ABC needs to rein in the rise of abuse posing as analysis

[Violet_Crumble]

That's the Australian ABC, not the American one. And according to Gerard Henderson, it's the Australian ABC that needs to stop it with the violent and hateful language, not Sarah Palin and the American Right. A most amusing article. Enjoy!

The attempted killing of United States Democrat congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, allegedly by 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, has sparked a blame game as to who is responsible for the murders and the mayhem outside a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, at the weekend.

It was not surprising that some voices on the American left were quick to sheet home the blame to the Tea Party movement in general and former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin in particular. There were also hints that the Fox News channel had blood on its hands.

<snip>

On ABC News Breakfast yesterday the co-presenters Mary Gearin and Waleed Aly made it clear early in the program that they saw the hostility to Barack Obama's program - as exemplified in the Tea Party and Palin - as providing a spark which could ignite a murderous rage against the likes of Giffords.

This became evident in the segment reviewing the morning newspapers shortly before the 7am news bulletin. The guest commentator was the academic and Herald Sun columnist Jill Singer. It was one of those ABC discussions where everyone essentially agrees with everyone else.

Eventually Gearin put the leading question: "Can we blame Sarah Palin?" Singer had a bit each way and concluded: "I don't know."

The proper answer was - wait for the evidence.

Soon after the co-presenters read from the program's message board. Gearin cited the view of "Purple Tomcat" that it was Palin's fault. And Aly referred to the position of "Mark", who commented: "I notice Republicans are saying 'let's not politicise this' and then it's always Democrats that end up getting shot or killed." Aly acknowledged that perhaps the comment was "generalised". You can say that again. The targets of the previous two political assassinations in the US were Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. Later in the program both Gearin and Aly acknowledged that all theories about Loughner's motives were speculative.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/abc-needs-to-rein-in-the-rise-of-abuse-posing-as-analysis-20110110-19l1d.html

[rooboy]

1. Oh Jesus.

I saw Henderson had a piece in the Sydney Morning Herald, but like all sensible Australians, i didn\'t bother to read it.

God I wish Fairfax would fire this idiot. I guess they keep him as an alternative to the other fuckwit Andrew Bolt in the Murdoch press.