When I started this site two years ago, nearly to the day -- the big anniversary was this past 4th, in case you missed it, and was coronated nationwide with large fireworks displays, barbecues, and parades. It was lovely, and quite touching. My thanks to all who showed their appreciation for what transpires here by participating -- I was a frustrated grad student disheartened by the state of debate and analysis of the pressing political issues in the country. 9/11 was three years down the road, the war in Iraq was nearing its first "mission accomplished" accolade, and the tight presidential election was drawing to its agonizing close, yet the nabobs on CNN's Crossfire -- sadly then acknowledged as one of the best places to get well-rounded debate and examination of the issues -- could still be found shouting past each other every night over the threat of gay unions to the institution of marriage or whether Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff, and the Enron gang were really all that bad.
And this was an allegedly non-partisan, unbiased source. Meanwhile the gang at Hannity & Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor, and Rush Limbaugh's eponymous radio show were left to bring the unvarnished truth -- fair, balanced, and ringing with liberty -- to the poor, huddled masses. So rather than cry about it to my room- and classmates, I decided to rely on my newspaper background and create a forum, no matter how meager (and believe me, despite the accolades the site has gotten in the intervening time -- featured during the last election and ranked as a host site fave now, as well as pseudo-syndicated on other sites -- the number of people I regularly reach is less than the number of slices in a jumbo pizza, most likely) to address the issue.
The goal then and now was simple -- to foster debate on the topics that are of critical importance to our world today, yet are treated with an almost deafening silence by the vast majority.
American Idol discussions light up the chat rooms and garner pages upon pages of coverage in various newspapers, magazines and TV news broadcasts, yet the ones that really mattered -- justifications for the war in Iraq, lessons and failures from the tragedy of 9/11, examination of the legality of wire-tapping programs, secret prisons and Guantanamo, and the president's continuous consolidation of power -- get next to nothing, hidden more securely than a skier at the bottom of an avalanche. And so by highlighting various news stories and journal or magazine articles I felt were key, the aim was to start a conversation -- to force people to engage subjects that, for whatever reason, they were avoiding or neglecting and dig that unfortunate downhiller out from the mountain of snow above him, bringing a little light to the darkness around him, so to speak.
The point, as I said in that inaugural post, was to pause and reflect, to think and then engage rather than spout off immediately with instinctive, reactionary responses. The aim was to observe, in essence, the Jewish concept of Shiva, taking time for reflection and inner dialogue before offering one's thoughts and opinions on a situation. And I hope that is what has been given -- nuanced arguments and carefully considered comments that come from days (and now weeks) of thought and discussion.
Because not much has changed in the surrounding media. Crossfire may be off the air, but the rest of them remain, and mainstream media coverage has by and large gotten worse over that span, spending hours and hours of time prattling on about runaway brides or missing teenagers in Aruba in lieu of deteriorating situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine. As it was before, there are pockets of value and hope -- a handful of scattered skiers saved while the city remains buried in snow -- though they are few and far between.
The main problem is the need these outlets feel to present both sides of the story, giving more or less equal time to the opposing camps, when the validity and credence of what some are saying does not warrant this parity. It's one thing to give equal time to a debate over the psychological effects of assisted suicide on families or how an abundance of fiber in the diet affects heart disease and the risk of cancer in the body. It's another thing entirely, though, to do so when the other side's arguments are unqualified, based in opinion over fact, or have been refuted altogether.
It would be like asking a veterinarian how the former affects families or a mechanic how bran biologically affects the heart and putting their thoughts on equal footing with a psychiatrist's and a cardiologist's -- it's preposterous; the equivalent of giving equal time to those who still maintain the world is flat or deny evolution despite nearly infinite amounts of evidence to the contrary. But it happens all the time, and until it stops we are going to continue to be starved for real political debate and textured, nuanced analysis of the issues that affect all of our lives.
Until it does, we're going to continue to have large numbers of Americans who believe the Bush tax cuts are actually beneficial for the middle and lower classes and not wildly skewed towards the top ten percent; who believe that Saddam and Osama were working together for 9/11 and that somehow the former was responsible, thus justifying his removal from power; and who believe the President was truthful in the runup to the Iraq war and that its WMDs are still lingering out there somewhere, just waiting to be found; as polls frequently show. To sum up, no, they aren't, no, he didn't, and no, they're not.
And yet papers, magazines, and newscasts here constantly present arguments such as these as though they haven't repeatedly proven false; as though they are an actual, valid point that needs to be considered before making a final judgment rather than a spurious claim worthy of no more thought or energy than assertions trying to convince you the world is flat. I feel we've done a good job here over the years dissecting the issues and sifting through the bullshit, keeping a spotlight on the real area of discussion and not allowing ourselves to get lost in the ever-burgeoning sea of rhetoric and irrationality.
Thus it is with somewhat heavy heart I declare that I will no longer be able to do so. Due to an unfortunate byproduct of my new job for the government, I have been informed I will no longer be able to post without permission, and thus -- due to the stance I so often take here, one critical of the merry band of idiots running the show -- this will be my last posting for the site. And while the environment is nowhere near as improved as I'd have liked -- I'd always secretly hoped to have a little "mission accomplished" party of my own for my last post, replete with snug jumpsuits and cocksure swagger under giant, rippling banners, once the political discourse in this country had become more fulfilling than a lifetime of stale rice cakes -- I feel that at least among the meager circle of readers here, positive change has been affected.
Debates, both online and off, have been generated, arguments refined, beliefs tested, and allegiances questioned, much for the better of all involved. And so now the task is to continue the project in your necks of the woods -- when you're in line at the movies, sitting at the local Starbucks, or sucking back cocktails at the local bar. We must continue the conversation and force people to justify their opinions, jettisoning that which cannot be shown to be true, no matter how comforting or convenient. We must prove to our leaders that the public is interested in these matters and capable of having an honest, intelligent discussion about them; that the adolescent complacence and intellectually diminished stupor we've been lulled into is neither desired nor satisfying. In short, we must lead this country and those wary of how it is now being run out of the darkness of the rabbit hole we've descended into and back to where we were before.
It is, as I wrote in that first Independence Day post, "the perfect day for a new beginning":
"Today is a day to reflect upon the things that made this country great upon its founding. Principles, ideals, and thoughts about a better way of living and doing things that transcend the years and guide the heart and mind. Belief in an idea; in the strength of the human spirit and in a path of action that is relentlessly scrutinized and constantly refined, and thus fundamentally correct; in people who demand more than a blind acceptance of explanations or the status quo and who are always seeking answers to the question, 'Why.' These are the things you should expect from me and the criteria you should evaluate my writings on. So welcome to the Lines of Lattitude, where the obvious is always questioned and the questions being wrestled with aren't always obvious."
I want to sincerely thank all of you the support and comments over the years and ask that you remember two things -- 1) The answers are out there, if you're willing to do a little digging and 2) Our officials are elected to represent us, not ignore us, so keep up the fight. We'll right this ship yet. Until I find you all again -- thank you.
Until next time, my friends... --T
