Dear MSM

Wonder why we don’t trust you? Here’s why.

Rightwing bloggers are predisposed to distrust the media, as are most conservatives. The fauxtographers and defenders like Mitchell are giving us no reason to be encouraged. The mainstream press’ stock is in credibility. The right course is to answer, quickly and thoroughly, any credible charges against them, so as to preserve that stock.

Instead, with the notable exceptions of David Perlmutter and Jim Pinkerton, the mainstream media seems content to blame it all on the Grassy Knoll while half of its readers find news coverage is greener on the other side.

And if you just can’t handle all that reading (knowing what journalistic standards are these days) you can just watch Michelle Malkin’s video here.

Putting Toddlers In Charge

I’m now convinced that Ezra Klein was correct when he said

“I’m of the opinion that how to handle WalMart is among the two or three most important issues facing the country.”

Huh? Well, as James Glassman argues, the question translates to “Are we grownups or children?”

I think Ezra Klein has indeed identified an extremely important question, quite truthfully, one of the two or three most important issues facing the country. Are we adults or children? If we are to be adults of course we should also apply the same blindingly obvious logic to the minimum and living wage movements. As Costco proves, when companies pay more for the labor they hire, they hire less of it.

Manufacturing the News

Besides being wary of polls, which are usually just pollaganda, it’s worthwhile remembering that “news” stories are also generated by random error. Engram points out that recent fluctuations in casualties in Iraq are not the sign of either a “downward spiral” nor a big improvement that can be attributed to troop levels in Bagdahd.

In the meantime, we can expect that random fluctuations will drive the news. In July, that worked against the American effort to democratize Iraq (because the news was so demoralizing). In August, if current trends hold, it will work in favor. But it all averages out in the end. To know what is really happening, you have to ignore the monthly random error and focus on the longer term.