What they fail to mention, however, is that Free Republic is not a "blog". It is a "Forum".
Just like the Roman Forum may have contained thousands of people on a given morning, from Cicero to Julius Caesar to a Vestal Virgin to a centurion to a Greek slave to a street urchin, Free Republic's Forum, on any given day can contain thousands of people with more collective experience that 60 Minutes could ever assembled in one place.
From practicing law to presiding over the Roman Senate to performing religious ceremonies to planning a military campaign to conquer all of Gaul to fighting in the ranks of a Legion to teaching mathematics to cooking a banquet for 50 people to stealing a purse, somebody at the Roman Forum at that particular morning had years of personal experience at it.
Likewise, the experience of the Free Republic Forum is not merely individual but collective.
From writing software to performing surgery to landing an F-14 on the deck of a carrier to writing military memos with 1970's era typewriters, a FReeper in the Free Republic Forum has been there and done that.
The "multiple layers of checks and balances at 60 Minutes" amount to what? A couple of dozen staffers?
Free Republic's multiple layers of checks and balances are composed of thousands of individuals with more decades of collective experience than the entire 60 Minutes research department has years of life.
I’m proud to be part of it.
Dunno what I can contribute, but I’m happy.
Well put. And the MSM doesn’t understand that, and probably is structurally and ideologically incapable of ever understanding that.
They do mention it. From the reports introduction:
Despite the fact that the initial questions about the CBS story were posted on a discussion forum instead of a blog,
And obsequious ones at that, who tend to give those above them what they want to hear. Some check and balance.
THAT is an excellent observation. Good job.
You nailed who we are quite nicely..