Having been warmed up by the death of Tim Russert, the mainstream media now gushes over the death of “one of our own,” Tony Snow. One of their own, indeed; a man who, like Russert, had the mechanical skills of real journalists, but lacked the one attribute that distinguished both from the likes of Mencken, et. al.: a passion for truth-telling. To so easily move from network studios to telling lies for the Bush administration – as Snow did – speaks volumes as to the sorry state of the MSM. While I can sympathize with those who lost a loved one – even if that person had been a politician – I cannot bear the continuing dishonesty that insists on following one of its practitioners to the grave.
It is noteworthy that both Russert and Snow died in their fifties. Perhaps a lifetime of being well-paid shills for the state took its toll upon the inner life; that charming smiles with which each peddled his statist wares to a gullible public, were not sufficient to overcome the erosion of those inner forces that others refer to as “karma.”
Six days from today will be the 71st birthday of the late Hunter Thompson, a man with a genuine journalistic spirit. A number of us will celebrate his life by attending the movie about his life, “Gonzo.” What a contrast that will be from what now flows from the cable news channels!
11:08 am on July 12, 2008
