Maverick Philosopher

Nihil philosophicum a me alienum puto

To promote independent thought about ultimates. Philosophy, commentary on the passing scene, and whatever else turns my crank. Since 4 May 2004. By William F. Vallicella, Ph.D., Gold Canyon, Arizona, USA. Motto: "Study everything, join nothing." (Paul Brunton) Latin Motto: Omnia mea mecum porto. Turkish motto: Yol bilen kervana katilmaz. (He who knows the road does not join the caravan.) All material copyrighted.

The Death of the Grown-Up

I saw the charming Diana West on C-Span yesterday. She was presenting some of the ideas in her book, The Death of the Grown-up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization. The exaggeration of the subtitle notwithstanding, this is a book I want to read. Here is a NYT review that displays the New York Times' usual leftward bias. And here is Michelle Malkin's notice. Here is a column that presents some of West's ideas.

By the way, I am always astonished at people who cannot see that the NYT tilts to the Left. It obviously does, and if you cannot see that then you simply demonstrate your incapacity to make an objective judgment. It would be as if someone were to claim that the Fox News Network does not tilt to the Right. It obviously does, and if you cannot see that then you simply demonstrate your incapacity to make an objective judgment.

Lefties have a right to be lefties, but they ought to be intellectually honest and admit that they are lefties.

Posted by William F. Vallicella on Monday December 10, 2007 at 10:17am
Dave Gudeman (www):
Do you think that FSN news coverage (as opposed to the opinion shows) tilts to the right? I've never noticed it, but it may be that I just don't see it.
12.10.2007 10:44pm
Bill Vallicella (mail) (www):
What is FSN? You mean Fox News Network? I'd say the bias comes in in the reportage as well. What they select as newsworthy, how much time they devote to it, what they don't report, etc.

The NYT is worse. E.g., seizing upon the Abu Ghraib incident, running 40 or so (I'd have to check the number) front-page stories, ignoring or underplaying positive accomplishments.

The only true objectivity I have found is C-Span.
12.11.2007 8:53am