Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Correction to Barbara Ehrenreich on Democracy Now! today

Re: Gala speech by Barbara Ehrenreich broadcast at the end of Democracy Now! today:

And then, you know here's a real stab. We get Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda coming along and starting a radio station for women which won't have arguments on it, won't have debate on it. Because they . . . are saying as they start this new station that women don't like to argue and debate. We're too sweet, too nice. Gloria and Jane, have you heard of Katha Pollitt!
[Silence from the audience -- it wasn't a laugh getter.]

Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem did not state that women do not like debate. GreenStone Media was created to serve a segment of the population that has stopped listening to radio because they feel that there is too much yelling.

They've not started "a radio station" and there HAS BEEN DEBATE on the progams as anyone who had ever bothered to listen to it would know. (Start with The Radio Ritas.) It's a real shame Ehrenreich felt she knew enough to speak on the topic when she didn't and it's a greater shame that Amy Goodman & co. felt veracity didn't matter when choosing the segment of Ehrenreich's speech to broadcast.

Why Ehrenreich stated what she did is beyond me but she was inaccurate. Why that section was broadcast by Goodman and company WHEN IT IS INACCURATE is also beyond me.

If you're looking for "real stabs" possibly Ehrenreich's uninformed comments and Goodman's decision to broadcast them were the real stabs.

Re: Ford.

Micah's already written to share that one guest "needed to organize his thoughts and stop rambling. [Victor] Navasky had one point to make so why couldn't he make it quickly and precisely. Most imporantly, why was there no discussion of the Warren Commission?"

Zach, Rachel and Jonah have also e-mailed asking how you do a look back at Gerald Ford without ever mentioning the Warren Commission?

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