I think it’s interesting because I think it is very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words “heroes.” Why do I feel so [uncomfortable] about the word “hero”? I feel comfortable — uncomfortable — about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that’s fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism: hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I’m wrong about that. – Chris Hayes
CABLE DOESN’T ALLOW for honest rumination about anything, which is why the infotainment shows that exist across Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and CNN, add to the cacophony of noise that misinforms our politics today. When it comes to digesting the difficulty of war and peace that goes double, as Chris Hayes found out this weekend when he was attacked for the statement above, with criticism from the right developing into a media swarm.
Chris Hayes is one of the smartest and deepest thinkers on the cable dial, with the uproar swift and total, an apology demanded by the usual suspects, who want to preen they support the U.S. Constitution, but won’t allow any discussion about war and peace that might land in an uncomfortable arena.
We can no longer disagree with one another, with the right proving their political correctness is as vicious a scourge as anything on the left.
Those landing on Hayes have every right to do so, but they don’t have the right to silence him. What we’ve learned once again, however, is the First Amendment doesn’t exist for everyone, which means it’s original intent and meaning is dead.
There are many individuals who want to work on backing our country away from “justifications for more war,” with these people having every right to say so in a discussion forum on cable, without fearing reprisal or being threatened with the loss of their job, or humiliated for expressing an opinion on the way to fostering debate.
Meanwhile, Ann Coulter took to Twitter to give her assessment of the MSNBC host’s comment. “Chris Hayes ‘Uncomfortable’ Calling Fallen Military ‘Heroes’ — Marines respond by protecting his right to menstruate,” she tweeted. [Politico]
Chris Hayes has issued an apology.
The First Amendment isn’t what it used to be. Our media remains hostage to the flash mob, especially on cable, where thinking and taking on difficult issues from a wholly different aspect, which makes some people queasy, is seen as a rhetorical crime.
This episode with Hayes makes me more convinced that we’re doomed if people don’t wake up and defend the First Amendment, whether it’s Bill Maher, Rush Limbaugh or Chris Hayes who’s speaking.
No one from any side has clean hands on this one. I’ve lambasted Rush Limbaugh, but never called for an end to his livelihood, like feminists have done, as well as Democrats.
When is someone going to stand up for themselves, their media employer backing him or her, and defend the First Amendment, instead of caving to the mob?
Bluntness is rarely rewarded and neither is speaking a controversial thought.
Edward R. Murrow wouldn’t be allowed to exist today.
I don’t think it’s possible in any form of broadcast medium. It may not be possible at any of the big print or online news agencies, either, at least in America.
We’ve been walking on eggshells ever since Vietnam ended, trying to avoid saying that we wasted peoples’ lives there. Yet that’s what we did. What’s more, we compounded that waste, by not admitting what it was at the time, and by not learning from it later when people told us how we needed to be afraid of Iraq, Iran, Somalia, and whereever else “freedom is in danger”.
Our duty as citizens is to make sure that our young people don’t get sent off to kill or be killed in some fool’s errand. We’ve failed at that duty for a long time now. It’s sad that Chris Hayes is having to do this or lose his job, but I think maybe one of the things we need to do in America to get it going in a better direction is to give journalists like him a place where they can work without having to worry about whether the bosses will have their backs or not.
” Edward R. Murrow would not be allowed to exist today. ” That would be the Edward R. Murrow who said, ” An electorate of sheep begets a government of wolves. ” And so it has come to pass.
Where is spineless, gutless, MSNBC? They should be protecting their on-air talent when this type of bullshit pops up. Chris Hayes said nothing wrong to anyone with an IQ greater than room temperature. God Damn the right wing in this country.
Were living in the age of censorship !! Everyone gets offended so easily anymore. I also disagree with the way Bill Maher and Rush Limbaugh act, but would never want to censor them. This is getting way too out of hand and pretty soon, no one will be able to speak their minds anymore.
True. But probably it should be described as bully censorship, clique censorship, or something else. since the government isn’t involved.
This quote by Kurt Schlichter at Breitbart basically outlines the issue Taylor is writing about:
So we go from Chris Haynes trying to approach a subject delicately and even wondering if he said or thought it out right to him being “…a parasite taking sustenance from the exertions of better men and women.” Better men and women. In all due respect, serving in the United States Armed Forces does not automatically make you BETTER American and/or BETTER person. That’s nonsense. I respect deeply those are serving, have served, and died while serving. And I also deeply respect the tireless volunteer for the Salvation Army, the food bank folks, the nuclear power plant worker, etc. I have no problem reconciling that. All great in my eyes.
It’s like Godwin’s Law. As soon as you say something that is perceived as disrespectful to our Armed Forces, a sizable number of folks automatically equate you to an anti-American, communist, chattering, effete pansy and rational discussion ENDS.
That only works if you are percieved as on the left. OLielly accused the murdered soldiers at Almady of being war criminals, Limpwithnoballs tell serving sdoldiers if they disagree with him and his chickenhawk bile they aren’t “real soldiers”, the mob at the repugnantklan/teabagger “debates” BOO a serving soldier IN IRAQ for being gay. HUGE price paid by these hatemongers huh?
And as usual, whenever someone accidentally tells the truth in public, he is forced to issue and apology within minutes.
I find the wall to wall maudlin “hero” worship every Veteran’s and Memorial Day sickening. There’s nothing heroic about killing people. Because deep down we kind of know this, we cloak it in “fighting for our freedoms” BS, as if our freedom depends on how many Afghanis, Iraqis and Pakistanis we can kill, or how many troops we can keep stationed on every continent. (We’ve reached the point where Protecting Our Freedom depends on our willingness to Surrender it, but we aren’t supposed to talk about that until the next Republican takes office.)
Here’s what I would call Heroic- someone willing to stand up and declare that the emperor has no clothes, and then not apologize for it. Hayes did the one, but not the other, so he doesn’t qualify.
Taylor, I’m sorry but I forget.
What was your view of the firing of Pat Buchanan?
John Derbyshire?
Or a bunch of others going back to Helen Thomas?
I fail to see a valid point being made about the 1st amendment……..The 1st amendment allowed Haynes to express his opinion and the same 1st amendment allows others to express their opinion. Censorship (restriction of 1st amendment) would come from the lack of ability to express either opinion, not from the content of the opinion itself.
OMGAWD what ain’t even there…..I agree with casualobserver!!!
Chris Hayes has the best political talk show bar none.He offers a platform on television for intellectual, progressive discussion. Unlike Maddow there is no clowning or tribal lectures.No water carrying for the WH and Democrats.Just really smart people talking about issues.
He is the antithesis of the anti intellectual,anti science bullies on the right and a far cry from the conventional thinking on the professional left.who are all invested in the people not realizing that the volunteer army is made of of mostly economcally pressured young people with few other choices. The hero worship is a huge lie coming from these quarters and all these same young people are going to get from them.
I agree with you 100%. That is why the right wing media has placed a target on Chris Hayes and his weekend show. If they can only chill his intelligence and passion a few degrees, then they will have won.
In baseball, they call this “a little chin music” when they want to brush the batter back from the plate. This is probably in retaliation for the “Stop Rush” campaign from earlier this year.
The filthy bastards.
second and strongly.
my second and strongly was for Lakelady’s original comment and then for TPAZ’s response. It’s sometimes a roulette wheel as to where’s one’s reply will land. lol
Thank you.
Taylor, thanks for this post. It really hits home and expresses what many of us feel.
I agree. No matter how much I dislike or disdain the continued verbal vomit pouring out of Limbaugh’s trap or the sometimes hateful comments made by Maher towards women, I’ve never called for either of them to lose their jobs precisely because of what happened to Chris Hayes someone with whom I agree almost completely and who I hold in deep respect for having a first-rate intellect. I agree the First Amendment trumps my anathema towards Limbaugh or Maher but it also protects my anathema and my right to to speak up and strongly counter either of these men or like-minded people when they use their public privileges to verbally assault women or whatever class of people they casually attack. Calling for any of these men to be fired is wrong-headed and doesn’t serve the self-interest of one’s own free speech.
As has been said by others in the comments, Chris Hayes did nothing wrong and spoke the truth and kudo’s also to jjamele who wrote this:
Although I agree about one of the consequences of Hayes’ apology which is it gives quarter to those whimpering for him to be fired, however, if he refused to do so, it would have been interesting to see which way MSNBC would go. Would they have suspended him as they never suspended Matthews for many of his vitriolic and putrid comments or would they have fired him as they have never fired Matthews etc. Another consequence of Hayes not apologizing and MSNBC firing him would have been a great loss for those of us who hold him in high regard as a broadcaster (close to the high regard held for Murrow) leaving it in the hands of the huksters, clowns, egotistical (oxymoron, I know) and incompetent fools now holding court on cable no matter which side the partisan winds blow hard (FOX and MSNBC) or the vanilla pablum slop served by CNN. As much as I agree with your concluding paragraph about Chris Hayes, it’s a conundrum for me as I don’t want to lose his rational, even-tempered and high caliber intellect twice a week in a medium filled with slop.
btw, to be clear. When I called Matthews comments vitriolic and putrid and used him in contrast with Chris Hayes, I didn’t mean in any way to compare or categorize what Chris Hayes said as vitriolic or putrid as they were neither. What I meant was that for all of Matthews continued rotting and stinking and offensive comments (one of which almost got someone killed), I don’t recall MSNBC once seriously considering suspending or firing his arse for comments and behaviors totally out of whack with any sense of decency and/or journalistic standards.