AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
Who Didn’t See This One Coming?
AmerÂiÂca’s 42nd presÂiÂdent spoke this weekÂend at HarÂvard’s Class Day, a traÂdiÂtionÂal event held for gradÂuÂatÂing seniors. While Class Day often feaÂtures pop icons and comeÂdiÂans — take this speech by Ali G from a few yeas ago — ClinÂton’s speech was a bit more seriÂous and ideÂalÂisÂtic, and it reminds us that there may be again a day when we can look to the White House for subÂstance and inspiÂraÂtion. This too shall pass. You can watch Part 1 of his preÂsenÂtaÂtion below. Here are links to Parts 2 and 3.
YouTube’s Impact on the 2008 Election: The Hype and the Fact
YouTube is a litÂtle more than two years old. It’s a mere todÂdler. But, it’s now owned by an overÂgrown, fulÂly-beardÂed nine year old. Yes, that would be Google, and that means that YouTube is ready to storm its way into the media mainÂstream, pamÂpers and all. You can be sure that GooTube has already cooked up sevÂerÂal strateÂgies that will lead the video unit to media domÂiÂnaÂtion. But, even to the untrained media observÂer, it’s fairÂly clear that Google’s video unit has choÂsen the 2008 elecÂtion as an areÂna in which it intends to comÂpete with othÂer major media outÂfits for eyeÂballs. In April, YouTube launched its politÂiÂcal chanÂnel CitÂiÂzenÂTube (get more info here) and, along with it, its first major line of video proÂgramÂming called You Choose ’08. The conÂcept here is simÂple and promisÂing: CitÂiÂzens ask quesÂtions to the ’08 canÂdiÂdates, and the canÂdiÂdates respond. The results, howÂevÂer, have been largeÂly disÂapÂpointÂing. When you strip everyÂthing away, what you get are politiÂcians speakÂing the same platÂiÂtudes that we’ve seen for decades on TV. (See a samÂple reply here.) The only difÂferÂence is that the video qualÂiÂty is worse, and they’re manÂagÂing to get their platÂiÂtudes in front of a young demoÂgraphÂic, which is no small feat. For betÂter or for worse, YouTube is to the ’08 elecÂtion what MTV (rememÂber Bill playÂing the sax?) was to the ’92 elecÂtion. While neiÂther CitÂiÂzenÂTube nor the politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns are using the video platÂform in revÂoÂluÂtionÂary ways, the milÂlions of averÂage users who make YouTube what it is are doing a betÂter job of it. Of parÂticÂuÂlar interÂest is the way in which videos are emergÂing on YouTube that counter images being careÂfulÂly proÂjectÂed by canÂdiÂdates and their camÂpaigns. Here are two quick examÂples. GOP canÂdiÂdate Mitt RomÂney has been preÂdictably workÂing to cast himÂself as a social conÂserÂvÂaÂtive. Twice in recent months, he has shown up at Pat RobertÂson’s Regent UniÂverÂsiÂty to delivÂer lines like this:
But then, howÂevÂer inconÂveÂnientÂly, videos from Mitt RomÂney’s past politÂiÂcal camÂpaigns show up on YouTube, ones which should make evanÂgelÂiÂcals think twice, and there is not much RomÂney can do about it. The past hurts, but it doesÂn’t lie: Then there is Hillary ClinÂton. She’s got the monÂey, the parÂty machine is backÂing her, tryÂing to wrap up the nomÂiÂnaÂtion with a bow. But then a damnÂing attack ad crops up on YouTube. This pitch for Barack ObaÂma remixÂes the “1984” TV ad that famousÂly introÂduced Apple comÂputÂers to AmerÂiÂca, and it casts Hillary as a politÂiÂcal automaÂton, an image that rings true for many. (The ObaÂma camÂpaign denies havÂing anyÂthing do with the video, and its creÂator remains unknown.) It is with videos like these that YouTube gets politÂiÂcalÂly interÂestÂing. Just as quickÂly as a politÂiÂcal camÂpaign projects an image for RomÂney or ClinÂton, your averÂage web user can scrounge up footage that calls that image into quesÂtion. A retort is always posÂsiÂble, which was nevÂer the case on TV. And the cost of delivering/countering a mesÂsage runs next to nothÂing. Again a first. YouTube equalÂizes, and it isn’t a terÂrain on which the rich can instantÂly claim vicÂtoÂry. Just ask RomÂney and his over $200 milÂlion in perÂsonÂal wealth. What good has it done him in YouTube land? |
America’s Perception Problem in the Middle East
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What partÂly explains this shift is how the war has been refractÂed through the MidÂdle EastÂern media. Ever since Al Jazeera startÂed airÂing in 1996 (you can watch it here in EngÂlish), the MidÂdle East has had its own free media and seen events through its own lens. And, in the case of the Iraq war, it has meant seeÂing what we don’t see — the unsanÂiÂtized war, the bodÂies, the levÂeled buildÂings, etc. — but also much more munÂdane things that shape overÂall impresÂsions. It means seeÂing, for examÂple, how tone-deaf US spokesÂmen in BaghÂdad show up at jourÂnalÂist conÂferÂences in Abu Dhabi (a comÂpleteÂly non-milÂiÂtary event outÂside of Iraq) in army fatigues, leavÂing essenÂtialÂly the impresÂsion that the US sees the largÂer MidÂdle East as a milÂiÂtary stage. PinÂtak knows the region well, and he articÂuÂlates AmerÂiÂca’s perÂcepÂtion probÂlem in a balÂanced and thoughtÂful way. Check it out here: (iTunes — MP3) Also, on a relatÂed note, anyÂone who wants to digg more deeply into MidÂdle EastÂern perÂspecÂtives may want to explore MosaÂic: World News from the MidÂdle East (iTunes Feed). This Peabody award-winÂning podÂcast proÂvides a daiÂly comÂpiÂlaÂtion of teleÂviÂsion news reports from across the MidÂdle East. The news comes from indeÂpenÂdent and state-run news serÂvices, and it is all transÂlatÂed into EngÂlish. |
John Stewart: When Comedians Start Asking the Tough Questions
When Bill MoyÂers returned to PBS two weeks ago, his first proÂgram took a careÂful look at how the mainÂstream media has fallÂen down on the job when it comes to askÂing tough quesÂtions to politiÂcians. GivÂen this startÂing point, it seemed logÂiÂcal for MoyÂers to speak next (iTunes — Feed) with John StewÂart, host of The DaiÂly Show. That’s because adverÂsarÂiÂal jourÂnalÂism is now found more readÂiÂly on ComÂeÂdy CenÂtral than on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, etc. The interÂview with StewÂart, which is quite subÂstanÂtive and worth a lisÂten, makes refÂerÂence to John McCain’s recent appearÂance on The DaiÂly Show and also to Steven ColÂbert’s famous/infamous roast of PresÂiÂdent Bush in 2006. You can watch both below.
AmerÂiÂcan teleÂviÂsion shows have been satÂiÂrizÂing politiÂcians for a long time. That’s not new. But what’s new with StewÂart is that he’s upendÂing the whole point of teleÂviÂsion satire. Whether you look at Jay Leno’s tame humor, or the more bitÂing humor of SatÂurÂday Night Live, the point of the satire has always been to get a laugh. For StewÂart, someÂthing else is going on. Watch the McCain interÂview and you see that the joke is essenÂtialÂly a prop, a conÂveÂnient means of getÂting at someÂthing much more seriÂous, a way of havÂing a blunt, no nonÂsense conÂverÂsaÂtion, preÂciseÂly the kind of conÂverÂsaÂtion that the mainÂstream media has been largeÂly unwillÂing, if not downÂright afraid, to have with our leadÂers.
My Trip to Al Qaeda: A New Yorker Video
You don’t see web video like this too often… On The New YorkÂer web site, you can now catch a video excerpt of a one-man play being staged in NYC by magÂaÂzine staff writer, Lawrence Wright. (Click here to watch.)
The New YorkÂer prefÂaces the video with this:
“This week, the New YorkÂer staff writer Lawrence Wright opened his one-man show, “My Trip to Al-QaeÂda,” at the CulÂture Project, in New York City. Since SepÂtemÂber 11th, Wright has covÂered Al QaeÂda for the magÂaÂzine; last year, he pubÂlished the book “The LoomÂing TowÂer: Al-QaeÂda and the Road to 9/11.” In the course of his work on the roots and the rise of IslamÂic terÂrorÂism, Wright has conÂductÂed more than six hunÂdred interÂviews and travÂelled to Egypt, PakÂistan, Afghanistan, SauÂdi AraÂbia, and much of WestÂern Europe. The play, which he wrote and perÂforms, is a first-perÂson account of his expeÂriÂences, and examÂines, among othÂer themes, the tenÂsion between his roles as jourÂnalÂist and citÂiÂzen.”
Seymour Hersh’s Powerful Charge: US Backing Al-Qaeda Sympathizers to Counter Iran
In the afterÂmath of 9/11, the US began its assault on al-QaeÂda and othÂer SunÂni terÂrorÂist groups. Fast
forÂward to 2003: the US invades Iraq, in part because HusÂsein supÂposÂedÂly has ties to al-QaeÂda, and a new ShiÂite-led govÂernÂment is evenÂtuÂalÂly creÂatÂed. Now fast forÂward anothÂer couÂple of years: we find that the ShiÂite govÂernÂment is sudÂdenÂly getÂting too cozy with Iran, the major leader of the ShiÂite MidÂdle East. The SaudÂis, the major SunÂni powÂer in the region, get nerÂvous. And so, too, are the hawks in WashÂingÂton who fear a potenÂtialÂly nuclear Iran. The result: the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion is now lookÂing to conÂtain ShiÂite powÂer at all costs.
This “re-direcÂtion” has involved develÂopÂing conÂtinÂgency plans for a milÂiÂtary (most likeÂly aerÂiÂal) assault on Iran. And, the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion, in conÂjuncÂtion with the SaudÂis, is even now backÂing (i.e. funÂnelÂing finanÂcial aid to) radÂiÂcal SunÂni groups who oppose ShiÂite authorÂiÂty, even though they also amazÂingÂly have ties with al-QaeÂda. Bizarrely, we’re now indiÂrectÂly helpÂing the very eneÂmy that we iniÂtialÂly set out to destroy. Or so that’s the claim of the Pulitzer Prize-winÂning jourÂnalÂist SeyÂmour Hersh, who famousÂly broke the stoÂries on My Lai and Abu Ghraib.
HerÂsh’s claims are spelled out in a new artiÂcle appearÂing in the latÂest ediÂtion of The New YorkÂer, which is well worth a read. (His othÂer New YorkÂer pieces on the Iran attack plan appear here, here, and here.) You’ll also want to give a lisÂten to his enerÂgetic interÂview on NPR’s Fresh Air (iTunes — Feed — Mp3), where he covÂers much of the same ground.
On a relatÂed note, we’d also refer you to a recent proÂgram aired by Open Source. It, too, deals with likeÂliÂhood of a US invaÂsion of Iran, and tries to figÂure out whether the Bush adminÂisÂtraÂtion’s hardÂenÂing rhetoric is simÂply a risky negoÂtiÂaÂtion stratÂeÂgy, a way to force the IraÂniÂans to the table, or whether it’s a preÂlude to an almost cerÂtain war. You can lisÂten here (Itunes — Mp3) or check out the relatÂed piece on the Open Source blog.
Managing Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
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The UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel has postÂed an inforÂmaÂtive debate over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambiÂtions. It feaÂtures two major experts — Ken Waltz (ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty) and Scott Sagan (StanÂford) — who have had a long runÂning debate over ways to hanÂdle nuclear proÂlifÂerÂaÂtion in genÂerÂal. You can catch the debate here in the folÂlowÂing forÂmats: MP3 audio — MP4 video — StreamÂing video — iTunes. Below, you’ll find the UniÂverÂsiÂty ChanÂnel’s descripÂtion of the debate:
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