The medium isn't the message, actually

The moment of "blog triumphalism" is upon us. This may sound like odd news to you, since it's entirely possible that you still don't know what a blog is. If you're in the dark, hie thee to the nearest Internet search engine and type in the word.

The phrase blog triumphalism speaks to the growing sense of optimism, self-confidence and power — and, perhaps, depending on one's perspective, arrogance and even hubris — that characterizes the bloggerati's mood these days. Virtual taxidermists are taking orders to stuff the carcasses of all sorts of Mainstream Media ("MSM") mastodons bagged by the bloggers. New York Times editor Howell Raines and CNN news chief Eason Jordan top the list of felled beasts. Dan Rather, meanwhile, (like Sen. Trent Lott) was merely tranquilized and de-fanged. .

Oddly enough, the establishment media can't stop writing about blogs. The P.R. and marketing industries kowtow to them. And politicians are getting on the bandwagon. Sen. Jon Corzine of New Jersey boasts of being the first senator to mention the word "blog" on the Senate floor — a nice thing, I suppose, but an accomplishment that does not endanger the current headcount on Mount Rushmore either. .

The "conservative" blogs contain some of the best writing ever seen; the "liberal" blogs contain some of the worst writing ever unread and unreadable. Blogs are the full spectrum of writing; journalism is just a sliver on the spectrum -- down at the liberal end, approaching virtual unreadability.

The major difference is that conservative writing seeks to understand itself -- while liberal writing invariably looks for somebody else to blame for all that goes wrong. Any intelligent person knows that one develops a much greater understanding criticizing and correcting his own fallibilities and flaws than pointing them out in others. In other words, the complacent, self-satisfied liberals won't ever improve -- but want instead, for the rest of the world to agree that they are the epitome of perfection, enlightenment, attainment.

Is there any wonder why there is this divergence in the development of conservative and liberal blogs? Very truly, the liberal blogs only aspire to ape the mainstream media -- while the conservative blogs are blazing the trail beyond, where mainstream media cannot even imagine being. They don't have the talent gene pool -- having screened out all those who did not meet their political conformity purges. Although they have nobody to blame but themselves, rest assured, they will blame everybody but themselves. That is the trademark of dysfunction and disintegration. They've cornered the gene pool of squeaky wheels.

conservative writing seeks to understand itself -- while liberal writing invariably looks for somebody else to blame for all that goes wrong...

The idea has a lot going for it. We might want to use this train of thought to carry off them that blame crime, the deficit, and unemployment on foreigners. It especially makes sense considering that the accompaning solution is usually higher taxes and bigger government.

Three years ago general concensus had Jonah as perpetually a day late and a fresh idea short. Looks like blogging is proving a (butchered) Yogiism, "no one blogs anymore, the blogospheres' are always too busy."

What's my point, not sure myself, Jonah is using the old nugget to keep the bloggers' attention turned elsewhere. Yeah, maybe that's it.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.