We Analyze...

I've often complained of the so called "News" organizations not bothering with news. Their shows are nothing but editorials (read: opinions) being mis-labled news. Editorial = opinion. Why do I need some overpaid person to tell me his opinion on TV? I am intelligent enough to draw my own conclusions. I just want the news.

Apparently I'm in the minority.

Bill O'reilly spelled it out for me a few nights ago. "We do analysis here at Fox News." He continued to suggest that people who wanted mere news stories should look for them at a place my memory didn't retain. I wish it had.

So that's what guys like him calls it. Analysis. Strange that when I was professionally trained to do intelligence analysis in the Navy I was taught to avoid opinions based on emotion, bias or anything not supported strongly by facts. YES they wanted to know how I interpreted the data. No, they didn't care if I think bombing some factory was morally questionable.

They being the Admirals and other Brass who made decisions.

Facts are: The SA-5 missile launcher is at geo-cord X. The reloads are at geo-cord Y. The AAA (anti-aircraft) batteries are at geo-cord Z.

Relevent opinions are: Strike package should approache from the East, using radar terrain masking to avoid enemy AAA assets prior to weapons release. Recommend a 1945 time on target to coincide with enemy watch change.

Bullshit editorials (opinions) are: Those men on the ground are only trying to defend their country and obey orders and we should spare their lives. This war is wrong, unlawful et cetera.

What all these news shows do is provide the person watching with a ready made opinion. It never shows all the facts, and usually distorts the hell out of the facts it does have, in order to support a certain conclusion.

It's no wonder our society is polarized so badly. We have a couple of "News" outlets that shape most every event to fit a view point. Liberal or Conservative. Right or Left. The real world is far more complicated than that. It requires true fact and thoughtfulness. Only idiots and crazy people are 100% right or left wing. But on the "News" most everything breaks down that way. Scarey.

-Corwin