Whose reality?

Submitted by Dr Robert Jackson (United States), Nov 23, 2002 at 13:21

It is clear that Dr Webster and others advocate the suppression or weeding out of views that they disagree with. Objectivity, for them, is a view that agrees with their own, which is, by definition, the correct view and could not possibly constitute propaganda. Views in dissent of theirs are, by definition, propaganda.

In my opinion, Dr Webster misinterprets Howard Zinn, who states that all history is written from the point of view of the writer. Objectivity ought to be a goal, but is an impossibility. Dr Zinn merely states what should be obvious, that we all promote our own agenda whether we are aware of it or not.

Despite the so-called liberal campuses, the population at large remains conservative. The entire government, which claims to be center, is far to the right whether they call themselves democrat or republican. It is fortunate that we have some people who do speak out and do not merely goose-step to the beat of the current administration.

The administration is not the US. To criticize their policies is to criticize the policies of a handful of men and women who represent their own agenda and certainly not the agenda of every american. History shows that leaders of great nations, including the US, are often grotesquely mistaken in their policies and eminently unqualified to lead. By what "objective" moral and ethical standard qualifies candidates to lead even if elected. Today, leaders get elected if they have the most money and control the dissemination of "propaganda" more effectively than their opponents;hardly a screaming endorsement.

Criticism is not only courageous, it is necessary if we are to maintain any semblance of a democracy.

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