Well, the wackos are out in force, as one might expect, trashing Al Gore

[Jackpine Radical]

and, in the process, debasing truth and decency. Not that we should expect better of the likes of Fox & CNN & the whole cadre of Shrill Shills that form the national Punditocracy.

Earlier I started what I intended as a light-hearted thread proclaiming Al the winner of a (nonexistent) Nobel Prize in Science for inventing the Internet, and all sorts of people jumped all over me. Maybe rightly. I don't intend to debate that whole sideshow or expend a lot of energy to defend myself. (Just a quick thanks to those who understood my intent, and an apology to those whose nerves I rubbed.) Now that I've had a look at the depths to which the Mainstreamers are sinking in their attacks on Gore, I more fully appreciate why some were not amused. How sadly often I have seen today's satire become tomorrow's bitter truth! And the cycle is picking up its pace. This morning's jest has become this afternoon's hemlock.

Anyway, I just want to say that it really pains me to see this nation so divided, so capable of irrationality, that ideas like global warming and threats to the environment from human activity are even considered controversial, with our know-nothing press giving equal credence to the professional liars and to the scientists. What have we become, what will become of us? Any organism, any society, that deliberately blinds itself to harsh reality is deliberately setting itself upon the path to extinction. As someone who grew up in the shadow of the New Deal, and was educated at a time when science seemed about to replace religion in the public esteem, I guess I never made the changes necessary to keep up with the times. I never bought into post-modernism. There is a difference between truth and lies. There is a difference between informed judgment and ignorant opinion. And reality is gonna slam us hard if we as a culture persist in filling our information channels with irrelevant, vicious, destructive, and just plain wrong content.

I have in all seriousness hoped Gore would throw himself into the race. I gave money for the NYT ad. But, in watching the reactions of this nation to his Nobel Prize, I'm having second thoughts. I think maybe we don't deserve him. I think maybe he's just too good for us. I don't mean he THINKS he's too good for us. I mean he IS too good, too truly decent, for us. The media would gravely injure him on the way to the White House, and they would make a "dead man walking" of him--that is, render him totally ineffective-once he got there.

[PassingFair]

1. You could say the same thing for ALL of us.

We are all facing the same reality.

We must ALL fight the good fight.

I am disappointed that he missed his second chance.

(But I still have a TINY scintilla of hope that he won't.) :)

[Swamp Rat]

2. Nothing can change the fact that Al Gore made me once again feel proud of my country.

Nothing. :) :patriot:

[BattyDem]

4. I feel the same way, Swamp Rat.

:-) :patriot:

[Swamp Rat]

6. Folks should write Keith Olbermann and suggest he give an editorial comment

at the end of tonight's show about the negative propaganda coming from corporate media.

This should be a joyous occasion for ALL Americans. :patriot:

[BattyDem]

3. It's not the nation's reaction to the Nobel prize ...

it's the RW, corporate media's reaction. Big difference. But I agree with you ... if he ran, the media would be relentless! :-(

I guess I'm selfish because even though I know what he would face, I still want him to run. We can debate all night about whether or not this country deserves him, but I think we can both agree ... this country NEEDS him.

[2Design]

5. exactly

But, in watching the reactions of this nation to his Nobel Prize, I'm having second thoughts. I think maybe we don't deserve him. I think maybe he's just too good for us. I don't mean he THINKS he's too good for us. I mean he IS too good, too truly decent, for us. The media would gravely injure him on the way to the White House, and they would make a "dead man walking" of him--that is, render him totally ineffective-once he got there.

[WinkyDink]

7. I repeat: They need to GET OVER IT!! HAHA!

[marions ghost]

8. You're getting at something

that I've been thinking also.

There is so much that is truly sick and disgusting about the way this country tortures --and literally attempts to destroy-- those who run for the highest political offices. This has been raised to new heights of viciousness and depravity by the Neo-cons and the corporate media is totally complicit. Why would a good person who is doing well in other arenas really WANT to be brutalized by this "process" (it's really not civilized enough to call it a process) again?

Where I don't agree with you is that I think we DO "deserve" AL Gore. But the process to elect him is so objectionable that it has prevented, and likely will prevent him in the future--from answering our pleas for an intelligent, honorable, inspirational president. AL Gore can still remain one of OUR "leaders" (operating outside our corrupted government) but it's possible he's just given up on this broken system.

This absurdity, this insanity--is undermining the country now.

Maybe we all want to believe that Al actually wants the job because to think that he doesn't means we're just drifting on the raft watching the ship go down. We've been abandoned.