ABC's Peter Jennings exhibited hints of leftist concerns on the Late Show

Media Research Center via E-Mail | December 26, 2001

[PJ-Comix]

Friday night on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman, ABC's Peter Jennings exhibited hints of leftist concerns as he twice fretted about the difference between "nationalism" and "patriotism," pleading for people to "respect the differences that exist in the country...especially...on the issue of patriotism," asserted that "campaigning against terrorism around the world" is "just too simple" since "there are a lot of root causes for dissatisfaction around the world," maintained global leadership is "not just American business or selling American culture around the world," and bemoaned how "Americans are pretty insular people for the most part."

Appearing on the December 21 show to promote the New Year's Eve coverage planned by ABC News in prime time, Jennings recalled:

"I spent a Saturday night in a high school in Boulder, Colorado filming, for a new series we're doing on the country, a high school production of Hair. Very white, suburban neighborhood, mostly Republican kids, I thought. I was immensely struck about their attitudes toward patriotism and their attitudes about nationalism and they helped me listen and look for it in other places and you do find it. You know, there are many definitions of patriotism, there's confusion between patriotism and nationalism. So yes, I think the country in the wake of September has looked very closely at itself, tried hard to understand ourselves. I think some of the public leaders have just been awesome. I know you've heard this a hundred times on his program, I think the Mayor and the President just had the right tone for so long."

Letterman soon wondered if it's important for leaders to ask for sacrifice in order to provide the "notion we are all in this together?" Jennings lectured Americans:

"I also think it's very important for us to respect the differences that exist in the country. I think that's especially true on the issue of patriotism. I think next year's going to be very challenging. The Middle East is going to be a huge challenge. What happens in the Southern Philippines in terms of terrorism. What's going to happen between India and Pakistan. I mean, I sometimes think India and Pakistan can hardly wait to attack each other. They both have nuclear weapons. And it isn't just about campaigning against terrorism around the world. That's just too simple. There are a lot of root causes for dissatisfaction around the world and I think for the country to exercise real global leadership, when globalization in itself is kind of complicated, it's not just American business or selling American culture around the world. I think it's a very big challenge for a leader to get us all engaged in that because, you know, Americans are pretty insular people for the most part."

But unlike Jennings, who is still a Canadian citizen, we are Americans.

[PJ-Comix]

Once again Peter Jennings proves himself to be a total IDIOT. Despite that refined sounding Canadian accent, Jennings is really dumb Dumb DUMB. Several years ago Jennings made a fool of himself in a documentary about how the dropping of the A-Bomb on Hiroshima was unneccessary because the Japanese were about to surrender anyway (conveniently forgetting that the Japanese did NOT surrender until after a SECOND A-Bomb was dropped on Nagasaki). Then about a year or two ago Jennings took up the mantle of Biblical Scholar and told us what Jesus was really about (Sorry Peter, but you're not THAT St. Peter).

Now the moron from the North learns a simplistic debating point: that we must distinguish between "nationalism" and "patriotism." Jennings thinks he can make this analogy and somehow we will think of him as a great analytical thinker. Sorry, Peter, but we still think you are a moron who has learned to recite some insipid point without really thinking. BTW, I would love to see a list of books that Peter Jennings has REALLY read.

This report will soon appear on the MRC.ORG website.

[NeoCaveman]

Classic leftist "workers of the world unite" Communist jibberish from Peterless Jennings.... he sickens me.

[Constitution Day]

What more should we expect from a high-school dropout?

[mgc1122]

I agree, this undereducated overpaid Canadian putz is the walking definition for what is wrong with American journalism

[bandleader]

How did Mr.Jennings determine that these kids were mostly"Republican"?Was it because they displayed something(that among the leftists of his ilk has become a pejorative)Partiotism???

[mbb bill]

Jennings is pure socialists as he filters the news!!

[OldFriend]

Good grief......babble babble babble.......and he doesn't even know how dumb he is!!!

[Fiddlstix]

.....this undereducated overpaid Canadian putz is the walking definition for what is wrong with American journalism

Well Said!
C

[eFudd]

I wonder if it ever occurred to Peter that being a citizen of one country, and then making your living off of another country puts him in a very tenuous position when it comes to lecturing anybody about patriotism.

He has transcended the garden variety hypocracy and is achieving new heights of denial.

What is Peter afraid of really? That the sheep will wake up and kick non-citizens out or give them a second class level of rights.

This, I think, is the basis of his arguments. And as usual for a liberal, his argument is completely self serving.

[PJ-Comix]

I agree, this undereducated overpaid Canadian putz is the walking definition for what is wrong with American journalism

Peter also spent a large part of his stationing in Lebanon shtooping some well known Palestinian chick so he thinks this makes him some sort of Mideast expert.

[Prysson]

I find it interesting...and annoying..that liberals always say we have to be accepting and understanding and tolerant to diverse opinions when their position is so out of whack that it angers any sensible person to hear it. Yet when you turn on the news what do you hear about them and their opinions, banning santa claus, renaming christmas trees multicultural trees...womens groups that run around screaming that men are all rapists and oppresssors, whites are all racists..I mean their very language is the most intolerant thing I could imagine...but when they go to far and tick off normal americans by supporting people like John Taliban Walker they scold us and remind us that we need to be tolerant..in short they mean we need to shut up...I personally am through being "tolerant" of liberals and their stupid hand wringing, victimist ideology.

[opbuzz]

The last time I was in Boulder, it seemed like an outright liberal bastion of counter culturalism. Of course, that was twenty years ago...

[msupvr]

Interesting that he says that Americans should respect the differences in the world (by ignoring stereotypes?), yet he says that these HS kids in Colorado were mostly Republicans?! Sorry to stereotype (not really), but this flaming Canuck liberal is a total HYPOCRITE!

[bluetoad]

Once again, on every stagnate pond (ABC New) the scum (Peter Jennings) always raises to the top.

[PJ-Comix]

Let's not be too harsh on poor Peter. He has learned to recite something about the difference between patriotism and nationalism to make himself appear thoughtful. Now that he has learned to recite that analogy, he is like a kid with a new toy. And, hey, it is a hell of a lot easier to recite insipid analogies than to actually spend a lot of time reading about history.

Which reminds me. I still would love to see Peter Jennings' book list.

[Alas Babylon!]

Peter also spent a large part of his stationing in Lebanon shtooping some well known Palestinian chick...

Is this her?

[the catfish]

This Canadaian POS calles Americans NORROW MINDED?

[prambo]

Don't waste good ordnance.

"We fart in your general direction."

Then again, I wouldn't find finding old Pete out and about - a little in-your-face, maximum decibel confrontation might be a new type of Christmas gift.

prambo

[PJ-Comix]

No. Believe it or not, the Palestinian chick that Jennings was shtooping was actually uglier than the one in the picture. She is well known but really ugly. I know that Jennings once had the hots for Terry Murphy in L.A. (he called her a lot after his broadcasts) but that I could understand because Terry was quite good looking but why he shtooped the Palestinian chick is beyond me unless Peter considered it part of his reportorial duties.