raf_oh: International Catfight! Also: I Only Read Headlines

I had a busy weekend of accomplishing nothing, so I'm just catching up on my Google News World RSS feed. One noticeable trend - only losers call out people from their own country (I'm looking at you Democrats...)

Putin's blasting us while showing off how cool he is in the Middle East, Obama is fighting with the Australian PM, McCain is calling out Europe for Afghanistan, and the US is calling out Iran, again.

Dems want to make a big deal out of pre-war intelligence. Boring! Maneuvering within one's jurisdiction would be interesting before I read my news through RSS Feeds. But, a US General is trying to advise the Indian Air Force which fighter jets to buy. That's more like it!

Of course, RSS feeds don't really make one more knowledgeable, unless one follows a LOT of links. "Pelosi Hungry For Private Jet, Unchecked Power!" would make a great headline, but of course, the story would have no substance. But in small ways, examination of the media is occurring. Frontline is having an examination of the media, for four weeks.

My favorite, of course will be The Wire, which in its fifth season will examine mass media in Baltimore. Quoth David Simon, "The last question we want to ask is this: For four seasons, we have depicted that part of urban America that has been left behind by the economy and by the greater society, and chronicled entrenched problems that have gone without solution for generations now. Why? What is it that we see and sense about these problems? To what are we giving attention, and what is it that we consistently ignore? How do we actually see ourselves?"

Also, Jake commented on media coverage recently.

Note: No one watches Frontline, or The Wire, or reads Jake's blog.

Update: Maybe you can gleam a lot from headlines. From Salon.com's excellent political blog, War Room:

Here we go again

Consecutive headlines from ABC News' Daily Investigative Report:

"Report Says Pentagon Manipulated Intel"

"Pentagon Says Pre-War Intel Not Illegal"

"Gates: U.S. Can Prove Iran's Iraq Role"