Frank Schaeffer: Obama v. Fox News

[Iwillnevergiveup]

Total barn burner - I had to take a deep breath.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Obama vs. FOX News
President Obama is getting criticism for going after Fox News. I fault the White House too: for not going far enough. The real issue is not Fox's right wing "bias." The real issue is that FOX News seems to be trawling for assassins. Here's the letter White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs should write. Or maybe it should come from the head of United States Secret Service.


Dear Rupert Murdoch, since you are responsible for what is on Fox News I have a question for you: Do you ever wonder how you'll be remembered by Americans and the world (not to mention your children) if someone takes a shot at President Obama, and when asked why they did it, quotes the misinformation spouted by Fox News as their "reason"?

You have dozens of far right and dangerous and/or crazy seeming commentators working for you but lets just talk about one as an example of the rest. What of Glenn Beck?

Does the name Father Charles Coughlin ring a bell? Do you want to be remembered as the facilitator of today's version of that deranged radio personality and hater who hounded President Roosevelt? What if a Coughlin devotee had assassinated Roosevelt? Instead of just being a nasty footnote to American history Coughlin would be remembered as another John Wilkes Booth. What if Coughlin had had someone with money and virtually unlimited influence backing him and amplifying his remarks? How would we feel about his backer?

Glenn Beck is a second rate, not terribly bright Coughlin-type demagogue with rather dimwitted followers. And you are the paymaster making his silliness dangerous by giving him a voice that would otherwise be heard only by those who happened to hear him barking at the moon on some lonely street corner.

http://www.frank-schaeffer.blogspot.com/

[Iwillnevergiveup]

1. Looks as if Frank

has more than done his penance for earlier evangelical days. Just finished reading "Crazy for God," and heartily recommend it - especially the last third of the book. Some of the things that occurred in his later life were very surprising.

[Cha]

2. This is brilliant..always like what

Frank Schaeffer has to say. Thanks, Iwillnevergiveup.

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. I doubt Rupert gives a shit

He is a bastard through and through.

[yurbud]

10. better explanation: he thinks he will be one of history's winners, and winners get to write

the history, which is why what Hitler did to the Jews is called the Holocaust and what we did to Native Americans isn't even called anything at all.

On the other hand, the Rupert Murdoch's of the world could win in the short run, much like the Catholic Church did with the Inquisition, but be permanently stained by their actions a millennium later.

The only problem with that is we are getting the rack, the thumbscrew, and the pear right now, so history a thousand years hence isn't any comfort.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Not afraid of saying it the way it is....He has no need to pussyfoot around.

[niyad]

5. thank you, frank, for saying it as it should be said.

[MindandSoul]

6. Great letter!

This really needs to be forwarded to the power that be!
You are completely right! Go for it!

[PoliticolAtheist]

7. What would you think of me if...

I said that I trust no man to decide what is best for me. Value is something that is interpreted individually, which can be the only explanation of sentimental value. Why cant we, as people who care for the world around us, just let ourselves decide what is best on an individual basis. Those who have a tendency to choose well will be the example to others of moral and progressive achievement. This example will set trends of higher wealth (however you define wealth does not matter). Those who destroy wealth would be pushed out of the progressive social structure by the individuals who make up the structure. What if I decided that idea A was better than idea B. Who will be the one to lose if I am wrong? Only those who believe and partake in idea A. If we think outside the political system we can build a better world through example. Just like Gandhi, MLK jr, Jesus or whoever you believe to be an example of morality. These people have had a more lasting and better effect on our world than any government body. It is man who both destroys the world and creates it to be better. When we give men the power to control other men, corruption breeds. A world of voluntary government is not perfect but as the Declaration of Independence put it, it is "more perfect".

[mzmolly]

8. A must read! K and R.

:kick:

[yurbud]

9. wow. He nailed it.

[democracy1st]

11. K & R

[Enthusiast]

12. Frank is stating the obvious

to regular readers of DU. But I have even heard so-called Democrats complain that President Obama called out Fixed Noise.

Every Independent, Democrat AND Republican should be calling out Faux for their programming. Faux is doing a great disservice to this country by providing us with nothing but lies and obfuscation.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

13. Frank knows of which he speaks

He had years of mingling with all the future teabaggers, birthers, deathers & other assorted lunatics. Great insight and communication skill.