03-15-2009, 02:30 PM
Quote:I think it is a big mistake to treat anything on the TV as much more than entertainment.
In that regard, Stewart vs Kramer is a cock fight for our amusement.
I'm not sure that's fair. Jon Stewart has a point here, and it's more important than just comedy for us to laugh at. The media hype created by the business networks' bloviation has actual consequences for the market, and they deserve some of the blame for what's happened. They're supposed to be acting as the public's source of information, and instead, they're acting as free advertising for the business elite.
In a world where everyone was appropriately skeptical, their role would be trivial. People like Cramer get up on TV, do their song and dance (in his case, literally) and nobody pays any attention. But in our world, this all has market implications. When the speculative chickens come home to roost, it hurts the real economy.
-Jester