Post #1759
by Jack GrantI’ve been trying to reconcile the recent revelation regarding the authorization given by the President of the United States for the National Security Agency (aka the NSA) to monitor communications by US citizens without warrants, even those authorized by the FISA courts, which are almost notorious in their refusal to deny permissions for wiretaps.
To me this flies in the face of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, regardless of any legal infrastructure of thought built up since the time of the approval of those documents. I regard the original documents and thinking as supreme unless Constitutional Amendments have been approved to over-ride them, and as near as I can tell, none have for the issue at hand.
Regardless of the fundamentals, the usual suspects are presenting their usually supsect arguments, with those on the right-wing attacking the messengers, calling it “high treason” in their typical shallow thinking, regardless of the actual crimes being reported upon, and those on the left-wing attacking the administration, jumping the gun and calling for impeachment before all the facts are in and evaluated.
I have wanted to write something meaningful that would influence this imbroglio, but then I read what was posted recently at Velociworld:
I don’t want to piss on anyone’s parade, but I’ve been having the sinking feeling, for some time now, that the vaunted Blogosphere is a sickly puppy, the runt of the litter with rickets, and scabies.
Hear me out: when the World was relatively small, there was much interaction. Give, take, everyone knew everyone. Maybe didn’t like everyone, but knew them. Now there are Pajama parties with huge fucking budgets, one is In or Out, it is a fucking abortion of a thing.
All of this, I think, is driven by two things: number one: some people think there is money to be made here. Okay. Maybe for a few lucky enough to have enough traffic to generate ad monies. Have at it, folks.
Number two: many bloggers tend to forget they are amateurs. A little traffic, we are Dickens. Bullshit. We are fucking amateurs. This is the minor leagues. Worse. Pony League. No salaries at all here.
That is why this is titled “Post #1759″ because that is the post number that came up when I started writing this.
Even though I feel this recent revelation of how the Bush administration apparently completely skipped the Civics class that I thought we all were required to take in the 9th grade is tremendously important, and how they have no compunction in asserting the power of the executive branch with no oversight despite the principles written into our Constitution over 200 years ago is extremely dangerous, my opinions don’t really matter because I am indeed a fucking amateur in the minor league.
Who will listen to what I have to say on this?
I am doomed to watch as the founding principles of the nation I love are trampled upon and discarded, and all I can do is cry out on a weblog that is read by perhaps 200 people a day, if I am lucky.
My influence? Hell, I would probably give more folks the common cold than change their minds about this issue…
So, here is Post #1759, for what it is worth.
Trackback URL (right-click and choose the copy shortcut/link option)
9 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Don’t feel sorry for yourself, Jack. A couple things to consider:
1) When you’re talking about the blogosphere, especially smaller blogs, it’s not about the individual blogger, but often about the totality of the blogs’ opinion and influence. You influence a hundred people, I influence a hundred, etc.
2) Different bloggers have different levels of credibility. On the wiretap issue, for example, Orin Kerr has put up a sterling analysis … and I fully expect that his analysis will be cited outside of the blogosphere before long. Then again, Orin Kerr is a law professor, not a mere electron-stained wretch such as you and I.
3) First and foremost, remember to treat this as a hobby. You’re doing it for fun and entertainment. If you start bemoaning your lack of influence, blogging will become more of a chore for you.
–|PW|–
By pennywit on 12.20.05 11:39
More people listen to you than you believe. And, I agree with your assessment.
By Sine.Qua.Non on 12.20.05 12:32
Post #1759…
…at Random Fate, for what it is worth.
By The Moderate Voice on 12.20.05 14:48
Back In The Saddle Again.
Okay, so where was I? -I’m focusing and thinking again (if I ever do either, that is). Thanks for all the good wishes while I nursed my bruised brain. -Go check the Commissar’s revised map. He has honored this blog
By Bloggledygook on 12.20.05 15:16
When I started the Boston Progressive, I never had the illusion that it would be some wide ranging influence, or that I could get some book deal or that I would become awash in monies from ad revenues.
I did it because
(a) I needed an armature to use as a frame to help me with the discipline to get back into writing something other than tech manuals & reports
(b) I felt the need to articulate what was of concern to me, as a way to clarify my own feelings on issues, even if it was the voice crying in the wilderness
(c) each voice, when raised alone is near silent, when raised in concert can bring down the walls
I don’t know if the walls will come down, but the voices are being raised.
In some minor way the writers of blogs have caused embarrassment to The Powers That Be by highlighting that the media (and TPTB) may not give the same priority to the murder or kidnapping of a lower-income black woman as they do to the violence against a white, middle class 20-something blond with blue eyes, or by digging through testimony and find the nugget where a corrupt lobbiest trells the truth about how he and his brethren feel about the people they manipulate.
The members of the various blogs can react quickly to publicize news that may, at first, seem to be of only local interest — but all politics is local.
We can look silly as well (do many of those writing *really* think they can make money doing this?), and may get collectivly taken in by hoaxes. On the other hand, if we do get collectivly taken in, does it say that we are gullible, or that we are too trusting (not the same as “gullible”), or that we hav been pre-conditioned by events to believe either the best or the worst (depending on what side of the river you deposit your trust) of people, or the PTPB.
Let me close with the tag end of my own first post into The Boston Progressive:
I harbor no illusions about how loud a voice it will be, nor how influential it will be.
But If I do not speak up now, when I see the need, when else?”
By Craig r. on 12.20.05 15:22
Why blog?
There are men in the blogosphere who have expressed their thoughts and feelings regarding the State of the ’sphere and asked: “Who will listen to what I have to say on this?”
Both are extremely intelligent. From what I have read o…
By justdotchristina on 12.20.05 18:27
The one thing I can say about blogs is that some more than others make me think about issues differently. While my first instinct was to call those who leaked the information about the taps traitors, blogs such as yours make me think of the other issues at hand. So instead of joining in the calls for high treason, I’m not posting anything about it. For one thing, I don’t believe all the facts have been presented and I don’t know enough about FISA and all the legal matters pertaining to it.
The quote posted by Craig R. explains it well.
By seawitch on 12.20.05 18:40
Sorry about the size of your megaphone, dude. If your audience were bigger would you be happy? I doubt it. You might try thinking about blogging differently. The thoughts you share are worth something, not because they appear on the World Wide Web where millions of potential readers might just gain from your wisdom. Your thoughts are worth something simply if they’re worthy of you.
As for your point on the President’s abuse of executive power — sorry, you’re just wrong.
By Bob on 12.20.05 20:04
I came here from Michael Reynolds The Mighty Middle, through Joe’s The Moderate Voice.
You reach further than you know.
By JRD on 12.21.05 03:43
Leave a comment
Please read the comment policy
All comments are screened for conformance to the comment policy
As an anti-spam measure, a link to activate display of your comment will be sent to you using the email address given, otherwise your comment will be reviewed and moderated by the post author
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>