Let the skies fall

Glenn Greenwald on the why the media don't want to talk about torture:

In this world, it is perfectly fine to say that a president is inept or even somewhat corrupt. A titillating, tawdry sex scandal, such as the Bill Clinton brouhaha, can be fun, even desirable as a way of keeping entertainment levels high. Such revelations are all just part of the political cycle. But to acknowledge that our highest political officials are felons (which is what people are, by definition, who break our laws) or war criminals (which is what people are, by definition, who violate the laws of war) is to threaten the system of power, and that is unthinkable. Above all else, media figures are desperate to maintain the current power structure, as it is their role within it that provides them with prominence, wealth, and self-esteem. Their prime mandate then becomes protecting and defending Washington, which means attacking anyone who would dare suggest that the government has been criminal at its core.

There is a political discussion show on Australian TV called "The Insiders". The "insiders" are all journalists. Perfect, huh? You won't hear any discussion about what makes for good policy, but you'll hear a whole lot of ridiculous political gossip. Today's high profile journalists live off the political system and, though they might seem to, will never really attack it.