Sale bête

Les événements qui ont précédé la guerre en Irak ont montré une presse bien plus avide de l’action des champs de guerre que d’analyses sur la validité des raisons offertes par l’administration pour justifier cette même guerre. Ah, les explications, c’est ennuyeux, les reportages de batailles, ça, tout le monde va regarder ou lire. Comme le note Digby de Hullaballoo:

The fact of the matter is that the media are part of the political establishment, as as such, had as much of a stake in making the case for the war as the administration did, despite the fact that many of them knew very well there was no threat. They couldn't wait to go to war. They were intoxicated by bloodlust and they sold that bloodlust like it was the best reality show in history --- "9/11: America's Revenge" and they were right. It was a hell of a show.

Certains contre-attaquent — on en parle ici sur dKos, où l’on discute depuis quelques semaines une proposition sous considération par la Commission fédérale des élections sur le financement des campagnes électorales et le rôle des carnets Web. Voici un extrait d’une lettre envoyée à cette Commission par la directrice d’un institut universitaire chargé d’étudier la politique, la démocratie et Internet, avec mes commentaires insolents ajoutés entre parenthèses :

« If anyone can publish a blog, and if bloggers are treated as journalists, then we can all become journalists. (Ô l’horreur !) If millions of “citizen journalists,” as bloggers like to call themselves, are given the rights and privileges of the news media, two consequences will follow. One is that a newly-expanded media exemption encompassing millions of bloggers will create a new loophole that will eviscerate the contribution and expenditure limits of the campaign finance law. »

« The other consequence is that the privileged status the press (qui est en majorité sous l’emprise de grosses multinationales alliées aux tendances les plus conservatrices des républicains, mais passons) currently enjoys will diminish (quel dommage!). When that happens, an erosion of its most important privilege, its ability through shield laws to protect the anonymity of its sources, will surely follow. While the FEC has no jurisdiction over shield laws, a change in the rules defining the news media in one arena is bound to affect other laws. As the pool of those considered journalists quickly expands, it is inevitable that the media’s fragile privilege to refuse to answer questions about sources posed by prosecutors and grand juries will narrow. The ramifications of the bloggers’ demand are enormous. The issue before the FEC goes to the heart of the fundamental questions that define a democracy’s relationship to a free press: Who should be treated as a journalist, and what special privileges, if any, should they receive? »

J’ai l’impression que ce débat important ne vient que de commencer.

La cote de popularité de Bush continue à descendre. C’est la mère d’un soldat de 24 ans tué en Irak qui a dit le suivant (l'article en entier se trouve ici) : We're watching you very carefully and we're going to do everything in our power to have you impeached for misleading the American people," she said, quoting a letter she sent to the White House. "Beating a political stake in your black heart will be the fulfillment of my life ... ," she said, as the audience of 200 people cheered.

« Enfoncer un pieu politique dans votre cœur maléfique sera l’accomplissement de ma vie. » Non, elle n’est pas contente.