Who Can Really Say?

Powerline 2, Media 0

I don't mean to pretend that I'm actually keeping score -- it's probably even more one-sided.

Anyway, last week the Minneapolis Star Tribune ran a Bill Moyer's column (culled from a graduation speech he gave last year), something to the effect that:

1) wacko Christian conservatives

2) in control of the government

3) all believe the Second Coming is about to occur

4) and that ravaging the environment

5) will make it happen all that much more quickly

6) so that's what they're trying to do.

Now, it doesn't surprise me at all that there are wackos that'd think this way. I've heard Falwell or Robertson or somesuch talk about how our Israel policy should be influenced by how our power in that region can speed the conditions foretold for the Second Coming, which is why we should directly pursue those policies, etc. What I could never figure out is how they figured out that the Second Coming was coming when we wanted it rather than when He wanted it. And if they really want to speed the End Times, why aren't they genetically engineering their children to have "666" patterns appear in their melanin. But I digress.

Moyers was pretty weak on the facts, but aside from that my problem with his argument is that he grossly overstates a very small (if at all) influence on government policy, and if nothing else the proof of that is all around us. If he's right, then where are the campaign speeches, the political TV ads, the congressional floor speeches, the party platforms, all backing up Moyers's conclusions that the GOP wants to trash the world to speed us to Armageddon? Oh -- I get it -- it's a secret! Meanwhile, the Christian Right doesn't for an instant pull a punch when any other political issue concerning them comes to the fore. Was there a meeting I missed where Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson warned everyone not to talk about the secret environmental agenda? You know, abortion, family values, school choice, gays, and the Ten Commandments are all ok, but shhhh on the environment?

Well, that's just me. Anyway, the best part is that Powerline called Moyers on some of his facts (and significant ones at that), and then noted that the WaPo repeated and corrected Moyers's error. And now they finally report that Moyers has "apologized profusely" to James Watt, former Interior Secretary to Ronald Reagan, and the subject of the errors in the first place.

It's not good that Bill Moyers has a bullshit meter that would run off the scale in a chip manufacturer's clean room. But it is good that he can tell when he's been had.

Posted by Peter at February 8, 2005 10:35 PM