There are those of us of a certain age and generation, probably not too many now, who still wonder whether the assassination of John Kennedy marked a turning point not only in American politics but in America itself. We will never know. But it does seem, looking back over the half century, that we, and our politics, have become narrower, angrier, less giving, less civic minded, certainly less optimistic.
All this came to mind when Tom Wicker died yesterday. He was a young reporter who covered the assassination for the New York Times and thereafter rose to become one of its best known columnists. In many ways he was one of the last of the traditional gentlemen journalists -- polite, respectful, thoughtful, but very direct and very tough. Unlike today's prominent journalists, he did not write about himself or his own feelings and he did not see a need to prove that he was smarter than or superior to the public figures he interviewed.
Tom Wicker had a conscience. He championed equal and civil rights and got deeply involved in prison conditions after becoming engaged in the Attica prison riots. Today that sense of conscience has been replaced by snarky opinions, cute personal attacks, denigration of political figures, and insider cleverness. Today's political journalists start from the position that the world would work much better if political leaders would simply govern the way the journalist thinks they should. Mr. Wicker knew that his job was not to govern: his job was to provide a conscience for those who governed, to point out the gap between what was and what should be. He wrote at a time when the word scandal applied to poverty, hunger, homelessness, and injustice.
Mr. Wicker and I talked a few years ago, after he had retired to write in Vermont. He encouraged me to seek national office again, not because he necessarily thought I had a chance but because he believed I might still retain the disappearing sense of idealism and possibility that many believed had died with John Kennedy, and because he thought I might inspire young people toward public service. That now seems an age ago and a different world. But somehow, somewhere there must be young people who will pick up the fallen torch and there must also be some Tom Wickers who will guarantee that they stay true to their conscience.
Follow Gary Hart on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gary__hart
Thanks to him for his contributions to the news industry, and thanks to Senator Hart for writing this piece.
The chairs belonging to the Tom Wickers are being filled by corporate employees, timid venal flunkies who are not allowed, not given resources or license, to search out the truth even if they wanted to.
I would agree w that. But I wouldn't agree if you included Olbermann, Taibbi and others who ask hard questions, call BS on armor car institutional responses. Those people we NEED. Desperately. So, you are vague, and that is damning in terms of my judgment of you (not that you care about ME.)
Or do you mean the Limbaugh's and all the rest of that ilk?
Finally, I disagree w you on your statement re JFK and idealism. The man was a fraud; as big a fraud and imposter as our current Obama.
You owe us more truth-telling. I thought you were the tops years ago. Apparently you have relaxed in your academic seat, w the result that you have nothing of importance to say.
I am sorry to realize that. You are old. I am old. Just stick to your academic stuff man. It's probably good stuff.
And "information" that sells the most is the one which is simple to digest, an attribute that also makes it viable to a wider market, and information which appeals to the emotional response rather than the intellectual. Psychological, is the same reason why everyone slows down to catch a glimpse of an accident on the road in other words the proverbial "watching the train wreck".
Unfortunately, in a society where "free markets" is the golden cow, I don't see this trend ever changing or reversing. I'm not against Capitalism, but 2 very real aspects one should consider are not even in the radar of information.
a) Anything carried to an extreme becomes detrimental quite often with results that are usually the opposite of what was original intended.
b) You can not Use the same tool for all circumstances and somethings are actually badly served using this approach.
But again, in a society where "free markets" is the ultimate panacea, where it is even viewed as a form Government rather than a system of trade, where Corporation have won the battle of making Government the enemy to capture control of society, News and other things like Health Care, and education will continue to be redefined.
We need to move away from the parties and find candidates who match our ideals.
Yes, and they can be seen at every Occupy site. We don't need any more charismatic leaders - we need people to become engaged. The 1% want us to be passive spectators that choose from the carefully vetted candidates they offer.
Some of their candidates are quite charismatic and talk of hope and change but we won't get fooled again. We're taking to the streets - not the voting booth - in order to effect change.
We can expect that a movement to reclaim a middle class will be far more difficult than stopping a war. Those with the money and power NEVER relinquish it. We are going to have to take it. We must Occupy to build support, educate and win over hearts and minds, but we will never find victory until we have our hands on the levers of the IRS, FBI, Congressional hearings, and other manifestations of power.
Don't waste time dreaming about armed revolt in the US, they are far too ready for that.
I believe voting is not a right. It's a privledge. And I blame the sorry state of the democratic process on too many voters not bothering to properly inform themselves.
Political Science, political history, the democratic process, should be mandatory courses in school. And people should be required to attain a minimum level of proficiency, through testing, before they are allowed to vote.
Too many voters aren't knowledgeable enough about politics to know when they're being lied to by politicians. And that's what's driving the descent into polarization.