Is Right-Wing Talk Dying?

[Tero]

Taxes are, not ate

[JimC]

Agreed morticia interesting it lists that anti-communist shitbag mccarthy.Talkback radio has always being the preserve of the right i would love the day to see a station employ of left-wing talkback host just for a day to see the old dears and grumpy old bastards froth at the mouth.

There is a leftist equivalent: NPR.

Bullshit NPR is leftist. Sure, there's a college-educated liberal tone to some broadcasts-- others are just as influenced by corporate America as anything in broadcasting. And what's lefty about Car Talk?

I think the honest-to-goodness lefty talk radio attempt was Air America-- Al Franken, Janeine Garofalo, and I think Rachel Maddow were all represented there at one point. I listened for a while-- but I have to admit talk radio just isn't my favorite, no matter who's doing the talking.

NPR isn't leftist. Agreed, I've listened to air america and really don't think that was leftist either, "liberal" perhaps, but not leftist in any sense.

Not surprising, given that your views on what is truly leftist mean doctrinaire marxism only, all the rest being namby-pamby liberals...

I suspect that, deep down, you prefer the views of Seth to anything progressive or centrist - at least he's not namby-pamby!

And possibly vice-versa, since your existence convinces Seth that his McCarthyist crusade actually mean something...

Isn't it nice to see two Ratzians validating each other's views...

[.Morticia.]

jim

sand uses dictionary definitions, as do i

at it's worst, liberalism is a sop to the starving masses thrown out to stop revolution

at it's best it's created the best living standards in human history

personally, i'd rather people not starve than force an ideological view

[sandinista]

Agreed morticia interesting it lists that anti-communist shitbag mccarthy.Talkback radio has always being the preserve of the right i would love the day to see a station employ of left-wing talkback host just for a day to see the old dears and grumpy old bastards froth at the mouth.

There is a leftist equivalent: NPR.

Bullshit NPR is leftist. Sure, there's a college-educated liberal tone to some broadcasts-- others are just as influenced by corporate America as anything in broadcasting. And what's lefty about Car Talk?

I think the honest-to-goodness lefty talk radio attempt was Air America-- Al Franken, Janeine Garofalo, and I think Rachel Maddow were all represented there at one point. I listened for a while-- but I have to admit talk radio just isn't my favorite, no matter who's doing the talking.

NPR isn't leftist. Agreed, I've listened to air america and really don't think that was leftist either, "liberal" perhaps, but not leftist in any sense.

Not surprising, given that your views on what is truly leftist mean doctrinaire marxism only, all the rest being namby-pamby liberals...

I suspect that, deep down, you prefer the views of Seth to anything progressive or centrist - at least he's not namby-pamby!

And possibly vice-versa, since your existence convinces Seth that his McCarthyist crusade actually mean something...

Isn't it nice to see two Ratzians validating each other's views...

I try not to even use the term "leftist" (even though I do ). The left and right are two sides of the same ideology. I disagree with the ideology as a whole. I disagree with a system ruled by profit. I also know that it will not last, regardless of what anyone does, capitalism will destroy itself. It may not be replaced by, what people call "Communism", but by something completely new (I just happen to think it will be a some new form of communism. one that is not set in stone, something that evolves). Marx, to me, is more of a critic and analyst of capitalism. Very influential though. As for Seth, to tell you the truth, I don't even really know what he thinks. He has always said he is more a "persona" or something. Doesn't concern me really. I think you may take yourself, and internet forums to seriously. You make a fine provocateur though.

[Warren Dew]

NPR isn't remotely leftist. I listen to it every morning - there's definitely some elitist, liberal-leaning talk, but that's the audience it caters too. I find the reporting and feature presentations to be very well researched, insightful and about as objective as news can be.

All that could be said for Beck and Hannity too, substituting "right" and "conservative" for "left" and "liberal". "Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist. Sure, they have nonpolitical programming too, but Beck and Hannity aren't on 24 hours a day either.

I'm not saying NPR is left wing, the way Limbaugh is right wing, but the only reason people who listen to NPR don't want to admit it's leftist is because they themselves are leftist, so they misperceive it to be the center.

[.Morticia.]

NPR isn't remotely leftist. I listen to it every morning - there's definitely some elitist, liberal-leaning talk, but that's the audience it caters too. I find the reporting and feature presentations to be very well researched, insightful and about as objective as news can be.

All that could be said for Beck and Hannity too, substituting "right" and "conservative" for "left" and "liberal". "Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist. Sure, they have nonpolitical programming too, but Beck and Hannity aren't on 24 hours a day either.

I'm not saying NPR is left wing, the way Limbaugh is right wing, but the only reason people who listen to NPR don't want to admit it's leftist is because they themselves are leftist, so they misperceive it to be the center.

hmmm

i must have missed all the talk about the proletariate owning the means of production

[Robert_S]

Methinks people are confusing socially liberal with leftism. Me also thinks that people are also confusing not pandering to self righteous rage with leftism.

[sandinista]

NPR isn't remotely leftist. I listen to it every morning - there's definitely some elitist, liberal-leaning talk, but that's the audience it caters too. I find the reporting and feature presentations to be very well researched, insightful and about as objective as news can be.

All that could be said for Beck and Hannity too, substituting "right" and "conservative" for "left" and "liberal". "Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist. Sure, they have nonpolitical programming too, but Beck and Hannity aren't on 24 hours a day either.

I'm not saying NPR is left wing, the way Limbaugh is right wing, but the only reason people who listen to NPR don't want to admit it's leftist is because they themselves are leftist, so they misperceive it to be the center.

no, it is perceived a centrist because it is.

[Warren Dew]

Methinks people are confusing socially liberal with leftism. Me also thinks that people are also confusing not pandering to self righteous rage with leftism.

Methinks people are confusing leftism with communism.

[sandinista]

Methinks people are confusing socially liberal with leftism. Me also thinks that people are also confusing not pandering to self righteous rage with leftism.

Methinks people are confusing leftism with communism.

methinks you are wrong. Then again, it comes down to definitions.

[.Morticia.]

Methinks people are confusing socially liberal with leftism. Me also thinks that people are also confusing not pandering to self righteous rage with leftism.

Methinks people are confusing leftism with communism.

methinks you are wrong. Then again, it comes down to definitions.

yep

and some people like to make up their own meanings

[JimC]

Warren Dew wrote:

..."Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist...

Not from any rational political dictionary I know. Leftist is a fairly broad term. Perhaps "liberal views" could squeeze into it at one end, but a truly leftist viewpoint is one where socialism is front and centre. True liberalism has its political roots in English social philosophy, not the writings of Marx...

[Ian]

NPR isn't remotely leftist. I listen to it every morning - there's definitely some elitist, liberal-leaning talk, but that's the audience it caters too. I find the reporting and feature presentations to be very well researched, insightful and about as objective as news can be.

All that could be said for Beck and Hannity too, substituting "right" and "conservative" for "left" and "liberal". "Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist. Sure, they have nonpolitical programming too, but Beck and Hannity aren't on 24 hours a day either.

I'm not saying NPR is left wing, the way Limbaugh is right wing, but the only reason people who listen to NPR don't want to admit it's leftist is because they themselves are leftist, so they misperceive it to be the center.

Beck, Limbaugh and Hannity (and O'Reilly, and Savage, and Coulter, etc...) spend a large portion of their time railing against the weak liberals and the reckless, spend-happy Democrats, stoking partisan anger and fear about the people they and their audiences disagree with. Nothing of the sort could be said about any NPR programs.

[hadespussercats]

NPR isn't remotely leftist. I listen to it every morning - there's definitely some elitist, liberal-leaning talk, but that's the audience it caters too. I find the reporting and feature presentations to be very well researched, insightful and about as objective as news can be.

All that could be said for Beck and Hannity too, substituting "right" and "conservative" for "left" and "liberal". "Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist. Sure, they have nonpolitical programming too, but Beck and Hannity aren't on 24 hours a day either.

I'm not saying NPR is left wing, the way Limbaugh is right wing, but the only reason people who listen to NPR don't want to admit it's leftist is because they themselves are leftist, so they misperceive it to be the center.

Beck, Limbaugh and Hannity (and O'Reilly, and Savage, and Coulter, etc...) spend a large portion of their time railing against the weak liberals and the reckless, spend-happy Democrats, stoking partisan anger and fear about the people they and their audiences disagree with. Nothing of the sort could be said about any NPR programs.

I've also never seen any NPR host doing a "let's make fun of folks with Parkinsons!" sight gag...

[Warren Dew]

Warren Dew wrote:

..."Elitist, liberal-leaning talk" is the very definition of leftist...

Not from any rational political dictionary I know. Leftist is a fairly broad term. Perhaps "liberal views" could squeeze into it at one end, but a truly leftist viewpoint is one where socialism is front and centre. True liberalism has its political roots in English social philosophy, not the writings of Marx...

"Liberal" does not mean the same thing in the U.S. as it does in the UK. The closest U.S. equivalent to the original English "liberal" concept of the 19th century is "libertarian".

Of course, the British liberal party drifted away from those roots as well.