Big Think: John Cleese- 'Political Correctness Can Lead to an Orwellian Nightmare'

Source:Big Think- 1984 from George Orwell.

Source:The Daily Review 

"John Cleese says political correctness has gone too far, especially on America's college campuses, where he will no longer go to perform. The very essence of his trade — comedy — is criticism and that not infrequently means hurt feelings. But protecting everyone from negative emotion all the time is not only impractical (one can't control the feelings of another), but also improper in a free society. Cleese, having worked with psychiatrist Robin Skynner, says there may even be something more sinister behind the insistence to always be politically correct." 

From the Big Think

If you're familiar with the book Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell plots a situation where a country is run by a special elite, or Board of Experts, that would decide what is best and appropriate for everyone else in the country. Including the most private and personal of activities like how we think and what we say. Well, if you're familiar with the political correctness movement you know that is what the people in this movement want to do when it comes to thought and speech in this country. And would like to decide what is appropriate for everyone else when it comes to how we think and speak in this country.

Anyone familiar with comedy knows that it is about as non-partisan an institution as you'll ever see. It doesn't target groups, but people who do and say funny things and things that could be embarrassing for them. Stupid things and activities that famous people could be involved in. 

Comedy generally speaking is not about race. Except for comedians who make it about race and take the idea that making fun of Caucasians or minorities, is perfectly acceptable, but when you make fun of the other you're a bigot. 

My other issue with political correctness and why I can't take it seriously and don't bother to struggle to do so is the hypocrisy of it. Making fun of Caucasians, especially Anglo-Saxon, Southern Protestants, is perfectly okay (according to the Far-Left) but if you make a hip-hop joke, you're a bigot, in their view.

Free speech and comedy go together like chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Perfectly, but free speech and fascism/political correctness, are like hot dogs with peanut butter. Mustard with apple pie. I hate fascism and like mustard, but not with apple pie. Salesman need to go where the customers are and comedians need to go where the jokes are. You can't restrict a salesman when they pick customers, because it might offend other customers. And you can't restrict comedians, because one group or groups of people can't handle legitimate criticism, or having their short-comings made fun of. If you want to have a successful business and a comedy industry that thrives and makes people with sense of humors laugh.

For the oversensitive Americans amongst us regardless of race or ethnicity, comedy is probably not for you. And you should stick with your coffee houses and French poetry readings and reality TV. And when you want comedy, listen to some Far-Left comedian bashing rich people especially rich Caucasian men and claiming how much they're destroying the country. And leave comedy in general for people who like to laugh and don't give a damn about who is getting made fun of as long as the jokes are funny and in good taste. Making fun of someone's real short-comings  and especially doing it in a critical informative way, is not bigoted. But informative and a way of educating people.

To suggest one group of Americans or groups of Americans, are off limits when it comes to comedy, even though we live in a liberal democracy and liberal democratic republic, with a liberal guarantee of free speech, is to suggest one group of Americans, or group of Americans are somehow perfect in an imperfect world. But not only that, it also suggest that you might live in the wrong country. That liberal democracy is too hard for you and you need to live a place where people tell you what to think and what to say. Because you can't think for yourself and don't believe anyone else can either. Perhaps the country in Nineteen Eighty-Four, would be a good country for you. And leave America for people who love individual freedom including free speech and are smart enough to handle it.

Myrtle Beach News Examiner: Norman Byrd- A President Ben Carson to Police Liberal Colleges For Political Bias

Source: Liberty Pen-Dr. Ben Carson-

Source:The Daily Review

Presidential dreamer Dr. Ben Carson, the last few weeks has made it a point to show people how strongly he's in favor of Freedom of Speech and opposes political correctness, which is a form of fascism that comes from the Left and the Right. And has said things like, "PC is dangerous because it muffles people. This country was founded upon on Freedom of Speech, or thought and expression." Which is a great thing to say and believe and I agree with that, but saying those words aren't worth the air, or paper you used to express them if you don't believe in what you're actually saying.

But almost at the exact same time he proposes if he were to ever become president and his fantasy came to real-life, to use Federal taxpayer dollars and the U.S. Department of Education, that a lot of supposed Conservatives believe shouldn't exist in the first place, to monitor college and students for what he would call liberal bias and Un-American propaganda and speech. And threaten to strip those colleges of their Federal funding if they don't comply with his rule when it comes to speech on campus. I'm obviously not old enough to remember the 1950s and Senator Joe McCarthy and what others in Congress were doing in the 1950s, being born in the 1970s myself. But this looks like McCarthyism in the 21st Century to me.

Political correctness and other forms of fascism, are not left or right, but wrong. Undemocratic, anti-free speech, anti-personal freedom, pro-big government and dictatorial rule. Political correctness from the Far-Left is well-known and famous. With so-called Social Justice Warriors wanting a society where minorities wouldn't have to hear any critical or offensive speech towards them. Even if the speaker's are right in what they say about minorities and minority groups. But its just as bad if not worst coming from the Far-Right with their goals of having a country that thinks and looks at the world they way they want them to even through government force. That you comply with what they believe, or else and or else has to do with government sanctions and stripping funding.

I'm not impress with Dr. Carson at all other than his professional background and he seems like a very intelligent and likable guy. Just not when he's talking about politics and expressing political opinions. He gives the term amateur new meaning when it comes to first-time political candidates and gets stuck either with making hypocritical statements like when it comes to political correctness, or speaking about issues he apparently knows very little if anything about. Like national security, where his own staff has admitted he needs to do a lot of homework. I see him as a lot more qualified being a hipster motivational speaker, or talk show host, perhaps like Tony Robbins and Dr. Phil McGraw, than actually running for, gee I don't know, the most powerful and important office in the world. Which of course is President of the United States.

If you believe in Freedom of Speech and are against political correctness, great! I and a solid majority of Americans outside of the New-Left, Millennial Generation and Christian-Right, agree with you. But again free speech is not speech that you agree with. It is also speech that you may disagree with, find offensive, sinful and even dangerous. To say you support free speech when it comes from your side, but fascism for everyone else, is like a company CEO who says he supports capitalism for the working people, but socialism for companies and executives when the executives run business's under ground and need to be bailed out. No one in their right mind would take that person seriously.

America, moved past the 1950s officially over fifty-years ago and culturally at least since the late 1960s. Women not just work, but most people don't have a problem with that. Gays, are no longer subjected to live in prisons, mental hospitals and closets, simply for being gay. America, is just a lot different culturally than it was fifty-years ago and has a lot more personal freedom now. Freedom that we've always had to live and think individually, but now are no longer looked down upon generally if we have different political views and different ways of living. The Christian-Right, has never gotten over that and have been looking for ways to take us back to the 1950s ever since. And there form of political correctness fascism would be one way to accomplish that.
Source:Liberty Pen

David S. D'Amato: The Most Liberal Value: Free Speech

Source:The Daily Review-

Source:The Daily Review

If someone told you that believe in free speech all the time, except when someone says something that they disagree with, find offensive, or offends people they believe deserves special protection, how would you respond to that? Someone says something that offends someone all the time in America. Whether the supposed target of the speech is right to be offended or not. Welcome to liberal democracy where you always have to the right to express yourself. The right for people to be intelligent and ignorant in the same society and even in the same person.

Again, we're talking about expression and speech. Not politeness, or meanness. Free speech in America is a guaranteed constitutional right to a liberal amount of free speech that covers both politeness and meanness. As well as criticism and constructive criticism. Which means Americans have a hell of a lot of freedom to express themselves. That is what liberal free speech is about. Our Founding Fathers, (Our Founding Liberals) made Freedom of Speech our First Amendment for a very good reason. They saw it as our most important constitutional right.

No such thing as liberalism without free speech, free expression, freedom of assembly, the freedom of beliefs and philosophy including freedom of, or from religion. Without these guaranteed liberal constitutional rights liberalism doesn't exist and we're left with a world with one statist collectivist ideology after another with no one on the Left promoting freedom and free democracy. Except for perhaps today's so-called Progressives, (Democratic Socialists really) who are more interested in the collective than individual rights including free speech.

Without liberalism and Liberals, we don't have the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Think about that for a second for anyone who wants to or claims liberalism as their political philosophy. Liberalism, the philosophy of liberty and individualism, as well as tolerance and equality, just as long as they're not forced upon people by the state. Without liberalism we don't have all of those guaranteed individual rights that Millennial's today have no problem taking advantage of when they're expressing their own views. Just as long as others aren't able to do the same when they say things that these college students disagree with.

If someone wants to convince me they're a Liberal, I'm going to ask them about free speech. I imagine their first answer will be something to the affect that they're in favor of it. That will be the easy part, but then like a good prosecutor that I'm not I'll ask them about political correctness, critical speech and even offensive speech. If they say they have no issues with redneck or Christian jokes as far as people having the right to make those comments, or that they agree with them, I'll agree with that person on that.

But then I'll ask them, "how about minorities and Muslims? Do you support free speech or political correctness? Do you believe minorities deserve special protection that majorities don't when it comes to criticism and humor, or that everyone has the right to free speech regardless of who they're speaking about?" Depending on how they answer those questions will determine if they're a Liberal or not. The person who says they're a Liberal and supports free speech regardless of who, or what it is about, will be the Liberal. At least when it comes to free speech. I would also want to know how they feel about Freedom of Choice in general and the Right to Privacy. Government's role in helping who are struggling, to use as examples. But my first question would about free speech.

Liberalism, of course is not just about free speech. Liberalism is about individual rights and free choice, quality opportunity for everyone to succeed and that government even has a role here to see that everyone can succeed in society. But a big part of liberalism has to do with free choice and free expression. Our liberal free speech rights, our liberal rights to express ourselves. Including public anger at our government when they do something that we hate and strongly disagree with and that even includes flag burning. Something that I'm against, but I support the right of others to disagree with me on that. Without freedom of speech as a liberal value, you don't have liberalism. It would be like being a Socialist who doesn't believe in the welfare state. A Libertarian who doesn't believe in the Right to Privacy. The philosophy would be destroyed as a result.
Source:Learn Liberty

Learn Liberty: Professor Howard Baetjer- 'Freedom of Speech: What is Your Opinion?'

Source:Learn Liberty- talking about free speech on college campuses. 

Source:The Daily Review 

"Does free speech offend you? Do you believe that freedom of Speech gives you the freedom to speak your opinion? Learn more:Learn Liberty." 

From Learn Liberty

I believe college campus's perhaps especially in the Northeast, is the perfect place to ask people what they think about free speech. And perhaps requiring all college students to pass a course on free speech and the U.S. Constitution in order to graduate might also be a good idea. Because with what seems to be their lack of familiarity with both right now with 2-5 Millennial's now believing that free speech shouldn't protect people's rights to offend minorities and perhaps people in general.

We saw that in this video with one female student, but with another one saying he's against gun rights, but supports a person's freedom to offend. Which I thought was pretty interesting, because generally when someone is that far in one direction on one issue, they won't support freedom when it comes to another individual rights issue like speech. 

The only way you learn anything from anybody is for all of us to have that constitutional right to express ourselves. You learn what others think and what they know and don't know and they learn from you. You also learn things about yourself. Like where you do well and where you need to improve.

The only thing you get from fascism whether its Marxism on the Far-Left, or religious extremism on the Far-Right is what the central state approves of whether they're right or wrong. They'll only tell you what you what they want you to hear. 

Liberal democracy, liberal societies, liberal states, free societies, are not meant to be nice, or mean. They're meant to be free and meant to be real. You have the freedom over your own life and even what you say and what you think. But so does everyone else and we all have the right to tell others what we think about what they say.

The Washington Post: George Will: 'On American Campuses, Freedom From Speech'

Source:The Washington Post- Campus Leftists, protesting against free speech.

Source:The Daily Review 

"Yale’s president, Peter Salovey, dealt with the Crisis of the Distressing E-mail about Hypothetical Halloween Costumes about as you would expect from someone who has risen to eminence in today’s academia. He seems to be the kind of adult who has helped produce the kind of students who are such delicate snowflakes that they melt at the mere mention of even a potential abrasion of their sensibilities.

Salovey gave indignant students a virtuoso demonstration of adult groveling. With a fusillade of academia’s cliches du jour, he said the students’ “great distress” would be ameliorated by “greater inclusion, healing, mutual respect, and understanding” in the service of — wait for it — “diversity.” But of course only diversity that is consistent with the students’ capacious sense of the intolerable.

Salovey said he heard their “cries for help.” The cries came from students who either come from families capable of paying Yale University’s estimated $65,725 costs for the 2015-16 academic year or who are among the 64 percent of Yale undergraduates receiving financial aid made possible by the university’s $25.6 billion endowment. The cries were for protection (in the current academic patois, for “a safe space”) from the specter of the possibility that someone might wear an insensitive Halloween costume. A sombrero would constitute “cultural appropriation.” A pirate’s eye patch would distress the visually challenged. And so on, and on." 

You can read the rest of George Will's piece at The Washington Post 

"Preps, security for Hu speech at Yale, protesters gathering" 

Source:Associated Press- one of the protestors at this Yale rally. I beg you not to ask me to translate what he said.

From the Associated Press

I believe getting on people for what Halloween costumes college students is the last straw at least for me when it comes to the whole free speech debate on campus and off campus as well. As far as how stupid this whole debate is. 

We now have a generation of Americans who don't know how to relax and take a joke. Not sure they can even deliver a joke as well, so now we have a generation of tight assess. I wasn't a fan of the Millennial Generation ten years ago because I saw them as superficial, technology, social media and celebrity news obsessed assholes. Who were experts on everything that is meaningless and unimportant, but had a hard time coming up with the name of their own U.S. Representative, or Senator, let alone whose the mayor of their hometown. And perhaps would struggle to name all fifty-states. Spotting them their own state wouldn't be enough help for them.

I still see as Millennial's as superficial tight asses. But it gets worst, because now they have some view that it is now their mission in life to deny all minorities from having to hear, read, or deal with anything that may offend them. Apparently being not so bright they haven't figured out that they still live in America and if they don't like free speech, perhaps going to college in Cuba, (if the Cubans would take them) would be a better place for them to go to school. Perhaps they would actually learn something down there. Or maybe they would just miss being able to make their own decisions and holding protests on campus without first getting approval not from the President of the school, but from the President of the Communist Republic. America is not safe zone for opposition and critical speech that may offend people who can't take a joke, or handle the truth.

College, is a place for learning, developing, and experiencing, so you have some idea what life is like when you're in the real world and not everything is given to you and you have to work and earn everything that you get, where not everyone is going to be nice to you and always tell you how great you are. That place is called America and in America, Americans have the right to be themselves and express themselves. 

In America, we need to let people know what they think of them and be positive about people. As well as let people know when they come up short. In a liberal democracy we have the right to express ourselves about anything we want to. But with what comes with that is being accountable for what we say based on what other think about our views. But also what others think about us as people and they might not always be nice. America is not a great place for oversensitive tight asses who can't take a joke, or criticism. And hopefully the Millennial Generation is still young enough to learn that.

Sargon of Akkad: 'Neo-Progressive Activists'

Source:Sargon of Akkad- Left-Wing Hipster.

Source:The Daily Review

"Neo-Progressivism is spread by a rather homogeneous group of activists, colloquially known as social justice warriors." 

From Sargon of Akkad 

I disagree with this guy (who will go nameless only, because he doesn't seem to have a name) even though his basic point is solid. But Neo-Progressive, I believe in an insult to actual Progressives. 

True progressivism is about progress and moving forward. Not making someone else's life worst, so someone else can live better. And when you try to shut someone else up so someone else is not offended, you might be improving the life of someone. Which is debatable, especially when they don't have to hear negative facts about them and don't have that opportunity and self-improve. But you're definitely regressing, because you now just infringed on someone else's Freedom of Speech rights. 

There's certainly nothing liberal about political correctness and I would argue progressive as well. Because it is a form of fascism which is regressive and hurts people simply for expressing themselves.

I prefer the term New Marxists to describe the New-Left in America. Karl Marx, is not older than dirt, he's actually older than the modern American Republic, but Marxism as an ideology is fairly new in America, as far as having a base that supports it. 

If you think Donald Trump is a big narcissist, well you're right, because he certainly is. But he's almost minor league compared with a Marxist who believes in their ideology so much that anyone who disagrees with them on anything must not only be wrong, but probably immoral as well and don't have a right to be heard. 

Fascism on the Left, is Marxism. If you think Marxist is insulting on the Left, don't try to shut people up for simply disagreeing with you, or contradicting you. When someone says something negative about anyone and it's true, they're not hating. They're simply pointing out negative truths about whoever they're talking about.

We now have a millennial generation of college students who are not only drowning in debt. but not getting much out of the education they can't afford, but who believe that people who say negative things about any minority group in the country even if they're correct, are bigots. But at least they have the latest smartphone and i-pad. So everything is awesome in their world. 

The lack of education for Millennial's is actually a real problem in America because we have a generation of this country who believe Freedom of Speech should either not exist, or doesn't exist. Because they either failed social studies in high school and got promoted to the next grade anyway, because their teacher didn't want to hurt their self-esteem. Or they were too busy texting the student who was sitting right next to them to learn about social studies and the U.S. Constitution and everything that is actually important. And this will be real problem if they ever come to power in America. 

Late Night with Seth Myers: David Brock: 'Jerry Seinfeld is Tired of Political Correctness'

Source: Late Night With Seth Myers- Jerry Seinfeld: What's the deal with political correctness?

Source:The Daily Review

“There’s this creepy political correctness thing going on right now.” To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld and perhaps my version sounds better. But I couldn’t agree more. I could try I guess, if only I had so much time to waste. Who are these judges of what’s appropriate and inappropriate language and humor in America anyway and why are they all on the Far-Left? America, is not Sweden, obviously our weather is a lot better and not all our women are blonde. We are a Constitutional Federal Republic in the form of a liberal democracy. We have a guaranteed constitutional liberal right to free speech. If we didn’t, maybe we would be Sweden.

And the problem is, we either have this New York, or San Francisco, or Seattle centric faction of Americans, who don’t believe in free speech. Because free speech means people can essentially say whatever the hell they want. Even if someone else disagrees, or disapproves. And they are also the biggest tight asses, that you’ll ever see. And no I’m not talking about beautiful sexy curvy women. I’m talking about a tight ass, whose foot is far up their ass and think so highly of them self that they can’t take a joke. Either about them self, because they see them self as perfect, as well as the people they associate with in their local coffee-house wearing their berets reading and listening to poetry.

People who can’t take jokes, should not listen to comedy, or read comedy. Because comedians get paid to make people laugh and tell jokes. I know, that sounds crazy. Now you’re thinking I’m going to suggest that actors who get paid to act and pitchers get who paid to pitch. I know it’s a crazy world, but part of making people laugh is making fun of people who have weakness’. Not to make those people look bad and hurt their feelings, but to show sides of people where they can use some self-improvement. And again if you can’t take a joke, maybe America is not the right place for you. And maybe you would be better off in a country where everybody thinks and talks the way you do.
Source:Late Night With Seth Myers

Talking Points Memo: Joe Scarborough: 'FOX News, MSNBC, Exactly the Same'

Source:Talking Points Memo- Mike Brzezinski & Joe Scarborough.

Source:FreeState Now 

"Scarborough: Fox News, MSNBC 'Exactly The Same'" 

From Talking Points Memo

Joe Scarborough is right in the sense that MSNBC prime time and Fox News both represent political perspectives in America. They are both mouthpieces for different ideological movements in the country. 

Fox News is essentially the official voice for the right-wing in America and MSNBC prime time at least represents a part of the Left in America. I would argue the Far-Left at least with their prime time talk shows. Rather than both being networks for people to go to who are just looking for the news and what is going on in the country and around the world.

CNN represents the mushy middle, people who don’t know what they think and to a certain extent equal balance and they bring on people from both sides. But generally smart, sane people on both sides, people who don’t look like they are on medication from some shrink or need to be or perhaps even need to be committed. Unlike FNC and MSNBC that many times shows you what the nut houses on the Left and Right are thinking. And bring in escaped mental patients to show you those perspectives, or people who should be committed.

I mean if you are someone who is truly interested in news and people who just give you that and then brings in experts who are truly that and know what they are talking about and gives those perspectives based on old fashion things like facts and personal experience, things that might not be considered awesome by today’s young people and hyper-partisans, then CNN is still the best place for that. As well as the network news shows, as well as C-SPAN and perhaps Bloomberg.

Press Think: Dan Gillmor- 'Criticizing CNN: Goodbye to That'

Source:Press Think- writer Dan Gillmor.

Source:FreeState Now 

"As of today, I have retired from criticism of CNN for falling short of some sort of journalistic standard that news providers should maintain. That activity no longer makes sense. Let someone else receive the “ratings, you idiot” replies on Twitter. I’m done. I’m pretty sure you don’t care about this announcement, either. Which nicely illustrates why I’m done. 

The immediate cause of action is an amusing but also telling column by Jack Shafer of Reuters: In praise of tabloid TV, which explains why critics of CNN are absurd creatures. If you want coverage of Egypt instead of the Zimmerman trial there’s plenty of places to find it and besides audiences have always loved murder trials, so who are you to tell them they shouldn’t? 

Shafer uses something I wrote as his “ha ha, how clueless can you get?” text: this little 99-word Tumblr post. That was kind of annoying because as far as I can tell Shafer agrees with everything I wrote. CNN is making its priorities clear when it sticks with the Zimmerman trial while world events are breaking. Murder trials are like a TV series. Jeff Zucker, CNN’s new president, does want “everyone in his company to know what the priorities are: Mini-series in the center, world events off to the side.” Shafer writes: 

In today’s media environment, the media critic who insists that the cable networks follow Egypt and drop Zimmerman is like the nudging dining companion who wants to order both his meal and yours, lest you embarrass him by mistakenly ordering the burger and fries." 

From Press Think 

"RT (formerly Russia Today) is a Russian state-controlled[1] international television network funded by the federal tax budget of the Russian government.[15][16] It operates pay television or free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, and Russian.

RT is a brand of TV-Novosti, an "autonomous non-profit organization" founded by the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti in April 2005.[10][17] During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, included ANO "TV-Novosti" on its list of core organizations of strategic importance to Russia.[18][19][20] RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (since 2010),[21] RT UK (since 2014) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the Ruptly video agency,[5][6][7] which owns the Redfish video channel and the Maffick digital media company.[8][9]

RT has been described as a major propaganda outlet for the Russian government and its foreign policy.[2] Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation[43] and conspiracy theories.[49] UK media regulator Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast "materially misleading" content.[56]

In 2012, RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan compared the channel to the Russian Ministry of Defence.[57] Referring to the Russo-Georgian War, she stated that it was "waging an information war, and with the entire Western world".[16][58] In September 2017, RT America was ordered to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[59] RT has been banned in Ukraine since 2014,[60] and in Latvia[61] and Lithuania[62] since 2020." 

From Wikipedia 

"CNN is cutting 300 jobs amidst its ongoing struggle to retain viewers and compete against partisan rivals. Although once a well-respected organization that delivered hard news, the network has now taken on a “circus, tabloid, almost silly news format,” further adding to the channel’s problems, according to Georgetown University Journalism Professor Christopher Chambers. RT’s Ameera David spoke to the media veteran to get his take." 

Source:RT America- talking about CNN.

From Russia Today

Whatever happened to the Cable News Network, which if not was the standard at least when it came to cable news if not TV news in general was a standard that had this mentality of “just the facts” without bias’ or trying to report news without political slants. But reporting exactly what’s going on in the world and what is important that they viewers need to know about with intelligent professional analysts who explained what these things meant and not trying to tell us what to think.

And lately CNN hasn’t been the Cable News Network, but more like the News Rating Network, perhaps the OMG Report, reporting on everything awesome and tabloid. Or the Everything Awesome Network, trying to compete with E and perhaps what is now called True TV: “How can we make money and compete with FOX News and tabloid news networks”. 

The George Zimmerman trial is a perfect example of CNN's tabloid news drift, but they had the Jodi Arias trial before that. And they seem to have this idea that most Americans aren’t that interested in hard news anymore. And rather know what Kim Kardashian or George Zimmerman had for lunch today. Rather than the turmoil in Egypt the largest country in Arabia experimenting with democracy for the first time ever.

Is cable news a business? Of course it is, anything that’s done by companies are business’s. And of course CNN along with FNC, MSNBC, ABC News and CBS News have to be profitable in order to stay in business. But not at the expense of real journalism. And of course there’s a market for tabloid and other celebrity journalism. But those networks already exist and we already have a network that devotes its matinée programming to the American justice system. Actually, we have several networks like True TV, the Criminal Investigation Network, Investigation Discovery, and others.

These are the cable networks that should be covering tabloid and celebrity news , everything awesome or whatever the hell they want to call it. But not a network that advertises itself as a news network. That use to be the gold standard at least when it came to cable news, but now is looking to find itself and figure out who they want to be after losing viewers to FNC and MSNBC. 

Time Warner the parent company of CNN already has a cable network that advertises itself as knowing drama. What’s the TNT tagline? “We know drama” and that would be the place for CNN to broadcast the Zimmerman trial and other celebrity news stories. And leave CNN to be the home of hard news in America at least as it relates to cable TV. Where people go to find out what’s going in the world that’s important.