Not curtailing it. Not lowering it. Eliminating it. That is not true.
Show me the statement Olbermann made that is untrue. Not that you disagree with. That is untrue.
I very carefully chose examples with verifiable facts.
And actually, Hume did refer to the protests as a "repellent spectacle".
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/dwNm1i