I don't normally watch "The View" and have never seen a single episode of "The O'Reilly Factor", however it came to my attention this morning of a heated debate going on between "The View" gals and Mr. O'Reilly who was appearing on as a guest.
The debate was about should they build a mosque near ground zero. This debate has gone on for some time now, and probably has been handled slightly more sophisticated than what was seen this morning.
O'Reilly put his foot in his mouth by calling the people who flew the planes into the twin towers not "Terrorists" or "Islamic Extremists", but "Muslims". This made "View" co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg storming off the set.
When I saw a clip of this happening, I wondered this is what is wrong with American ideals, there doesn't seem to be any. Everyone is so far left or so far right, there isn't any point to it all.
Seeing the clip, I felt Goldberg and Behar went for O'Reilly's bait hook, line, and sinker, they let him get to them, or did they, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole scene was an elaborate stage. Maybe it wasn't, that's neither here nor there, what I would've liked to see was two parties intelligently debating this issue. The problem may not have been "The View" ladies, although from what I have seen from them, they do tend to compromise any merit in favour of juicy television. O'Reilly is a sensationalist, he comes off as someone who knows he's the bad guy, he reminds me of a professional wrestler who revels in the boos of an audience; he wants to get a rise out of them, and I think he knows it too.
There was a time when debates like these were done with taste, one party heard another party out, but even important topics like building a mosque near ground zero, which touches on sensitive subjects as race, religion, and politics in America today are being subjected to sensationalistic tabloid arguments.
This is a problem I see in America today, everything is given either a love it/hate it ultimatum. Both the left and the right have failed to succeed on anything unless it's a "pro" for their side. They refuse to hear anyone out, these are both sides I'm talking about because I'm no longer playing favorites.
I know there are rational people on every side, yet it is they who are constantly back benched in favours of the sensationalists. I take solace in actually watching PBS, who actually have professionals from both sides of the fence giving their story; There is never any yelling or storming off sets when this happens.
I will also defend a show like "The Daily Show" where Jon Stewart has welcomed both Liberals and Conservatives to his table and is always open to hear their side. The people he mocks are people who don't listen and who stay ignorant in their little bubble. If you watch a debate with Stewart and someone on his show, you can actually see a difference between that and what was shown on "The View" today (Side note, he has also had O'Reilly on numerous times, and I don't think it has ever turned into a shouting match, mostly because I think O'Reilly has to be on his toes when pitted against Stewart).
As a Canadian, I'm an outsider when it comes to America, I've often felt disconnected with the American way of life, which is strange seeing how Canada is so close, and we also talk so much alike. I do feel like I have been influenced by American culture and ideals, and these have been felt throughout the world. Yet now when I look at America, I am even more so disillusioned with it, it looks to me as a country that has lost its way, and in that way I'm a bit scared, this is the most powerful country in the world and they're acting like a bunch of clowns.
How quickly they seemed to have forgotten the tyranny of Bush/Cheney, and how fast they have become disillusioned with Obama and the Democrats. America was looking for a quick fix, then they didn't get it, now it's time to jump to extremes and shout the loudest, for only then will people hear you, the only problem with that is the person shouting doesn't always have to make sense.
I'm concerned because America has been looked to as the moral centre of the world, yet lately the morality is course and perverted. I'm hoping the people who may not shout has loud as the ones who don't make sense, find a voice and bring everyone back to the centre again.
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