Couple of things
- First and foremost, I have been sans internet at the house for more than a week now. Apparently lightning damaged our ethernet card or something - as well as knocking out our downstairs TV, TiVo, DVD player and a portable phone - so there has been little activity on my part. Hopefully on Wednesday some kind folks from Dell are going to come out and replace my motherboard (something which sounds very ominous, but actually isn't).
- The NFL Draft happened this past week, and the Houston Texans earn the award for the most mind-puzzling first round pick in the history of the league by taking North Carolina State's Mario Williams over Southern Cal's Reggie Bush. Because everyone wants a defensive end over a human highlight reel. Still, I'm not a huge believer Bush is going to be that successful in the NFL. I think you're getting more Eric Metcalf in him rather than more Gale Sayers, but then again I thought Joey Harrington was going to be the next John Elway, so what do I know?
- I do know the value of North Carolina State players was greatly inflated. Three first round picks? From the Wolfpack's defensive line? Was North Carolina State a BCS team last year, and I just missed it? You would have thought it was the greatest defense in the history of college football, and not one which finished ranked fourth in the ACC.
- From Treasury Secretary John Snow on the latest Social Security projections:
If we don't action soon to reform both of these programs, the coming demographic bulge that we face will drive federal spending to unprecendented levels ... and threaten the nation's future prosperity.
Because an endless war in Iraq, massive federal budgets deficits run up by his boss and large quantities of national debt financed by China don't pose any threat to our economic outlook ... especially compared with something which is projected to happen 34 years from now.
- Talk about out of context. This letter is full of historical inaccuracies and broad generalizations. I enjoy how Murray Fox admits he would gladly die for the freedom of speech ... well, except for this one time since he feels Gary Trudeau should leave the country. As an aside, I absolutely love the whole concept of the editor's note. It's saying 'we're letting you say what you want, but, by the way, you're horribly wrong and here's why.'
- The NFL Draft happened this past week, and the Houston Texans earn the award for the most mind-puzzling first round pick in the history of the league by taking North Carolina State's Mario Williams over Southern Cal's Reggie Bush. Because everyone wants a defensive end over a human highlight reel. Still, I'm not a huge believer Bush is going to be that successful in the NFL. I think you're getting more Eric Metcalf in him rather than more Gale Sayers, but then again I thought Joey Harrington was going to be the next John Elway, so what do I know?
- I do know the value of North Carolina State players was greatly inflated. Three first round picks? From the Wolfpack's defensive line? Was North Carolina State a BCS team last year, and I just missed it? You would have thought it was the greatest defense in the history of college football, and not one which finished ranked fourth in the ACC.
- From Treasury Secretary John Snow on the latest Social Security projections:
If we don't action soon to reform both of these programs, the coming demographic bulge that we face will drive federal spending to unprecendented levels ... and threaten the nation's future prosperity.
Because an endless war in Iraq, massive federal budgets deficits run up by his boss and large quantities of national debt financed by China don't pose any threat to our economic outlook ... especially compared with something which is projected to happen 34 years from now.
- Talk about out of context. This letter is full of historical inaccuracies and broad generalizations. I enjoy how Murray Fox admits he would gladly die for the freedom of speech ... well, except for this one time since he feels Gary Trudeau should leave the country. As an aside, I absolutely love the whole concept of the editor's note. It's saying 'we're letting you say what you want, but, by the way, you're horribly wrong and here's why.'
posted by Jmac at 7:57 AM
5 Comments:
I love when he says, "I enjoy and will, if needed, die for freedom of speech, but that cartoon was an atrocity."
LOL... contradiction, much?
No. The contradiction only comes in, perhaps, when he tells Trudeau "find your soul if you still have one. If not, get out of the country. Soon." If we read that as some sort of implicit threat, then we can say that he contradicts himself.
But the simple fact that he thinks Trudeau's cartoon was an "atrocity" in no way contradicts his belief that freedom of speech is a good thing (worth dying for).
The fact that you have free speech doesn't mean that I can't disapprove of what you say. You've said this yourself on your own blog in the past, Amber.
Oh, and I thought his letter was poorly-reasoned, self-righteous, and silly. Just so we're clear.
Well, right, which is why my argument was that Fox instructing Trudeau to leave the country was tantamount to denying him free speech. It's not simply saying 'that's atrocious' but rather saying, since I don't like what you have to say, you must leave the country and it's blanket protection of free speech.
My comment was meant to be a response to Amber's first comment. Sorry for the confusion, JMac.
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