Letters to the editor

Press and steam

Propaganda coup: the grand success of the U.S.' failure

Editor, The Times:

Regarding "Propaganda: America's psychological warriors" [Times, Floyd McKay guest commentary, Feb. 19]: I guess you would indeed have to conclude our "propaganda" efforts were failing in the Middle East. Of course, one of the biggest reasons for this failure is that the American press tries to convince anyone who will listen or read that we are the monsters who are worse than the terrorists. It refers to all severe treatment of the baby killers we have in custody as "torture," and questions the United States' "motives" every time we take a position to defend or support ourselves.

Yes, we are oil-hungry in this country; [oil] is what fuels printing presses, or the manufacture of plastics that are used for things like computers and television sets.

Yes, we probably drive when we should be walking or taking the bus, but every person who flees to our shores to escape the tyranny of their own governments quickly develops these tastes. Perhaps the freedom to choose was what they were actually looking for.

What we really need to look at is the difference between reporting the news and making up the news. The Republicans and the Bush administration are not the darlings of the press that their more-liberal opponents seem to be. Our press takes a non-event like a hunting accident, and tries to turn it into more news than the killing of innocents by terrorists, in order to try to embarrass President Bush.

Is it any wonder the rest of the world has reservations about what we say? Our own "free press" has a certain propensity to stretch the truth, or report it according to its own biases. I'm shocked, just shocked!

— Charles George, Stanwood

Big fat lean

The general buzz bandied about is that there is a liberal bias to the media. Everyone "knows" this to be true, right?

Not so, according to a study by Media Matters. Its report indicates that liberal media bias is a myth, and that in fact there is a conservative media bias! And guess who happens to be one of the biggest propagators of the liberal-media bias myth? Yep, you guessed it. Conservatives.

It sounds like we have a case of "The Big Lie" going on here. State the opposite of the truth, and say it with alleged authority, and people believe it, all the while covering up that there is actually a conservative media bias.

I highly recommend the report from Media Matters: www.mediamatters.org/sundayreport

— Mike Anthony, Bellevue

Jonah and the weal

As an independent, I am looking for progress, not party lines. The first several Jonah Goldberg columns [were] more like fundraising letters to the conservative base than pieces to advance understanding of the conservative position.

His most recent column ["Hey, folks — it's what I do," syndicated column, Feb. 22] was actually worth reading. His explanation of his loyalty to the GOP as dependent on how successful it is in moving the political climate toward fiscal restraint, limited government and cultural decency was also instructive.

Goldberg might actually be a fiscally conservative Democrat and just not know it (or creative enough to see how "left-leaning" policies get him what he wants). A careful, honest and dogma-free evaluation of nationalizing basic health care would show how it would ease a major burden on businesses: similar to the conservative position that tax cuts to the wealthiest generate increased economic growth, it would eliminate a multitude of overlapping and expensive government programs and it would do so in a way that is culturally decent.

— Michael Dohan, Seattle

The record shows

So Floyd McKay says Vice President Dick Cheney has "extended an erect middle finger to the press corps" ["Reaction to hunting accident fits Cheney's 'my way' pattern," guest column, Feb. 22]. I would like to join Mr. Cheney in extending a middle finger to McKay as well.

Trying to describe Cheney as some unrepentant monster for the way he has handled this [hunting] accident shows exactly what is wrong with the press corps and the national media. And what was Cheney's big crime? Why, a Corpus Christi newspaper was notified about the accident before The New York Times was, and then "Republican-leaning" Fox News is given an exclusive interview with Cheney.

[The press'] insistence that somehow this is a Watergate-type scandal is laughable; and its treatment of this administration — in particular the vice president and White House press secretary Scott McClellan — has been utterly despicable.

This accident typifies why the national media has lost credibility with the American people (hence the ascension of Fox News and various blogs). The tragedy is that a man was accidentally shot. Had he not been shot by a vice president whom the press despises, this would not have been national news. Especially since the victim was a Republican.

— Eric Aplin, Snohomish

What goads a round

We learn something new from the Bush administration every day. For instance, did you know that (at least in Texas) you can shoot somebody and the sheriff's department will make an "appointment" to speak with you about it? And take the word of you and any witnesses on the phone that it was an accident?

The would-be murderers of this country must be wiping their brows with relief.

And to all our conservative friends who say the press is making too much hay of this incident: What if it had been Al Gore when he was vice president? The right-wing press would have launched an investigation faster than Dick Cheney can get a shot off.

— Melissa Westbrook, Seattle

Our fair city

World-class incognition

Why does King County Executive Ron Sims think he can continue to trick us with the old, "We're on the verge of losing our world-classness" line ["Re-envision Seattle Center," guest commentary, Feb. 22], when it is dead obvious he is fronting for developers and privatizers who want to get their hands on Seattle Center and, at taxpayer expense, bulldoze most of it, toss up condos and sell them off for a profit.

I like Seattle Center just as it is — 1960s quaint, underdeveloped, small-time, kids' rides, open space and putt-putt golf. It's a nice place to get away from overdeveloped land in the middle of the city. No condos, no discos, no grand architectural testaments to wasting tax money, like the world-class Seattle Library.

I wish Sims had the same concern directed toward his management of King County as he does toward churning a public asset for private profit. This is the same world-class county executive who could not find the money to keep King County parks open, and he wants to extend his vision to the Seattle parks?

— Joe Wal, Seattle

Reading gauge

See Dick gun

A note of caution to anyone thinking of crossing Vice President Dick Cheney. Remember this: He wasn't even mad at the guy he shot!

— Allan Panitch, Seattle