Posted on 12/26/2001 4:59:29 AM PST by PJ-Comix
Confronting liberal bias as it occurs. Last week when CNN's Aaron Brown set up an interview segment by tagging Shelby Steele as "a conservative," but simply describing Richard Cohen as "a columnist," Steele called him on it, forcing Brown to concede that Cohen is a liberal.
MRC analyst Ken Shepherd caught the incident which occurred on the December 18 NewsNight. Brown set up the segment on the 10pm EST show: "There was that remarkable meeting a few weeks back in the prison in Mazar-e Sharif of two young men -- and to some, two different cultures. Two different American cultures. CIA officer Mike Spann, a former Marine, a child of small-town Alabama, whose family said he always wanted to serve his country. And in that prison, before he was killed, he met John Walker, a 20-year-old from Marin County, California, fighting with the Taliban, whose parents sent him to an alternative school, supported his conversion to Islam, and allowed him to travel across the world to pursue his new religion. Some conservatives jumped on Walker, saying he is a product of cultural liberalism -- the California kind -- helping to turn an impressionable kid against his own country.
"Joining us from Salinas, California, one of those conservatives, Shelby Steele of the Hoover Institution. Mr. Steele wrote a provocative article the other day in the Wall Street Journal -- a column in the Journal. And here in New York, a columnist who thinks Mr. Steele is making an awfully broad generalization: Richard Cohen of the Washington Post. It's nice to have both of you here. Mr. Steele."
Steele protested: "First of all, let me interrupt you just a minute."
Brown: "Okay."
Steele queried: "Is Richard Cohen a liberal?"
Brown: "Yeah, Richard Cohen's a liberal. I think he would say that, wouldn't he?"
Steele: "Just wanted to make sure we were both-"
Cohen reluctantly admitted: "On this issue."
Brown: "On this issue. Okay. Everyone is now branded, I guess." Steele reasonably suggested: "Okay, great. If I'm going to be, everybody's going to be."
Brown proceeded to recall an earlier assessment by a conservative which many reporters did not appreciate: "Let me try and get, let me try and get a little control back. A few years back, Newt Gingrich blamed liberalism for Susan Smith's decision to kill her own children in South Carolina. And I think when some people hear the argument you're making they're thinking about that and that seemed a bit of a stretch then. Are they, are these different issues or is this the same thing?"
Steele has provided an excellent model for the new year for how conservative guests on TV shows can correct liberal bias on the fly. -- Brent Baker, trapped with unlabeled liberals in Taxachusetts
Not entirely true. 400 (really 500-600) years ago, the Muslim, Chinese, Indian (Mogul) and European civilizations were on an approximately level playing field. This was at a level that had not changed dramatically for thousands of years. Western Civ took off from that point, leaving all others in the dust. As you point out, this was mainly due to technology.
But why did WC develop science when others (notably China), despite a big early lead, did not? Very interesting subject.
Brown spent a lot of time on the Seattle locals before moving on, that pretty much explains it.
I actually like the fact that Jeff Cohen is on Fox. He is a liberal and is labeled as such. He isn't portrayed as just some neutral commentator as he would be on other networks. I don't mind if conservatives are labeled as conservatives as long as liberals are labeled as liberals.
Good point, but I still despise the little varmint!
Anyhow, Seasons Greetings!
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