aldenswan.com

For a couple of years I listened regularly to NPR as I drove back and forth to work, putting up with their slightly liberal slant on the world. I’d always heard that NPR lived on the left, but had never listened to them enough to know. For a while, I wasn’t bothered too much by their take on things – I can deal with and even appreciate a certain amount of liberalism. I have a few liberal genes myself, that pop up here and there.

However, after the invasion of Iraq, it seemed that their reporting became more dramatically liberal, to the point of almost sounding anti-American. The NPR reporter that reported from Iraq always took an approach that clearly showed her anti-involvement feelings, and it became obvious when comparing NPR’s reports to others, that we were not getting even close to “fair and balanced” reporting. Of course, NPR has never promised us “fair and balanced.”

But, shouldn’t it? After all, they are supported in part by the same taxpaying public that twice elected George Bush. If we had a box to check on our tax returns indicating whether we wanted to support NPR or not, I wouldn’t mind so much. But, this is National Public Radio, not Liberal Public Radio or Anti-Bush Public Radio. It should, then, represent the nation, not just the ultra-left.

Yesterday, I happened to turn to NPR just as “Fresh Air” was starting, and they opened with something like, “2005 – a year that George Bush would like to forget.” I listened for a minute or two, and switched over to classic rock. What kind of “public” radio is this?

Any year with challenges is going to be a year with ups and downs. NPR apparently decided to focus only on the downs, and try to characterize the whole year as one of “downs.” But consider these ups (not that I have to defend Bush, I just want to put some proper perspective on things):

• A successfully appointed conservative – and young – Chief Justice.
• A very successful year in Iraq, with a new constitution and parliamentary elections, upheld by the U.N.
• Bush’s approval ratings on the upswing.
• One of today’s headlines reads “Consumer confidence rises strongly.”

Get it? This was not a lousy year, in spite of Katrina and in spite of everything else. Liberals hate to admit this, but many of Bush’s policies are working. Now, I don’t support everything that Bush and the Republicans are doing – for example, I am concerned with the size of government and the level of spending, as I’ve said before. However, if I were Bush, this is not a year that I would necessarily want to forget.

NPR has proven themselves out of touch with the mainstream, and in my opinion, have complete abused their unrestrained free speech. We – that is, “we, the people” – don’t have to support them. Perhaps it’s time we set them loose on the open market, and let them fend for themselves. I’d rather hear radio ads then several weeks of begging for money, anyway.

The great liberal cry is now, “Define victory, define victory!” Last night on Hannity & Colmes, this was the only intelligible thing Alan Colmes could say to Newt Gingrich. He said it as though this was the key to Bush’s destruction.

Give me a break. Why, now, are liberals all of a sudden concerned about definitions? Clinton couldn’t even define “is,” and no one even bothered to ask him about it.

It would, perhaps, help if the loudmouths on the left would take a few minutes and actually listen. Or perhaps read. Thinking would also be a worthwhile pastime.

Today, estimates are that over 70% of Iraq’s registered voters – about 11 million people – turned out to vote in the parliamentary election, with minimal violence. The Sunnis, who boycotted the first election, turned out in such large numbers that they ran out of ballots in some places, and voting hours were extended due to the long lines of people still waiting to vote. By the way, I don’t think the U.S. has ever had such a turnout for a national election. (It’s amazing to me that the Iraqis, most of whom don’t really understand democracy yet, seem to care more about it than many Americans. About half of Americans don’t bother to vote, even without the threat of violence.)

Amazing, by any stretch of the imagination. I would call this a success. I would even go so far as to call this a “victory.”

Now, compare this to the start of America’s government. Anyone know how long it was before we had a constitution? We have this crazy notion that our founding fathers all loved each other, and agreed on everything, and that our constitution was welcomed with open arms. It’s not true, you know. My son, who just finished reading a biography of Alexander Hamilton, remarked that the founding fathers “were all jerks.” America, indeed, has had its share of rough spots in becoming a democracy.

The election today is a victory, and even the liberal press has to admit it (though they will refuse to use the word). I’m sure there will be more rough spots ahead for Iraq, but that doesn’t diminish what has been accomplished today.