Risk and security: Mark Schmitt at The Decembrist salutes the apparent collapse of Bush’s social security privatization scheme:
For ten years or more, Americans have been asked to choose between risk and security, and every time, risk has seemed to win. Now, in the ultimate battle between risk and security, the first one in which the choice was made explicit, security won without a shot being fired.
Especially interesting for those of us north of the border because of the habit of our conservatives (both those who use that label and those who prefer “Liberal”) of importing ideas from Republicans. Stephen Harper has been a big supporter of privatizing the Canada Pension Plan; the Democrats’ experience may yet prove useful for Canadians.
Try very, very hard now: Glad as I am to see this survey from right-winger Glen Robbins — showing basically that anyone running for the Campbell Liberals in Prince George might as well start drafting their concession speech (and packing the ol’ moving van) right now — I’m a little mystified by the questionnaire.
Take this, um, eccentric question: “Using your BEST efforts only, which of the following provincial parties do you most support at this time?” Exactly how is a respondent supposed to interpret “your BEST efforts”?
We blog. You decide: Lindsay over at the Capulet blog has the mainstream media’s number. Commenting on a recent State of the Media study, she replies to former news exec Joe Angotti’s handwringing over how people won’t be able to distinguish between bloggers and The Real Media:
Mr. Angotti isn’t giving the American public enough credit if he thinks they won’t be able to navigate the increasingly complex media landscape. Those who are reading blogs to gather information also likely read mainstream news sources, and are choosing a second source of information for a reason. As for legitimate news, considering the overwhelming popularity of networks like Fox News, I’d say blogs are the least of the American media’s problems.
To their credit, a lot of reporters and even their bosses feel the same way.
“When will the earthquake hit?” “Is it true you live on nothing but granola and boiled Birkenstocks?” (by way of Darren Barefoot) Got a question about Vancouver? Why not Ask Locally? For one thing, at the moment, your question won’t suffer from overcrowding. But that won’t be true for long… I’m guessing this place will catch on fast.
You sure you want to pull at that thread? Fed up with shills at White House press briefings, bought-off columnists and phony TV news “stories” written and produced by PR flaks — not to mention just plain propagandizing by far-right media moguls — a liberal group has launched Stop Fake News. Their mission: to convince federal regulators to enforce regulations that prohibit broadcasters from airing government-produced material without identifying it.
